Just War

In unit 2 of Policy, we focused on the executive branch, such and the powers and different abilities it has. We also looked the Vietnam War, and the different things it did to people and how the executive branch can make policies that are unjust, like war. For an FE we went to the International Veteran’s Art Museum, where we looked different art work representing the Vietnam War. We also got to try on some gear that veterans had to wear while in battle in an exhibit inspired the book we are reading, The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien. For the action project, we had to choose a war and explain if it is just or unjust, and explain our reasoning. I picked the Civil War because this is a war that is a very old war, and show how it had a lot of ripples that lead into the present day. Something I liked about this project was getting to select a war of any kind, even if it wasn’t an actual physical battle. Hope you enjoy reading about whether or not I think the Civil War is just or unjust!

                                                                              

The American Civil War, fought in between the north (Union) and the south (Confederacy), lasted for four years, from April 12th, 1861 through May 9th 1865, not a war that the United States joined but a war that was in the center of the United States, dividing our nation. A war that would push a ripple effect on our society, a ripple that is ongoing. The war was the first where slaves could fight if they had become free. This also was a war that brought our nation together and ended slavery in the United States. But why did this war happen? Mainly it was tensions between the north and south about what was right and wrong, like whether or not slavery should exist. A lot of underlying causes were the Underground Railroad for slaves to use to escape to the north. Also the Dred Scott case of 1857, declaring African Americans not citizens of the United States. The Missouri compromise of 1819, separating free states and slave states. But that was just putting gasoline on the wood, the match to start the flame was on April 10th, 1861 when in Fort Sumter and a firefight broke out between the north and south, marking the start of the Civil War.

Was it good we went to war, or should we have tried to make this civil conflict more peaceful, since this was the war with the most deaths so far? I believe this war was just, and needed to happen because it got people out of the state of treating others as literal property. It ended something that should have never been a to begin with, but was sadly. It gave the line, “All men are created equal” more truth in the Declaration of Independence. This war was a declaration in it’s own way, asserting that slavery is wrong and needs to stop, and our nation has to begin working together again.

The President at the time of the Civil War was Abraham Lincoln, and during his first inaugural speech said that we need to get the south to become part of the Union again, to have the nation working together; this was a month after after the war started. This also had a lot to do with Lincoln’s want and need to end slavery in the United States. Congress played a huge role in this war, in 1861 Congress created the Joint Committee on the Conduct of War. Where a group of people from the south and north would give intel on the war and everything else that was going on that they might need and should know.

During this time two big policies were made, the Conscription Act of 1863, and the Militia Act of 1862. The Conscription Act meant that every man between the ages 20 - 45 must register to be a soldier, even if they were about to become citizens. The Militia Act meant that freed African Americans would work as laborers and soldiers in the war. Both policies were created by Congress, mainly to get more soldiers for the Union. The Conscription Act was hated by many people and resulted in a lot of protesting in New York, whereas the Militia Act had many African Americans ready to sign up and ready to fight, to show their pride. Both these led to the reason why the American Civil War had the most deaths of any war that the United States has been a part of. I say on a legal and logical standpoint that Congress was just for making these policies, because they needed to be made for the Union to have won the war. Plus the acts didn’t go against any policy previously made, in fact it helped one act that was made during the Revolutionary War, saying that all men needed to have a weapon in preparation of war. I say this because it showed how the government need all these acts to secure the victory in the end.

In conclusion, this war was just and needed to happen to make a step to a better society, one where we could work together. President Abraham Lincoln was right to have wanted to free slaves for the greater good, and to bring the south back to the Union. If not, then we might not have won a lot of the wars that we did in the not-so-far future. This might have had the most deaths, and did have ripples both good and bad. But it did lead to the great migration, where many African Americans were able to get good jobs that they could survive well with. Also leading to more change that was for the good. This war needed to happen, and it moved us on.


References:

"Causes Of The Civil War | HistoryNet." HistoryNet. Web. 11 May 2016.

"African Americans In The Civil War | HistoryNet." HistoryNet. Web. 11 May 2016.

"Abraham Lincoln." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations. Web. 11 May 2016.

"Congress Passes Civil War Conscription Act." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 11 May 2016.

"U.S. Capitol Visitor Center." U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. Web. 11 May 2016.

"The History Engine." History Engine: Tools for Collaborative Education and Research. Web. 11 May 2016.