The Pros And Cons Of The Civil War

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Pages: 7

The Civil War has been known by many names; the War Between the States, the War Against Northern Aggression, and the Brothers’ War, among many others (“About the War”). What one may call the war is a matter of perspective. In 1861, the Civil War divided the Nation around the issue of slavery (McPherson). The controversy around the economic, political, and social institutions of slavery became heated and spurred a desire for secession, which in turn brought about conversations of state sovereignty and the rights of a state. These differences created what may be the most divisive war in the history of the United States. The South in particular experienced a unique perspective as the side attempting secession.
The South faced many disadvantages during the war, such as less developed infrastructure and less central urban areas (“North and South”). Yet, their greatest advantage was their strong military leadership, which remained consistent up until General Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson’s death (Piston). In fact, the South’s military leadership became so vital to the Confederacy that the
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Jackson was born into poverty, orphaned at a young age, and brought up by his uncle. He received largely inadequate primary education, yet still managed to succeed at West Point, graduating as seventeenth in his class (Fredrikson). Lee was born into a life with more privilege, he was a part of one of the more influential families in Virginia. Still, without the funds to attend a university, he went onto West Point where he managed to graduate second in his class (“Biography”). Both men managed to stand out academically in their younger years; Jackson by overcoming his initial circumstance and education by perseverance, and Lee by striving for excellence among his class. These early years demonstrate the strong will and ambition that would help ensure their later military