Is it the American Civil War, War Between the States or War of Northern Aggression, etc?

Answer 1

This is a great question and one that 99% of American's miss and are ignorant to the "why" it is called a CIVIL WAR. I, my friend, will allow President Lincoln to address "why" it was termed a "Civil War."

In one of the greatest speeches in American history, President Abraham Lincoln stated in his renowned Gettysburg Address that

"...we are involved in a great civil war..."

PLEASE remember, President Abraham Lincoln coined the phrase DURING the Civil War. Modern school-of-thought wants to redefine a war that has already been defined:

Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (scroll down to the original copy)

Answer 2

Of course, you'll give Sam the "best answer" once again, but in case any one else reads this --

Lincoln's own usage is hardly determinative. The "official" name was not firmly established by his usage, not even while he was still alive.

"Civil War" is the main name used --and as you may be able to see from the list below, it is better in many in NOT taking sides, but attempting to simply describe the nature of this conflict of people WITHIN a nation (over whether it will continue to BE one nation).

Other terms tend to be much more "sectional". Of course, the victors in the conflict-- and that's who usually has naming rights!!-- were not going to call in "The War of Northern Aggression"!. In fact, there was very quickly a push toward reconciliation, so Northern historians, for example, did not want to adopt an ANTI-Southern term either. "Civil War" again, was most neutral.

But many other names HAVE been used (some still are in places), though the only other one with much endurance has been "the War between the States" -- more of the Southern perspective, but not an obvious attack on either side.

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For the rest, here's a nice list found in a great Civil War FAQ

From Davis, B. (1982), *The Civil War: Strange and Fascinating Facts* (Originally published as "Our Incredible Civil War). Chapter 13. Which War? pp. 79-80.

The War for Constitutional Liberty
The War for Southern Independence
The Second American Revolution
The War for States' Rights
Mr. Lincoln's War
The Southern Rebellion
The War for Southern Rights
The War of the Southern Planters
The War of the Rebellion
The Second War for Independence
The War to Suppress Yankee Arrogance
The Brothers' War
The War of Secession
The Great Rebellion
The War for Nationality
The War for Southern Nationality
The War Against Slavery
The Civil War Between the States
The War of the Sixties
The War Against Northern Aggression
The Yankee Invasion
The War for Separation
The War for Abolition
The War for the Union
The Confederate War
The War of the Southrons
The War for Southern Freedom
The War of the North and South
The Lost Cause
The War Between the States
The Late Unpleasantness
The Late Friction
The Late Ruction
The Schism
The Uncivil War

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/civil-war-usa/faq/part2/

Answer 3

With all do respect to Sam and Abraham Lincoln as a great president of the United States I have to say it is a little more complicated then letting Honest Abe define it as a Civil War and never think twice about it. You can blame it on historians for trying to sell books but you can also look at is historians understanding that history is often written by the victors of wars (Lincoln) and not the losers (the Confederates)

Lincoln defined the war as a Civil War because he wanted to justify his own actions just as the Confederate sympathizers sought to justify it as a defensive war against Northern Aggression. As a result Lincoln would only refer to the Confederates as rebels who were seeking to break up the Union or rather what he increasing called the Nation of the USA. Before the war the U.S.A was a voluntary union and not a nation but Lincoln change this in his first inaguaral address saying,

"I hold that in contemplation of universal law and of the Constitution the Union of these States is perpetual. Perpetuity is implied, if not expressed, in the fundamental law of all national governments"

So even Lincoln admitted that the Southern states were not bound in a perpetual union according to the constitution but as a good politician he made sure to portray the conflict as a war against rebels breaking the law instead of promoting any dissention that the Confederates may have the right to secede.

To answer the question fairly you cannot rely on a man who was trying to validate his own actions and must instead be your own judge. Read the Constitution, study the arguments on both sides and make a decision on whether they were breaking up a union they agreed to be a part of perpetually or if they had the right to secede. The question has been answered by the civil war but it was decided by force of a those who believed the U.S. was a nation and not "the people of the United States" (preamble of constition) since many in the South obviously supported the secession.

Answer 4

You can call it the American Civil War (or just the Civil War) or the War Between the States, but definitely not the war of northern aggression -- that's the furthest from the truth.

Answer 5

Hi Bum,

Knowing full well that Sam will be picked for best answer -- I thought I'd share with you (and Sam) a few points anyway...


The names exist for specific reasons:

1. The technical name for the conflagration is the "Civil War." The term "Civil" doesn't refer to "Civility," which of course would make the phrase oxymoronic. It refers to a war engaged in by "Citizens" of the same nation making war on each other.

2. The "War of Northern Aggression," is a title obviously coined after the war by disgruntled former Confederates who wished to justify their position as a righteously defensive war against unjust actions perpetrated by others.

3. "The War Between the States," believe it or not, is a title invented by textbook publishers in the late 19th century -- and still used today. Southerners were put off by the phrase "Civil War," (since Mr. Lincoln characterized it thus) and Northerners were not going to stomach "War of Northern Aggression." So publishers of school texbooks wishing to sell their books to schools both North AND South, hit on the name "War Between the States" as a kind of neutral term that could be acceptable to both sides. Strange, but true...

Cheers, mate(s).

Answer 6

the yank Civil conflict could nicely be stated as any of those names. The conflict of Northern Aggression sounds ironic even with the undeniable fact that it truly is predicated on the perception of the lost reason thought that the North unjustly invaded the South. through fact it truly isn't a broadly held perception, this term isn't very customary. one extra call to function to this checklist is the conflict for Southern Independence through fact the Southern states sought to leave the Union in the aftermath of Lincoln's election.

Answer 7

American Civil War. only one. We call it The civil war.

Answer 8

Depends on your prospective. Depends to some extent if you are above or below the Mason-Dixon Line