Civil War Paper

Civil War Paper
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The Civil War in the mid- 19th century between the Northern troops and Southern troops in the United States left more than 600,000 Americans dead on both sides of the conflict. The catastrophe serves as an important event that influenced the future of America. While the Northern troops triumphed over their Southern rivals, more soldiers were lost on the Northern side. However, the North believed that the loss of their soldiers was worth the sacrifice since they achieved what they were fighting for: the freedom of slaves and the preservation of the Union. On the other hand, the South was not content with the outcome of the war and almost regretted having surrendered to the North. The South glorified the cause by turning their generals into mythical heroes and looked pensively back at the era before the American Civil War.
A renowned Historian Shelby Foote while discussing the event stated that any comprehension of the United States had to be based on a comprehension of the American Civil War. He further stated that the war defined the American people as the people they are today inclusive of both the good and bad traits. According to him, in order to understand the character of the American people in the 20th century, one has to learn about the American Civil War in the mid-19th century, as it was the forming point of the Americans (Cook, 2007). This assertion brings forth several questions concerning the war and its outcome. Th…