Was the War
Worth the Cost? By T. Seth
1861 to 1865 was a period of devastating bloodshed and one of the most painful conflicts that the US ever saw.
W
e know it as the Civil War. More than the loss of precious lives, the event left an indelible scar on our country that has been visible for many generations. The time period after the end of the war left countless people and families shredded across the country, though today, we may interact with the knowledge of this conflict as chapters in history rather than the frightening reality it was. Even though the war left uncounted dead and many families bereaved, it brought in
34 – GATHER Veterans
some immediate changes. One undeniably good outcome was the establishment of equality and civil rights via the Emancipation Proclamation. The stepping stones towards the Civil Rights Movement began helping the freed slaves to gain the same privileges as their white counterparts, which gave birth to African American citizenship thus granting protection under the law to all men that were citizens in the US. Women also took on more male-centric roles during the Civil War which led to them developing an independent mindset and eventually seeking an equalrights status as well.
