The Civil War is central to who we are as a nation, and what we will become. This section is dedicated to the ongoing political, social and economic implications the war created for the CURRENT body politic. To understand those implications, we must have a clear view of the two issues that have been central to American history: (1) the relationship between the federal government and the states, and (2) race.
One way of describing the role race has played in American history is to use the metaphor of an earthquake. The issue of race produced "tremors" from 1619 to 1861, the 1861 to 1865 "Great Earthquake" we refer to as the Civil War and everything from 1865 to the present has been "aftershocks."
Prior to the Civil War, Americans expressed their interests
primarily in four political parties. The Civil War greatly reduced
their options to two-the Democratic Party and the Republican
Party. Democrats and Republicans emerged while debating the question
of what to do with the newly-freed slaves. The radical Republicans
argued for greater federal investment in their education, healthcare
and housing. This became the precursor of modern economic liberalism.
The conservative Democrats/slaveholders argued that the freed
slaves must pick themselves up by their own bootstraps. This
was the
precursor to modern economic conservatism. For 140 years all
Americans have been traveling essentially this same road, while
the two party roles have essentially switched.
Boundaries of the United States
(map created by Ed Stephan)
The preceding graphic and its corresponding dates show how central the issue of race was prior to, during and after the Civil War.
A greater understanding of the American Civil War that continues to be fought on the battlefield of the national conscience is the only way we can truly overcome, and build a nation where no American is left behind-A MORE PERFECT UNION.