Reasons Why the North Won the Civil War
There are a lot of reasons why the North won the Civil War and the South lost. They can be summed up as follows:
- The economy of the North did not rely on the environment and agriculture. On the contrary, the northern states had well-develop industries.
- Since the North had railroads, it was easier for the army to receive food supplies and uniforms from factories.
- The South had a smaller population and therefore fewer soldiers.
- The North had a strong merchant marine fleet and a lot of naval ships that managed to blockade the South.
- The South did not have a well-established government. Thus, their forces functioned chaotically.
- Emancipation Proclamation ensured international support to the northern army.
- The North freed its slaves and could recruit them. Although the South followed this example, it was not successful.
- The South wasted a lot of resources on outdated arms instead of resorting to non-conventional warfare.
Andrew Jackson’s Coalition
Andrew Jackson managed to organize a coalition of followers who formed the most active and successful political party (the Democratic Party) that can now serve a model for all others. Moreover, his actions fostered the creation of the Whig party, which means that he can be called a father of the two-party system.
In addition, Jackson’s 8 years in office can be called decisive for the presidency since he made a lot to strengthen the position of the president against Congress. This was achieved by establishing direct contact with voters. People began to perceive him as their defender. The president held his officials close to himself and created the so-called Kitchen Cabinet, consisting of private advisors. This practice was adopted in the future by his followers.
Although Jackson cannot be called a deep thinker, he was a fiery patriot, which allowed him to develop a consistent political philosophy and reinforce the president’s status. Thus, the answer to this question leads to the conclusion that the office of the Presidency was rather weak before Jackson, and its role in the American government was much less significant than the role of Congress.
Marquis de Lafayette’s Statement
In 1824, Marquis de Lafayette could see that the white southerners continue to keep black people as slaves. Slave trade was developing into a big and profitable business since slaves became more expensive and valuable. He could see that slavery was evolving indeed as the Cotton Gin of 1791 made the Southerners rich, which implied that they could afford more slaves and gradually became dependent on them. Slavery was expanding to the west since the country obtained new areas in that part of the continent. Thus, by the time of the Marquis’s visit, slavery had already got deeply entrenched in American culture and was perceived as an integral part of all fields and household works.
Segmentation of the Population
Despite the fact that in the nineteenth-century people of color started to be viewed as potential members of the body politic, politics became much more associated with race. White people were encouraged to participate in the political life of the country, which gave them an opportunity to achieve greater liberties. In contrast, blacks were excluded as a politically active segment of the nation; they were barred from service in militias and the army and could not vote, sue in court or attend public schools in a number of states.
They were perceived as aliens and could not make their voices heard. In comparison, white immigrants were able to vote at the moment they settled in the country. White people provided arguments that men are not equally worthy: They lack proper education and are morally and intellectually deficient. This also concerned Jews and other aliens. On the contrary, defenders of black people argued that the United States should promote democracy and therefore expand the political participation of its citizens.