The Civil War: A Comparative Analysis

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Recommended: The difference between the north and south on the eve of the civil war

In this week’s reading it states, “The Constitution was a blueprint for good government, containing key principles and sufficient details to set the stage and direction. However, it did not define all the power relationships or establish many of the particulars.” This was made evident in this week’s lesson. The reading assignment and videos, raised several issues that demonstrated the difficulties and struggles of constitutional governance. A couple of these struggles included religious freedom statutes and sectional power struggles. These tensions and disagreements between the colonists eventually led to the Civil War.

During Colonial America, religious affiliation was a significant consideration in many aspects of daily life. Politics and religion, for example, were quite intertwined. In fact, many political decisions were influenced by church membership. Authored by Thomas Jefferson, The Virginia Statute for religious freedom, was written, in part, to address this questionable relationship. This statute established the right for religious freedom for all faiths while also abolishing the Church of England in Virginia. This step in the …show more content…

These longstanding disagreements and power struggles, specifically regarding slave-ownership, deeply divided this country. For years, the tensions over slavery continued to fester. The 3/5ths compromise, was simply a temporary Band-Aid. The United States was, essentially, two countries – North and South. “...a house divided against itself cannot stand.' I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved - I do not expect the house to fall -but I do expect it will cease to be divided." (Abraham Lincoln) The long lasting legacy of this breakdown and eventual resolution was the creation of a more democratic and just

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