History_of_the_Confederacy

History of the Confederacy: An Analysis According to the article written by Stephaine McCurry, the Confederacy was an anti democratic society in which all men are not created equal. This was done to justify the continued use of slaves, and since not all men would be created equal according to this government, the white man is worth much more than a black man. According to Alexander Stephens the confederacy was created on this idea “Foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery is his natural condition. This, our new government, is the first in the history of the world based upon this great truth." There was even a clause included that made it impossible for future amendments to overturn slavery. Obviously, the South was financially benefitting from the use of slaves since their major export was cotton; they had free work in the form of slaves to do the work the white man did not want to do. In order for their new government to work, they must secede from the other states. One of the major problems the Confederacy was by their own people. The slaves fought against a government that turned them into property and refused them any rights. However, this government also ignored an entire white population as well – women. Women were not happy being ignored when they too stood by their husbands, but according to the government they were no better than slaves. Another problem was that the institution of slavery limited the power of the federal government and weakened their side during a war. They were scrambling to protect their women and children; this left very few men there to fight. As Jefferson Davis once said, “Slavery was a form of government for those not fit to govern themselves: Slavery was the slaves' state, and masters the authority to which they owed allegiance.” This meant that the government did not have direct control over the slaves. Only through their masters did the government have any control. The slaves were not considered citizens and were not governed to the same extent because of the limited contact the government had with the slaves without their masters. When the men and sons left for the war leaving the women to tend to the farming there were many problems. There began a food crisis of “starvation proportions”. Women could not perform the duties that the men and sons could. It turned into a political issue when the women expected the promises made by the government to help when they took their men and sons.  In the spring of 1863 the “soldier wives” started a number of food riots. These riots were anywhere from a dozen to 300 women. The women would carry knives, pistols, hatchets, etc. and attack stores, government warehouses, army convoys, railroad depots, salt works, and granaries. These riots forced revisions of conscription and tax policies. Also, prompted a massive welfare program that helped women and children with food and supplies whilst their husbands and sons were off to war. By insisting the government do what they promised, these poor white women helped in the making of history. If the South had succeeded and been able to secede or had won the war, black men and women would have been enslaved for decades after. Their government included the clause that seemed to make it virtually impossible to change the slave laws later. It seemed as though they knew they were doing something wrong and that even future governments would try to change. The southern states would use slaves in any way they possibly could to ensure their financial success. The states would have ended up being the more rich of the two because of the built-in free labor. That being said, they would have remained tense and constantly at the brink of war with the south. There would have been increased activists in the north and the south as the two competing sides continually fought with one another over the different sides.