A War to Preserve a Union - 1344 Words

President Abraham Lincoln, General William T. Sherman and Colonel Trowbridges differing perspectives of the Civil War created very unique views of the war. President Lincoln saw the war as a painful and necessary burden for him to bear. General Sherman saw the war as a tool to rid the United States of the rebels that were attempting to dissolve the Union. Finally Colonel Trowbridge viewed the war on a much more personal level. He witnessed first hand men fighting the government of their former masters for their freedom. While all three of the mens views differed, all three held a singular belief that the union must be preserved. That need to preserve the union was the justification for the war that the three men used. Abraham Lincolns only goal during the Civil War was the preservation of the Union. While he , â€Å"oft-expressed [the] personal wish that all men everywhere could be free,† he understood that the Union was more important than any one citizens freedom. He used th e powers granted to the executive branch by the Constitution to accomplish his goal of maintaining the Union. He viewed the war as a means to an end. President Lincoln was not eager to inflict the consequences of war on the American people. In his letter to Horace Greeley, Lincoln stated that he, â€Å"would save [the Union] the shortest way under the Constitution.† He was prepared to execute all powers granted to him by the Constitution, even if that meant going to war with the southern rebels. LincolnShow MoreRelatedDiscuss the Relationship Between Lincolns Goals of Preserving the Union and Freeing the Slaves.1455 Words   |  6 PagesDBQ Civil War Essay In the time period of 1862 to 1865, when Lincoln takes office in March 4th to his assassination, the United States was dealing with the issues of preserving the Union. In determining whether Lincoln’s goals to preserve the Union by freeing the slaves, one must assess the knowledge of their relationship. Politically, President Lincoln tried to convince the political groups that abolishing slavery would help preserve the Union; intellectually, he gave the idea of ending slaveryRead MoreLincolns Efforts to Preserve the Union Essay1407 Words   |  6 PagesLincoln’s efforts to preserve the Union To what extent did Lincoln’s economic, military, and political policies from 1861 to 1865 contribute to the preservation of the Union? Abraham Lincoln won the election of 1860. As a president of the United States, Lincoln’s goal was to keep the Union together. The problem of slavery and the secession by the South are mainly the two issues that lead to the dissolve of the Union, in which Lincoln put all his efforts to deal with during his presidencyRead MoreHistory Of The Civil War Essay1112 Words   |  5 PagesHistory of the Civil War, 1861–1865, by James Ford Rhodes The book I am writing my review on is ‘History of the Civil War’ by James Ford Rhodes. James was born on May 1, 1848, in Ohio City, Ohio which is now a part of Cleveland. James’ father was a very successful businessman and after James finished just one year of college he fallowed his father’s footsteps into business. James’ business turned out to be very successful and he was actually able to retire in 1884. He had a love for writing andRead MoreHow A Soldier Can Fight And Kill People From His Own Country1562 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Civil War was gruesome war that was fought between a country divided. Abraham Lincoln once said â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand.† Even though we were all brought together as one nation, these two sides were polarized by their environment and beliefs. This war that tore apart a country, costed more than six hundred thousand lives. The Civil War altered history and is still relevant in th e present. A big question people have today is how a soldier can fight and kill peopleRead MoreThe War Of The Civil War964 Words   |  4 Pagesone sole cause of the Civil War but there were many events that took the country to war and put brother against brother and states against states. Abraham Lincoln wanted to preserve the union and that could only be attained by civil war. Slavery which was an underlying cause for the war played its role in the division that divided the North against the South. Ultimately the preservation of the union, slavery and the consequences and conflicts leading to the Civil War all rested on President Lincoln’sRead MoreAbraham Lincoln Rhetorical Analysis998 Words   |  4 Pagespresident of the United States, was the president during the time of Civil War. This meant that he was tasked with the responsibility of getting America through the war in one piece, or as close to it as possible. During the war, he had two main goals- one, to preserve the Union and, two, to abolish slavery. These goals did not stay the same during the war, however they did remain close. President Abraham Lincoln’s goals in the civil war were changed because of Lincoln’s use of humor, literary ability,Read MoreDid the Civil War Ultimately reduce sectional antagonism and make the United States truly one nation?1111 Words   |  5 PagesPrior to Civil War, distinct Northern and Southern cultures had been established; The free North occupied the commercial industry, while the slavery-based South undertook an agricultural occupation. The South and the North began to fight over right and wrong. The major issue was regarding slavery, as the South wanted to preserve slavery while, the North wanted to get rid of it. These conflicts rose into sectional antagonism and eventually put the United States and President Lincoln in a loopholeRead MoreThe Civil War, Gallagher And Manning s Arguments On Slavery Essay1574 Words   |  7 PagesDesp ite the differences in the primary reasons for Northerners in the war, Gallagher and Manning’s arguments align on certain aspects of slavery: both argue that in order for the Union to successfully win the war, slavery needed to be abolished. Gallagher argues that many northerners realized that in order to end the war and to rid nation of conflict and threat to the Union, slavery would need to be abolished. He argues, â€Å"Without slavery and the various issues related to its expansion, most whiteRead MorePresident Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman947 Words   |  4 Pagesto the war and politics before President Lincoln’s death, Whitman strained to restore the Union as a whole. Feeling obligated to participate in the war effort, Whitman secured a government position making â€Å"regular visit[s] [to] soldiers in war hospitals†(Constantkis). Whitman also participated in the Free Soil Party, a rising opposition to the progression and spread of slavery, and wrote political commentaries in his effort to strengthen the Union. These undertakings not only aided the Union, but alsoRead MoreThe Many Reasons For The Civil War1203 Words   |  5 PagesReason The Fought The Civil War began when the Southern Slave States seceded from the Northern Free States due to uncompromising polarity and formed the Confederate States of America. This four year war over the power of the national government to forbid slavery in the regions that hadn’t yet become states claimed more lives than any other war in American History. In his book, What They Fought For, 1861-1865, James McPherson examines the feelings and motives of both Union and Confederate soldiers to