In understanding the history of the Civil War and Reconstruction, nationalism is very relevant. The Civil War was characterized by slavery in the south and increased anti-slavery campaign in the north. The south advocated for denying the black people the rights which were provided for in the constitution. To achieve this, they painted the black people as a threat to the white supremacy if allowed to live like the whites. By allowing equality among the different races, it meant that the south could no longer use the blacks as slaves. They preached this gospel to the north hoping that the north would subject their blacks to the same treatment that they did.
The north, however, was of a different opinion. They believed in equality among all races, and that slavery was wrong. They advocated for the abolition of slavery across the United States, which the south feared. The Fourth and the Fifth Amendment provided for equal treatment of the blacks and was strongly driven the north’s Republican Party. The south preached a gospel where black supremacy would overthrow the whites in the own land. But one would wonder, how would the blacks, who owned no property, had nor armies, no resources, overthrow the whites? This was just a disguise by the south orators meant to convince the north not to abandon their anti-slavery campaign.
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The Civil War broke out between the anti-slavery north and the slavery practitioners of the south. Further to the slavery differences, the election of a Republican, Abraham Lincoln, without acquiring a single vote from the south, also demonstrated loss of influence by the south. The south felt excluded from the American politics and resulted in secession that led to the way. Nationalism, as presented by the north, called for equality. To the south, African-Americans were supposed to be slaves. This conflicting views fuelled the fuelled the Civil War, and later Reconstruction.
