Was the American Civil War actually a civil war?

[punkncat]

This topic came up last night. Quite an interesting debate of sorts. Some neat points were brought up.

According to one POV a civil war is fought within one country, between factions with a different political view for that territory/country. The Southern States actually ceeded from the Union of States before the war broke out. So according to that it was a war between nations, and not technically a civil war.

Discuss....

[Lohman446]

Good question... let me add to it

The goal of the south, as I understand it, was never to topple the northern government, or to occupy the north as an occupation force for other than military reasons. It was to fight a war of attrition that forced the north to quit and basically allow them to break apart from the union. Consider this in contrast to other "civil" wars where one faction is trying to take control of the government, and the entire country. By strict definition, based on the goals of the south, if I understand them correctly, it cannot be termed a technical civil war.

[Eagle]

As far as the Union was concerned, the south was still part of the Union, there secession from the Union illegal because they did so on their own without the approval of Congress. So by the victors standards, yes, it was a civil war.

[Steelrat]

A civil war is defined by Websters as:

A war between factions or regions of the same country.

So, by that definition, it was a civil war, regardless of the goals of the conflict. I was going to cover the secession angle too, but Eagle beat me to it I see.

[Kevmaster]

had the south won, and wrote the history books, it would have been a revolutionary war. since we lost, and the north wrote the books, it was a civil war.

[maxama10]

well i live in GA (unfortunently) and my extremely southern teacher calls it "The war of northern aggression" and always refers to the confederates as 'we' but im from the west and north so...yeah

[Chipper]

well i live in GA (unfortunently) and my extremely southern teacher calls it "The war of northern aggression" and always refers to the confederates as 'we' but im from the west and north so...yeah

I was going to say, there is no Civil War. I have heard of a War of Nothern Aggression, but I have not heard of a American Civil War. And yes, it was a Civil War, even if the South left the Union, they still were 1 country to begin with. That means it is a Civil War.

By the way, I am from Virginia and have been to every battlefield in Virgina, and most out of it. Although many people believe that the South provoked the North (which I guess it did), the Northerners are the ones who attacked. Just to clarify my War of Northern Aggresson statement.

[Eagle]

the Northerners are the ones who attacked. Just to clarify my War of Northern Aggresson statement.

I don't know, who fired first at Sumpter? I can't remember. The one thing I find interesting is that the guy (can't remember his name) who's living room at Appomatix in which Lee surrendered to Grant, had lived very close to Fort Sumpter at the beginning of the war then moved thinking he could avoid the worst of the fighting. The war basically started and ended on his property.

[Warewolf50]

well i live in GA (unfortunently) and my extremely southern teacher calls it "The war of northern aggression" and always refers to the confederates as 'we' but im from the west and north so...yeah

so what do u have aginst Ga, and a teacher who calls it the War of Northern agression is a very special person, last year in hist my teach always made fun of people who called it that.

[punkncat]

As far as the Union was concerned, the south was still part of the Union, there secession from the Union illegal because they did so on their own without the approval of Congress. So by the victors standards, yes, it was a civil war.

Um , yes. But consider that the Southern States voted to remove themselves from the Union whos goal was to take that right from the States power. As they had made the decision to no longer be a part of that Union, then what was legal or illegal within that Union had no jurisdiction within that seperate state. The Union basically fought to force those Southern States, the Confederacy, to rejoin the Union. Thus the "War of Northern Aggression".

As stated above though, the wording has more to do with who wrote the history....

P.S. on edit*** I don't want this to turn towards the darker reasons behind the split. The convo was based around the definition of "civil" war. ***

[FreakBaller12]

I don't know, who fired first at Sumpter? I can't remember. The one thing I find interesting is that the guy (can't remember his name) who's living room at Appomatix in which Lee surrendered to Grant, had lived very close to Fort Sumpter at the beginning of the war then moved thinking he could avoid the worst of the fighting. The war basically started and ended on his property.

I also believe that guy moved to ghettysburg too? Or am I just mistaken? I know he moved atleast once, but I don't know if he moved twice.

[Kevmaster]

what happened in the 'revolutionary war'? the colonies, part of england at the time, revolted and tried to leave england's control.

what happened in the 'civil war'? the confederacy, part of the union at the time, revolted and tried to leave the union's control.


what's the difference? we wrote the history books after the revolutionary war and the north wrote em after the civil war.

[frontrunner]

I love AO, four years ago i tried to make a point in US history that one could see it as a failed revalutionary war, since the goal of the south was not to take over but just to split off from the northern states. i also said that had the been trying to take over then it would have been a civll war. when we(the US) split from england it was not a civil war so samething almost i'm glad to see others can see past the carp to talk about wording

[bleachit]

"On April 10, 1861, Brig. Gen. Beauregard, in command of the provisional Confederate forces at Charleston, South Carolina, demanded the surrender of the Union garrison of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Garrison commander Anderson refused. On April 12, Confederate batteries opened fire on the fort, which was unable to reply effectively. At 2:30 p.m., April 13, Major Anderson surrendered Fort Sumter, evacuating the garrison on the following day. The bombardment of Fort Sumter was the opening engagement of the American Civil War. Although there were no casualties during the bombardment, one Union artillerist was killed and three wounded (one mortally) when a cannon exploded prematurely when firing a salute during the evacuation."

from http://www.civilwarhome.com/ftsumter.htm


definately a war of Southern Aggression

[LudavicoSoldier]

There is nothing civil about a rifle ball/bullet in the gut.