conclusion of the civil war essay

A Brief Overview of the American Civil War

The Civil War is the central event in America's historical consciousness. While the Revolution of 1776-1783 created the United States, the Civil War of 1861-1865 determined what kind of nation it would be. The war resolved two fundamental questions left unresolved by the revolution: whether the United States was to be a dissolvable confederation of sovereign states or an indivisible nation with a sovereign national government; and whether this nation, born of a declaration that all men were created with an equal right to liberty, would continue to exist as the largest slaveholding country in the world.

Northern victory in the war preserved the United States as one nation and ended the institution of slavery that had divided the country from its beginning. But these achievements came at the cost of 625,000 lives--nearly as many American soldiers as died in all the other wars in which this country has fought combined. The American Civil War was the largest and most destructive conflict in the Western world between the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the onset of World War I in 1914.

The Civil War started because of uncompromising differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states. When Abraham Lincoln won election in 1860 as the first Republican president on a platform pledging to keep slavery out of the territories, seven slave states in the deep South seceded and formed a new nation, the Confederate States of America. The incoming Lincoln administration and most of the Northern people refused to recognize the legitimacy of secession. They feared that it would discredit democracy and create a fatal precedent that would eventually fragment the no-longer United States into several small, squabbling countries.

The event that triggered war came at Fort Sumter in Charleston Bay on April 12, 1861. Claiming this United States fort as their own, the Confederate army on that day opened fire on the federal garrison and forced it to lower the American flag in surrender. Lincoln called out the militia to suppress this "insurrection." Four more slave states seceded and joined the Confederacy. By the end of 1861 nearly a million armed men confronted each other along a line stretching 1200 miles from Virginia to Missouri. Several battles had already taken place--near Manassas Junction in Virginia, in the mountains of western Virginia where Union victories paved the way for creation of the new state of West Virginia, at Wilson's Creek in Missouri, at Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, and at Port Royal in South Carolina where the Union navy established a base for a blockade to shut off the Confederacy's access to the outside world.

But the real fighting began in 1862. Huge battles like Shiloh in Tennessee, Gaines' Mill , Second Manassas , and Fredericksburg in Virginia, and Antietam in Maryland foreshadowed even bigger campaigns and battles in subsequent years, from Gettysburg in Pennsylvania to Vicksburg on the Mississippi to Chickamauga and Atlanta in Georgia. By 1864 the original Northern goal of a limited war to restore the Union had given way to a new strategy of "total war" to destroy the Old South and its basic institution of slavery and to give the restored Union a "new birth of freedom," as President Lincoln put it in his address at Gettysburg to dedicate a cemetery for Union soldiers killed in the battle there.

For three long years, from 1862 to 1865, Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia staved off invasions and attacks by the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by a series of ineffective generals until Ulysses S. Grant came to Virginia from the Western theater to become general in chief of all Union armies in 1864. After bloody battles at places with names like The Wilderness , Spotsylvania , Cold Harbor , and Petersburg , Grant finally brought Lee to bay at Appomattox in April 1865. In the meantime Union armies and river fleets in the theater of war comprising the slave states west of the Appalachian Mountain chain won a long series of victories over Confederate armies commanded by hapless or unlucky Confederate generals. In 1864-1865 General William Tecumseh Sherman led his army deep into the Confederate heartland of Georgia and South Carolina, destroying their economic infrastructure while General George Thomas virtually destroyed the Confederacy's Army of Tennessee at the battle of Nashville . By the spring of 1865 all the principal Confederate armies surrendered, and when Union cavalry captured the fleeing Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Georgia on May 10, 1865, resistance collapsed and the war ended. The long, painful process of rebuilding a united nation free of slavery began.

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At the beginning of the war, both sides had attempted to wage limited war. Most Unionists and Confederates did not anticipate the dramatic changes that the war would entail: the conscription of men for the armies, the impressment of food and other supplies, the mobilization of women, and the abolition of slavery. They looked for that one decisive battle that would end the war. Civil War armies, however, were simply too big and too mobile and the defense was too strong to allow for the war of annihilation implicit in the climatic battle. As the war dragged on, both sides settled in for a war of attrition and exhaustion. The goal of this kind of war was to keep punishing the enemy until the other side gave up or ran out of men and materiel to wage war. As the war become one of attrition and exhaustion, the Union’s greater resources proved decisive.

As battlefields fell silent in 1865, the question of secession had been answered, slavery had been eradicated, and America was once again territorially united. But, in many ways, the conclusion of the Civil War created more questions than answers. How would the nation become one again? Who was responsible for rebuilding the South? What role would African Americans occupy in this society? Northern and southern soldiers returned home with broken bodies, broken spirits, and broken minds. Plantation owners had land but not labor. Recently freed African Americans had their labor but no land. Former slaves faced a world of possibilities—legal marriage, reunited family members, employment, and fresh starts—but also a racist world of bitterness, violence, and limited opportunity. The war may have been over, but the battles for the peace were just beginning.

Slavery, Abolition, Emancipation and Freedom

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Civil War, 1861-1865

Jonathan Karp, Harvard University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, PhD Candidate, American Studies

The story of the Civil War is often told as a triumph of freedom over slavery, using little more than a timeline of battles and a thin pile of legislation as plot points. Among those acts and skirmishes, addresses and battles, the Emancipation Proclamation is key: with a stroke of Abraham Lincoln’s pen, the story goes, slaves were freed and the goodness of the United States was confirmed. This narrative implies a kind of clarity that is not present in the historical record. What did emancipation actually mean? What did freedom mean? How would ideas of citizenship accommodate Black subjects? The everyday impact of these words—the way they might be lived in everyday life—were the subject of intense debates and investigations, which marshalled emerging scientific discourses and a rapidly expanding bureaucratic state. All the while, Black people kept emancipating themselves, showing by their very actions how freedom might be lived.

Self-Emancipation

The Emancipation Proclamation, in 1863, and the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865, abolished slavery in the secessionist Confederate states and the United States, respectively, but it is important to remember that enslaved people were liberating themselves through all manners of fugitivity for as long as slavery has existed in the Americas. Notices from enslavers seeking self-emancipated Black people were common in newspapers throughout the Americas, as seen in this 1854 copy of the Baltimore Sun .

The question of how formerly enslaved people would be regarded by and assimilated into the state as subjects was most obviously worked out through the Freedmen’s Bureau, which was meant to support newly freed people across the South. Two years before the Bureau was established, however, there was the American Freedmen’s Inquiry Commission. Authorized by the Secretary of War in March 1863, the Inquiry Commission was called in part as a response to the ever-increasing number of refugees—who were still referred to at the time as “contraband”—appearing at Union camps. The three appointed commissioners—Samuel Gridley Howe, James McKaye, and Robert Dale Owen—were charged with investigating the condition and capacity of freedpeople.

Historians are still working to understand the scale of refugees’ movements during the Civil War. Abigail Cooper estimates that by 1865 there were around 600,000 freedpeople in 250 refugee camps. Many of the camps were overseen by the Union, while others were established and run by freedpeople themselves. Conditions in the camps could be brutal. In 1863, the Inquiry Commission heard that 3,000 freedmen had fortified the fort in Nashville for fifteen months without pay. Rations were slim. In spite of these conditions, the camps were also sites where Black people profoundly restructured the South by their very movement and relationships.

Port Royal Experiment

During the Civil War, the U.S. government began an experiment in the Sea Islands of South Carolina. Plantation owning enslavers had abandoned their lands, leaving behind over 10,000 formerly enslaved Black people. With the help of abolitionist charities from the North, these Black farmers cultivated cotton for wages in the same places they had formerly been held in bondage. Their work was so successful that it inspired international calls for support, like this letter published in Manchester, England. The short-lived success of this experiment was largely ended at the government's hands, when the lands were returned to White ownership.

The Inquiry Commission, a large portion of whose records are held at Harvard, focused many of their efforts on the camps. It was not clear how, exactly, they should go about their work. The Commission was established before the field of sociology emerged with its institutionalized tools for the supposedly scientific study of populations. A federal body had never before been responsible studying people who were or had been enslaved. The commissioners travelled across the American South and Canada, observing and interviewing freedmen. They sent elaborate surveys to military leaders, clergy, and other White people who interfaced with large numbers of people who had escaped slavery. Through this work, the American Freedmen’s Inquiry Commission made Black people into subjects of the United States’ scientific gaze. Their records are an invaluable record of life under slavery; they also reinscribed underlying racial logics.

Slavery, Abolition, Emancipation, and Freedom has a collection of 189 objects related to the Commission’s inquiry . The vast majority of them are responses to their survey, written by White people the Commission identified as having special knowledge of freedmen. The view of slavery from this vantage point is limited. Most if not all of the respondents recount conversations with people who were or had been enslaved, but these accounts are all mediated by their authors and the Commissioners. There’s no telling what the quoted enslaved people would or wouldn’t have shared with these people, or why. If some shape of life under slavery emerges from reading these survey responses, it is a necessarily distorted one. The American Freedmen’s Inquiry Commission is emblematic of a style of scientific discourse that set its sights on Black people and the cultural meanings of race without concern for the views of Black people. In this field, Whiteness was necessary for expertise.

The surveys are most revealing as records of how these agents of the federal government conceived of the question of freedom—what they called, “one of the gravest social problems ever presented a government.” What kinds of questions did they ask? The forms had forty-two questions. Some asked for geographic and population data. Others asked for information about life before emancipation: did freedmen carry signs of previous abuse (they did) and did their masters have an effect on enslaved peoples’ families (they invariably did)? The vast majority of the questions, however, asked for the respondent’s opinions and general observations of the formerly enslaved refugees. The Commission wanted to know about these peoples’ strength, endurance, intellectual capacity, attachments to place, as well as their religious devotion, their general disposition, work ethic, and ways of domestic life. The list ended with the most important question, which the previous ones had apparently prepared the respondent to answer to the best of their abilities: “In your judgement are the freedmen in your department considered as a whole fit to take their place in society with a fair prospect of self-support and progress or do they need preparatory training and guardianship? If so of what nature and to what extent?”

