April 9, 2015 marks the 150th anniversary of the
infamous surrender of General Robert E Lee and the Confederate Army to General
Ulysses S. Grant and the Union Army bringing an end to the American Civil
War.
The American Civil War was the most deadly war ever fought
by the United States. After 4 years of
fighting, approximately 2% of our population had lost their lives. That is the equivalent to the entire
population of Chicago in terms of today’s population.
It was the beginning of modern warfare. In addition to new weapons making it easier
to eliminate your enemy, we also made significant progress providing medical
care in the field of battle and addressing the sanitation of camps. Of the 620,000 fatalities of the Civil War,
more than 66% died of disease. By the
end of the war, the US Sanitation Commission reduced the disease rates by
50%.
The Civil War redefined the United States and forever
altered the ideas of freedom and liberty in our country. At the conclusion of the war, more than 4
million slaves were freed. In addition
to the
physical wounds and rebuilding the structures damaged and destroyed
during the war, the country needed to redefine its culture and views of
humanity. There is evidence today that
we are still a work in progress.
What do you know about the Civil War? Knowing what we know today, was the Civil War
worth the cost, or was there another way?
How should the Civil War be remembered, something to be celebrated or a
source of embarrassment?
What I knew before this class was that the civil war was the bloodiest war in american history and was between the North and the South. The big issue was slavery, where the south liked and and the north anted to rid of it. Abraham Lincoln was president at the time and signed the Emancipation Proclamation to free slaves and end the war. Abe Lincoln was soon after assassinated.
ReplyDeleteI think that there could've been a better way to find a resolution, something more peaceful and with a non-bloody process. But history took it's turn for war and the catastrophic cost still hasn't worked completely yet. The Civil War is both, and embarrassment and a reason to celebrate. We can celebrate because we got rid of a horrible thing and resolved issues and haven't had another civil war. But we should remember this embarrassment of being unable to handle problems and remember to never do it again.
It was the bloodiest war in US history between the North and the South. Lincoln was president at the time and five days later was assassinated. It was a war over slavery and the abolition of. The North was trying to get rid of slavery, while the South was fighting to protect it as that was how they got money.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe there was another way to end slavery. The plantation owners and yeomen in the South were NOT going to get rid of the way they made money without a fight. They just refused to budge.
The Civil War should DEFINITELY be remembered so that we don't do it again. The end of it should be celebrated as it was the end of so much more death that would have come had it not ceased. It should not be a source of embarrassment; we ended a horror that had been plaguing our country since its beginning. If it was to embarrass anyone, I would hope it would be the slave holders and supporters.
In the course of American history, this civil war represents advancements with the liberation of slavery (with a few setbacks too - it's a one step back, three steps forward kinda deal). With this war we forever altered the ideals of America. Sure, we still have a long way to go, but without the Civil War, where would slavery have stopped? Of course I believe that a more peaceful approach is always better received, but, with as much tension as there was, war is often unavoidable. History took its course, and this war created a much needed outcome that represented change for the American lifestyle. People can look back on the Civil War however they want. If they think it's an embarrassment to have our country battled against each other, I can always argue that the best times in the history of our country are those of change (Revolutionary War, Industrial Revolution, The "Square Deal", The Technology Revolution, etc.). In conclusion, the Civil War may have been a time of great sorrow for America, but what followed was a time of liberation, and change for the better.
ReplyDeleteI know that the Civil War was bloody and horrible, it was the product of years of disagreement boiling and it split a country in two. It was climax of the argument of slavery and it was one of the most ghastly events in our history as a country. Though a war like that seemed (and still might seem) like it wasn't the way it should go. However to be perfectly honest I disagree, slavery was a huge issue that anything less than a war wouldn't have fixed. Sometimes you need to do the worst to make the world better.
ReplyDeleteThere will always be reenactments and people who believe the war was a proud part of our history, I see it not as a sign of embarrassment, but as a bloody reminder of what it takes to change, no I don't think it is something to be proud of. That said I am so proud of the side that prevailed, bringing people kept in chains to a freedom they had not known.
I don't know a whole lot about the Civil War, but I know that it was a brutal war with the North against the South in the U.S. over slavery. Abraham Lincoln was president, and after a long time of fighting the North won the war. I don't see any other effective way of expunging slavery than bloodily battling and giving up so much for it. So yes it was worth the cost for it did fulfill the main purpose. I don't think it's something we should be proud about for our country to be divided and fight against one another over a harsh, irrational part of culture. But it shows that we Americans feel strongly about our beliefs and were able to overcome dissent among ourselves. No country is perfect; the South grew up thinking slavery was okay, it was part of their culture. But the important thing is our country fixed the issue (though with many costs and much difficulty) and we've moved on, something I think the country should be proud about.
