1

Mariana Olivarez
@01294673
Evaluation 1
Dear Bianca,
I am writing you this letter because things in America arent going well. The South has
just left the union and a war is in the midst. The South left the union because they were afraid
Lincoln was going to abolish slavery. The South was so dependent on slavery that they couldnt
afford to lose it. Their whole economic system was deep rooted with slavery. They were afraid
that if they lost slavery, their economy would collapse. Slave property was worth so much it was
unclear how the government could end slavery without collapsing the whole Southern economy.1
Cotton was a huge business in the South. By 1860 cotton exports were worth 191,000,000- 57
percent of the value of all American exports.2 The South had become a cotton empire, nearly
four million slaves were employed, and slavery looked like an absolutely essential element in
Southern prosperity.3
Although the South was highly dependent on cotton, farming, and slaves, the North was
not. At this point in time two different societies had developed in America. The North and the
South had adjusted their lifestyles to the resources they were able to acquire. They adjusted
1 The Civil War, 4
2 The Civil War, 3
3 The Civil War, 3

themselves in different ways during the industrial age.4 While the Souths society was based
primarily on agriculture, the Norths society relied primarily on industrialization. In the North
society was passing more rapidly than most men realized to an industrial base.5
The North and South were progressing in different ways and this was the beginning of
the Civil War. The North and the South already had many differences and the institution of
slavery only complicated things. Without slavery, the problems between the sections could
probably have been worked out by the ordinary give-and-take of politics; with slavery they
became insoluble.6 Although there were serious differences between the sections, all of them
except slavery could have been settled through the democratic process.7 Slavery was the only
argument that could not be compromised. Men from both sides of the position couldnt
compromise on the issue. Many settlements were proposed such as the Missouri compromise, the
compromise of 1850, the Wilmot Proviso, the Kansas Nebraska Act, and popular sovereignty.
Although many attempts were made to compromise the issue, none were good enough to prevent
the war from occurring.
The South was confident that it could run as an independent nation because they felt they
had enough land, resources, and man power to do so. The South was confident that it was large
enough to survive as an independent nation. Is not that territory enough to make an empire that

4 The Civil War, 3

5 The Civil War, 5
6 The Civil War, 3
7 The Civil War, 10

shall rule the world?8 However, the South was even more confident in their resources- cotton.
With the finest soil, the most delightful climate, whose staple productions none of these great
countries can grow.9 The South was confident because they knew that cotton was a necessity for
everyone. England would topple headlong and carry the whole civilized world with her if no
cotton was furnished for three years.10 The South believed that they had the best economy. They
believed in their social system and felt like their society would prosper from it. The South
believed that the prosperity of their country relied heavily on the mud-sil of society. They
believed they would excel because they had a race inferior to them to do all the menial work so
their society and race could progress.
Lincoln was moderate on the slavery question, and agreed that the federal government
lacked power to interfere with the peculiar institution in the states.11 When Lincoln is elected
president he has no purpose to interfere with slavery. I have no purpose, directly, or indirectly,
to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists. I believe I have no lawful
right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.12 Lincoln was adamant that he would uphold the
laws about slavery and runaway slaves. He was going to use the government to protect slavery
where it already was. He promised to uphold the fugitive slave law and enforce it. The power
confided in me will be used to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the
8 Cotton is King, 1
9 Cotton is King, 1
10 Cotton is King, 1
11 The Civil War, 15
12 Lincolns First Inaugural

Government and to collect the duties and imposts; but beyond what may be necessary for these
objects, there will be no invasion, no using of force against or among the people anywhere.13
Lincoln wasnt determined to free the four million American slaves immediately. Although
Lincoln didnt want to touch slavery where it already existed, he also didnt want the expansion
of slavery. Lincoln didnt want the inclusion of slavery in new territories admitted into the union.
He had no desire to entertain the proposition for a compromise in regard to the extension of
slavery.14

