The Civil War

As we reel from a traumatic, tumultuous year in American history, I find myself wondering, in accordance with millions of others, how it is we reached this point. What led us here. What is this, this incompetence and polarity and gridlock, a manifestation of. Is there reason for hope, pragmatically speaking. And I've found, in my brief and superficial explorations, that the answers lie in history. Specifically, the Civil War. 

 

The connection crystalized in an essay in Foreign Affairs magazine by David Blight, a Yale Professor of American History, called "The Reconstruction of America." He reminds us of the result of the unfinished Reconstruction, the curtailed rebuilding and integration of the South after the Civil War; the issues that caused the war itself, the driving forces of our great schism, were never resolved. These questions, in particular:

"Who is an American? What is equality, and how should it be established and protected? What is the proper relationship between states and the federal government? What is the role of government in shaping society? Is federalism a strength or weakness?"

It's clear that these are the exact disagreements plaguing us today. How little rhetoric has fundamentally changed in 150 years; how distant we remain from solving these hard questions. They stubbornly persist at the core of our national dysfunction, generation after generation.

Realizing the conserved nature of our foundational American debates has given me angst and idealism. Frustration at the failure to implement lasting reform during Reconstruction that could have ended, or at least mitigated, the extreme geographic disparities in governance and social structures that persevere today, the squandering of a raw, leveled slate by our worst president, Andrew Johnson, that could have birthed a more united nation. Optimism at the potential for improvement that we've embraced, time and time again, despite resistance and the lingering of root questions, that have raised millions from destitution, oppression, poverty and hopelessness. We somehow live in a reality of both, a confusing history we're still reckoning with, still unsure of.

One thing I do know is that I need to learn more about both the run-up to the war and the aftermath. Therein, I think, are the keys to unlocking our doors to a brighter future. Better understanding the ramifications of decisions made then, and how we can move towards ending our monumental disputes, should be an enlightening process.