To me, the question of whether or not America followed the right path during and after the Civil War is like asking if the sky is blue – the way we live today is a much easier, healthier, cleaner and more accessable lifestyle than what the dirt-soiled, broken-backed, malnutritioned Southern farmers could have offered us. Jefferson would be happily surprised at the investment America places in the higher education of its students. Benjamin would be fascinated at our new technologies and Beethoven our 3-D, surround sound music. Da Vinci would have wished he could play around with a digital camera, and Darwin would be dumbfounded to learn of stem-cell advancements. Hamilton, of course, would be proud of the presence of local banks and the conditions of our public roads and transportation systems.

It is going back to the question of whether or not I appreciate the wide-scale opportunities and commercial products of an industrial nation over the local and familiar aspects of a private business (the answer would be yes). The new is exciting. The fast is expedient. Being a part of the information age means that the only thing making me lethargic or dim and stopping me from grasping knowledge is myself. The point is that economic dynamism WILL at some point configure into a higher standard of social equality, and I would MUCH rather work at a desk from 9 to 5 with some co-worker from India than do manual labor all day under the hot sun with men who grunt as they pick crops for a living.

Southern tradition be hanged. Southern tradition was acting “Lord of the Lash” over separated African American families, and playing little-Miss-vain-Scarlet at tea while crying over the “political meeting” problems of dearest Ashley (which should never be a boy’s name in my opinion).

Those who cannot keep up with the times will be run over by it. And personally, I do not mind if we have run over “the days of the farm,” bank and tariff revulsion, and if we have killed the persona of Rhett with his burly mustache.

Men really shouldn’t have thick mustaches like that anyway…

Society today is organized chaos. It is distractions, it is confusion, it is red lights and green lights. Each person scurries to and fro, often times without much of a purpose, just seeking to be lost in the multitudes. It is as if we are so many billions of ants going about our business completely oblivious and unconcerned while the boy above looks through his magnifying glass and wonders where each individual ant is going; maybe asking himself if there even IS an individual ant, or if it is just a mass of drones.

We are persuaded one way or the other by the current fashion, or by our current impulsive desires. We are a mutual admiration society constantly wanting what we do not have and constantly spending money we do not have. Industry is king, not cotton.

Of course there are many advantages to this world, and to criticize without realizing them would be lofty. We can travel, we can live in comfort, and we can make lots of money to be spent towards a healthier, longer life (in most cases). There is much to be said for the leaps and bounds in medical science as well, and without industry none of it would have been possible. Yet, while industrialization has given us many cures, it has also given us many plagues. Crowded cities are Petri dishes waiting to be infected, and the humans running around like so many ants in an ant-hill are the carriers.

Now, I love big cities. I have been to many of them all around the world, and I enjoyed each one of them. But, with the wealth that flows into each of these world ports, we harbor not only ships, but corruption. Cities, although beautiful in their own dirty way, are centers of corruption and breeding grounds for animosity. Whatever happened to being able to sit on a bus stop bench and have a friendly chat with a complete stranger? This still happens in the South. Even in large Southern cities like New Orleans one can almost always have a friendly chat with a complete stranger—I know because I have done it many times. Whereas, if you try to talk to someone on the subway in New York, they’ll give you a funny look like you’re a crazy person and go back to listing to their iPod or reading the Wall street Journal—this I have also tried.

It is not so simple as “America following the wrong path”. Life is never so simple. Life is about grays. No. Life IS grays. Blacks and whites are for dull people with no sense of humor and no sense of complexity. They are the annoying people who always have to be “politically correct” and hiss if you ever step over that boundary. I find that being “p.c” is overrated. How can there always be a right side when another person interprets an opinion, action, or event differently than you? As Voltaire said, “I may disapprove of what you are saying, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

So it is not which side was right, but rather which side had the right equipment and the right backing at the right time. In the end it turned out to be the North. Although I love the South and my heritage, I am glad the north won. Without the north’s industrialization, we wouldn’t have medicines, we wouldn’t have so much business, and we wouldn’t have the diversity we do today.

