Free «Sectional Politics Before the Civil War» Essay

Mark.Malvas is a Professor of History at Randoph. He is the author of the book lh& Unregen ("Slave Power").

The development of the contents of the book the old republic and the Sectional Crisis shows simple contest between good and bad and moral conflict between rival groups in the society. The societies were organized around rival social systems and rival social classes dominated each. Disagreements between North and South arose due to differences in political and moral philosophy among the two societies. The rival groups threatened to dismantle all that the Founding Fathers had built. The civil war was thus the last result towards the struggle. The civil war was change by itself and an enemy to the southerners because they where not ready to release the slaves working on their farms. Americans faced the war for three to four decades years.

The bondage had interfered with the social, political, and familial bonds that had traditionally defined American way of life. The Civil War tore families apart from each other most of the men and boys were forced to fight to defend their side. Different beliefs within the family on slavery caused more families to separate.

Their was much discontent and suspicion among the manufacturing north and the agricultural south, with the southerners supporting the north companies in processing their raw materials which was later sold to them making the north economically strong compared to the southerners. Urban development expansion that took place between 1800 and 1850 brought a sense of fulfillment, abundance, and power. By 830s, debate on the opposition to slavery had taken centre stage for many Americans and focused on a slavery free republic.

In my opinion, the civil war was had more advantages than disadvantages though it led to families separating but if it never took place then the southerners would have remained as slave holders and the slaves could not have got their freedom, their own land and the mistreatment they were facing from the whites.

The article gives details of the moral behavior of the slaveholders; they can be described as proud, idle, and cruel. In summary, the causes of the civil war can be grouped as tariffs, jealousy, among others but the main cause was the 4 million Black people held in bondage as slaves in the south and the desire of the White minority to keep them under bondage.

The article is of great benefit to a teacher because it equates a teacher to the slaveholders who were oppressive to the slaves, mistreated them and denied them from accessing their freedom of expression and association. In these respect, a teacher should be a friend to the learners, treat them with care and allow freedom of expression and association among the students and with the teacher. By doing so communication will be easy and learning becomes fun and enjoyable.

To the students in the class the article provides them with the insight that we are all equal irrespective of our skin colors and that if you are white it does not mean that you are more superior and should look upon the blacks as inferiors.