The decision on the part of the slave owing states to secede from the United States in 1861 was perceived – ironically by the scantly numbered anti-secession elements in that region, led by the editorial staff of the Virginian – as a senseless undertaking whose ultimate corollary would entail defeat and suffering for those responsible for its undertaking. In case of a war, the Virginian aptly lamented, “we should, in all the South, not be able to clothe ourselves; we could not fill our firesides, [nor] plough our field.” To the dismay of the Virginian, “all of these things staring us in the face, we shut our eyes and go in blindfold.” In your answer, examine the causes that contributed to the Confederacy’s doomed effort at independence from the United States. You should compare and contrast the Confederacy (South) with the Union (North).
Use the Contents of Lecture 9 to formulate your answer. Do not use outside sources.
