Civil War Social Issue Analysis

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Between 1860 and 1877, the citizens and politicians of the United States were presented with many social and constitutional problems, which had been lingering for decades. The Civil War and other events brought each of these issues to a crisis point. This created the need for a resolution. This amounted to a revolution of America’s social and political landscape. Undoubtedly, the Union’s victory also brought resolution to many social problems. Since slaves were now free, they needed the same rights as other citizens, which the government gave them. African American citizens petitioned the Tennessee legislation to grant them equal rights, and showed how important this cause was to the black community. The federal government set up agencies like the Freedmen’s Bureau to help new Freedmen, or newly freed slaves. In addition, once slaves were freed, states questioned the federal government’s authority in creating civil rights or giving freed blacks the …show more content…

Occasionally, states tried to nullify laws from the federal government that were viewed as unfavorable. These acts of rebellion came to a breaking point when South Carolina seceded from the Union. This created a constitutional conflict because it was a completely new situation. No one knew if the states could leave the union, and the constitution provided no guidelines for it. However, South Carolina’s secession was successful and they did not have to deal with Northern and Federal policies that caused them to secede. South Carolina’s Declaration of Causes of Secession stated that “powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states are reserved to the states.” Thankfully, the issue was solved through the Union’s victory in the Civil War that ensued. As a result, the federal government was stronger, as states could not legally nullify laws or

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