Dariel Delos Reyes

History 2700: E-portfolio

There were many events that happened in the history of the United States. Some of the
events that we learned about in the course had a great impact on the history of the United States
while other events, not so much. Some of the events incorporated political, social, cultural, and
economic events and policies of the time. All of these events helped shape the United States of
what it is today. Even after all was said and done, I believe that the Civil War between the North
and the South had the greatest impact in shaping the history of the United States. Because of this
great event in history, we are able to see the United States of what it is today. Because of the
results of the Civil War, slavery in not permitted in the border of the United States.
During this period in United States history, there was a question concerning slavery.
There were some people that wanted to abolish slavery, while there were other people that
wanted to keep slavery. During the time of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was the president
and it was a war fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of
America (10 Facts you should know about the civil war). One of the main reason for the Civil
War was the question on slavery. There were some people in favor of slavery and some people
against slavery. Slavery was the main source of income for the southern states. It was
economically beneficial for them to have slaves to work on their plantations. However, it seemed
that the morality of slavery was questioned when the Northern States started to wean away from
slavery: As soon, however, as the Northern States, that had prohibited slavery within their limits,
had reached a number sufficient to give their representation a controlling vote in Congress, a
persistent and organized system of hostile measure against the rights of the owners of slaves in
the Southern States was inaugurated and gradually extendedthe climate of the Northern States

soon proved unpropitious to the continuance of slave labor, while the reverse being the case at
the South, made unrestricted free intercourse between the two sections unfriendly (McClellan,
2000, p. 340). This was an excerpt from Jefferson Daviss message to the Confederate Congress;
it seemed like he deemed it as a hostile and manipulative way to abolish slavery. He made it
seem like the Northern States had more power than the Southern States because they wanted to
abolish slavery. Because of this, he was able to gain the support of the Southern States; therefore,
the Southern States inevitably united against the rest of the nation.
From a political stance, this was a war between Jefferson Davis, president of the
Confederate States of America, and Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States of America.
President Davis made it seem like the government was bias against slavery: a great party was
organized for the purpose of obtaining the administration of the Government, with the avowed
object of using its power for the total exclusion of the slave States from all participation in the
benefits of the public domain (McClellan, 2000, p 340). It seemed that the government treated
the Southern States differently because of their favor for slavery; however, Abraham Lincoln
made it seem like the South was an enemy to the country: within these States all the forts,
arsenals, dockyards, custom-houses, and the likehad been seized and were held in open
hostility to this Government (McClellan, 2000, p 341). Because of the moral and political issues
concerning slavery, Lincoln eventually enacted the Emancipation Proclamationin short, it was
a proclamation that ended slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation was part of the Civil Warit
marked a new era in the history, not only of this war, but of this country and the world
(McClellan, 2000, p 356). Because the Emancipation Proclamation also contributed to the Civil
War, the Civil War also marked a new era in the history of the United States.

From a social and cultural stance, there were many causes that led up to the Civil War
between the North and the South. Culturally, the nation was already leading down a path of
turmoil. There was already division between the northern and southern states. All they needed
was a little push in order to go to war against each other. However, some of the issues that led up
to the Civil War was States Rights, the Abolitionist movement, and the election of Abraham
Lincoln (Causes of the civil war). With the idea of States Rights, there was a struggle between
the federal government and the individual states over political powerin the Civil War era, this
struggle focused heavily on the institution of slavery and whether or not the federal government
had the right to regulate or even abolish slavery within an individual state (Causes of the civil
war). Because of the conflict of political power between state and federal government, the
country inevitably became more divided. The abolitionist movement had many great and
influential people. Those who wished to see that institution abolished within the United States
were becoming more strident and influential: they claimed obedience to higher law over
obedience to the Constitutions guarantee that a fugitive from one state would be considered a
fugitive in all states (Causes of the civil war). Because of the claim of believing in a higher
law, people began to support the abolition of slavery nationwide. Therefore, the North slowly
gained support for the upcoming Civil War.
As a result of these political, social, cultural, and economic events and policies, a Civil
War eventually and inevitably broke out between the northern and the southern states. Because
the northern states won the Civil War, the United States, today, officially does not have slavery
within its borders. Some of the events had more impact than others for the turmoil between the
North and the Southfor example, the Emancipation Proclamation. This proclamation more so
solidified the resenting feelings the southern states had against the northern states. Another

example that caused a division between the northern and southern states was the conflict
concerning States Rights. Since the federal government thought that it was a bigger, stronger,
and more important government than the state government, it was able to determine whether or
not slavery was permitted within the borders of that states. However, since the state government
was the government over a specific state, then it thought it had power over its own state to decide
whether or not slavery was permitted. This conflict furthermore led to a division within the
country.
Consequently, slavery was the main cause of conflict that led to the Civil War. Ultimately,
the Civil War decided whether or not the country would have slaves in the United States today.
Because of the outcomes of the Civil War, the United States is able to enjoy a higher sense of
moral peace between people than if slavery still existed in our time. If the events and
consequences did not happen the way it did during the time of the Civil War, the country, as we
know it, would be a vastly different place. It would have affected the way we live and think.
Life, as we know it right now, would not be the same life we would be living if the north did not
win the war against the south.

Works Cited
10 Facts you should know about the civil war. (n.d.). Retrieved August 6, 2016, from
http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/10-facts-about-the-civil-war/
Causes of the civil war. (2010, September). Retrieved August 6, 2016, from
http://www.historynet.com/causes-of-the-civil-war
McClellan, J. R. (2000). Changing Interpretations of America's Past (2nd ed.). United States of
America: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.