Essay, Research Paper: Civil War

Anne Moraske
2/3/00
Professor Higgins
Writing the Civil War
The Civil War is not the most interesting aspect of the history of the United States. There have been events that have left a more lasting impression on Americans, which is peculiar because the Civil War really created the Nation that exists today. The most interesting part of the war is that it took place entirely in the United States and was predominately fought by Americans, yet most Americans think mostly of the World Wars and Vietnam in war discussions. The Civil War laid the foundation for the American way of thinking and governing, yet the actual war nearly ruined the whole country.
The Constitution was created and read that our Nation was "One Nation under God, indivisible...."Yet the war was started when the south wanted to separate from the north and form its own nation. They were not only starting a war they were rejected the main principle of the United States, which was to be indivisible. The Constitution was written so that all inhabitants would know and be able to follow the code set forth by the government and also to unite the people against all foreign intrusions. Little did our founding fathers know that the first major intrusion would not come from the British or any other opposing nation, rather the first test would come from inside the indivisible shield? Therefore, the Civil War should be mentioned more in discussion because that time represented the first of many instances when the bounds of the Constitution would be tested.
The Civil War is also interesting in the regard that the various people who were affected by the war didn't receive any attention until way after the war was over. The women who lived in the time of the Civil War were true pioneers in the sense that they, at times, fought as hard off the battlefield as the men on the battlefield. They stayed at home and did all the work that was left behind when all the men went off to fight. They suffered greatly, but when the war was over were not praised for their work and their struggle. Another significant player in the Civil War and that time period was another type of women, the female slave. These women were forced to work and at the same time taken advantage of by the men, both slave and not, while running the household. They were the leaders of the home and of the fields. They took care of all the children, even the children of the landowners. Their duties ran all day and most of the night, and it only recently that people today are recognizing what they went through.
Another aspect of the Civil War that is interesting, yet more sensational is the amount of historical places that are said to be haunted by the soldiers of the Civil War. Throughout parts of the north and many parts of the south there are people who swear that their barns and famously, old buildings are the homes of ghosts of generals and infantrymen from the war. For example, Gettysburg College is located just a mile from the land where the battle of Gettysburg was fought, and it is haunted. There are many stories told by students and people of the town of nights where men in dress uniforms, carrying guns are seen walking around town. The history of the town is almost entirely composed of war stories and ghosts. The Civil War has left an impression on these tiny towns that make some people feel as though the Civil War will never be forgotten.


Word Count: 607