Debate on Civil War - 1069 Words

American Historians’ Debate on the Civil War The American Civil War has without a doubt left a permanent divide on this great nation’s past and present. American historians still debate the causes of a war that began in 1861 between the Union states and Confederacy states. The war can be seen as caused by the principle of slavery, the growing tension between northern and southern ideology or due to a crack in the political system of the time. United States’ history classes focus on teaching students different views as to the origin of the Civil War. Three renowned American historians who explore this topic beautifully are Eric Foner, James G. Randall, and Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. Foner provides the best explanation to the origin of†¦show more content†¦Schlesinger also makes the point that abolitionists were as important in the issue of slavery in the Civil War as anti-Nazis and anti-Communists are today (Schlesinger 3). Arthur Schlesinger refuted Randall’s position on the Civil War so powerfully , that he used his own words and logic against him. If James G. Randall had read the aforementioned article by Arthur M. Schlesinger, his response would be that the interpretation given by Arthur is a poor approach to history. Randall has stated in his article, The Blundering Generation, how many historians view culture issues, such as the sectionalism between the north and south in the United Sates, as inevitable causes for Civil War. However, to James Randall, many other countries face the same problems without resorting to the same measures. Randall gives the example of â€Å"Scandinavia or the Netherlands or Switzerland (Randall 3)† as countries with culture and racial issues that have not waged war for the purpose of cultural ideology, as he portrays slavery to be. Randall does not believe a moral issue like slavery to be enough of a driving force between war, especially one that produced the most American deaths than any other war. James Randall believes, â€Å"war cau sation tends to be ‘explained’ in terms of great forces (Randall 4).† Randall credits most of the great forces to be a result of theShow MoreRelatedThe Debate Over The Civil War860 Words   |  4 PagesThere has been much debate as to whether the Civil War could have been avoided or not. The Evansville Daily Journal argues that the Civil War was inevitable, but Alexander Stephens disagrees and proposes that the war could have been avoided. Stephen’s argument is superior to the Evansville Daily Journal one because it objectively talks about the recent changes in the United States, explains the different views between the North and South, and tries to convince people that a war is not necessary. Read MoreCivil War Debate On American Rhetoric2775 Words   |  12 Pagesin History 29 October 2014 Words: 2450 150 years later: Civil War Debates in American Rhetoric More than sixty years ago William Faulkner proclaimed in his novel Requiem of a Nun that â€Å"the past is never dead. It’s not even past† (Faulkner). These words reign especially true regarding the impact of the American Civil War (1861-1865). The reasons for the conflict were complex and numerous, but mostly controversial. The men who fought in the War were essentially deciding whether nearly 13% of the populationRead MoreJohn Brown And The Civil War1719 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Civil War. Lincoln being chief among these people in respects to importance to the coming of the Civil War was a huge catalyst to the civil war through his election to presidency without the votes of a single southern state, and his debates with Stephen Douglas. 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But, recently a major debate surrounding the monument has spurred an argument between two groups. One group wants the monument to be removed or relocat ed from its original spot in Richmond V.A. This group believes that it is an offensive symbol in support of slavery. The otherRead MoreCivil War Causes1382 Words   |  6 Pages Causes of the Civil War John Brown’s Raid vs. Industrial Revolution John Brown’s Raid was a more influential cause to the civil war than the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution caused incompability between the North and the South. The North relied on wage laborers with the new machine age economy while the South relied heavily on slaves. So, the North did not need slaves for their economyRead MoreEssay about Abraham Lincoln - Hero or Racist?1412 Words   |  6 Pagesregarding Lincoln before the Civil War, during the war as Commander In Chief, or his views on slavery and racial equality; furthermore, vast debates on his views, strategies, and solutions regarding events that helped shape our nation. Abraham Lincoln is such an interesting person that discussions and debates will lead to more questions open to more discussion and debate. What was Lincoln’s view on racial equality and slavery? What was the reason behind the Civil War? Was there an ulterior motiveRead MoreSlavery And The Civil War1641 Words   |  7 PagesTh e American civil war was in no doubt the most crucial event in history. No other war compares or even comes close to the casualties suffered. It helped conserve and maintain the Union, drastically changed the relationship between the federal and states government, and led to slavery’s abolition. This war has also stirred up many conflicts until this day about the conflicts and causes. Among the countless and even undiscovered questions comes the most common as being why the Southern states wereRead MoreEconomic Development in the United States1017 Words   |  4 Pagespeople understand what it was like to be a slave. It helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War - Will Kaufman. It was the best selling novel of that century. Lincoln-Douglas Debates The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. The main issue in all the debates was slavery. They had two individual appearances in Illinois and seven â€Å"joint appearances†. The debates attracted many people from other states because slavery was very important to the citizens