From the time of the American Revolution up to the Civil War, there had been man

From the time of the American Revolution up to the Civil War, there had been many revolutions around the world. This period of time has sometimes been called the “Age of Revolution.” Some historians extend this period to 1917, when the last Tsar of Russia was toppled. For most, if not all, of these revolutions, one of the driving forces was Liberalism. Indeed, many of the revolutions have collectively been called, “Liberal Revolutions.”
Liberalism in this period is not exactly the same as liberalism in the modern United States. In the modern United States, both mainstream political parties state that they support ideas that were part of the revolutionary liberalism of the late 18th and all of the 19th Centuries. What was 19th Century Liberalism? The idea that people have individual rights, that people are equal, and that the consent of the governed, with a free press, should be the basis of government. Furthermore, Liberals in this era supported private property, capitalism, and freedom of religion.
In contrast to Liberalism is Conservatism. Conservatism, in its simplest form, refers to a political viewpoint that supports the traditional (at the time being discussed) ways of doing things. In the Age of Revolution, Conservatism meant supporting the old monarchies (in Europe). In the 20th century, after Liberalism took over western nations, it meant supporting 19th Century Liberalism, which had become the new norm.
The American Civil War took place as the world was grappling with which political viewpoint was going to “win:” Liberalism or Conservatism (monarchies). At this point, monarchies in Europe were “winning,” as they had successfully put down a wave of revolutions in 1848. (Although France had ended its monarchy, it had devolved back into another form of monarchy (an emperor) with Napoleon III (nephew of the Napoleon everyone has heard of)).
To many Confederates, their rebellion was a revolution of sorts, as it was in a similar spirit as the American Revolution only 80 years earlier. To many historians, however, the Confederacy represents a somewhat different, and more rare, form of movement: a Conservative Revolution. After all, they weren’t trying to change anything, they were trying to preserve their existing way of life – a Conservative notion. Related to this idea of the Confederacy being a Conservative Revolution is the Confederacy was not really fighting a revolution, but reacting to the (non-violent) revolution that was occurring in the North much more than in their own region: Industrialization. After all, industrialization was changing the economy of the nation and even how many Americans lived (urban vs. rural) as more people came to the cities to find industrial work.
The following is a quote from author William F.B. Vodrey: “Southerners… claimed [George] Washington as their guiding spirit. A member of the Georgia delegation to the 1861 Confederate constitutional convention in Montgomery, Ala., even proposed that the new Southern nation be named the ‘Republic of Washington,’ and many other Southern leaders invoked Washington’s name for political advantage.
Jefferson Davis was sworn in as the permanent president of the Confederate States of America on Washington’s birthday in 1861. In his inaugural address, Davis said, ‘On this the birthday of the man most identified with the establishment of American independence, and beneath the monument erected to commemorate his heroic virtues and those of his compatriots, we have assembled to usher into existence the permanent government of the Confederate States.’ The Confederacy, he vowed, would ‘perpetuate the principles of our Revolutionary fathers. The day, the memory, and the purpose seem fitly associated….We are in arms to renew such sacrifices as our fathers made to the holy cause of constitutional liberty.’ Although neither Davis nor Confederate General Robert E. Lee ever claimed the title for themselves, they were often called ‘second Washingtons.’”
Another author, Barbara Walter, author of How Civil Wars Start, argues that civil wars around the world usually have a common theme in terms of causes: the power of the dominant group in charge of the country is either actually threatened, or that group perceives a threat to maintaining their power.
Assignment:
Provide your views on this question:
Were the Confederates fighting a George Washington style revolution, creating a new independent nation based on individual liberty (not for slaves, but everyone else)? Or were they fighting a civil war because they believed their dominance in US politics was threatened? In your answer, address both of these ideas – but supporting only one.
Write a minimum of 500 words (this is actual writing; it does not include the words used in your source citations).
Use a minimum of 3 sources, one of which must be a primary source (refer to the History Terms and Library Tutorial in Unit 1).
Cite your sources within the text of your essay (you can use APA or Chicago style citations) as well as a list of your sources after the essay itself (References in APA or Bibliography in Chicago Style).
Grading Adjustments:
Your essay is graded with everyone starting off with 50 pts (100%). Pts are only deducted if these criteria are not met:
Not fully addressing the assigned question: Up to 25 pt deduction
Not meeting minimum length of essay: 5 pt deduction
Not using 3 sources: 5 pt deduction for each missing source
Not using a primary source: 5 pt deduction
Not citing sources within the essay: 5 pt deduction
Not providing a list of sources after the essay: 5 pt deduction for each missing source