ReplyDeleteI know that the Civil War was bloody and horrible, it was the product of years of disagreement boiling and it split a country in two. It was climax of the argument of slavery and it was one of the most crazy events in our history as a country.To the extremem of it I did not know. I don't see any other effective way of expunging slavery than bloodily battling and giving up so much for it. So yes it was worth the cost for it did fulfill the main purpose. I don't think it's something we should be proud about for our country to be divided and fight against one another over a harsh, irrational part of culture. Yes this was bad but we should be proud that we moved passed this.
ReplyDeleteI know that the Civil War was a battle of economics but I don't really know anymore. Many people lost their lives and it helped to abolish slavery but this may have also happened eventually without the war. It is usually thought of a celebration but like any war you still have loss of life so it wasn't just bad or just good.
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War is a dark time in our young nation's history. The South's entire lifestyle, including but not limited to slavery, was at risk. The North was dominating politics. Something had to happen quickly. Was the Civil War worth the cost? Well, it all depends on perspective. Of course, today we would rely on more diplomatic solutions to such an issue, but back then it seemed illogical and much too lengthy of a process. War seemed much faster, impactful, and direct to the Southerners back then. But like most tragic events in history good and bad came out of it. Though many people lost their lives, our 16th president was assassinated, and towns were torn to shreds, America was able to come back out of the ashes and become the shining city on the hill that it was meant to be. I don't think this day needs to be celebrated or become a source of embarrassment for our country. It's simply another story in our past that needs to be revered and kept in mind.
ReplyDeleteI know that the Civil War wasn't the best time for people living in America at the time. There was constant fighting between the North and South for what they wanted. The North was all about politics and money, while the South was all for slavery. I think that if you look at our country today, then it was worth it because we we don't have much slavery. Although there still is racism. So I think that it was worth the cost.I think that the Civil War should be remembered as an embarrassment. I think this because we couldn't handle the issue without violence.
ReplyDeleteI don't know too much about the Civil War, but I do know that it was a brutal war about slavery with the North and South. The Civil War tore our country apart and there was constant fighting. The United States couldn't handle the ongoing problem of slavery without violence. I think there could of been another way to end slavery such as to negotiate with the South. Our former leaders or icons shouldn't have put the idea of slavery on a shelf and ignored the issue for so many years. They needed to talk about it, and that could've been the better way. Honestly, I had no clue that April 9th was the day that the Civil War ended until after discussing it a few times in class and reading this blog. I feel that the Civil War should be remembered as a bad time in our history, but something we should be proud of that it's over. We couldn't solve slavery without using violence, but it did come to a somewhat peaceful conclusion and we should be happy because of that.
ReplyDeleteI don't know too much about the Civil War... other than that it was a very violent time in our country. Nothing was going right. Blacks were being punished for their heritage and there was almost no way to stop it. The problem was that everyone who could help them were against them. It was truly a fight for many things. The North wanted to rule the politics and the South wanted slavery. The Blacks wanted to be free. When we think back on it, the question comes to our mind. Was it worth the violence? Honestly, both good and terrible came out of it. Our country has grown as a whole in terms of treating Blacks with respect and dignaty. But there were so many deaths that occurred. There really is not any way around war when something so extreme was going on. I mean, there should always be a better alternative instead of war. Some people were trying to be peaceful. Is the Civil War a time to celebrate? No... well to an extent. To some people, the Civil War could be seen as an embarrassment. I mean, our country felt that the only way to solve this problem was through violence. People could see it as a time of immaturity. Others, could celebrate that this terrible war got rid of slavery. When I think of the aftermath of the Civil War, I can see it in a way were our country can be proud that we moved on from the terrors.
