Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Civil War 150th Anniversary



After 150 years of growth and change, the United States still remembers the events of the Civil War and the lives that were lost because of it.  The Civil War, which was the only one of its kind in our country’s history, was a time of confusion, death and poverty.  The positive outcomes of the war are obvious.  The end of slavery, the expansion of civil rights and the reformation of the United States are just a few of the positive effects of the Union’s victory in the Civil War.  On the other hand, the negative outcomes mostly include the usual consequences of a war, primarily the downturn of the economy as the country attempted to rebuild itself.  



After seeing the photographs included in these two photo essays and reading their captions, I realized that this war was a lot more personal than those in recent history.  It was fought in our country and consequently included more than just soldiers.  Women and children on both sides were right there alongside their soldiers, braving the front together.  

It is understandable why people still feel the need to reenact the Civil War.  As odd as it may seem to dwell on such an event, it was a major turning point in the history of our country.  It would be impossible to know where we would be today had things turned out differently back then.


No comments:

Post a Comment