The Impact of the Civil War on the United States

In 1861, the United States engaged in an interstate war between the north and the south. The war, which lasted for four years, was between the supporters and the adversaries of slavery. The Southern States formed the Confederate States of America under the leadership of Senator Jefferson Davis. On the other side, the Northern States remained as the United States of America under the direction of President Abraham Lincoln. Before the war, the institution of slavery for the black people was very dominant. The Northerners supported the constitution in advocating for equality of all people. Their stand conflicted with the Southerners who supported slavery of the black immigrants. Therefore, the secessionists opted to form their country where the promotion of slavery would not experience any form of opposition from the Northerners.

The war led to the death of almost 750,000 people. In the end, the United States defeated the Confederate States and abolished slavery. The success led to the freeing of four million slaves of the African descent. The abolishment of slavery became the first changes experienced from the war. In the past, the black people did not have the right to vote or own property. The whites bought the slaves of African origin and forced them to work on the firms without any pay (Smith 79). More so, the black people did not have the right to vote. During the elections, the whites voted while the blacks remained at home working in the farms. The black people and their families belonged to the white masters for all their lives. However, the war introduced changes in the constitution that abolished slavery and promoted equality of all people as prescribed in the law.

The civil war created a peaceful environment that believed in an amicable solution to conflicts. Before the war, the Southern and Northern States conflicted. However, instead of using dialogue to solve the differences, the two divisions resulted in war. However, none of the presidencies leading the factions anticipated the outcomes. The fight was severe and led to the death of 2% of the entire population in the country (Arsenault et al. 51). The losses were too high. More so, the Northern States had many soldiers as well as weapons. Using the armory, the Northerners destroyed crucial infrastructure in the South such as government buildings, transport networks as well as public facilities. When the Southerners could not hold it any longer, the remaining option was to surrender to the United States. Since the war, the unity between the Southern and the Northern sides is solid.

In the past, the rights of the slaves remained with the owner. The government did not have the power to interfere in the affairs of the slave and the owner (McPherson 97). The civil war laid the foundation for the amendment of the constitution. The United States pushed the leadership into amending the constitution to recognize all citizens as equal concerning voting, owning property, and working for payment. More so, the amendments transferred the power of protecting the rights of all citizens under the government. In the current society, the government is responsible for the well-being of all citizens. All citizens share equal rights with the government investing in institutions that ensure no discrimination at any time or place. Therefore, it is safe to point out that the civil rights laid a foundation for the rights and equality enjoyed in the society today.

The civil war laid a strong foundation for women empowerment. Before the war, women performed essential functions in the houses such as cooking, cleaning, and looking after the children. However, the war needed the support of all men, leaving women with the responsibility of taking care of the farms and directing the growth and harvest of food. The responsibility introduced women to the possibility of conducting businesses reserved for the men (Kumar 16). By the end of the war, women had enough knowledge to run the farms without any assistance from the men. Therefore, the civil war motivated women to break the norm and aim at higher roles. Women in modern America are taking over significant roles in the community and society. Therefore, women empowerment from the Civil war laid a foundation that changed the course of American history.

The civil war is a significant segment of the history in America. The battle shaped essential institutions and gave them the mandate to safeguard the rights of all citizens. For example, the protection of human rights moved from being the responsibility of the city to the federal government. More so, the amendment of the constitution introduced a clause that ended slavery and instituted equality for all citizens (Barden 1). Apart from racial discrimination, the war changed the perception of gender discrimination. Women proved they were able to handle duties preserved for the men before the war. The civil war created a platform for women to display their abilities and laid a foundation for women empowerment in the following years. Lastly, the impact of the war led to peaceful coexistence between the north and the south without any possibility of war or threats of secession. The United States became a free and peaceful country for all people.

Works Cited

Arsenault, Raymond, Orville V. Burton, and Sheldon Hackney. Dixie redux : essays in honor of Sheldon Hackney. Montgomery, Alabama: NewSouth Books, 2013. Print.

Barden, Cindy. Slavery, civil war, and reconstruction. Quincy, IL Greensboro, NC: Mark Twain Media, Inc. Distributed by Carson-Dellosa Pub. LLC, 2011. Print.

Kumar, Krishna. Women and civil war : impact, organizations, and action. Boulder: L. Rienner Publishers, 2001. Print

McPherson, James M. The war that forged a nation : why the Civil War still matters. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2015. Print.

Smith, John D. Slavery, race, and American history : historical conflict, trends, and method, 1866-1953. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe, 2015. Print.