The Factors of Civil War According to Oates

Stephen Oates’ description of the reasons of the horrific Civil War clearly elaborates on the examples that contributed most to the making of the war. His description of slavery makes it clear that the United States was a country that believed in freedom; hence could not tolerate the existence of slavery in the nation. Attempts to save the country from the brutality of slave traders, the country opted to engage in wars that led to the bloodshed on both sides of the divide. Slavery, therefore, was a key factor that contributed to the Civil War (Oates, 1973).

Oates describes the transformation of the United States from a loose confederation of states into an indivisible nation. Apparently, the United States was not for the idea of the union that was formed; thus eroding the unity of nations. The union was superior in manufacturing, railroads, financial resources, as well as food production that wore down an increasingly divided Confederacy. The army groups also contributed to the Civil War through their consistent attacks on their enemies. For instance, the war in the Deep South was intended to destroy the enemies’ resources as well as their morale. The effect of the army was greatly felt as cities were ruined and people were destitute. Although the impact of the war was horrible, it led to the death of slavery and the transformation of a country into an indivisible nation (Oates, 1973).

The availability of weapons was a contributing factor to the historic Civil War. Both sides had access to single-shot rifles that were effective in firing bullets. Moreover, machine guns were introduced during the conflict; thus playing a decisive role in the war. The weapons used by the conflicting parties had an emotional impact on the society as people were being slaughtered and the number of deaths increased day by day. The weapons that were manufactured by stable economies led to thousands of deaths, marking the period of the bloodiest time of combat in the American history (Oates, 1973).