Yet, with the defeat of the South, we lost something. Many of you believe that the South was stupid to harbor such idiotic ideas as respect and manners—notions a lot of you wouldn’t understand. For example, why is Southern hospitality and warmth so well known? And why is it that everyone can have a kind conversation down South in the most unlikely places? My grandma is referred to as “Miss Beverly” and she calls anyone working anyplace (even on street corners) “Ma’am” or “Sir” despite the fact that she is in her seventies and they should be calling her “Ma’am”—I kind of like that though, in fact, I like it a lot. If you ever try the “Ma’am” or “Sir” politeness here, the people you talk to are much nicer. It’s a shame the South couldn’t be fueled by manners and warmth; it probably would have won if that were the case. As my Momma (not that lifeless word, ‘mom’) always says, “The South is the last bastion of good manners.”

Every way of life has its downfalls. That’s just what it is to be human. However, can you call an industrial, ambitious, self-aware, and intellectually expanding society the downfall of community and morals? Was a plantation-based world (meaning slavery-based) in which an elite few enjoyed themselves providing such a community-based and moral society to begin with? How can they say that today people are strangers to one another when in the ideal Southern lifestyle people lived miles apart from each other and seldom saw only their neighbors? How can the author of that quote complain about crime in today’s society when the Southern lifestyle (again, unable to function without slavery) committed a perpetual crime against humanity? What that point of view demonstrates is unwillingness to progress and change. Change just so happens to be an inevitable part of life.

Living in the “Northern vision of the future” we are plagued with the downfalls of Homo sapiens. As Southerners were of the same species the last time I checked, they fell prey to the same flaws. Just the same, there still exist people that strive for the ideal Southern ideals of chivalry, community, and the preservation of the environment. As Mr. Geib pointed out, a father still feels the same joy and pride a father felt in the antebellum south. None of that has shriveled up and been blown away with the wind. Contrary to popular belief (at least popular pro-southern belief) I am not a robot, my family are not robots, my community is not made up of robots, and Americans are not all robots. The framework may have changed, but the components that build up American society have generally remained the same.

Southern sympathizers look back on the sprawling estates and the luxurious, cultured lifestyle with nostalgia. Well, living in an industrial society, work hard enough and you can have it all! (Minus the slaves! Imagine that!) Heck, you can even wear hoop skirts every day and nobody will stop you. People still have the ability today to earn money through honest labor if they so choose—and not at the cost of someone else’s liberty—and purchase an estate in the remote countryside. They can still cultivate their own manners and HIRE servants to fulfill their every beck and call. I dislike it when people pull the “you aren’t from there so you can’t say” card. You don’t live in Mexico and you can still note that they have quite the corrupt government. It doesn’t make me any less Mexican to allow you to say such things. And no, Mexicans are not some sort of spineless exception to pride in heritage. And one can complain about the mutant bugs and rampant poverty in Mexico. I’m not any less of a Mexican for not getting angry with you for stating the truth. It doesn’t make me any less Mexican or spineless to say that Mexico could do with great change (Though I doubt the mutant bug problem could be so quickly resolved).

P.S. Manners still live!!

The United States did in fact follow the right path after the Civil War. A future consisting of the past is no future at all. Times change, things change, ideals change, people change. Change is a natural part of life. If you don’t like it, tough; because if you won’t accept change, then it will just plow you over. After the Civil War, factories and industrialization was the future. Agrarian society had its time, but new technologies and forward progression proved it inferior. If you don’t move forward, then all you can do is move backward; if you keep moving backward, you’ll eventually become a Neanderthal.

To me, at least, Thomas Jefferson seems like the type of guy who accepts change, who realizes that progression and innovation is necessary. Sure, he supported agrarian society; but he supported it back when it was the only thing we had. TJ was born on the cusp of a time of radical political change; just because he wasn’t born in a time of economic change doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have supported it. Today’s society has greatly improved since TJ’s time; as long as change brings improvement, it is OK by me and the rest of society. We have better lifestyles, better jobs, and better opportunities than in the pre-Civil War days. Sure, many people take those opportunities for granted and use the Internet, cell phones, and TV for their own narrow-minded entertainment rather than to learn and grow, but that’s the fault of the people, not of the inventions. At least we have the chance to instantly talk to people in China, unlike in the Old South where your closest neighbor was a few miles away.

