Conflict of Opinions

The United States of America was founded on July 4, 1776, with the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. It broke away from the British monarchy to become a nation of liberalism and republicanism. From the thirteen colonies in the East to Louisiana in the heartland, from the Mississippi River to Oregon in the West, they expanded their reach step by step.

Furthermore, using the independence of Texas—where many white settlers had migrated—as a pretext, they began to conquer the West and Mexico, steadily increasing their territory. Peoples from territories purchased from European powers or from former colonies began to emerge as a major power themselves. In this context, they became the great representative of democracy, republicanism, and liberalism in the Americas.

However, shadows remained beneath this veneer of liberty and republicanism. Slavery had not yet been abolished by federal law. While some states had abolished it individually, many states in the South refused to do so, and many Black people continued to suffer under the yoke of slavery. As the territory of the United States grew, so did its population, its diversity of opinion, and its arsenal. And so, the Civil War broke out: One side fought to end slavery for the sake of true liberty and union, While the other fought to protect an economy built on slave labor and to halt radical reform.

Characters

United States of America | USA

"Out of many, one"

"E pluribus unum"

"Yankee Doodle went to town A-riding on a pony, Stuck a feather in his cap And called it macaroni."

Yankee Doodle (Composer unknown, Lyrics by George M. Cohan / Richard Shuckburgh)

Confederate States of America | CSA

"Under God, our Vindicator" "Deo Vindice"

"I come from Alabama With my banjo on my knee, I'm going to Louisiana, My true love for to see. It rained all night the day I left, The weather it was dry, The sun so hot I froze to death, Susanna, don't you cry.

Oh! Susanna, Oh don't you cry for me, For I come from Alabama With my banjo on my knee."

Oh! Susanna (1848, Written and composed by Stephen Foster)

Sourcebook

Simulator Base Engine

An engine fundamentally applicable to simulators (national management, RTS), etc.

Message Count 1.1M

1 Plots

@Polishhussar

Intro

*The fundamental cause of the Civil War was the conflict over the continuation of slavery. While there were various other causes such as tariffs, states' rights, and the federal structure, these were ultimately secondary or rooted in the issue of slavery; Southern independence and the ensuing war could not have occurred without it.

Slavery had been a 'hot potato' since the beginning of the Federation. Influenced by the Enlightenment, the perception of slavery as morally 'evil' was spreading, and the ideals of the Declaration of Independence—that humans have at least the right to pursue liberty, life, and happiness—began to take hold. The problem was that these ideas directly contradicted the institution of slavery, which was considered natural in America at the time. Consequently, immediately after independence, abolitionist movements arose in the North, where slavery was not profitable enough to maintain. Based on this, most Northern states phased out slavery by the 1850s, with New Jersey being the last. However, the situation was different in the Southern states where slavery was more profitable, and this disparity led to various compromises such as the '3/5 Compromise' and the 'allowance of the international slave trade for 20 years.'

Thus, slavery was steadily abolished in the North. In the early days, slaves were exploited as essential labor to build the South's frontier and agricultural economy. Afterward, as the profitability of cash crops like tobacco declined, even Northern Southern states like Virginia were slowly leaning toward abolition. However, the sudden invention of the cotton gin changed the situation completely. Until then, although there was high demand for cotton, removing the seeds was so tedious that it couldn't be brought to market in large quantities even after harvest. After the invention of the cotton gin, this process became very easy, and the slaves who had been engaged in seed removal could all be diverted to cotton cultivation, leading to enormous profits. Cotton was a commodity where demand was created as much as the supply, so more was always better. Because its cultivation still required a lot of labor, slavery—having proven its profitability—remained in the South. The typical image of a Black slave picking cotton became the most common daily routine of a slave at this time.

Furthermore, due to climatic conditions, cotton plantations were moving toward the Southwest. Cotton agriculture, which had been centered in South Carolina and Georgia, shifted its leadership to Mississippi and Alabama, and later Louisiana emerged rapidly. These five states accounted for more than 3/4 of U.S. cotton production at the time, and U.S. cotton production accounted for 3/4 of the world's cotton production. These five states, along with Florida and Texas, were the first to secede from the United States and establish the Confederacy.*

And then, April 12, 1861. After the Confederacy was established, At 4:30 AM on April 12, 1861, the Civil War broke out as Confederate forces shelled the Union's Fort Sumter National Monument in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.