ReplyDeleteI know some things about the Civil War, but not a lot. The Civil War was a battle that split our country in half- it was the North against the South, each with different views of slavery. President Abraham Lincoln was the leader of the United States at the time and is one of the most remembered presidents we know to the day. I know that it was one of the bloodiest, most brutal wars in our history and is still something that we remember and reflect on 150 years later. I also know that though slavery is a general term to say when asked why the Civil War happened, there were also more issues, maybe not as big, that influenced the war. I don't know specifically the issues, but they were all related to or turned back to slavery. One last thing that I know about the Civil War was that both races, white and black, fought for the freedom of slaves. Though there were mostly white men fighting to keep the slaves, there were whites and blacks fighting for their independence. Whites and blacks were both greatly involved in this war. I think that though this war was terrible for our country for some reasons, there were also reasons that make me think that the Civil War was worth the cost. Yes, maybe the leaders of the U.S. could have negotiated better, but I also think that four years of a bloody war taught the United States many things; it was worth it. After the war, people realized that they can't be fighting their own people, they needed to stand together in the years to come. With the United States splitting in half during this war, there were also ways that our country came together and made sure something like this never happens again. I think that the Civil War should be remembered as a celebration; that through all the fights and battles, the United States stood together and mended relationships, making our country better as a whole. I think the Civil War is something that we aren't going to and shouldn't forget.
ReplyDeleteI do not know too much about the civil war... Just about everything I know about the civil war is in the post above. I think that there had to be another way than war to solve an issue like slavery... But then again peaceful protests weren't doing anything so I suppose that war was the only option to people at that time...
ReplyDeleteI think that there is a source of something to be remembered and maybe at times to be embarrassed. I can support both sides. Because it is kind of embarrassing that we as a country couldn't decide that treating other people like property was wrong when it really was. But since the war put the period on the end of slavery it's something to celebrate because it ended slavery... Well most of it
I don't know a lot about the civil war. All I really know, is that it war against the north and slave for the ideas/opinions of slavery. This was a very rough time for the states. Instead of people trying to peacefully work this out, they did it violently. I honestly think that there was another way. Because we were so violent, there was no talking. Fighting didn't solve anything and won't. I think that the civil war should be remembered as an embarrassment. Country's aren't support to fight one another. It's the United States and we should bel fighting together, not each other.
ReplyDeleteThe civil war was a very crucial moment in our american history. all i really know about it it prior to reader the blog was that the south lost and a lot of slaves were free'd. I think that it was an important battle that needed to happen. Without that battle i dont know where The U.S.A would be. slavery was hugely affected. The states went through a rough time, but in the end it showed our strengths and weaknesses and it needed to happen. since the end of the civil war we have been one.
ReplyDeleteThe civil war was a large event in our country's history. It really shaped the united states and even though it had a large death toll it was necessary. Its sad to think that our country was split in half on beliefs and we had to kill each other to prove our point. I don't know a lot about the civil war but i know it was a huge even that split our country in half.
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War was one of the darkest times on our nation's history. I don't know too much except that it was against the North and South splitting the country in half. Each side had different views on slavery. Abraham Lincoln was president during this time and he is one of of the most remembered presidents in history. I really don't know if there was a different way to resolve this conflict. Peaceful protests weren't working and we didn't really know any better so I guess war was the answer. The Civil War should be remembered as both a celebration and an embarrassment. It's embarrassing how our country had to fight against each other killing 2% of the population, but its a celebration because we put an end to slavery. I think the Civil War should be and will be remembered forever.
ReplyDeleteI know a few things about the civil war, I know that Gettysburg was the major turning point in the war, when the North started to take control. It was a battle about about slavery and freedom. I think that it was fully necessary for the time, because American needed to make a real example about the definition of freedom, and even after the war they were far from it, although it was the first real movement. The civil war is something that we should be proud about, because we showed the world that change can happen with any and everything. That even the most basic and for front ideas can change. This is where our country stands out from the rest.
ReplyDeleteit was a dispute between the north and the south over slaves, power, and economy. Yes because we learned the hard way like most people learn that fire hurts. first you tell them no and that you will get burned. So behind your back they go and play with fire and get burned therefore learning their lesson. I think we should be embraced like brothers fighting in public or like having dual with some one you don't like. its stupid
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ReplyDeleteFrom various documentaries such as the America, the Story of Us, I know that the civil war was one of the bloodiest and fiercest wars in all of American History. Old Revolutionary War tactics and new weapons were the leading contributors to this large scale massacre. Men on both sides would line up with their bayonets and cannon, take aim, and fire, standing up. Their weapons were more accurate than before, and this increased the likelihood of landing a fatal shot. Tents used as makeshift hospital used whisky as amnesia, and amputations were common. The south, while mostly agriculturally driven, was very rural and undeveloped. The north however, had thousands of miles of railroad and telecommunications wire running along side. The north, if you were to look at a map of all the railways and telecommunications wire would look like a spiderweb, with major roads and connectors between major cities. The north was built to last. While the south remained mostly agriculturally based throughout their development, they came into struggles later into the war when moving troops and supplies became an issue. Abraham Lincoln is famous for sitting in a small room, constantly using morse code to communicate with others. Before this class, I thought that this bloody dissension was over slavery. I thought that the citizens of the south wanted to protect, of what they perceived their rights to own other people.