Change brings progression brings improvement brings opportunity. Had the other side won the Civil War, we would live in denial of life itself.

The United States did in fact follow the right path after the Civil War. A future consisting of the past is no future at all. Times change, things change, ideals change, people change. Change is a natural part of life. If you don’t like it, tough; because if you won’t accept change, then it will just plow you over. After the Civil War, factories and industrialization was the future. Agrarian society had its time, but new technologies and forward progression proved it inferior. If you don’t move forward, then all you can do is move backward; if you keep moving backward, you’ll eventually become a Neanderthal.

To me, at least, Thomas Jefferson seems like the type of guy who accepts change, who realizes that progression and innovation is necessary. Sure, he supported agrarian society; but he supported it back when it was the only thing we had. TJ was born on the cusp of a time of radical political change; just because he wasn’t born in a time of economic change doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have supported it. Today’s society has greatly improved since TJ’s time; as long as change brings improvement, it is OK by me and the rest of society. We have better lifestyles, better jobs, and better opportunities than in the pre-Civil War days. Sure, many people take those opportunities for granted and use the Internet, cell phones, and TV for their own narrow-minded entertainment rather than to learn and grow, but that’s the fault of the people, not of the inventions. At least we have the chance to instantly talk to people in China, unlike in the Old South where your closest neighbor was a few miles away.

Change brings progression brings improvement brings opportunity. Had the other side won the Civil War, we would live in denial of life itself.

Did the United States take the correct path during and after the Civil War? Did this country that we live in rise up from the ashes, destruction, and ruins a grander, more beautiful country than she could have been if she had chosen another route?

The argument of what kind of society America should become goes back at least as far as Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Jefferson argued for a small, agrarian society that would be focused on enjoying the freedom of having a democratic government and the satisfactory feeling of making a living by your own two hands. Hamilton argued for a large, economic society that would be focused on improving what existed and economic activities such as investing and trade. Hamilton seemed to win: the American system was implemented, bringing canals, improved roads, railroads, steamships, and other progress in transportation; the Bank of the United States was established, and though the ‘moneyed monster’ was ‘killed’ by Andrew Jackson in later years, the principle of a national bank was established; and various tariffs were put into practice over the years, providing a profit for Northern manufacturers and harming the Southern agriculturists.

Years passed and while the South did base its labor system on slavery, this was not the single cause of the Civil War. The South was anti-tariff, anti-bank, agricultural, and wanted the expansion of slavery to more land to fuel ‘King Cotton’, as cotton uses up the resources of the soil without replenishing them. The North was pro-tariff, pro-bank, becoming more and more industrial, and either was indifferent or against the expansion of slavery. All of these differences contributed to the conflict between the two sections.

The Southern view of the Civil War is not that it was fighting for slavery but rather for independence from a government that imposed tariffs and other legislation that was not in the best interest of the South. Most of the Confederate soldiers did not even own slaves, and those who owned more than twenty slaves were exempt from service. So why then did the South fight so bitterly? To preserve the “best” way of life: the agricultural, feudal-like society where men were gentlemen and women were ladies.

The Northern view of the Civil War was not originally to free the slaves. Abraham Lincoln declared in his first inaugural address: “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.” He goes on to stress that the secession of the Southern states was not possible because the union formed collectively by the states could only be destroyed collectively by the states. The war was originally an action to bring the rebellious states back into the fold – Lincoln did not even acknowledge that the states had formed the separate country known as the Confederacy.

Every American knows the outcome of the Civil War: the Union accepted the surrender of the Confederacy. But before this occurred the Union had changed its position on the slavery issue as demonstrated by the Emancipation proclamation. However, it may be argued that the proclamation was issued as a wartime measure of cutting the foundation of the South’s economy – slave labor in the cotton fields – out from under the ‘enemy’. No matter the reason, the slaves were freed.

Reconstruction ensued the surrender of Lee at Appomattox. During these days former male slaves were given the right to vote, the right to hold office, and all former slaves were given full citizenship by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. This resulted from Northern legislation that was imposed on the newly readmitted Southern states. As the North and the West moved forward into an age of industrialism and “robber barons”, the South, with its agricultural roots still clinging tenaciously to the heaving earth, was left behind.

Did the right side win the Civil War?