Slow Stretching Emancipation

The Emancipation Proclamation was widely celebrated by enemies of slavery, though it did not emancipate all enslaved Black peoples. Celebrations were held in Northern cities like Philadelphia and Boston . News of emancipation was slow moving, even in areas that were covered by the proclamation. In areas under Union control, like Port Royal, Black people were informed of their new legal status on January 1st, but in areas under Confederate control the proclamation was often kept secret from enslaved people or entirely ignored. In his memoir, Up from Slavery, Booker T. Washington described his experience learning of the proclamation:

After the reading we were told that we were all free, and could go when and where we pleased. My mother, who was standing by my side, leaned over and kissed her children, while tears of joy ran down her cheeks. She explained to us what it all meant, that this was the day for which she had been so long praying, but fearing that she would never live to see. Booker T. Washington, Up from Slavery: An Autobiography, pg. 21

From the questions the American Freedmen’s Inquiry Commission asked, it is clear that they imagined the freemen’s “fitness” to hinge on their ability to work for wages, own land, and maintain standard familial structures. The surveys asked whether freedmen “seemed disposed to continue their domestic relations or form new ones.” They asked whether, under slavery, enslaved children were taught to respect their parents. Commissioners wished to know if family names were common, and, if so, how they travelled through generations. The question about laboring for wages, which appeared towards the end of the questionnaire, was deeply connected to the question of what should come after slavery. If wages would not be successful in turning freedmen into laborers, a system of apprenticeship might be considered. The commissioners’ fixation on land was a result of the longstanding connection in the United States between citizenship and landowning. It was also a response to fears of Black migration. In all, the surveys show that the question of freedmen’s fitness was one of their assimilation into the intertwined relations of the capitalist wage and the family, as recognized by the state and church.

While the American Freedmen’s Inquiry Commission went about their work, freedpeople made their lives in ways that both answered the Commission’s questions and exceeded them. Some people found their way to camps to join the war effort; others went in search of family and still others made homes where they were. Washington Spradling, for example, told the Commission in 1863 how freedpeople in Kentucky pooled resources to pay for funerals and buy their relatives out of slavery, all under the oppression of new police powers. Across the South, as the Civil War raged, Black people brought about emancipation. They could not wait for the state’s commissions and reports. However, shades of their experiments in freedom are visible in the reports of the American Freedmen’s Inquiry Commission.

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By: History.com Editors

Updated: April 20, 2023 | Original: October 15, 2009

The Civil War in the United States began in 1861, after decades of simmering tensions between northern and southern states over slavery, states’ rights and westward expansion. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 caused seven southern states to secede and form the Confederate States of America; four more states soon joined them. The War Between the States, as the Civil War was also known, ended in Confederate surrender in 1865. The conflict was the costliest and deadliest war ever fought on American soil, with some 620,000 of 2.4 million soldiers killed, millions more injured and much of the South left in ruin.

Causes of the Civil War

In the mid-19th century, while the United States was experiencing an era of tremendous growth, a fundamental economic difference existed between the country’s northern and southern regions.

In the North, manufacturing and industry was well established, and agriculture was mostly limited to small-scale farms, while the South’s economy was based on a system of large-scale farming that depended on the labor of Black enslaved people to grow certain crops, especially cotton and tobacco.

Growing abolitionist sentiment in the North after the 1830s and northern opposition to slavery’s extension into the new western territories led many southerners to fear that the existence of slavery in America —and thus the backbone of their economy—was in danger.

Did you know? Confederate General Thomas Jonathan Jackson earned his famous nickname, "Stonewall," from his steadfast defensive efforts in the First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas). At Chancellorsville, Jackson was shot by one of his own men, who mistook him for Union cavalry. His arm was amputated, and he died from pneumonia eight days later.

In 1854, the U.S. Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act , which essentially opened all new territories to slavery by asserting the rule of popular sovereignty over congressional edict. Pro- and anti-slavery forces struggled violently in “ Bleeding Kansas ,” while opposition to the act in the North led to the formation of the Republican Party , a new political entity based on the principle of opposing slavery’s extension into the western territories. After the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Dred Scott case (1857) confirmed the legality of slavery in the territories, the abolitionist John Brown’s raid at Harper’s Ferry in 1859 convinced more and more southerners that their northern neighbors were bent on the destruction of the “peculiar institution” that sustained them. Abraham Lincoln ’s election in November 1860 was the final straw, and within three months seven southern states—South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas—had seceded from the United States.

Outbreak of the Civil War (1861)

Even as Lincoln took office in March 1861, Confederate forces threatened the federal-held Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. On April 12, after Lincoln ordered a fleet to resupply Sumter, Confederate artillery fired the first shots of the Civil War. Sumter’s commander, Major Robert Anderson, surrendered after less than two days of bombardment, leaving the fort in the hands of Confederate forces under Pierre G.T. Beauregard. Four more southern states—Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee—joined the Confederacy after Fort Sumter. Border slave states like Missouri, Kentucky and Maryland did not secede, but there was much Confederate sympathy among their citizens.

Though on the surface the Civil War may have seemed a lopsided conflict, with the 23 states of the Union enjoying an enormous advantage in population, manufacturing (including arms production) and railroad construction, the Confederates had a strong military tradition, along with some of the best soldiers and commanders in the nation. They also had a cause they believed in: preserving their long-held traditions and institutions, chief among these being slavery.

In the First Battle of Bull Run (known in the South as First Manassas) on July 21, 1861, 35,000 Confederate soldiers under the command of Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson forced a greater number of Union forces (or Federals) to retreat towards Washington, D.C., dashing any hopes of a quick Union victory and leading Lincoln to call for 500,000 more recruits. In fact, both sides’ initial call for troops had to be widened after it became clear that the war would not be a limited or short conflict.

The Civil War in Virginia (1862)

George B. McClellan —who replaced the aging General Winfield Scott as supreme commander of the Union Army after the first months of the war—was beloved by his troops, but his reluctance to advance frustrated Lincoln. In the spring of 1862, McClellan finally led his Army of the Potomac up the peninsula between the York and James Rivers, capturing Yorktown on May 4. The combined forces of Robert E. Lee and Jackson successfully drove back McClellan’s army in the Seven Days’ Battles (June 25-July 1), and a cautious McClellan called for yet more reinforcements in order to move against Richmond. Lincoln refused, and instead withdrew the Army of the Potomac to Washington. By mid-1862, McClellan had been replaced as Union general-in-chief by Henry W. Halleck, though he remained in command of the Army of the Potomac.

Lee then moved his troops northwards and split his men, sending Jackson to meet Pope’s forces near Manassas, while Lee himself moved separately with the second half of the army. On August 29, Union troops led by John Pope struck Jackson’s forces in the Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas). The next day, Lee hit the Federal left flank with a massive assault, driving Pope’s men back towards Washington. On the heels of his victory at Manassas, Lee began the first Confederate invasion of the North. Despite contradictory orders from Lincoln and Halleck, McClellan was able to reorganize his army and strike at Lee on September 14 in Maryland, driving the Confederates back to a defensive position along Antietam Creek, near Sharpsburg.

On September 17, the Army of the Potomac hit Lee’s forces (reinforced by Jackson’s) in what became the war’s bloodiest single day of fighting. Total casualties at the Battle of Antietam (also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg) numbered 12,410 of some 69,000 troops on the Union side, and 13,724 of around 52,000 for the Confederates. The Union victory at Antietam would prove decisive, as it halted the Confederate advance in Maryland and forced Lee to retreat into Virginia. Still, McClellan’s failure to pursue his advantage earned him the scorn of Lincoln and Halleck, who removed him from command in favor of Ambrose E. Burnside . Burnside’s assault on Lee’s troops near Fredericksburg on December 13 ended in heavy Union casualties and a Confederate victory; he was promptly replaced by Joseph “Fighting Joe” Hooker , and both armies settled into winter quarters across the Rappahannock River from each other.

After the Emancipation Proclamation (1863-4)

Lincoln had used the occasion of the Union victory at Antietam to issue a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation , which freed all enslaved people in the rebellious states after January 1, 1863. He justified his decision as a wartime measure, and did not go so far as to free the enslaved people in the border states loyal to the Union. Still, the Emancipation Proclamation deprived the Confederacy of the bulk of its labor forces and put international public opinion strongly on the Union side. Some 186,000 Black Civil War soldiers would join the Union Army by the time the war ended in 1865, and 38,000 lost their lives.

In the spring of 1863, Hooker’s plans for a Union offensive were thwarted by a surprise attack by the bulk of Lee’s forces on May 1, whereupon Hooker pulled his men back to Chancellorsville. The Confederates gained a costly victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville , suffering 13,000 casualties (around 22 percent of their troops); the Union lost 17,000 men (15 percent). Lee launched another invasion of the North in June, attacking Union forces commanded by General George Meade on July 1 near Gettysburg, in southern Pennsylvania. Over three days of fierce fighting, the Confederates were unable to push through the Union center, and suffered casualties of close to 60 percent.

Meade failed to counterattack, however, and Lee’s remaining forces were able to escape into Virginia, ending the last Confederate invasion of the North. Also in July 1863, Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant took Vicksburg (Mississippi) in the Siege of Vicksburg , a victory that would prove to be the turning point of the war in the western theater. After a Confederate victory at Chickamauga Creek, Georgia, just south of Chattanooga, Tennessee, in September, Lincoln expanded Grant’s command, and he led a reinforced Federal army (including two corps from the Army of the Potomac) to victory in the Battle of Chattanooga in late November.

