Civil War and Freedom

The Civil War and Freedom

Freedom is a complex concept. It is also happens to be one of the most influential concepts in history. Throughout every civilization that has ever existed freedom has been a central issue. This is no different in the United States, as this very concept lead to the deadliest conflict in its short history. The fact is, freedom has a different meaning and definition to every single person. It is truly an individual concept. While we all like to believe we are free, we do still follow certain rules and regulations, which is fine, but to some even these small concessions of freedom are too much. One person may see something as completely free, while another may view the same exact thing oppositely. It is in these different interpretations that the United States Civil War was started. The United States, although vastly diverse, was one sovereign union, and would do anything in its power to remain so. While the secession of southern states ultimately led to the civil war, it was the differing views of freedom held by both sides that was the cause for both. Secession was caused by a combination of the lack of freedoms people of the southern United States believed they had, as well as the large cultural differences that existed between the two regions, while the Civil War was caused by the Norths desire and belief that to ensure the freedom of the whole land the entire Union must stick together.

When viewed culturally, the north and south United States are two completely different countries, especially in the mid 19th century. The north is very industrial, has large amounts of immigrants coming in from Europe, has a very urban population, and a free labor system. The south on the other hand, is an agricultural society, very spread out, large anglo american population, as well as utilizing slave labor. Not very often do you see such vast differences all within the same borders. These differences are what ultimately lead to 11 states seceding from the United State to form their own country. These 11 states did not feel free, to their definition of the word, and the only solution in their minds was to just create their own individual identity to address their needs.The states wished for a more localized form of government instead of a large centralized government that oversaw all. It is true that a small territory would know what is best for itself rather than some large absent entity. The southern states wanted this freedom to be able to decide what is best itself. This can be broken down into various political and economic arguments, such as lobbying for state specific businesses or the balance of political power, however the issue can also simply be defined as an issue of freedom. The south wants the freedom to decide for itself. While actually seceding may have been shortsighted, the desire for freedom was a real a true. Slavery was the largest example of this desire