how did people choose side in the civil war?

Question

like what drawed people to the south or north

no dumb answer thank you

Answer 1

General Lee would've been the commanding general of northern armies if it wasn't for the succession of his home state Virginia. He felt a duty to follow the flag of his state.

Answer 2

Choosing sides during the Civil War Era divided even families, for many reasons.

The primary causes have been debated among people for years. But many people chose sides based on 1 of 2 core beliefs.

#1 Slavery #2 Belief in maintaining the Union.

To add a third reason... Intelligent people (north & south) who understood economics.

Economics played a big role in helping people to decide also. You can't compete in the workplace against a slave.

The industrialized and heavily populated north abolished slavery for this reason. The south relied on agriculture. And as a whole, population densities were not as supportive to this trade. Therefore the south had to rely on the slave industry.

Answer 3

Abraham Lincoln wanted the states to be in unity and have one federal government. But most people were against slavery. the South wouldn't give it up because they said they needed the slaves to work the fields and harvest the crops things that the Americans wouldn't do. The south wanted to be a seperate country. Thus divideing the US. Lincoln thought it would make us less powerful and he could see future wars between the states, which a federal government would prevent. He was right! Germany went to war with poland and france they are smaller than our states.
But we have never had California go to war with Nevada. why because we have a federal government to solve problems. Would we have won the war 1 &2 if we would have been a bunch of small countries like Europe? NO
So people who believed he was right joined the yankees and left the south to go fight with the North.
The Southern plantation owners who needed slaves to keep their vast wealth went to war with the North, they were called Rebels. People who agreed with them joined the Rebels.
when the African slaves they depended on for everything left and joined the North, it was a short time until the South lost the war. Which we can all see that was the best for the country. A civil war or the divideing of a nation is not good for anyone. It is better if differences can be settled in court.

Answer 4

Slaves moved North due to the offer of amnesty & freedom for time served in the military.

However, most white recruits chose probably based on the interpretation of "states' rights."

The North being an industrial area needed cheap labor. Former slaves would almost certainly work for anything. However, the North didn't have the space to house large numbers of slaves, & didn't need the obedience of a farm hand. They just needed someone to sit & work the machines during the day.

The South also needed cheap labor for their plantations, but they needed them to be more "willing" to labor long hard hours in the heat. They also had the space to provide housing, & the self-sufficiency to take care of large numbers of people. Slavery can be viewed as an early form of sharecropping.

************************
I once had an American Govt teacher say that the Civil War was one of the best things that could have happened to the country. His stance is one that I can highly relate to. Prior to the Civil War, people defined themselves based on the state they were from. You were a Kentuckian, Virginian, or whatever. Nevertheless, as the war continued, people got to see more of the nation. They started calling themselves Americans. Having now served 8 years in the USAF, I can certainly understand. I am not a Texan anymore. I'm an American Airman.

The Civil War defined/unified the Nation of the United States of America.

Answer 5

Hi contrary to every ones liberal view of history slavery had very little to do with it. People were correct in saying A lot of it was over states to have individual powers and be separate from a large federal GOVT. The Northern states were predominately industrial and the south was predominately agricultural. Also the states anted to be able set their own currency and the amount it was worth etc. and the federal govt wanted to have one set currency and say how much it was worth to every one. There was some states like MD which was located very close to the capital of the CSA of Richmond VA which were referred to as copperhead states. These states did not decide what side they wanted to be on and their Govts were split and the people fought on both sides. For example there was 2ND MD Cav both confederate and union. And with MD slavery was not an issue at all. I hope this answers your questions some. And why have a goofy looking president like Abe when you can have Jefferson Davis!!!

Answer 6

For many people, it just depended on what state you lived in, especially in the North.

It was against the law to join the Confederate Army in New York for example, and that law was heavily enforced.

However, some people in the north, who didn't agree with Lincoln's politics, were sympathetic to those in the south, sometimes through relations, did manage to join the Southern army; although they were few in number.

In the states that did secede, many people who didn't agree with secession politics joined the Union Army, and it was easier to do when many parts of the Confederacy came under Union occupation throughout the war.

There wasn't much support for the Confederacy amongst the non-plantation classes, and many people constantly undermined that governments' authority.