Toward a Union Victory (1864-65)

In March 1864, Lincoln put Grant in supreme command of the Union armies, replacing Halleck. Leaving William Tecumseh Sherman in control in the West, Grant headed to Washington, where he led the Army of the Potomac towards Lee’s troops in northern Virginia. Despite heavy Union casualties in the Battle of the Wilderness and at Spotsylvania (both May 1864), at Cold Harbor (early June) and the key rail center of Petersburg (June), Grant pursued a strategy of attrition, putting Petersburg under siege for the next nine months.

Sherman outmaneuvered Confederate forces to take Atlanta by September, after which he and some 60,000 Union troops began the famous “March to the Sea,” devastating Georgia on the way to capturing Savannah on December 21. Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina, fell to Sherman’s men by mid-February, and Jefferson Davis belatedly handed over the supreme command to Lee, with the Confederate war effort on its last legs. Sherman pressed on through North Carolina, capturing Fayetteville, Bentonville, Goldsboro and Raleigh by mid-April.

Meanwhile, exhausted by the Union siege of Petersburg and Richmond, Lee’s forces made a last attempt at resistance, attacking and captured the Federal-controlled Fort Stedman on March 25. An immediate counterattack reversed the victory, however, and on the night of April 2-3 Lee’s forces evacuated Richmond. For most of the next week, Grant and Meade pursued the Confederates along the Appomattox River, finally exhausting their possibilities for escape. Grant accepted Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9. On the eve of victory, the Union lost its great leader: The actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in Washington on April 14. Sherman received Johnston’s surrender at Durham Station, North Carolina on April 26, effectively ending the Civil War.

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14.5: Conclusion

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As battlefields fell silent in 1865, the question of secession had been answered, slavery had been eradicated, and America was once again territorially united. But in many ways, the conclusion of the Civil War created more questions than answers. How would the nation become one again? Who was responsible for rebuilding the South? What role would African Americans occupy in this society? Northern and southern soldiers returned home with broken bodies, broken spirits, and broken minds. Plantation owners had land but not labor. Recently freed African Americans had their labor but no land. Former slaves faced a world of possibilities—legal marriage, family reunions, employment, and fresh starts—but also a racist world of bitterness, violence, and limited opportunity. The war may have been over, but the battles for the peace were just beginning.

ESSAY –End of Civil War

In 2015, Matthew Pinsker wrote a short essay for the Smithsonian / Zocalo Public Square series, “What It Means To Be American,” on the subject of the debates about civil rights that erupted among abolitionists at the end of the Civil War.  The piece begins with a description of a little known episode that marked the end of the conflict: the Union flag-raising ceremony at Fort Sumter on April 14, 1865, attended by leading abolitionists, including Henry Ward Beecher and William Lloyd Garrison.  The House Divided Project has digitized and reexamined photos from that ceremony and offers new insights about Garrison’s presence at Sumter.  Combining the essay with the photo post offers a powerful gateway into the study of Reconstruction and the enduring challenges of race and equality in American history.

• Did the End of the Civil War Mean the End of Slavery?
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20 Interesting Topics & Writing Tips for Your Civil War Essay

Are you a student specializing in the history field? Well, there is no doubt you will have to write several essays revolving around civil war, politics, and history in general. Now, imagine you have a civil war essay topic you need to research and bring forth a meaningful context in the form of an essay. How will you start? What elements will you include in the paper? And how will you determine the best topic? Well, keep reading as we will share some of the best civil war essay prompts, perfect tips, and the overall approach you should take when writing such an essay.

The essay on Civil War: what are the pro tips?

While all essays may have a similar approach, there is a slight distinction in presenting ideas and facts, the language you use, and such elements. So, in the case of a civil war essay, you can use the tips below to bring out an incredible and admirable paper.

• Cite the right sources correctly

Of course, when writing a civil war essay, you will use different resources available in books or online platforms. This isn’t your information, so ensure you cite it appropriately. Also, don’t use any source; ensure you can determine the source is credible and correct since some sources can have false information about historic events.

• Write the best civil war essay introduction

The introduction part plays a significant role in your entire paper. It is the first section where the reader will interact with your paper. So, so don’t want to create a boring scenario in the introduction section. In this case, use a hook, then background information, and finally a thesis statement.

• Start with a civil war essay outline

An outline will give a roadmap to each section of your essay. Be sure to start with an outline to ensure you don’t forget relevant information in each section of the paper.

• Check the civil war essay example in advance

You don’t want to get stuck in the middle of writing your essay. When in doubt, be sure to clear all the doubts by checking other sample essays on the same topic to get a clue of what to write and how to put down your points.

• The civil war essay conclusion matters

How you end your essay on civil war has a higher significance to your whole paper. You will have to revisit the thesis statement, summarize the main points in the paragraphs, present the analysis from your research, and what people can learn from the whole matter.

• Always understand the instructions

You can have great points, ideas, and a well-structured civil war essay. However, if you miss any of the guidelines, you will get a low grade when you should have scored higher. So, avoid this by understanding the basic instructions carefully!

Civil War project topics: best topics to consider

As far as an essay on civil war is concerned, the topic you choose has a crucial role in the outlook of your essay. Below are some of the topic ideas you can consider.

Best Civil War essay topics

• What happened after the American Civil War?
• Why did the reconstruction fail after the civil war?
• What are the main causes of the Civil War?
• Describe strategies used in the American Civil War.
• Politically, what happened after Sri Lanka Civil War?
• Describe the 1991 Sierra Leone Civil war

American Civil War essay topics

• How did the civil war impact America today?
• Describe the Fort Pillow Massacre happening
• Industrialization in America after the civil war
• Did the U.S.A progress after unleashing a conflict that led to civil war?
• Analyze economic differences between Northern and southern states
• How does the American government perceive the civil war legacy?
• Analyze civil war and slavery in America

Essay topics on the Civil War

• What was the role of John Brown during the onset of the civil war?
• Describe the role of Fort Sumter in the civil war
• Analyze the early periods of the American civil war
• Based on historical events, how can we prevent civil war?
• Why did the American civil war last longer?
• Compare the American civil war and American Revolution
• What is the effect of the civil war on women’s efforts in America?

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American Civil War - List of Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

The American Civil War, waged from 1861 to 1865, was a seminal event in the United States’ history that stemmed from long-standing regional differences and disputes over slavery. Essays could delve into the political, economic, and social factors that led to the conflict, exploring the disputes between the North and the South regarding states’ rights, slavery, and economic policies. The discourse might extend to the significant battles, military strategies, and the leadership on both sides of the conflict. Discussions could also focus on the Emancipation Proclamation and its implications on the war and the broader struggle for civil rights. Moreover, essays could explore the reconstruction era that followed the war, examining the efforts to reunite the nation, address the legacies of slavery, and establish civil rights for freed slaves. The enduring impact of the American Civil War on the national identity, racial relations, and historical narrative could provide a captivating exploration of this pivotal period in American history. A vast selection of complimentary essay illustrations pertaining to American Civil War you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Nationalism in the Civil War

Introduction The Civil war of 1861-1865 is a central event in America's historical conscience. The war determined what kind of nation America would grow to be. The war resolved two fundamental questions left unresolved by the revolution (1773-1776): whether the United States was to be a dissolvable confederation of sovereign states or an indivisible nation with a sovereign national government; and whether this nation, born of a declaration that all men were created with an equal right to liberty, would […]

Civil War was the Westward

Many historians argue that the catalyst for the civil war was the westward expansion of slavery. In 1845, after the United States annexed it the year before, Texas officially became a state- a slave state. The addition of a slave state allowed the Lone Star Republic into the Union. As a result of Texas becoming a state, the Mexican-American War broke out. After the war, the United States bought a massive amount of land from Mexico. The land later became […]

African Americans Made up

During the 1800's in America, African Americans made up most of the population. The Southern states were inundated with slaves. They labored in farms and on plantations. African Americans received cruel treament. They were brutally beaten and looked upon as being inhumane. The issue of equal rights for African Americans caused great disparities between the states. Our new country found itself at war with one another. This was a war of the North versus the South. The Civil War for […]

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The Civil War was the Deadliest

The Civil War was the deadliest and most brutal war ever fought. How did everything stir up between the states in the first place? Southerners had an Agricultural economy and mainly focused on the way they lived their lives to make profit for their well being; this included slaves for more hands to get more work done in less time. On the opposite side of things the northerners had an Industrial economy and wanted to abolish slavery. The north and […]

Many Causes of the Civil War

During the 1860s, the North and South of the United States had many disputes and conflicts. The South succeeded from the North, eventually leading to the civil war. The Civil War was the most destructive war ever fought in the western hemisphere and lasted from 1861 to 1865. The Civil War led to the end of the Confederacy and helped America to grow economically and socially as a nation. Today, America faces an issue with immigrants and their policies on […]

The Battle of Gettysburg Changed Everything

The Battle of Gettysburg changed everything for the Union. During the Civil War, America was fighting against each other, so there were two sides. The Confederates were mainly from the south and the Union was from the north. The concerning issue involved the North wanting slaves to be free while the south wanted to keep slaves. This conflict started the Civil War and up until the Battle of Gettysburg, the Confederates were striving. The south was winning every battle, so […]

The Civil War was a War Fought

The Civil War was a war fought between the states. It was fought between the Union and the Confederate States of America. Civil War spies played a major part in how the Confederate (North) won the Civil War (History.com Editors). Spies let generals know when they should attack, where, and whether they should withdraw or not (Mark). The armies of America had been tracked by spies during the Civil War. The spies gathered information on them and in return would […]

