Civil War: The Second Revolution Essay

The Civil War is one of the most integral events in American history. It was responsible in shaping the United States to its present political and social structure. It is definitely a war, but can it be considered as the country’s second revolution? Indeed, it is. This essay aims to discuss how and why the Civil War is the second revolution, and whether the Reconstruction was a failure or success of that revolution. A political revolution is distinguished by the significant changes that occur within the societal structure (Andrain 187). To differentiate it from rebellion or coup d’etat, there are three things to consider in a revolution: the goals of the revolution, the means to achieve their goals, and the results or consequences of the revolution (Andrain 187). Most revolutionaries have a similar objective: to alter or modify the present system of society and politics (Andrain 187). A revolution often seeks to replace the old order with a new one that would cater to the interests of the revolutionaries. The Civil War initially arose from the differences between the North and South (Perry 507). The North was the region known for trade and manufacturing, while the South was known for agriculture. Both regions also differed in their stand on tariffs. The North favored tariffs because these gave them an advantage over foreign competition. On the other hand, the South resisted tariffs, as it caused an increase in the prices of the commodities it imported. Unlike the North which can manufacture all their needs, the agricultural South was dependent on imports (Perry 507). However, the primary reason why the Civil War occurred was slavery (Perry 507). The South considered slavery as a necessity. Being an agricultural region, it needed manpower for the plantation and harvest of crops, especially corn (Gallagher 1). That manpower was provided by the slaves. On the other hand, the North called for slavery to be abolished in the entire country (Perry 507). The South was most threatened upon the 1860 victory of Abraham Lincoln in the presidential elections (Perry 507). Abraham Lincoln was the candidate of the Republican Party, which was dedicated to the abolition of the slavery (Perry 507). When Lincoln won, the South knew that their interests would be in danger under his administration. Thus, they sought a new order upon which their interests would be protected. A revolution starts with the effort of the revolutionaries to attain government control (Andrain 187). In this case, the Southerners were the revolutionaries, and secession was the means in which the goals of the revolution can be met. The Southern states seceded from the Union governed by Lincoln and formed their own government, the Confederate States of America (Perry 507). The South also installed Jefferson Davis as head of the Confederacy (Perry 507). Lincoln did not want to wage war against the Confederacy; however, he wanted to preserve the Union as well (Perry 507). The Confederacy, on the other hand, wanted to be independent from the Union (Gallagher 5). The revolutionaries fired at Fort Sumter to force the Union to fight, and upon Lincoln’s call for the defense of the Union, the revolution was in full swing (Perry 507). The Civil War was a second revolution because it sought to make changes within American society. The goal of the Southern revolutionaries was to gain independence from the Union to prevent slavery from being abolished. The means in which they started a revolution was through secession. However, the effects of the revolution can be assessed through the discussion of the Reconstruction. The Reconstruction is the period in U. S. history that succeeds the Civil War (Benedict 108). It is the period in which the nation was in the process of rebuilding after the damages caused by the war (Kolchin 1). Because it occurred after the war, it became an appropriate measure as to whether or not the second revolution was successful. The Reconstruction was actually a reflection of the failure of the second revolution. To begin with, the Confederacy failed to gain their independence. In fact, the Reconstruction was the time in which those states which seceded would be readmitted in the Union (Benedict 108). The very states that wanted to be independent from the Union found themselves in a struggle to be readmitted again. Thus, the second revolution was a failure. The revolution occurred because of the conflict over slavery. However, the revolutionaries also did not succeed in preserving it. Even before the war ended, there was already the Emancipation Proclamation, which sought to free the slaves in the Confederate states (Perry 508). By the time the Reconstruction was underway, the abolition of slavery became final with the ratification of the 13th Amendment (Kolchin 1). The amendment proceeded from the Emancipation Proclamation, but its scope was wider as it abolished slavery in the entire United States (Kolchin 1). The Reconstruction period proved to be difficult for the Southern states. There were two kinds of reconstruction: the presidential and the congressional. Lincoln hoped to establish governments in the former Confederate states that were governed by the Union (Benedict 108). The appointed governors would be called to establish a new state government when ten percent of those who voted in the presidential election in 1860 would pledge loyalty to the Union (Benedict 108). Unfortunately, Lincoln was assassinated and Andrew Johnson took over the Reconstruction (Benedict 109). This is called the presidential reconstruction. Johnson employed an easier approach for the Southern states to be readmitted into the Union, but the Republicans disagreed. As the forerunners of the congressional reconstruction, the Republicans wanted to give the former Confederate states a difficult time into readmission because they almost caused the demise of the Union. In addition, the plan of Johnson did not take into consideration the rights of the African-Americans, which the Republicans strongly prompted (Benedict 109). As a result, the revolutionaries were caught between the struggle to be readmitted into the Union and the difficulties of dealing with a Congress dominated by Republicans. In addition, the former revolutionaries were exposed to a radical reconstruction (Benedict 109). They became victims of the dominance of the Republicans in the South, which eventually led to the increase in taxes and the prevalence of corruption in state governments. The Southerners soon despised the system of racial equality that was furthered during the Reconstruction, and had to resort to means to intimidate the African-Americans. This meant using force through organizations like the Ku Klux Klan (Benedict 109). The Civil War can be considered as a second revolution because it sought to change the old order of society and politics. The Southern revolutionaries wanted to retain slavery, so they seceded from the Union in hopes of achieving this goal. They wanted to be an independent state wherein slavery is allowed to continue. Nonetheless, they failed in their attempt to gain independence; they also failed to preserve the institution of slavery. The Reconstruction was a reflection of this, as the former revolutionaries sought to be readmitted to the Union they seceded from. Moreover, the road to readmission was tedious and filled with conflict, as the former revolutionary states had to struggle with the plans of reconstruction of both the president and Congress. Hence, the second revolution which is the American Civil War is a failure, and the Reconstruction reflected this defeat. Works Cited Andrain, Charles F. â€Å"Revolution. † Lexicon Universal Encyclopedia. 21 vols. New York: Lexicon Publications, Inc., 1992. Benedict, Michael Les. â€Å"Reconstruction. † Lexicon Universal Encyclopedia. 21 vols. New York: Lexicon Publications, Inc. , 1992. Gallagher, Gary. â€Å"American Civil War. † Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. 2007. 25 April 2008 . Kolchin, Peter. â€Å"Reconstruction (U. S. history). † Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. 2007. 25 April 2008 . Perry, Marvin. A History of the World. Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin, 1989.