Yes if the Civil War is looked at through the grey-tinted glasses of slavery.

Yes and no if the Civil War is looked at through the green-tinted glasses of industry.

If the Confederacy had won the war and become its own independent and recognized country it would have remained agricultural with its economy supported by the backs of slaves. Industrialization would either not have occurred, or occurred very slowly, and more wars would have been fought as the Confederacy attempted to acquire more territory. The Union would have continued to industrialize and probably would have become something close to what the United States looks like today.

So no matter who won the war, the Union still would be a tight-fisted, money-lusting, and self-absorbed society that does not give a darn about the individual’s situation. “If you work hard you can make it to the top,” seems to be the general consensus. But something still seems to be missing. Why else do the people at the top go on vacations, buy bigger and better things, and constantly try to stay ahead of their peers? Pushing the slavery issue aside, was there something in the Southern focus on agrarianism that contributed to a fuller, more pleasing life? Was there something valuable that was lost when communication over distances became instant; when life became ruled by the clock instead of the sun; when the focus moved from the individual to cash flow?

I guess we will never know.

As much as I want to say that the South didn’t deserve to win, I can’t also say that the North was completely righteous in its actions. Is the South wrong? Or is the North wrong?

The South was acting like a spoiled small child who wanted everything done their way and only their way. Because they didn’t have things done their way, they separated from America. Their behavior seemed to be along the lines of this: “You don’t want to do it my way? Fine. I’m not talking to you.” Just when America had the chance to prove the overseas Britain wrong about being able to handle their own government, the South decided to have its own government led by the fortunate Jefferson Davis.

Check this quote out: "Nothing fills me with deeper sadness than to see a Southern man apologizing for the defense we made of our inheritance. Our cause was so just, so sacred, that had I known all that has come to pass, had I known what was to be inflicted upon me, all that my country was to suffer, all that our posterity was to endure, I would do it all over again."
--- “President” Jefferson Davis, “Confederate States of America”

As for the North, abolishing slavery was not the first thing on their to do list. Sure, there was the whole John Brown raid ordeal, other abolitionist movements were occurring, the Dred Scott case was controversial, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin caused people to take a look closer at the issue of slavery, but to cause a unified movement to evaporate slavery was not done. We would like to think that the purpose of the Civil War was to abolish slavery, but that is not entirely true.

Abraham Lincoln stated that throughout the course of this war, he would not be involved in stopping this racial discrimination and would not free the slaves. Only until he realized that the Emancipation Proclamation would hurt the South big time, then he would actually do something. He realized that freeing the slaves only in the Southern states would hurt the South’s economy and would push the South even closer to quitting this unnecessary battle. But he didn’t free the slaves in the North; the slaves in the South were the only exception to this freedom fest. If this war was really about slavery, then all the slaves would have been freed. They would be educated. They would have land. They would have voting rights. They would have a say in government. They would be applicants for careers. They would be treated as fair the man with white skin. They would be given respect. But this was not so. Instead the slaves were treated as a weapon, only used in desperate measures to fight the enemy. If the Civil war was about the cruelty of slavery and how these humans were being treated, then the North would have not referred to these innocent individuals as mere product and a profitable investment. Tsk tsk Mr. Lincoln.

Let’s face it, the Civil war was not about slavery and ending it. The Civil War was fought for control and financial reasons. The South broke away from America and wanted to start their own government. Why? They felt as if they were not getting a fair amount of control, especially politically and economically, so like whiny kids, they wanted things to be done their way. What was their way exactly? It most likely involved preventing the North from planting factories in the precious fertile land and from screwing up the Southern economy’s success. But eventually something as precious as their fertile land can turn to useless waste. Especially when cared for thorough the backs and sweat of innocent slaves. Two wrongs don’t make a right!

As for America’s path taken, I have revised the following quote:

From this:

"Every time I look at modern Atlanta, or almost any other big Southern city today, I see what a quarter million Confederate soldiers died to prevent. It is factories, pollution, crime, a breakdown in community and morals - a loud ugly world where people are strangers to one another, money and materialism is the god all worship, and family is everywhere besieged. The Northern vision of the future won out in 1865 over the Southern way of life. That is a tragedy. The wrong side won."

