The American Civil War History Essay Research Paper

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American Civil War
The historical approach on how Americans remember their past is traced back to the early 19th and 20th centuries (Blight, 26). There have been numerous approaches and viewpoints from different scholars on America’s past and how they trace back these events. However, among the inexhaustible civil wars and historical events that have ever happened in America’s history, the civil war has left a distinct imprint regarding America’s collective memory. David Blight’s, Race and Reunion brings to light the dangerous path of recalling and forgetting and explores its tragic costs on a racial basis and America’s nationwide reunion. Likewise, other scholars such as Gannon and Clark, The Won Cause: Black and White Comradeship in the Grand Army of the Republic and Defining Moments: African American Commemoration and Popular Culture in the South respectively also highlights more historical viewpoints on remembering America’s past. Different scholars have widely explored America’s past; thus, this essay paper sightsees the comparison and contrast of understanding how America’s remember their history with close examination to the scholars mentioned above’ arguments in details as well as judging why each author emphasizes certain things at the expense of others.
Blight compares the events which happened in the American history and how they African Americans participated in shaping the history of America through tragic and thoughtful events, which transpire in his entire book (pp. 28). However, he still presents a contrast on the way other scholars argued about the history of Americans. This is evident in his book where he discusses in details the events of the civil war, racism, and mistreatment of some people. He contrasts the Americans perspective that Africans are inferior by presenting a case on how African Americans played a significant role in shaping America’s history and, therefore, should be appreciated by the Americans. He explains how the African men helped in the reunification of the Americans and eradication of racism to make America one nation. He presents these ideas in his book, “Race and Reunion.”
In 1865, the South and North America began the process of reconciliation after being challenged with a ravaged countryside and torn America (Blight, 29). The subsequent decades witnessed the success of a culture of reunification, which downplayed partial separation with emphasis on the heroics of a conflict between Blue and Gray noble men (Blight, 32). Moral crusades almost lost national culture over slavery that began the war, the existence and participation of African Americans in the war and the hope of liberation emerging from the conflict. Blight elaborates hoe white Americans united through segregation of blacks and the civil war’s white memory. Blight deeply examines the changing meanings of Reconstruction, death, and sacrifice, reminiscences of battle, romanticized south of literature, the idea of lost causes and the Memorial Day ritual (Blight 39). He resurrects several African American memories regarding the war and the emphasis to preserve freedom legacy at the middle of a culture, which denies itself. Blight’s tragic and triumphant story, realism, and romance are a compelling story of memory politics of how a country without justice stopped the civil war.
David Blight contrasts the meaning of the war in two ways: “emancipationist” claiming that the war resulted into the republics rebirth as a country of equality and freedom and “reconciliationist,” emphasizing the commonality of the two sections. He argues that both approaches cannot co-occur. Reconciliation triumphed, and associated viewpoints dominated American memorial of the war. Blight discusses orations of Decoration Day, reminiscences of soldiers quoting the heroism of both sides within the margins of slavery. The black press was the only ones who reported the celebrations of the Emancipation Day and the black veterans’ convention. Whites from both North and South agreed the fact that slavery had no relationship with causing the war, after which white supremacy became the best social order for South America (Blight, 20). Thus, Blight majored on segregation and racial exclusion in his book. This racial bias can be attributed to the notion of the whites, feeling that they are more superior to the blacks, and, 6therefore, they should not enjoy similar privileges. It caused division and misunderstanding because the whites did not embrace equality and fairness in the way they treated the blacks. The blacks suffered a lot in the civil war, with a lot of segregation from the whites, which in my opinion, I can assert that America’s history is in one way or the other contributed much by the blacks, and, therefore, they should treat all races equally, knowing that each race has a significant role to play in shaping the overall global history (Blight, 23). There should be a rebirth of a new world free from racial segregation.
Barbara Gannon recalls America’s past by comparing the kind of treatment the black African American soldiers received vis-à-vis the whites. He puts this remembrance by contrasting the way African American soldiers faced segregation on racial lines despite working together with the white soldiers. This segregation also compares with other scholars views like Kathleen Clark. (Gannon, 15) argues that black and white soldiers who survived the civil war became members of the Grant Army Republic (GAR), which is the largest organization of veterans in the republic. In his book, Barbara Gannon talks about the efforts of white and black veterans to create the country’s first organization comprising of many races. According to his arguments, t...