The Civil War, in my opinion, was unavoidable. The south and the expansion of slavery began to grow into our identity as Americans. These roots began to take hold, and consequently, the rights of certain groups of people were strangled just like they were when their ancestors were taken out of their homes in africa. The line “all men were created equal” line could not be ignored by our leaders and politics. The south prior to the civil war was an economic powerhouse, they controlled our government for more time than any other region, and when a ruling did not go their way, they would act as if they were their own country, threatening to veto or negate the law. I believe that it was time for the south to become parallel with the rest of the countries more advanced views. They were stubborn and ignorant, and so they so righteously believed that the way of slavery and southern life were the life to live. The only way that they would change how they lived would be war.
The civil war, while very important in our country's development, should be celebrated as a day of remembrance, many lives were lost in the fours years that our nation was divided, and they should be remembered and honored for the critical role they played in making our country what it is today. A strong, willful, and powerful presence in our world today.
I didn't really know anything about the civil war before this class and all I knew was the it was a war between the south and the north. The reason why the country was decided in half was because of the same problem that the founding fathers just shrugged and said figure it out later. Slavery was the main factor for the war. The south felt that their life style was being threatened and they did something i don't yet but hopefully will in the near future and that action triggered the war. I think that the war was worth it because it was bound to happen and I think that we should consider it an embarrassment because the country that was founded because we worked together was split in half but that's just my opinion
ReplyDeleteI don't really know much about the Civil War. Up until you told me that the Civil War was about much more then slavery I was surprised. I just though that the North didn't want slaves, but the South did. I knew that it was a very bloody and catastrophic war, but I don't know much about it. I knew that Abraham Lincoln was the president during the time. Also I knew that Abraham Lincoln got assassinated soon after by John Wilkes Booth in theater.
ReplyDeleteBefore the cotton gin was invented I think that slavery would have just died off, but the cotton increased the cost of slaves. Which in turn brought back slavery. I also think that it was needed for us to end slavery. They weren't just going to stop it was very profitable. So I think it had to happen.
I don't think it should be an embarrassment because it had to happen in order to better our country. As Sam said it should be a day of remembrance. Thousands of people died so that is why it should be a day of remembrance.
I know that the Civil War was a war fought by the South and the North. I also know that Abe Lincoln was the President at the time. Abe wanted to Free slaves but the Southern States did not. This is just one of the factors to this war. There were other reasons though as well. Some of them were that Abe Lincoln was elected, States Rights and Southern secession. I do think that there was another way to resolve the problem the northern and Southern states was having. I think that this is somewhat something that we should look down app-on as a country but also something that we should be glad happened because it ended something that was truly terrible. I think it should be remembered by ceremonies. I think that we should remember it by going to the graves of those people who died. Maybe we should just remember the war as we go through the day. I do not think that we should necessarily celebrate it, but I don't think that we should mourn about it either.
ReplyDeleteI know that the Civil War was a war between the North and South and that many people lost their lives fighting in this war. I also know that it had a lot to do with slavery. I don't believe that there was a better way to go about solving the issue because in the end what we wanted was for slavery to end and that is exactly what we got for the most part. I think the Civil War was a source of embarrassment because it shows that we go straight to war to solve problems that we are having, but it is also something to celebrate because slavery was brought to an end.
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about the Civil War but I knew it was between the North and the South and Abraham Lincoln was the president during the time. I think we should have used a more peaceful way to settle things. The way we went was the bloodiest way. There could have been a better way to take things. I think it would be remembered as a source of embarrassment because we handled the issue in the worst way possible. Well, not entirely the worst way but there could have been a better solution to the problem
ReplyDeleteI don't know a lot about the Civil War. But I have a little information though. I do know that it had a lot to do with slavery against the south and the north. I also knows who ends up winning. Also that Abraham Lincoln was president at the time and by the end ending slavery was the right way to go. Although maybe in a better way than war. But I am interested in learning more about the civil war.
ReplyDeleteThe civil war is a bad time in the history of the united states of america. the civil war began to approach when the south felt a chance that their lifestyle was threatened. The north's lifestyle was becoming bigger and bigger which scared the south. The toll of the civil war was hefty but the reward was also giant. I think the war could have been resolved in a different way to reduce the death tool or never even have the war. I look at the war as an embarrassment because we could have found a more diplomatic way to solve the problem.