The Civil War is Perhaps

The civil war is perhaps the most studied time period in American history. Though the war was only four years, it would alter the course of history and change American culture forever. Among the changes caused by the war, the most prominent were the social and economic changes and the largest being slavery. The country was divided in many ways and all contributed to the start of the war. Most people would say that the war was solely dependent on […]

One of the most Important Events

The Civil War is one of the most important events in the history of the United States of America. It had many important repercussions which went on to have a deep and long lasting impact on the nation. After four years of a cruel battle, from 1861-1865, between a divided nation of the North and South, more than 600,000 people were killed. These lives, however, were not given in vain. Had it not been for the American Civil War where […]

Role of Technology in the American Civil War

The American Civil War is the first real modern war in America. Most of the technology and weaponry used in the Civil War can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution era. The Industrial Revolution was a time of profound transformation that resulted in new manufacturing processes. It was a time of profound transformation that resulted in new manufacturing processes. By the mid-19th century, mass production industries have been developed mainly in the North, which led them to control a […]

The Civil War Ended

The Civil War ended up being a turning point for many women. Women were required to remain at home to cook, clean and take care of their families, while their spouses went to the front line. Even though, women were prohibited from battling in the war, regardless they had critical roles to satisfy. Various women went up against the roles of medical caretakers, spies, promoters of ladies' suffrage, a supporter of social equality, and so forth. But a few women […]

Abraham Lincoln Presidancy

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Hardin County, Kentucky. At the early age of 7 he and his family moved to Southern Indiana. When he was nine years old his mother passed, and he had to work to help support his family. He had very limited formal schooling because he was working, though he had very little education, he loved to read books and would borrow books from his neighbors. At age 21, Lincoln and his family […]

The American Civil War

The American Civil War was a battle between the South and the North after a number of states in the south seceded after Lincoln's Presidency. The battle started off as states rights but as the battle went on and advanced the battle was fighting to end slavery. Nobody had any idea that this battle would eventually turn into the deadliest battle in American history. This battle cost many people their lives on the battlefield and beyond. Also, it cost a […]

The Civil War is Considered

The Civil War is considered the bloodiest and deadliest wars in the history of the United States. It began in April 1861 when Confederates opened fire on the Union soldiers at Fort Sumter. The war would go on to last four more long years until May 1865. According to American Battlefield Trust, about 2% of the population, or estimated 620,000 men, were lost in the line of duty. As the battle began, there was a shortage of war time labor […]

Civil War and Abraham Lincoln

Thesis: To what extent did Abraham Lincoln’s election influence the outcomes of the Civil War? Introduction: Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States in November of 1860 before the start of the Civil War and continued as president during the War. He sought to unify the nation, to create a better country and to abolish slavery. Abraham Lincoln described the reality that you can’t avoid destiny so you must prepare yourself for it. “You cannot escape […]

The Civil War was Aged

The Civil war was aged on by many reasons on both sides and leaders from both ends in a disagreement with how the United States of America should be govern. With the leaders and war generals making big decisions and the people of the north and the south both raging their opinions with words and with guns. The war was all about the morality of having slaves, African Americans, work for little money and have no rights. And there were […]

Longstreet First Fought

James Longstreet was a government official, a U.S Army officer, and a famous lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. He was one of Robert E. Lee's most trusted generals and known as "Lee's War Horse." James Longstreet was born on January 8, 1821, in Edgefield District, South Carolina to James and Mary Anne Dent Longstreet. He was the son of a prosperous farmer and mostly raised in Augusta, Georgia and Somerville, Alabama. While he was in […]

The Civil War is Central

The Civil war is central to the history of the United States of America and as part of the historical events that define the American experience, it is vastly represented in several historical movies . Indeed, while 1776-1783 revolution created the US, the Civil war of 1861-1865 is said to be the determinant of what kind of nation America would be in the world . By nature, cinematic historical representations of past events are common and loved by Americans and […]

Post Civil War: Economic Factors Shape Democracy in America

Life differed for everyone after the Civil War ended—farmers, Southerners, former slaves, and more—because America was rebuilding itself in more ways than one. Former slaves were set free upon the end of the war, and they believed that their years of unpaid labor gave them a claim to land and ""forty acres and a mule"" became their rallying cry. Whites were not willing to give their property to previous slaves, and the federal government chose not to redistribute land in […]

American Civil War wasn’t Inevitable

The Civil War was and is one of the most outstanding events in the history of the United States. It was a military conflict that occurred in the United States, between 1861 and 1865 (when Abraham Lincoln is elected president). Where the North States fought against the Confederate States of America, composed of the countries of the South, which were just conforming. The struggle took place because the States of the South wanted their independence, while those of the North […]

The Role of Women in the Civil War

The bloodiest conflict in history of North America was not between other countries, like one would might imagine, it was in fact the economics of slavery and political control of that system that was central to the clash between the North and Southern states. The Northern states was committed to ending the practice of slavery. However, the Southern states wished to introduce slavery into the western territories. During this time of conflict over the issue of slavery, Abraham Lincoln won […]

Americans Think of African-Americans

When Americans think of African-Americans in the deep south before the Civil War, the first image that comes to mind is one of slavery. However, many African-Americans secured their freedom and lived in a state of semi-freedom even before slavery was abolished by war. Free blacks lived in all parts of the United States, but the majority lived amongst slavery in the south. Freed Blacks continued to be treated as less than a citizen than their white counterparts because the […]

America’s Role in the World after the Civil War

As the civil war came to an end Americas southern territory was in a horrible economic place it was, looted burned, and destroyed by the unions strength to defeat the confederacy. America saw this as a time to reconstruct morally, socially, and economically. During post-war northern Americas industries soared with the help of tariffs passed during war time. It helped corporations like steel and oil to grow and create better technology and mechanics. The growth of industries in America made […]

Outbreak of the US Civil War

The mid-19th Century was not the happiest time in America. Slavery was still very much a thing in the South; the Mexican-American War had devastated the West, tribes of Native Americans were coming into conflict with the Army on the regular, while tensions between the North and South were at an all-time high. All these factors, as well as so many others, would eventually lead to the outbreak of the US Civil War, the bloodiest war in the history of […]

Civil War and Slavery

The U.S. Civil War began on April 12, 1861 in Fort Sumter, South Carolina. There were several events that led up to this battle. Three major causes of the U.S. Civil War include slavery, states’ rights, and the abolitionist movement. The future of slavery created a consuming issue that prompted the disturbance of the union. That question prompted withdrawal, and severance achieved a war in which the Northern and Western states and regions battled to safeguard the Union, and the […]

Civil War was not about Slavery

Some people that experienced the Civil War and some who did not experience it like to say that the Civil War was not about slavery, but instead about defending rights that states had. President Lincoln even tried to offer a deal to the southern states saying if they returned to the union they could keep their slaves, but they denied his offer. The Civil War was started when Fort Sumter was attacked by the confederates. In return to this, Lincoln had […]

Slavery is an Established Social Institution

Slavery is an established social institution in which God did not condemn, is what Thomas Dew believed, whereas Thomas Jefferson believed the opposite; he said that slavery was a moral evil. This was one of the reasons that had started the American Civil War. Although the slave trade was abolished in 1808, slavery on plantations was still practiced in about 15 southern states, from Texas to the Carolinas. With the south having the ideal weather conditions to support cotton plantations […]

Confederate Soldiers Vs. Union Soldiers: Disentangling Motivations on the Battlefield during the American Civil War

The tumultuous era of the American Civil War witnessed a clash of ideologies, with Confederate and Union soldiers donning uniforms that represented more than just military allegiance. The motivations that propelled these men to the battlefield were as diverse as the nation they fought for. As we delve into the intricacies of why Confederate and Union soldiers fought, we uncover a mosaic of personal, societal, and political factors that converged on the bloody fields of conflict. At the heart of […]

Compare and Contrast the American Revolution and the Civil War Essay: the Dual Pillars of American Freedom

In American history, the American Revolution and the Civil War are two major events with lasting effects. Two chapters, separated in time but linked in subject, depict the rise of a nascent nation battling for freedom, justice, and nationhood. While they share freedom as a purpose, their causes, settings, and legacies differ, creating a vibrant tapestry of contrasts. The Quest for Freedom Both the American Revolution and the Civil War fought for freedom. Liberty, as a rallying cry, links these […]

Why was the Battle of Gettysburg a Turning Point in the Civil War

Wars Throughout History Throughout the ages of many, there have been many wars that have graced planet Earth. The Punic wars, a few hundred years before the birth of Christ, saw more than one million people deaths between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian Empire over a hundred-year span. The French Wars on Religion during the mid-1500s saw more than two million people die for the sake of their religion. And the Seven Years’ War between Great Britain and France, […]

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248 Civil War Essay Topics & Examples

In case you’re looking for original Civil War research topics, you are on the right page.

• 📃 7 Tips for Writing Civil War Essay

☝️ 10 Best Civil War Argumentative Essay Topics

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Our team has collected a list of ideas for various assignments and complexity levels. Besides, you will find tips on writing a paper, be it for social studies course or a school project. So, get your Civil War topic to write about, and good luck!

📃 7 Tips for Writing a Civil War Essay

Every student of politics or history has to write a Civil War essay at some point. To make the process easier, we have collected the best tips on nailing the content, research, and structure! Here is how to earn an excellent mark on your paper:

Tip 1: Check the instructions carefully. You would be surprised to know how many students earn a C or less because they missed something in the instructions.

To avoid making this mistake, check all the materials provided by your tutor, including civil war essay topics, titles, and the grading rubric. Highlight the most important parts of the instructions to memorize them better.

Tip 2: Select a particular topic. Obviously, you will be focusing on the Civil War for this assignment. However, to make your paper stand out, try digging deeper and examining a specific aspect of the Civil War that interests you.

