The American Civil War: Unity and Division
November 1, 2025
The quote I would like to start with today is from Abraham Lincoln on November 19th, 1863.
"From these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain."
I love my country. It has been my home for more than 20 years, and even when I did leave, it was for the mission of American diplomacy with my family. My mother and father have served this country for decades on the battlefield and behind the desk. I think, to the core of it, the idea of the United States is beautiful. A place where anyone, no matter race, religion, or creed, can become an American. A country where we can live free, live free in a way in which no higher power can silence us, and a place where the people decide how things are run.
I think an important part of being a patriot is accountability. Although you always will fight for your country, you must also always hold it accountable. There are a lot of problems today. America has hurt a lot of people, and blindly shying away from that, I think, is a betrayal of what our founding fathers stood for.
Today it seems as though the divide between Americans is bigger than ever. I sometimes feel like we have lost our path to a united country, and I could go on and on about that, but today what I wanted to do is go back to a time when America was viciously at war with itself. The American Civil War.
I think it is so important to learn from our history because yes, it may be painful, and yes, it may be embarrassing, but it is important for growth. This is a theme I talk about all throughout my writing because I truly believe it. I think if we all could take a little spoonful of the past and digest it to learn and move forward, we could all get a lot more done. So that is what I am attempting. I am not a scholar, just someone interested in learning more. Please correct and grill me.
The Growing Divide
The Civil War raged on for 4 years from 1861 to 1865. It was between the United States and the newly seceded Southern Confederate States of America.
Before the start of the war, tensions ran high. There was growing friction between the two sides about many things, but mainly slavery. A lot of the Southern economy was built on this evil trade of plantations and slaves. The north, on the other hand, was heavily industrializing and diversifying their economic portfolio. We could see a start for a new birth in America. The South did not like this, but the real problems began when new states were being proposed and they had to decide whether to allow slavery or not. I like to believe that many northerners, maybe driven by a sense of morality or empathy, decided slavery had no place in America, but unfortunately, maybe life is not as simple as that. I am sure there was more to gain for white Americans than just abolishing slavery, especially considering that Black Americans were still treated like second-class citizens for the next 100 years. This was a direct threat to the South, who also inversely believed that banning this "important" part of their economy and culture was giving the country a death sentence. Though I believe it was just people who were afraid of change. People who feared what they did not understand and a nation that was too okay with treating human beings as property, and America would and will never stand for that.
The War Begins
March 4th, 1861, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th president of the United States, and just a month later, at 4:30 am on April 12th, 1861, the Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina's Charleston harbor. In less than 34 hours Union forces surrender. This marks the start of the American Civil War. This is one of the darkest days in American history. I think part of what makes our country so special is our unity. The fact that we are not bound by just one race or religion, but we are bound by the idea of the United States. The creation and succession of the Confederate States was a direct betrayal of that idea our founding fathers fought for just 100 years before. They, in my opinion, are nothing but traitors to the constitution and all those who died protecting it. I mean this strongly: though we should criticize and protest our government continuously, as that is what true patriots do. I think that putting up arms against your fellow countrymen, even though you may disagree, has no place in America. Political violence has no place in America. Discourse should always hold the highest form of power.
The Battle of Gettysburg
I can go on and on and talk about the complex military struggle by both the Union and the Confederates. It was a long and bloody war, and it is a shame that any Americans had to die. The Battle of Gettysburg alone claimed the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers. Three days of fighting and seemingly a very bold Confederate army led to a brutal three-day battle. One of the most devastating moves by the Confederacy was when General George Pickett charged at the Union. This is also known as the famous Pickett's Charge, which had cost them almost half their army, and the Pickett division had lost two-thirds of their men. It was fruitless, as the union held strong. The survivors stumble back against the weight of the American Union into a defensive line. After these three long days of fighting Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate army, under heavy rain, retreated with his demolished army back towards Virginia. The Union had won the battle of Gettysburg, and the war was turning a tide in favor of the great American Union. This defeat, in my opinion, set the tone for the rest of the war. This also led to Lee's attempted resignation, which was denied by their Confederate president, Jefferson Davis. Morale was low. All of this combined with Ulysses S. grants Victory at Vicksburg solidified the dominant Union to go on and win this war for America. On November 19th, 1863, Lincoln addressed the nation at the Soldiers' National Cemetery. The Gettysburg Address. A beautiful speech about the struggle of liberty and equality. I wish I could have been there to bear witness to that speech. Not just the fact that he said words of great eloquence and passion, but he said words that held the weight of a nation's struggle for freedom. That to me is beautiful.
The End of the War
On April 9th, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. It took time for the news to get around to the multiple armies of the Confederacy, but as time passed, more and more Confederate soldiers started to surrender. Freedom and liberty had prevailed. What can we learn from this? I think we can learn everything. The largest problem in the United States today is we have been divided. We have been divided and conquered, but I do not think it has to be this way.
I think though we have a deep divide, there is always a common ground to be reached. There is a lot of love for this country, and most of the people want to see the people and the country thrive. This is our home, and I refuse to let people sell it out to the lowest bidder. So I say speak up and fight for your freedoms just as those before us did. Find a way for people to live happy and healthy. The path to that may be unknown. It may be difficult. It may be scary, but it is doable. Human beings have been capable of great evil but also capable of great good, and if we can just focus a little bit more on that greater good, maybe, just maybe, we can move together towards a better and more free future. God Bless The United States Of America. I love you all.