To this:

"Every time I look at modern Atlanta, or almost any other big Southern city today, I see what a quarter million Confederate soldiers died to prevent. It is opportunity for work, pollution from an increased population boom, crime due to other’s successes in life, a breakthrough in medical analysis and morals - a big ambiguous world where people may be strangers to one another, and money and materialism is worshipped, and family values have changed. The Northern vision of the future did not exactly win in 1865 over the Southern preferred way of life. That is not a tragedy. No side won."

The End.

To say that the U.S. followed to completely wrong path is to say that the way we live, the benefits we have, the breakthroughs we have made in all the different fields of study have been worthless.

Had we not industrialized after the Civil War, we probably would still be out there in the plantations picking cotton while our pompous masters sit inside and converse. Had we not followed the path that which we have taken, we probably would not be living in a nation that we can call our own. It is because we have become industrialized that we have held our own in this world today. Without industrialization, we might probably be back with Great Britain again. I think that our nation chose a wise decision to follow the path that the North led because personally, I enjoy the luxuries of what our world has to offer today, for example, this computer that I am so happy to type this response on. That’s another great example, if we did not industrialize and advance our ancient technology, then we would be sitting by candle light writing every single word and letter out. With the computer, we can type more words than we could ever write faster, efficient, and more formally. Also, with the help of the path the North trail-blazed in history, we have discovered medicines for the latest diseases like Tetanus, Hep A-C, and many others. If we didn’t have these breakthroughs, we would probably be living a life right now ill-stricken, and dying. Another thing that we have improved over the years is the individual rights and that everyone has inalienable rights. Today, African-Americans, Caucasians, Asians, and every other ethnicity can live peacefully and on the same social class level. Of course, this was not the case 2 centuries ago. It’s definitely true that all the rights that we have been given today have changed this nation for the better. If Jefferson were to see us live now today, I guess this would be one thing that he could agree with the North on. Of course this isn’t the first time he was a hypocrite to his beliefs.

Of course, Jefferson and his agrarian ideals haven’t fully vanished, just downgraded. It’s true that we have adopted Hamilton’s ideals more than Jefferson and it seems that today most of us have grown accustomed to the city and the lack of a close bond with our local business owners. Because of the society we live in today, it is difficult for everyone to just go back and become farmers because of all the luxuries that the city life has to offer. One thing’s for sure however, Jefferson would be disappointed to find that everyone today has become money hungry materialistic civilians. I’m sure that Jefferson had an idea that we would live in a place where money wasn’t an issue and that communities would live like big families. This is true that we don’t live without money but there are still some communities that act as one big family. There are things that Jefferson would and would not be disappointed about. Well you know, you just can’t please everyone. There will be a pro and con to all that happens in our society. For better or for worse.

What are we today? Are we intelligent beings in a world of man-made intelligence? Or are we just become more generations of XYZ? Wanting to learn, yearning to think and know. But have our minds outgrown our time? Creating new concoctions of video games and hand held movies, both on the same device; is that really what we were meant to compose? Many things have been produced that seem to dumb us down, like video games or useless web sites. But nonetheless, these new technologies, such as the world wide web, have also helped us students and other researchers in finding ninth and tenth grade project information, let us communicate with friends and family across the world, given us the great gift of sparknotes, and have graced us with the presence of Myspace.

Even though we’ve been given great benefits by using these highly technological materials, there are unfortunate downfalls.

My little brothers love to play outside, ride bikes, skateboard, and play soccer and field hockey. They also love playing board games and reading a good book. But if they are given the chance to play their game boys, watch sponge bob, or get on the computer to play some games, the likelihood of the situation is that they’d choose to be “plugged in” as we call it in my house. Fortunately, my littlest brother, now at 9 years old, is growing to love soccer more than anything else in the world, so he’s not as big of a gamer as the older of the two.
Perhaps consequently, the older is the one doing bad in school.

If Mr. T.J. were to come to our time in the world we live in now and stand in the middle of New York City, I think he’d have a freaking heart attack. But if he searched deeper and saw the way all the great minds of society work to create such new wonders of the world, I think he’d be glad we have put our heads to good use. There are still the poor and the rich, but we all have the same rights.