Would you be interested to evaluate how slavery impacted the Civil War? Or would you like to examine the causes and effects of this period? Pursuing your interests will aid you in adding more depth to your essay, and your tutor will certainly appreciate the effort!

Tip 3: Browse sample papers on the Civil War. Whether or not you are struggling with the first two tips, this process will be beneficial. There are plenty of resources on the Internet that you could search to find Civil War essay prompts and examples.

Reading those will aid you in defining the focus of your paper and structuring it well. Make sure to note what works well and what doesn’t in each paper you read. This way, you’ll know how to avoid making the same mistakes while writing your essay.

Tip 4: Do extensive research before you start writing. While you may have some basic information about the Civil War in your textbook, your tutor probably expects you to go beyond that and add more details.

In order to do that, you should search online resources or your institution’s library for books and articles about the Civil War. Be creative about your search! Try to examine all possible keywords and their combinations.

For instance, instead of merely typing in “civil war,” consider other search phrases, such as “civil war causes and effects,” “civil war politics,” and more. The more topics you include in your research, the more high-quality resources you will be able to find.

Tip 5: Avoid using unverified sources. While you may find a lot of useful information about the Civil War on various web pages, don’t be tempted to use them in the paper. The information contained in a blogs, non-academic website, or a civil war essay example may be unverified, false, or biased.

Don’t worry, the Internet still has a great selection of reputable articles and publications that you could rely on.

Hence, try limiting your search to peer-review journals, publications by universities, museums, or government entities, and history books. Doing so will help you to show your proficiency in secondary research while also preventing your tutor from taking away the deserved marks.

Tip 6: Structure your essay well. Each paragraph of your essay should have one central idea, and all of your statements should follow in a logical sequence.

For instance, if you are writing a paragraph on the events that led to emancipation proclamation, you should not mention the Great Depression there. Re-read each paragraph after completion to ensure that its content is relevant and there are no gaps.

Tip 7: Cite your sources correctly. Whenever you write down ideas that are not your own, include an in-text citation. Make sure to check the instructions to see which citation format is acceptable with your tutor!

If you are unfamiliar with a particular citation style, you can always search out website for formatting tips and guidelines, as well as for Civil War essay titles.

• The Role of Gettysburg in the American Civil War.
• Discussing the Ongoing War in Yemen.
• Who Is Likely to Become Soldiers in a Civil War Today?
• Syrian Civil War: Critical Events & Timeline.
• International Military Intervention in Civil Wars.
• Controversial Civil War Opinions.
• How Abraham Lincoln Finished the US Civil War.
• Political Reasons for the Russian Civil War in the 20th Century.
• How Newspapers Influence the Perception of Current Civil Wars.
• The Most Crucial Battles of the Spanish Civil War.
• The Conclusion of The Civil War The main reason that the Confederacy succeeded from the Union was the issue of States’ rights which are guaranteed by the Constitution but were almost completely lost following the Civil War.
• American history: The Civil War (1861-1865) It was a belief of Federalists that in order to ensure the union does not collapse, there was need for the federal government to hold on to power.
• Why the Reconstruction After the Civil War Was a Failure The reconstruction era refers to the period following the civil war whereby the numerous different affiliations in the government intended to find a solution to the socio-economic and political problems imposed by the civil war, […]
• “Victims: A True Story of the Civil War” by Phillip Shaw Paludan The course of this war and the way it affected the people who suffered from it presents the main concern for the author of the book.
• Civil War in America: “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce For instance, in his story, Bierce gives specific details of the setting of the story, which is during the civil war in Alabama.
• Role of the Woman During the Spanish Civil War This impact of the Spanish war is even clearer by consideration of the fact that the war had the implications of making women take up the jobs that originally belonged to men in the industries […]
• Freedom in Antebellum America: Civil War and Abolishment of Slavery The American Civil War, which led to the abolishment of slavery, was one of the most important events in the history of the United States.
• Yugoslav Wars: Ethnic Conflicts and the Collapse of Power However, the collapse of the Soviet Union meant the end of this era and the start of the post-Cold War period, with its unique peculiarities of the international discourse.
• The Causes of the Islamic Civil War The power was passed from father and son, and the Quraish of the Hashemites handed power to the Umayyads after the murder of Muttalib.
• First Fitna: Islamic Civil War Evaluating the situation, it appears that the First Islamic Civil war led to the split in the Muslim religion caused by the effects of the Arbitration Agreement developed after the battle of Siffin.
• The Battle of Chickamauga in the American Civil War The topic that is the focus of this paper is the battle of Chickamauga and its influence on the course of the Civil War.
• Civil War Paper: Valley of the Shadow The valley of the shadow explains the history the citizens especially the blacks had to go. The free blacks got involved in farming as this constituted a large part of the valley prosperity and wealth.
• The Spanish Civil War in Picasso’s, Siqueiros’, Dali’s Paintings The piece conveys the horrors and losses of the event dead adults and children, a horse in agony as an important symbol in Spain, and the suffering of survivors are present here. In various ways, […]
• Individualism as an Ideal of Civil War in America Most of the Americans believe that James town is the birth place of the distinctive, secular and unique ideals of America that led to America’s freedom and prosperity.
• The American Civil War: Causes and Aftermath The war happened because of economical, political and cultural differences between the Northern states and the Southern states. In the late 1970s to 1860s, slavery was the norm in most of the Southern states.
• Soldiers’ Letters From American Civil War Even before the war, the South or the confederates had wanted to secede from the Union or the United States of America.
• Underlying Causes of the Sierra Leone Civil War The unfortunate outcomes of the war, both in numbers and in the reality of the situation, raise the question of what other factors may have further contributed to the war.
• Causes of the Civil War: Battle on the Bay The central issue in the Civil War was the question of the spread of slavery. The growing discontent of the southerners and the abolition of slavery in the country prompted them to take extreme measures.
• The Factors That Led to the Outbreak of the Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabia borders it to the north, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden to the west and south. Terror groups such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamic State have […]
• The Post-Civil War Era in the Lives of African Americans In the post-Civil War era, African Americans faced significant barriers to homeownership, as they were often denied access to mortgages and other forms of financing.
• The Role of Women in the Civil War However, the Civil War was a major turning point for women, as they were allowed into new professions and helped the front from both sides of the conflict.
• The American Civil War Period The overall worth of all the farms and outbuildings in the South was equivalent to the capital invested in enslaved individuals.
• The Civil War by K. Burns Film Review The Civil War is now considered one of the landmark events in the history of the United States that established the foundation for the country’s principles of equality of opportunity and democracy.
• The American Civil War and Its Main Stages On the other hand, the army of the North was precisely to overthrow the power of the Confederacy, eliminate the system of slavery and seize the territories of the South under the rule of the […]
• Women Who Fought in the American Civil War The generally accepted point of view is the idea of the American Civil War as a war of men. The American Civil War was one of the major armed conflicts in the history of the […]
• Civil War in Shaara’s The Killer Angels and Glory Film 1 The film Glory links the Civil War to slavery, on the other hand, The Killer Angels defines the war as an event to gain control.
• The American Civil War: Pro- & Anti-Slavery Forces The pro-slavery forces argued that slavery was the right thing to do, promoting abolitionists and the anti-slavery forces as terrible villains because they wanted to abolish slavery.
• The Election of 1860: The Final Step to Civil War However, the presidential election of 1860 was the last spark that fuelled the flames of the Civil War. The 1860 election outcome revealed that the opposition had no hope of beating Lincoln and the Republicans […]
• The Life of the US After the Civil War Such ideas were able to change in the future but speaking of the time when the events of the Civil War took place, the economy, tired of the war, was in horrible shape and needed […]
• American Cities and Urbanization After the Civil War American cities’ central development and urbanization occurred in the years after the end of the Civil War. Firstly, the active development of urbanization was caused by the fact that people began to move to cities […]
• African American Soldiers in the Civil War The intensity of the War led to the collisions that led to the enslavement of many black soldiers until President Lincoln had to pass a General Order 233, which barred any threat that would lead […]
• Lincoln’s Views on Ending the Civil War The Emancipation Proclamation brought about by the Civil War led to important milestones in ending slavery in the US. He decided to transform from the extension of slavery to the eradication of the Peculiar Institution.
• The American Civil War’s Causes and Inevitability Using the example of a deceived and suffering enslaved person, the author showed the cowardice, hypocrisy, and lies of the entire system and its defenders in particular.
• Emory Upton in the Battle of Columbus in the Civil War From this point of view it is necessary to conduct a detailed analysis of his strategy, and to identify the reasons for the failure of the most significant battle in the history of the general.
• A Civil War with Former Ethiopian Rulers The aim of this paper is to analyze the reasons and possible ways to end this conflict regarding the concepts of peacemaking and peacebuilding.
• Civil War: Causes, Technology, and Justification The factors that contributed to the war were multi-varied and complex, mostly stemming from the fact that the Southern economy was dependent on agricultural slave labor and thus protested the federal abolition of slavery as […]
• Generals of the American Civil War Ulysses Grant and Robert Lee They made major contributions to the period as military commanders Lee leading the Army of Northern Virginia and Grant commanding various forces in the Western theater and then the Army of the Potomac.
• Stepping Stones to the American Civil War Due to the obvious huge enslavement, Scott and several others were compelled to migrate, and he was transferred to Missouri. Douglas sided with the original founders and their work, claiming that Lincoln was harm to […]
• The Origins of the American Civil War After the assessment of the historical facts and relevant readings, it becomes evident that the war was inevitable. It can be viewed among the primary causes that intensified the pressure between Northerners and Southerners and […]
• Civil War and Supreme Court: The Enforcement of the Slave-Trade Laws I believe the leading causes of the American Civil war were the fight over the moral issue of slavery and political differences between the Southern and Northern American states.
• Kongo’s Fourteen-Year Civil War Two of the threats that are recognized as most important are disease and climate change. Considering the facts mentioned above, it is possible to suggest that humans and their actions are the major underlying issue […]
• Civil War and Horton’s Review It became the bloodiest in history and led to the consolidation of the 13th amendment to the US Constitution and the abolition of slavery.
• American History From Civil War to 20th Century The weakness of the federal government is regarded as the major reason behind the hardships of the nation during the post-war decades.
• Social Aspect in the Attitude Towards the American Civil War The analysis of the American Civil War requires the observation of various views to understand how different scientists regard the causes, progress, and the consequences of the conflict.
• Online Resources on the American Civil War Topic The website mainly publishes information about the American battlegrounds of the Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the 1812 War. Also, the website design is appealing and appears captivating to the reader, and it meets […]
• Ken Burns “The Civil War” Review When discussing the condition of the Potomac Army, the narrator mentions that the Union soldiers suffered greatly from the lack of provision due to inadequate supplies.
• A Turning Point During the Civil War True to his words, President Lincoln signed the Proclamation of Emancipation on January 1, 1863, which changed the cause of the war in favor of the Union.
• Researching of Civil War Causes In addition, in the modern world, it is challenging to accept that the consequences of the war regarded the death of numerous people.
• The Myth of the Lost Cause and the American Civil War The Myth of the Lost Cause is a pseudo ideology that promotes the theory that the cause of the Confederate States during the 1860s American Civil War was heroic and just.
• The Early Republic and the American Civil War The main reason for the rise of the first parties in the Early Republic was the establishment of the central government by the declaration of the Constitution in 1787.
• The American Civil War: Key Points It was actually a civil war between the states of the United States of America. The republicans had been fighting for the stop of the expansion of slave trade that was in existence in some […]
• Slaves in the Civil War and Free Blacks After It The Compromise of 1850 was a set of five bills the Congress passed to solve political confrontations between the free states and the states promoting slavery.
• Brigadier-General Mosby Monroe Parsons in the Civil War As an experienced army commander who fought in the Mexican-American War, Parsons was given the command of the Sixth Division of the Missouri State Guard. Under the higher command of General Price, Parsons was involved […]
• Effects of the Civil War in Western North Carolina Communities in Appalachian Mountains The political and social life of people inhabiting the western North Carolina communities in Appalachian Mountains was also considerably affected by the Civil War, and this paper focuses at the specific analysis of the Civil […]
• Not Set in Stone: Ethnicity and Civil War Thus, when analyzing civil wars or other conflicts in split ethnic homelands, one should pay careful attention to the dynamics of ethnic identity rather than presume that ethnicity is non-malleable and set in stone.
• American Civil War and Fiji Coups Historically, civil war and revolutions are intertwined with one following the other. However, there are substantial differences.
• States’ Rights as the Main Cause of the Civil War The presentation offers an overview of the main causes of the Civil War of 1861–1865 in America. The war was the main disaster breaking up the successful history of the USA.
• Abolition vs. Equality in the American Civil War The Resolution was signed by Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States who believed the annihilation of slavery and preserving the Union to be the core targets of the war.
• The American Civil War: Key Issues The American Civil War involved the North of the Union and the confederate states of America. The uncompromising differences between the enslaved and free states over the prohibition of slavery in the region were the […]
• The Run-up to the Civil War The American Civil War was fueled by aggressive actions from the South’s states, not the North. Without giving up the opportunity to protect their interests, the South was forced to start a war.
• Generals and Technological Advancements in Civil War This makes it paramount to review the approaches to the war of two major war generals such as Gant and McClellan and comment on the use of technology on and off the battlefield.
• The Civil War and the Development of American Medicine It is challenging to deny the fact that the Civil War had a significant impact on the American nation and medicine.
• The U.S. Medicine During the Civil War: A Response to the Discussion The vast amount of the soldiers who became victims of such a treatment can be visible on the pictures of the exhibition.
• Civil War Effect on Medicine and Public Health Firstly, one should mention that the Civil War reshaped the role of nurses. In conclusion, it is possible to mention that the Civil War has a controversial impact on medicine and public health.
• Horace Greeley’s Significance to the U.S. Civil War Era The purpose of this paper is to describe the biography of Horace Greeley from birth to death and analyze his influence and significance to the U.S.
• Divergences Between North and South as Major Causes of the American Civil War The inequalities in the labor market and in the spread of democracy are some of the initial divergences between the southern and northern states.
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• The United States Civil War
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• Why Should the United States Intervene in the Syrian Civil War?
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• How Did the Civil War Affect African Americans?
• Why Did North America Win the Civil War?
• Which Was the Most Important Reason for the Outbreak of the English Civil War?
• What Is the Role of Women During the Civil War?
• What Degree Did Slavery Really Play in the Civil War?
• Why Did the Bolsheviks Win the Russian Civil War?
• Was the Irish Civil War a “Natural” Conclusion to Previous Years Events?
• Could the South Have Won the Civil War?
• Why Did the Communists Win the Chinese Civil War?
• Why Was the Civil War So Long and So Bloody?
• Who Caused the English Civil War?
• Which Ethnicity Factors Can Explain the Escalation of an Ethnic Conflict to a Civil War?
• Why Did the Communists Win the Civil War?
• How Close Did Britain Come to Civil War in 1912-1914?
• How Did the Constitution Set the Precedent for the Civil War?
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• Was Slavery the Only Cause of the Civil War?
• Why Did the Reds Win the Russian Civil War?
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• Why the American Civil War Lasted for Longer Than 90 Days?
• Can the United States Justify the Civil War?
• Syrian Civil War: Could It Have Been Avoided and How Vast Did the Conflict Become?
• Was the English Civil War a War of Religion?
• Why Did the Union North Win the Civil War?
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• Why Could the South Not Win the Civil War?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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IvyPanda . "248 Civil War Essay Topics & Examples." February 27, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/civil-war-essay-examples/.

