The Civil War Of America - 1816 Words

Over the years America has gained the reputation of being the â€Å"land of the free and the home of the brave.† But how did america become acquainted with these titles? America gained its reputation from undergoing several wars and social discrepancies. It is very ironic though that America can be seen as the land of the free when the early citizens of the country thrived off the enslavement of an entire race of people. One major war that questioned the idea of freedom and enslavement, was the civil war. This war took place during the 19th century and was a fight over different moral beliefs between the northern states and the southern states. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president, seven southern states decided to secede from the union†¦show more content†¦Based off this definition of liberty, it is weird to think that Americans would believe in the enslavement and oppression of a group of people simply because they were a different race. Slavery in America has been justified by using a different definition of liberty. In early American history, John Locke believed that â€Å"all mankind†¦being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.† Americans who believed in slavery followed Locke’s definition of liberty and claimed africans as property instead of human beings. The views of the south played a major role in shaping the lives of black people living in America. The economic enrichment that slavery brought to many southern states goes back to the early 17th century; when the first slaves arrived in the colony of Jamestown, Virginia. Initially slavery was just to help push the southern economy forward. Though the mistreatment of the slaves started to become more popular and the longer slavery stayed prominent, the less humane they became in the eyes of the white southerners. When the question of equal rights for all came into play, the south decided to follow John Locke’s words: â€Å"all mankind†¦being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.† Thus slave owners defined their slaves as property instead of people. Now that the south has a