13 Lincolns First Inaugural

14 The Civil War, 16

Lincolns position on slavery after his election is he wants to stop the extension of
slavery, but doesnt want to touch slavery where it already exists. Hes determined to keep the
Unites States whole and doesnt want the South to leave the union. Lincoln is willing to uphold
the slave laws for the South.
The Peninsula Campaign was a huge fail to the North and McClellan. McClellans plan
was to move on Richmond. He wanted to go down to Fort Monroe by steamboat and then
advance up the Virginia Peninsula.15 However, this didnt go as planned. McClellans plan
required a lot of troops and in doing so he left the capital open for capture. The lack of troops
made Washington susceptible for attack. This posed a huge threat to the government, but
McClellan ignored the situation and took the troops he needed. McClellan and his troops
approached, but didnt attack because McClellan was being cautious. Magruder marched his
troops in view to make it seem like he had more troops than he did. McClellan saw the troops
and assumed there to be more troops then there actually was and decided to wait to attack.
McClellan lost a month and finally decided to attack. During this time the confederates took full
advantage of the extremely sensitive security of Washington. Stonewall Jackson attacked and
Banks retreated. The government had been tricked and it what McClellans fault. McClellan
15 The Civil War, 62

made a lot of mistakes as commander. He and the union failed countless times. They were
defeated at the Peninsula Campaign and later at the 7 days battles. McClellans army had been
roundly beaten and compelled to retreat to Harrisons Landing on the James River, badly
shattered and greatly in need of refit.16
The Battle of Bull Run was another huge failure to the Union, but it was also the battle
that opened up everyones eyes to the realization that the war would not be easy or fast. It
marked the end of the 90 day militia, and it also ended the rosy time in which men could dream
that the war would be short, glorious, and bloodless.17 McDowells army moved in on
Beauregards at Bull Run, but they moved to slow and were driven back with a loss.18 The Union
lost, but it was a loss for everyone. After Bull Run the nation got down to business.19 The war
at the beginning was considered a conciliatory war. Conciliatory means intended to make
someone less angry or hostile. That is exactly what Lincoln was doing. Lincoln was trying to
persuade the confederates to come back into the war. At the beginning of the war not a lot of
fighting took place. No one even thought the war would last long. The militia was only enlisted
for 90 days. The first year of the war wasnt taken seriously and Lincoln was trying to be very
amicable. If the war would have ended during the first year Lincoln would have let the South
back into the union with slavery. Lincoln was trying to be very conciliatory towards civilians. He
tried to keep the fighting army versus army conflict without civilians involved. Lincoln was
16 The Civil War, 67
17 The Civil War, 42
18 The Civil War, 43
19 The Civil War, 42

trying to keep the war away from emancipation. McClellan supported Lincoln in being
conciliatory. He felt that the war should not be about confiscation of property, political
executions of persons, territorial organization of states or forcible abolition of slavery.20 He also
felt that the war should not be about emancipation, or the subjugation of the people of any state.21
He felt that they should still respect the states as if they were still apart of the Union. However,
all this changed after the loss at Shiloh, 7 days battles, the bombing on Fort Sumter, and the
Battle of Bull Run. Lincoln realizes that the war wasnt going to end as quickly as he first
thought.
The war alters and becomes a hard war. The real war was about to begin. Lincoln was
done trying to persuade the South to come back into the Union. By the summer of 1862 Lincoln
decides he needs to emancipate the slaves to save the union. Lincolns justification for the
emancipation of slaves is to save the union. Saving the union is his primary goal. He states that,
If I could save the union without freeing any slave I would do it, and I could save it by freeing
all the slaves I would do it; and I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would
also do that22 What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to
save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the
Union.23 Lincoln goal is always to save the union and everything he does he does it to save the
union. Lincoln is fighting to save the union. He isnt fighting the civil war to emancipate the
20 Harrison Landing Letter
21 Harrison Landing Letter
22 Greely Letter
23 Greely Letter

slaves, but if emancipating them helps save the union he would do it. Lincoln is trying to do what
he thinks is best for the union and the preservation of it. I shall do less whenever I shall believe
what I am doing hurts the cause.24 If emancipating the slaves were to hurt the cause of saving
the union then Lincoln would refrain from it.

24 Greely Letter