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Dead or alive? Parents of children gone in Sri Lanka’s civil war have spent 15 years seeking answers

An ethnic Tamil war survivor is consoled by others as she cries for her deceased family members during a remembrance ceremony on a small strip of land where thousands of civilians were trapped during the last stages of the country’s civil war in Mullivaikkal, Sri Lanka, Saturday, May 17, 2024. Ethnic Tamils commemorated the 15th anniversary of the bloody end to Sri Lanka’s civil war, lighting lamps and offering flowers at the site where thousands of people are said to have been killed and maimed in the final stages of the fighting. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Rasalingam Thilakawathi cries for her missing daughter at her home in Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Thilakawathi, who lives in Moongilaaru village of Mullaitivu district, the theatre of the final battles in the civil war, says her daughter was recruited by the Tamil Tigers three years before she went missing. Sri Lanka’s civil war, which pitted Sri Lankan government forces against Tamil Tiger separatists, ended 15 years ago but many people are still searching for children or other family members who are missing, some presumed dead. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Rasalingam Thilakawathi shows a picture of her missing daughter at her home in Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Thilakawathi, holding an old newspaper clipping, which carries a picture of her then 19-year-old daughter sitting inside a bus, says her daughter was recruited by the Tamil Tigers three years before she went missing. Sri Lanka’s civil war, which pitted Sri Lankan government forces against Tamil Tiger separatists, ended 15 years ago but many people are still searching for children or other family members who are missing, some presumed dead. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Subramaniam Paramanandam, a farmer, talks to Associated Press, in Thunukkai, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Paramanandam recounts how he and a dozen others pleaded with clasped hands with U.N. officials and other international humanitarian groups not to leave Sri Lanka’s northern battle zone. For more than 15 years, Paramanandam and many like him still search for justice for alleged war crimes and again look to the U.N. for a speedy solution. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Soosai Victoria, shows photographs of her missing son at her home in Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. “I am praying for him to return, I believe that he is there,” said Victoria, who refused to accept a death certificate for her son without information on what actually happened to him. Sri Lanka’s civil war, which pitted Sri Lankan government forces against Tamil Tiger separatists, ended 15 years ago but many people are still searching for children or other family members who are missing, some presumed dead. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A portrait of Parasuraman Thulasiyamma’s missing son is displayed with the pictures of Hindu deities inside their home in Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Sri Lanka’s civil war, which pitted Sri Lankan government forces against Tamil Tiger separatists, ended 15 years ago but many people are still searching for children or other family members who are missing, some presumed dead. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A Sri Lankan Tamil war survivor is consoled by another as she cries for her deceased family members during a remembrance ceremony on a small strip of land where thousands of civilians were trapped during the last stages of the country’s civil war in Mullivaikkal, Sri Lanka, Saturday, May 17, 2024. Ethnic Tamils commemorated the 15th anniversary of the bloody end to Sri Lanka’s civil war, lighting lamps and offering flowers at the site where thousands of people are said to have been killed and maimed in the final stages of the fighting. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lankan Tamil war survivors perform rituals for their deceased family members during a remembrance ceremony on a small strip of land where thousands of civilians were trapped during the last stages of the country’s civil war in Mullivaikkal, Sri Lanka, Saturday, May 17, 2024. Ethnic Tamils commemorated the 15th anniversary of the bloody end to Sri Lanka’s civil war, lighting lamps and offering flowers at the site where thousands of people are said to have been killed and maimed in the final stages of the fighting. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Tamil survivors of the civil war drive a mobile monument paying tribute to the war victims in Puthukkudiyiruppu, Sri Lanka, Monday, May 6, 2023. Sri Lanka’s civil war, which pitted Sri Lankan government forces against Tamil Tiger separatists, ended 15 years ago. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