We look around ourselves today and see people. Millions of people creating, wondering, being, laughing, crying, exploring, wanting. Intelligent people who are living their lives in a world of man-made intelligence; creative people living in a world of creations; human beings living in a world of madness and sadness, of happiness and glee. A world of beauty, of everything and anything. We live, we die, we earn money, and we spend money. Who we are now is far better than what we were after the war, for we understand what we did and now what we’re doing.

When I was in eighth grade, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a surprise to all of us; it wasn’t like she had lived a dangerous lifestyle or had been exposed to abnormal amounts of carcinogens. Luckily, there was a 98% survival rate for the type of breast cancer she had, and long story short, she survived. But the outpouring from the community was incredible. Twice a week for two months people would bring us a meal, and it was usually their family’s “specialty” dish. I’ve never eaten such delicious food in my life. We also received several “Get Well” cards a day, and it was not unusual to have flowers delivered to our doorstep. Because the school I went to was small, a lot of the families and teachers got together to sew my mom a patch blanket. It seemed like wherever I went, people would kindly ask how my mom was doing.

This is not an isolated case. We have done the same thing for other families when they were going through hard times. It doesn’t matter if you live in LA or Ventura or Hicksville, Tennessee (population 5), people like to help each other. It might be because of a tragedy, or it might be catching up to an old lady at Vons who left her purse in the cart. Just because you don’t know your butcher, your baker, or your candlestick maker doesn’t mean that we have grown impersonal. You don’t need to know. Business is for business and pleasure is for pleasure. Just remember that you probably know more people than most Civil War-era citizens. I have a hard time believing that modern man is impersonal.

Still, I have no idea. Maybe people helped us because they felt it would give them brownie points. Maybe they want others to notice how virtuous they are; they want to hear, “Oh, how thoughtful!” “You shouldn’t have” “I could never repay you for this” “What nice people you are.” Maybe they did it to conform so they wouldn’t stand out as the people who didn’t help.

I’ll admit that much of what we see in the world today seems to be meaningless. The public does have an insatiable fixation with money and in maximizing time. Have these obsessions created more problems in the world? Have they made the world a more complicated place? I don’t think we have any more problems in the world today, or worse problems now than yesterday; I think we just have different problems. Instead of smallpox we have global warming.

And so what if the world is more complicated today than yesterday. I don’t desire the “simple past” where you never traveled thirty miles from your home and you ate the same food all your life and knew the same twenty people all your life and had four brothers and sisters survive to adulthood and you lived until you were forty-five before you died. I want variety. I want diversity. I want new experiences.

Oh, and regarding the idea that the “wrong side” won, I wrote this little blurb some time ago but I think it's still germane:

“Next week they’d all be at a cock-fighting tournament. The week after they'd hold a lynching. Simpler time indeed. Don’t fool yourself and think that Jefferson would cry if he saw society today; he’d probably be drinking beer and watching football with the rest of America.”

Today most people lead lives of mental desolation and solitude. The individual is only concerned with themselves. In this “me” oriented society, we are surrounded by inconsiderate neighbors, poor customer service and the passersby that will walk over your dead body after you get hit by a car. What happened to the small agrarian societies? Thomas Jefferson lost. He lost big time. It is true that we would not be in the same financial standing or power rank in the world if we didn’t follow Hamiltonian ideas. We invested money into ourselves, our banks and military. Look where this has gotten us. Sprawling cities, depressed citizens and people that have never met their neighbor across the street. I feel like I’m going back to my Jefferson Project by saying that the Jeffersonian ideas are what I prefer. I would rather be less of a world power if it meant we lived in a happier country. I would sacrifice our economic standing if our lives could be more simple and less stressful.

Without industrialization the United States could possibly not be around today. It was crucial for us to be on the cutting edge in a Darwinian world. With Hamiltonian plans we came out on top. Today we tip the scale with 300 million citizens, the most powerful military in the world and one of the most prosperous economies to date. If we were to follow Jefferson’s vision we could not have made it into the 20th century. It is sad to me that our country, baby America, has become such a decrepit hag. But maybe we can give our old lady some Botox. I’m not here with any extensive plans, but maybe a black president could make some changes. All I’m saying is America needs to continue to progress but we can not forget our humble beginnings.