ndence by succeeding rather then face political encirclement. Lincoln stated his belief that succession was illegal and said that he intended to maintain federal possession in the South. Slavery was an issue on which compromise was impossible and because of this, the South began to leave the Union through Secession (Norton 271). Southerners hoped the threat of succession would force acceptance of southern demands, but it did not. South Carolina adopted an ordinance of succession first, and then all these states met in Montgomery, Alabama where they drafted a Constitution for the Confederate States of America. This outraged the North and is what was led to the Civil War. The existence of slavery was the central element of the conflict between the North and South. Because slavery formed two opposing societies, and slavery could never be abolished, the Civil War was inevitable. Strangely, most Northern soldiers had very little feeling against slavery as such, and very little sympathy for the Negro himself (Oates 399).The Civil War was not a struggle on the part of the South to destroy free government and personal liberty, or on the part of the North to preserve them. Never before and not since have so many Americans died in battle. The American Civil War was truly tragic in terms of human life. The war was beginning to end by January of 1865. By then, Federal armies were spread throughout the Confederacy, and the Confederate Army had shrunk extremely in size and strength. In the year before, the North had lost an enormous amount of soldiers, but they had more than enough to lose in comparison to the South. In summary, the Civil War was a completely tragic event. A war in which thousands of Americans died in their home country over a difference in opinion. We should remember the great sacrifices our fellow citizens made during this time and appreciate their actions or endeavors. Especially that of Abraham Lincoln. The best w...