An ethnic Tamil war survivor sits by a photograph of his deceased family members during a remembrance ceremony held on a small strip of land where thousands of civilians were trapped during the last stages of the country’s civil war in Mullivaikkal, Sri Lanka, Saturday, May 17, 2024. Ethnic Tamils commemorated the 15th anniversary of the bloody end to Sri Lanka’s civil war, lighting lamps and offering flowers at the site where thousands of people are said to have been killed and maimed in the final stages of the fighting. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

FILE- Sri Lankan troops detain Tamils to screen them for possible connections with militants at Nelliaddy village in the northern Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka, June 2, 1987. (AP Photo/Dexter Cruez, File)

FILE- Three Tamil teenagers pose with their weapons a week before going for training in a camp in southern India, Nov. 10, 1986. (AP Photo/Liu Heung Shing, File)wld

FILE- An army soldier sits on top of an armored vehicle as Sri Lankan troops patrol the town recaptured from the Tamil Tiger separatists in Valvettithurai, Sri Lanka, June 5, 1987. (AP Photo/Eileen Alt Powell, File)

FILE- Young Tamil Tigers pose for a photograph in the jungles of the eastern Batticaloa district, Sri Lanka, June 22, 1990. (AP Photo/Dexter Cruez, File)

Members of the Tamil diaspora from across Europe gather to remember Velupillai Prabhakaran, Founder of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, at memorial service at the DGI Huset conference center, Saturday, May 18, 2023, in Vejle, Denmark. Sri Lanka’s civil war, which pitted Sri Lankan government forces against Tamil Tiger separatists, ended 15 years ago. (AP Photo/Nat Castaneda)

The Danish family of Velupillai Prabhakaran, Founder of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, are shown at a memorial service in his honor at the DGI Huset conference center, Saturday, May 18, 2023, in Vejle, Denmark. From left center are, Karthic Manoharan, nephew of Prabhakaran, and Velupillai Manoharan, brother of Prabhakaran. Members of the Tamil diaspora came from all across Europe to remember Prabhakaran. Sri Lanka’s civil war, which pitted Sri Lankan government forces against Tamil Tiger separatists, ended 15 years ago. (AP Photo/Nat Castaneda)

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MULLAITIVU, Sri Lanka (AP) — For 15 years, Rasalingam Thilakawathi has been trying to find out what happened to her daughter at the end of Sri Lanka’s bloody civil war. Or if she might still be alive.

The last evidence she has is a photo from a newspaper that shows her daughter, who was 19, sitting inside a bus along with others. The photo, according to the newspaper, shows captured Tamil Tiger fighters in the last stages of the war in May 2009.

Now, 15 years after the end of the long battle between Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil Tiger separatists, Thilakawathi searches for answers. Was her daughter among the 100,000 people killed in the 26-year-civil war? Many more people are missing.

“Tell me whether she is dead or alive,” the mother, who lives in Moongilaaru village of Mullaitivu district, asks authorities again and again. “If you shot her tell me that you shot her, I will accept it.”

In the years since the war ended, many of those who lost children or other family members have grown too feeble to actively search for their loved ones. Others have died.

“I don’t want to let go but I can’t walk properly now,” says 74-year-old Soosai Victoria who has been searching for her son who went missing at 21. “I am praying for him to return. I believe that he is there,” Victoria said.

On Saturday, a memorial service marked the 15th anniversary of the war. It took place on the strip of land in Mullivaikal village where the civilians had pitched their tents for the last time before the whole area fell under government forces. Thousands of people were believed to have died here.

The island nation of Sri Lanka has been riven by the conflict between the largely Buddhist Sinhalese majority and the minority Tamils, who are Hindu and Christian. The mistreatment of Tamils sparked a rebellion, with Tamil Tiger fighters eventually creating a de facto independent homeland in the country’s north. The group was crushed in a 2009 government offensive that UN experts say killed tens of thousands of Tamils, many of them civilians.

Sri Lankan Tamil war survivors perform rituals for their deceased family members during a remembrance ceremony on a small strip of land where thousands of civilians were trapped during the last stages of the country’s civil war in Mullivaikkal, Sri Lanka, Saturday, May 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Both sides were accused of serious human rights violations. The government was accused of deliberately targeting civilians and hospitals and blocking food and medicine for those trapped in the war zone. The Tamil Tigers were accused of conscripting child soldiers, holding civilians as human shields and killing those trying to escape.

Many blame the United Nations for failing to step in to stop the bloodshed.

Farmer Subramaniam Paramanandam recounts how he and a dozen others begged U.N. officials and other international humanitarian groups not to leave the battle zone.

As the Tamil Tigers retreated under a government onslaught, Tamil civilians fled with them into their shrinking territory.

“We heard that the international organizations were packing up to leave,” Paramanandam recalls the exit of the last batch of humanitarian workers. “Hearing this, about 10 or 11 of us ran to their offices. We pleaded with them with clasped hands asking them not to leave.”

A portrait of Parasuraman Thulasiyamma’s missing son is displayed with the pictures of Hindu deities inside their home in Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Their pleas were not answered, and fighting escalated.

“Our sufferings can’t be put to words and we only had our trust in the U.N. and the international organizations. Nothing happened,” he said.

Severe criticism against the U.N. led then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to set up an internal review panel to look into its actions during the last phase of the war.

Its 2012 report said the relocation had a severe impact on the delivery of humanitarian assistance and reduced the potential for protecting civilians.

Tamil survivors of the civil war drive a mobile monument paying tribute to the war victims in Puthukkudiyiruppu, Sri Lanka, Monday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Citing the report Ban said it concluded that the U.N system failed to meet its responsibilities.

“This finding has profound implications for our work across the world, and I am determined that the United Nations draws the appropriate lessons and does its utmost to earn the confidence of the world’s people, especially those caught in conflict who look to the organization for help,” Ban said.

In Vejle, Denmark, people gathered from all over Europe to remember slain Founder of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Velupillai Prabhakaran. Prabhakaran died in 2009, but in the proceeding years, some have come forward to say Prabhakaran is alive and living abroad, and are collecting money on his behalf. His family is trying to dispel the myth he is alive.

Members of the Tamil diaspora from across Europe gather to remember Velupillai Prabhakaran, Founder of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, at memorial service at the DGI Huset conference center, Saturday, May 18, 2023, in Vejle, Denmark. (AP Photo/Nat Castaneda)

Thilakawathi and other parents of missing children have demonstrated and protested, and said they will continue until they get answers. She has visited state security agencies and government-appointed commissions but hasn’t received any information. She said her daughter was recruited as a child soldier by the Tamil Tigers three years before she went missing. She worked in their computer department, fearing her siblings too will be taken if she left them.

Many parents have refused to accept death certificates for their children without information on what happened to them.

Sellan Kandasamy left his injured wife as he crossed over with his family to the government-controlled area when fights were nearly ending. He hasn’t heard from her since.

“She wasn’t registered and we were not allowed to ask for details. We requested that someone stayed with her but we were chased away with poles. So we had to leave her on the rubble and leave,” said Kandasamy as his tears welled up in his eyes.

Paramanandam himself has lost three sons, one fighting for the Tamil Tigers and two who were not part of fighting went missing as their family moved to escape shelling.

Subramaniam Paramanandam, a farmer, talks to Associated Press, in Thunukkai, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Paramanandam’s plea now is that the U.N ensures that there is accountability for the excesses committed by both sides.

“Whatever happened should be investigated truth must be found out there should be accountability and there should be assurance for such things not to happen again.”

A new U.N. Human Rights Commission report recommends establishment of an independent prosecution and a special court to bring perpetrators to justice. It also says that the international community should initiate prosecutions in their own countries.

“This report is yet another reminder that tens of thousands of Sri Lankans who were forcibly disappeared must never be forgotten,” U.N High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said. “Their families and those who care about them have been waiting for so long. They are entitled to know the truth.”

A Sri Lankan Tamil war survivor is consoled by another as she cries for her deceased family members during a remembrance ceremony on a small strip of land where thousands of civilians were trapped during the last stages of the country’s civil war in Mullivaikkal, Sri Lanka, Saturday, May 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka Tamils mark 15 years since end of civil war

S ri Lanka's minority Tamil community marked 15 years since the end of the island nation's civil war on Saturday in an emotional ceremony that proceeded despite fears authorities would attempt to prevent its staging.

Public events celebrating the Tamil Tigers separatist group -- which fought a no-holds-barred battle to establish an ethnic minority homeland -- are illegal and authorities have blocked past memorials.

Tamils say the events are held to remember all victims of the decades-long war, which concluded in 2009 after a military offensive in the last Tigers stronghold. The operation was condemned internationally for the indiscriminate bombardment of civilians. 

"Thousands died here the day before the war ended," a 41-year-old Tamil village official, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal, told AFP at the memorial site in Mullivaikkal.

"There were lots of wounded people crying for help," he added. "This will haunt me for the rest of my life."

Several thousand Tamils had travelled to the village for the remembrance, where they lit oil lamps to commemorate the dead.

- 'Impunity is prevailing' -

Sri Lankan authorities have repeatedly disrupted similar memorials in the island's former war zones over the years and arrested participants, but Saturday's ceremony went ahead without incident.

This year it was attended by Amnesty International's global chief Agnes Callamard, the most senior foreign dignitary so far to attend a remembrance event in Sri Lanka's battle-scarred north.

The rights watchdog has for years pressed Sri Lankan authorities, who have repeatedly refused to permit an international probe into wartime atrocities, to properly investigate and prosecute those responsible for abuses.

"We are here to remind the international community that there are people in Sri Lanka waiting for justice," Callamard told reporters after the event.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, which in 2022 voted to recognise May 18 as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, said on Saturday his country would "always advocate for justice and accountability for the crimes committed during the conflict".

