A Civil War
The Civil War was arguably the darkest moment in the history of America. For the first time brother fought brother and The Union had to fight to stay whole. Southern states believed in their right to own slaves and though Lincoln formally addressed that he would not interfere with that right, the southern population believed that Lincoln’s election would be, “the greatest evil that has ever befallen this country.” This wedge driven squarely at the Mason-Dixon line tore the United States in two, one half believing in slavery while the other half strongly opposing it. The social tensions between the north and the south began with the election of 1860. The south favored J. C. Breckenridge, while the north favored Abraham Lincoln. Anyone who knows anything about history knows that Lincoln won the 1860 election and became our 16th president. This enraged the south due to Lincoln’s view that slavery should not spread to the un-unionised territories, and so South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas seceded from the union shortly after the election. This created a huge communal deviation, as former kinsmen, now turned foe, were locked in combat - The Union of the north and the Confederacy of the south. . . .
The first tribulation plaguing former slaves was whether or not to move from where they were. Obviously, the south favored Lincoln and Johnson’s ideas more so than that of congress. These laws forced certain members of the population to enlist in their respective armies. Though this system was meant to improve the condition of living for the former slaves, many felt that they were no better off enjoying this “freedom” as they frequently fell victim to unfair rent prices, crop values plummeting, poor soil due to little crop rotation, and crooked landowners charging unfair interest on items bought with credit. This law helps those who have had an unfair upbringing to succeed in life. On the other hand, if the former slaves stayed in the south, they could still use their farming skills, but they would have no land to speak of and would also have to put up with the racial bias left over from the days of slavery. There have been steps taken to remedy this inequality, but even so, people remain partial. A similar law was passed for the Union in 1863. Also, some northern teachers were deemed traders by some whites because they were teaching “those who should stay ignorant”. This amendment was not ratified until 1868 due to the south’s rejection of it. Some southerners were so disgruntled that they formed the horrendous Ku Klux Klan to “cleanse the south”. Since books were in low quantity, most teachers used the Bible or a Farmer’s Almanac to create their lessons. Unfortunately, Lincoln was assassinated before he could implement his plan. Finally, on April 9, 1865, Robert E.
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