*Little something I bashed out one evening recently. Not sure if all the spelling is correct and bit more of a rant against people who think the south had just cause.
Many of you have most likely heard of Gettysburg, and the Civil War. But how many know the real causes of the war, or how it affected our modern world? Why is Gettysburg such a pivotal event/battle in American, if not world history?
The American Civil War of course, has many causes and many men fought for different reasons. The root of the war, and the majority of the tension is of course, African slavery. *Note to Philip, there were of course Indian Slaves (And 50 or so black slaves) in Utah territory numbering several hundred, but no Mormon was fighting to keep them!*
Though Slavery had been common in Europe in Medieval times and slaves had been widely imported into American until the trade was banned in the early 1800's. By the mid 1800's most the civilized world had gradually done away with human chattel and switched to wage labour. Except, in the American South. While almost all other nations (And Norther States) had done away with this institution, it had grown and created an even stronger aristocratic system than previous generations.
By the time of Lincoln's election in 1860, more than 4 million human beings were held in slavery in the many southern states. Though the North was by no means fans of Slavery, it had no real intention on the whole to change it where it was, but rather keep it where it was and not let it expand into any new lands where it could compete with "free" labour.
Southerners however, especially ones in areas with high amounts of slavery, had no belief that Northerners and the "Radical" Lincoln wouldn't try to ban slavery in all of the United States. Shortly after the election, South Carolina seceded from the Federal Government in 1860. Within the next few months, several more states in "Dixie" would secede from the Union.
The goal of secession? Mainly, states and an individuals rights... the rights to own human beings, to go wherever they like with slaves and even to rip supposed runaway slaves away from free states without even so much as due process. There would be no "Men are created equal" in this "new" nation. There would be no thought to Blacks except as "property". No thought to poor whites and their hardships and even less if they were from mountain regions. No, this new "nation" was to be ruled by an Aristocracy that cared little except to maintain their own personal wealth and power. The notion that they could be told what to do by merchants and farmers and mechanics and emigrants from free states, voting in free elections disgusted these "Gentleman". As if these common men, were there equals!
No, they would form a new nation, that would be based on slavery and dominance and the power of wealth.
By 1861 the American Civil War had started with the shelling of Fort Sumpter by Southern soldiers in April. The War began and the Confederacy had gained more states.
2 years later the war had dragged on seemingly with no end. Though the Confederacy had done well in Virginia, it was having major reverses in Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi.
War had been waging on Southern soil almost the whole time, but after the extremely successful battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia the Confederate army commanded by Robert E. Lee decided to take the offensive to the North.
The Union army in Virginia had had very few successful battles and as a result had developed very low morale.
But after hearing of Confederate movements toward Pennsylvania it took action and went on many forced marches to catch up to the Rebel army. But could the Union army win after losing so much in this theater of war?
The war was almost lost for the Union. Politically the peace party in the North was growing strong. War wariness had taken a large toll. Thousands had died to no effect it seemed. If a large battle was lost on north soil, and its army defeated again, it is no exaggeration that the war would be lost at that point for the Federal Government and the
In late June, the Union army received a new commander, George Meade only days before the largest battle of the War, a cross roads town in South Pennsylvania called Gettysburg.
The battle began almost by mistake, with Confederate troops converging on the town and suddenly being confronted by Federal Cavalry under General John Buford on the out skirts of town. Not to be out done by a small force confederates poured troops toward the town on the morning of July 1st.
The battle had begun and would last to the 3rd of July.
This was a battle that should have been easily won by the Confederates and at several points they almost did. They had better generals, the troops had higher morale, had been feed better for the past few weeks and they knew they were winning the war. The Northern troops didn't have those advantages. However, although these troops hadn't won very often, they knew if they had lost this time, the war was lost. Their way of life, the unity of The United States of America, would have vanished. How many more wars have had happened? Would the USA soon look like Europe? With petty states having endless warfare? Could democracy have survived?
No, this could not happen. Union troops knew, that this was it. On many occasions at this battle, seemingly more than others, Union troops charged in at just the right literally minute.
The most famous and desperate being the 1st Minnesota charging without hesitation 1,500 confederates, while they had but 250. Although 200 would be killed or wounded, those men pushed back the rebel troops for 20 minutes until help could arrive.
After 3 days of battle the Rebel army was at last defeated on the third day. On each day the rebel army had a very good chance of winning with ease, and destroying the Union army, and with it, the Union cause.
The Rebel best chance of victory was then gone, but the war still would drag on for another 22 months, but after that, the nation was whole again with the surrender of the last rebel armies. Although racial issues would still divide and not all the problems were of course solved, the Union and the Federal Republic survived. Time would heal the wounds, solve the issue and with steady resolve, we now have the great country which we live in. Though are nation is not without sins and hasn't done its evils, the Evil we have defeated, the ideas we have spread have more than made up. However, none of that would have been possible if the brave men of the Federal Armies had not prevailed against the forces of slavery, ignorance and arrogance.