"Today, we honour the victims, survivors, and their loved ones, who live with the lasting pain caused by this senseless violence," Trudeau said in a statement.

- Intimidation continues -

Tamil residents near the ceremony site told AFP that security forces had been noticeably more active in their communities as the anniversary neared. 

"There is heavy surveillance of the people, and it is intimidation," one Tamil resident said Thursday, asking not to be named for fear of harassment.

Saturday marked 15 years since the killing of the Tamil Tigers' charismatic but reclusive leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, who had led the separatist group in open rebellion against Sri Lankan forces since 1972.

His death in the village of Mullivaikkal was the culmination of the lightning military offensive that killed at least 40,000 civilians in the final months of the fighting, according to UN estimates. 

Sri Lankan forces were accused of indiscriminately shelling civilians after telling them to move to "no fire zones" to clear the path of their assault.

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The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin audiobook review – from the civil rights frontline

Law & Order’s Jesse L Martin narrates two powerful essays examining the Black experience in the US, the first in a series marking the author’s centenary year

F irst published in 1963 at the height of the US civil rights movement, James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time comprises two astonishing essays examining the Black experience in the United States and the struggle against racial injustice.

The first, My Dungeon Shook, takes the form of a letter to Baldwin’s 14-year-old nephew, and outlines “the root of my dispute with my country … You were born into a society which spelled out with brutal clarity, and in as many ways as possible, that you were a worthless human being. You were not expected to aspire to excellence: you were expected to make peace with mediocrity.”

The second, Down at the Cross, is a polemic examining the relationship between race and religion, and finds Baldwin reflecting on his Harlem childhood, his encounters with racist police, and a spiritual crisis at the age of 14, which, triggered by his fears of getting drawn into a life of crime, “helped to hurl me into the church”. There, he was filled with anguish “like one of those floods that devastate countries, tearing everything down, tearing children from their parents and lovers from each other”.

The essays are narrated by the Law & Order actor Jesse L Martin, who highlights the rhythmic nature of Baldwin’s prose, and channels his anger and devastation at the unceasing suffering of Black Americans. This audiobook is one of several new recordings of Baldwin’s writing being published over the next few months, to mark the influential author’s centenary year, which also include Go Tell It to the Mountain, Another Country, Giovanni’s Room and If Beale Street Could Talk.

Available via Penguin Audio, 2hr 26min

Further listening

Fire Rush Jacqueline Crooks, Penguin Audio, 11hr 3min Leonie Elliott narrates this coming-of-age story set in the late 1970s about the daughter of a Caribbean immigrant who finds kindred spirits and thrilling new sounds at an underground reggae club.

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Two Sisters Blake Morrison, Harper Collins, 10hr 28min A tender account of the life of Gill, Morrison’s younger sister who died from heart failure caused by alcohol abuse, and his half-sister, Josie. Read by the author.

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Dead or alive? Parents of children gone in Sri Lanka’s civil war have spent 15 years seeking answers

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For 15 years, Rasalingam Thilakawathi has been trying to find out what happened to her daughter at the end of Sri Lanka’s bloody civil war. Or if she might still be alive.

The last evidence she has is a photo from a newspaper that shows her daughter, who was 19, sitting inside a bus along with others. The photo, according to the newspaper, shows captured Tamil Tiger fighters in the last stages of the war in May 2009.

Now, 15 years after the end of the long battle between Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil Tiger separatists, Thilakawathi searches for answers. Was her daughter among the 100,000 people killed in the 26-year-civil war? Many more people are missing.

“Tell me whether she is dead or alive,” the mother, who lives in Moongilaaru village of Mullaitivu district, asks authorities again and again. “If you shot her tell me that you shot her, I will accept it.”

In the years since the war ended, many of those who lost children or other family members have grown too feeble to actively search for their loved ones. Others have died.

“I don’t want to let go but I can’t walk properly now,” says 74-year-old Soosai Victoria who has been searching for her son who went missing at 21. “I am praying for him to return. I believe that he is there,” Victoria said.

On Saturday, a memorial service marked the 15th anniversary of the war. It took place on the strip of land in Mullivaikal village where the civilians had pitched their tents for the last time before the whole area fell under government forces. Thousands of people were believed to have died here.

The island nation of Sri Lanka has been riven by the conflict between the largely Buddhist Sinhalese majority and the minority Tamils, who are Hindu and Christian. The mistreatment of Tamils sparked a rebellion, with Tamil Tiger fighters eventually creating a de facto independent homeland in the country’s north. The group was crushed in a 2009 government offensive that UN experts say killed tens of thousands of Tamils, many of them civilians.

Both sides were accused of serious human rights violations. The government was accused of deliberately targeting civilians and hospitals and blocking food and medicine for those trapped in the war zone. The Tamil Tigers were accused of conscripting child soldiers, holding civilians as human shields and killing those trying to escape.

Many blame the United Nations for failing to step in to stop the bloodshed.

Farmer Subramaniam Paramanandam recounts how he and a dozen others begged U.N. officials and other international humanitarian groups not to leave the battle zone.

As the Tamil Tigers retreated under a government onslaught, Tamil civilians fled with them into their shrinking territory.

“We heard that the international organizations were packing up to leave,” Paramanandam recalls the exit of the last batch of humanitarian workers. “Hearing this, about 10 or 11 of us ran to their offices. We pleaded with them with clasped hands asking them not to leave.”

Their pleas were not answered, and fighting escalated.

“Our sufferings can’t be put to words and we only had our trust in the U.N. and the international organizations. Nothing happened,” he said.

Severe criticism against the U.N. led then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to set up an internal review panel to look into its actions during the last phase of the war.

Its 2012 report said the relocation had a severe impact on the delivery of humanitarian assistance and reduced the potential for protecting civilians.

Citing the report Ban said it concluded that the U.N system failed to meet its responsibilities.

“This finding has profound implications for our work across the world, and I am determined that the United Nations draws the appropriate lessons and does its utmost to earn the confidence of the world’s people, especially those caught in conflict who look to the organization for help,” Ban said.

In Vejle, Denmark, people gathered from all over Europe to remember slain Founder of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Velupillai Prabhakaran. Prabhakaran died in 2009, but in the proceeding years, some have come forward to say Prabhakaran is alive and living abroad, collecting money on his behalf. His family is trying to dispel the myth he is alive.

Thilakawathi and other parents of missing children have demonstrated and protested, and said they will continue until they get answers. She has visited state security agencies and government-appointed commissions but hasn’t received any information. She said her daughter was recruited as a child soldier by the Tamil Tigers three years before she went missing. She worked in their computer department, fearing her siblings too will be taken if she left them.

Many parents have refused to accept death certificates for their children without information on what happened to them.

Sellan Kandasamy left his injured wife as he crossed over with his family to the government-controlled area when fights were nearly ending. He hasn’t heard from her since.

“She wasn’t registered and we were not allowed to ask for details. We requested that someone stayed with her but we were chased away with poles. So we had to leave her on the rubble and leave,” said Kandasamy as his tears welled up in his eyes.

Paramanandam himself has lost three sons, one fighting for the Tamil Tigers and two who were not part of fighting went missing as their family moved to escape shelling.

Paramanandam’s plea now is that the U.N ensures that there is accountability for the excesses committed by both sides.

“Whatever happened should be investigated truth must be found out there should be accountability and there should be assurance for such things not to happen again.”

A new U.N. Human Rights Commission report recommends establishment of an independent prosecution and a special court to bring perpetrators to justice. It also says that the international community should initiate prosecutions in their own countries.

“This report is yet another reminder that tens of thousands of Sri Lankans who were forcibly disappeared must never be forgotten,” U.N High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said. “Their families and those who care about them have been waiting for so long. They are entitled to know the truth.”

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As killings surge, Haitians struggle to bury loved ones and find closure in violent capital

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Ray Dalio says the U.S. is 'on the brink' of civil war — and maybe Taylor Swift should be president

The bridgewater associates founder sees a 35% to 40% chance that the u.s. could end up in a civil war.

Given the worsening divisions in the United States, there’s a growing possibility that the country could fall into a civil war, according to Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio — but he thinks a certain blonde pop star could unify the country.

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Dalio told the Financial Times in an interview published Thursday that he sees about a 35% to 40% chance that the U.S. could end up in a civil war. “We are now on the brink,” Dalio said. But we “don’t yet know if we will cross over into much more turbulent times.”

Instead of being a bloody battle, Dalio believes this modern-day civil war would be the widening of the chasm within the country’s political system and culture, in which “people move to different states that are more aligned with what they want and they don’t follow the decisions of federal authorities of the opposite political persuasion.”

Read more : Ray Dalio says China’s problems don’t outweigh the benefits of investing there

He believes the upcoming federal elections will be one of the most consequential in the 74-year-old investor’s lifetime.

The 2024 presidential elections will see another face-off between incumbent Democrat president Joe Biden and former president and presumptive Republican candidate Donald Trump. The health of U.S. democratic institutions were central in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, and will continue to be key in light of the Jan. 6 capitol insurrection carried out by supporters of Trump, who refused to accept Biden’s electoral victory.

Dalio said this year’s elections will test if democracy can work well, and if there will be an acceptance of democratic rules and an ability to work well under those constraints.

With partisanship and discord boiling over during the last few election cycles, Dalio’s attendance at a Taylor Swift concert gave him a glimmer of hope at a future where political leaders unite — rather than divide — citizenry.

“I saw how she brought people of all sorts — and many nationalities — together. It felt like it would have been impossible to fight,” he said. “I say this partly as a joke, but if she ran for president and would listen to great advisers, I’d consider supporting her.”

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Home — Essay Samples — War — American Civil War — The Civil War in America

The Civil War in America

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Published: Jan 4, 2019

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