ReplyDeleteDuring the Civil War, the North and South fought violently against each other. I originally thought that this war had started because of and was all about slavery. Sometime in class you had told us that the Civil War was about other things too, not just slavery, but I cannot remember exactly what it was. Honestly, I think the Civil War was unavoidable. Finding a peaceful solution wouldn't have left the big impact that having a war did. It seems like having a war emphasized the importance of this topic and made everyone realize that there needed to be a resolution. Celebrating the Civil War doesn't seem like the right thing to do since many citizens of America had died, but it also isn't something to be embarrassed of. I think we should be proud that we found a solution to a problem that had been going on for years before this. So, if I had to choose whether to be embarrassed or to celebrate it, I would celebrate it and honor those who had lost their lives to this war.
ReplyDeleteI dont really know a lot about the Civil War. All I really know is that it was an extremely brutal war between the North and South about slavery and the abolition of slavery and other things. I dont know if you could exactly call the Civil War an embarrassment, but it definitely wasn't a time to be proud of. I do think that there could have been another way to slove problems that doesn't include a bloody war, but maybe people back then didnt think that.
ReplyDeleteI honestly knew almost nothing about the Civil War until you talked about it in class. All I knew about the Civil War was that it involved the topic of slavery and that it was between the North and South. I think there wasn't another way to avoid the Civil War, if we would have found another way, it wouldn't be as big of a deal as it is today. I'm not saying it wouldn't be a big deal, but it wouldn't be the same today, it left a huge impact, even on us today. I don't think the Civil War should be celebrated, a ton of people died, they was some awful things that took place. I think maybe a day dedicated to the people who lost their lives during the war would be a good thing. I don't think the Civil War was something to be embarrassed about though.
ReplyDeleteI really don't know a ton about the civil war. I know it was a war between the Northern and southern states of the US during the mid 1800s. It was a dispute over slavery and many other things that are not in my head right now :/ The president at the time was Abe Lincoln. He is now one of the most known presidents ...lots because of the civil war. This war split our country and there was more bloodshed that any war the US had ever been involved in. Here we were , The UNITED states of America torn in two fighting over if people were aloud to take away someones human rights or not(I know that was only one of the problems). Brothers fighting brothers, our founding fathers probably turning over in they're graves. This is not a thing to be celebrated. It is definitely important to honor those who lot their lives though. It was a huge stepping stone to how America is today though. The end result was a great thing.
ReplyDeletefind the civil war embarrassing that this all was started over a small problem "black" people. the problem could have never happened if the sides of america could have just stood there ground. they could have just kept slavery in the south with out having to panic over the "unhumane" things they did to the slaves. in my opinion i think that the 2% of the united states could have kept itself if no people tried to change another persons idea. if you try to change someones idea of life things will become violent. so in my opinion i think no one should have done anything other than the slaves themselves they could have just had a revolution just like america had against the british. they should have left the work to slaves because either way succeed or not they will continue to revolt over time. the slaves will never stop fighting for themselves but now that america had joined there may have been slaves just waiting for them instead of doing anything.
ReplyDeletefind the civil war embarrassing that this all was started over a small problem "black" people. the problem could have never happened if the sides of america could have just stood there ground. they could have just kept slavery in the south with out having to panic over the "unhumane" things they did to the slaves. in my opinion i think that the 2% of the united states could have kept itself if no people tried to change another persons idea. if you try to change someones idea of life things will become violent. so in my opinion i think no one should have done anything other than the slaves themselves they could have just had a revolution just like america had against the british. they should have left the work to slaves because either way succeed or not they will continue to revolt over time. the slaves will never stop fighting for themselves but now that america had joined there may have been slaves just waiting for them instead of doing anything.
ReplyDeleteI don't really know that much about the civil war but I am ready for you to teach us about it. I feel like there could have been another way because today we still have the split between our country. Its either the north or the south. In a way I think it should be both celebrated and an embarrassment. It should be celebrated because if we didn't have it we might be still in the same place as we were at that time ad not know what to do about slavery. Also because it lowered slavery a lot. It should be an embarrassment because ewe went to war with ourselves pretty much and we killed our own people. Also because we should've thought of another way to handle it.
ReplyDeleteI did not know much about the civil war, but what I did know is that it was the bloodiest war in American History today. I also knew that it was between the North and South reasoning on slavery. Another big factor was how Abraham Lincoln was the president at this time and had a lot to do with the war and army. Yes, there is always another way or a better/ worse way to do things, but they chose war instead of peace and took a whole another route. This is not something you celebrate or look down upon, but something to look at as a piece of the past that shall not be repeated nor forgotten.
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