The Civil War helped shape part of American culture through the abolition of slavery. It seperated the North and the South into two very seperate worlds with a strong opposition for each other. This created stereotypes and hatred toward each side. After years of fighting in prejudice, the Union slid out with a fortunate victory. This close battle still leaves America questioning, what would have happened if the Union had not pulled through to win the victory over the Confederacy?
The idea of slavery to this day is atrocious. The inequality of men because of race or sex is unimaginable with how society has transformed today, but if the Confederacy had won the Civil War, slavery would be a harsh reality. Slaveholders would have control of many slave trades, and the cotton industry, along with many others, would be prosperous. The owners of these trades would be filthy rich and greedy. Powerful white men would likely flock to the South to invest in their own cotton or tobacco tycoons and make fortunes. Millions of African slave boats would ship out weekly. A laborious cycle of production and service would be maintained, not to mention the questionable moral issues.
America may not be America if the South had won the Civil War. The land would still be split into the Confederacy and the Union, not the United States. How many states would there even be? Would Texas belong to Mexico? Think of all the hatred and propoganda each side would have against each other. The North and the South will likely be bitter towards each other after the war, similar to the hatred shared between Muslims and Jews. The South could even force slavery upon the North or enslave Northerners themselves with the power they had after winning the war. Would there truly be freedom in America?
It would be impossible to imagine the capability slaveholders would have these days. The new technology and techniques of the ages would enhance their production. The question is, would many of these technological advances have been possible without the help of African Americans? So much of American culture and discovery has been influenced by African Americans. They play a major role in our music, movie, food, inventing, engineering, and sports industries. They influence the American lifestyle with their own diverse culture. African Americans have given this country a history different from any other country in this world. The United States is the first to have an African American president, an achievement otherwise impossible except for the victory in the Civil War.
If the South had won the Civil War, the world would be a much different place. Whether it would have been for the better or not is never for sure, but things happen for a reason. The equal society created among us today was the way it is supposed to be. It is always a reassuring thought to know that no matter how scary it is to think of how things could have been, that it is not the way they are.
