The Civil War is now considered one of the landmark events in the history of the United States that established the foundation for the country’s principles of equality of opportunity and democracy. In their documentary, The Civil War, Ken Burns (1990) unravels the events surrounding the most important conflict in US history, with Episode 1, “The Cause,” focusing on the causes of war. Slavery was one of the critical catalysts for the conflict, as reflected in Southern political leaders’ non-conformity with the attempts of Norther anti-slavery political forces to block its expansion into Western lands. The practice in itself was inhumane, with enslaved people having to work fourteen hours a day and risking being sold and getting separated from their families.
When Foote notes that the understanding of the American nation has to be really based on the understanding of the Civil War, he suggests that conflict helps create a national identity and that historical events that take place inevitably put their mark on it. Moreover, as history is cyclical, a nation may make the mistakes that it had already made before. Specifically, the degree of devastation and human casualties caused by the war itself are irreversible losses that were endured for the war to be won by either of the parties. Even though it put an end to slavery, the Civil War did not bring social peace and equality, which is why it is important to learn that military conflict does not only bring positive outcomes. It is important to apply the lessons of the Civil War to ensure that the nation never steps on the same path of destruction despite the noble causes.
Reference
Burns, K. (1990). The civil war [Film]. PBS.
Loading...