Military actions in South Carolina and their effects on the state

Military actions in South Carolina and their effects on the state

South Carolina on Confederate States of America Union after the Civil War

The state of South Carolina was the first state to withdraw from the Union in 1860 and still was among the states that founded the Confederacy in 1861.

Reason for South Carolina leaving the Union

The main cause of South Carolina seceding the union was the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and Republican majority. However, the secession was a key overreaction to the political setback.  The election of Lincoln indorsed the perception the way the South interests lost power in the federal government. Also the federal government would finally overwhelm slavery institution. Furthermore, Lincoln’s win in 1860 was not close to dominant. For being a Republican candidate, in Virginia Lincoln got 1,887 votes and was not in the ballot of any other state that later became a member of the Confederacy (Cauthen, 2005).

How South Carolina was affected by Civil War

Economic Impact

1. The economic condition between the freed slaves continued to be challenging throughout the Reconstruction period. Most southerners in South Carolina lost huge amounts of wealth as most of the farming lands during war period were destroyed. A lot of wealth was lost by rich plantation owners when slaves were freed that were big part of the assets.
2. As Civil War was mainly fought in the Southern states this led to most of the industries and economy in South Carolina being affected unlike the Northern side. The resulted to South Carolina being economically weak and North emerging as economic giant.
3. After the war ended most of the people in the state of South Carolina did not support the African-American’s civil rights that hindered their participation or involvement in politics unlike the North side.
4. After the war ended cotton improved in value improved, the crop was main crop grown in the South. However, this became an addition of the previous old castle scheme by uneven share cropping. Two-thirds of the overall crops grown were well maintained by blacks and a few poor whites. Nevertheless, these poor whites got greater benefit than the black people.
5. South Carolina slowly developed than the Midwest and North regions which rapidly developed.
6. Few immigrants were more attracted to the North side due to its prosperity like improved infrastructure and housing unlike Southern states like South Carolina.
7. There was division in America before 1861 into two cultural and social economic systems which involved an agricultural society that was grounded on slavery versus capitalist society on entrepreneurial which was allowed to free or open labor. South Carolina flourished from the former unlike the Northern side that thrived on the latter (Freehling, 1992).
8. Putting into consideration that the South Carolina’s territory of the slaves the rigorous system on racial class and slave workforce dominated the government for some time. South Carolina had greater possibility and capacity for expanding than the North.

Political Impacts

1. Most of the people in in power from both South Carolina and from the North were balanced by the Civil War.
2. After the Civil War came to an end most of the African-Americans begun participating in politics. After the civil rights bill was passed in 1875 outlawing discernment in churches, public transport and schools in Plessy v. Ferguson ruling in the Supreme Court approved that segregation was unconstitutional.

Social Impacts

1. Various amendments were made after the war to the Constitution being postponed that predominantly provide to the fate of the liberated slaves.
2. The 13^th Amendment resulted for abolition of the slavery completely in South Carolina. The next amendment which was the 14^th allowed the, to have equal citizenship while the 1th amendment finished the franchise on the newly freed slaves (Haygood, 1987).
3. Even though over 3.5 million slaves being freed, racial prejudgment spreading in South Carolina did not end. There was enforcement of racial segregation which relates to facilities segregation, opportunities and services for development concerning many black Americans through the imposed Jim Crow laws and also Black codes.
4. Right after passing or approval of the 13^th amendment, South Carolina had imposed Black Codes which had details on when, areas and how recently enslaved individuals could work and the compensation they would get.
5. Violence increased in South Carolina in spite of efforts the government made to assist the black Americans in moving forward. Cruel organizations such as KKK emerged that were created by Confederate veterans has a secret goal of terrorizing black communities.
6. Both the Jim Crow laws and Black Codes constantly disseminating Cultures in America after decades of Civil War that is apparent for the violence in the present-day and resentment between African-Americans.

Troops sent by South Carolina and the effects

One of the main sources for the Confederate army and the union was South Carolina as the war advanced. A lot of ex-slaves assembled and joined the Union as the State of South Carolina slaves were more than the freemen.

Effects

1. South Carolina provided food, uniforms, war equipment’s and textiles together with leaders and well trainers soldiers.
2. The state hosted various number of prisoners camps despite being comparatively free from the Union until when the war was ending.
3. South Carolina sent huge number of white soldiers in fighting for the Union similar to what other Confedency states.

Military actions in South Carolina and their effects on the state

While still Fort Sumter was being constructed South Carolina withdrew from the Union, at that time two there were two companies that guarded the harbor with federal troops. In 1862 there was a standoff issued where a ship arrived in South Carolina, this led to the state firing upon the ship as it got neared the Charleston Harbor that forced it back to the sea. After Major Anderson declined repeated calls on abandoning Fort Sumter, there was thousands of troops surrounding his garrison (Hamer, 1918). However, in Deep South a few US military facilities had been apprehended already and Fort Sumter was seen by most people being one of the standing hurdles to  overwhelm in the South before attaining sovereignty.

Political effects of Reconstruction in South Carolina

Various political reforms were made by the delegates where the granted the local government power. Districts were turned into counties and the voters in South Carolina elected a county board of commissioners made of three men with financial and taxing power.

Economic effects of Reconstruction in South Carolina

1. The economy in South Carolina remained to rest on cotton and agriculture, but now mostly relied on sharecropping instead of slave labor.
2. Landowners were put under tax exemptions in South Carolina which was to increase economic growth.
3. Most of the properties was lost in South Carolina by most of the landowners.
4. Unlike before the Civil War where landowners were paying laborers or workers with paper currency, the now started only farmed and controlled their lands (Ford, 1988).

Social effects of Reconstruction in South Carolina

1. Resulted to both elite and middle-class to be involved in violence and extortion on the African Americans during reconstruction.
2. Through the use of Ohio constitution, South Carolina delegates stimulate public equality and education with the new documents.

How the 1861 decision affected South Carolina future generations

There was invention of hospital in as before the Civil War people in South Carolina used to get treatment at home. When the war ended hospitals improved in the State of South Carolina and other parts of the country. The current day hospitals is a straight descendant of the medical centers invented after the war.

References

Cauthen, Charles Edward. South Carolina Goes to War, 1860-1865. Univ of South Carolina Press, 2005.

Ford, Lacy K. Origins of Southern Radicalism: The South Carolina Upcountry, 1800-1860. Oxford University Press, 1988.

Freehling, William W. Prelude to Civil War: the nullification controversy in South Carolina, 1816-1836. Oxford University Press, USA, 1992.

Hamer, Philip May. The secession movement in South Carolina, 1847-1852. HR Haas & Company, 1918.

Haygood, Tamara Miner. Henry William Ravenel, 1814-1887: South Carolina Scientist in the Civil War Era. University of Alabama Press, 1987.