West in Civil War Essay Example for Free

West in Civil War Essay The contribution of the Western states in Civil War outcome are argued to be significant and crucial as Delaware, West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri and Maryland has done their best to make the country free from slavery. Delaware supported the Confederacy, Kentucky and Missouri also pro-Union and pro-Confederate government fractions. Historians argue that the Western states with their favorable social, political connections were critical to the war outcome and slavery abolishment. Most of the Western states adopted Jim Crow law and worked towards slavery abolishment. During the Civil War the General Assembly of Delaware rejected secession, as well as Maryland. The year of 1863 appeared to play important role for Maryland as the state adopted new constitution that prohibited slavery, slavery. Thus, slaves were emancipated in the state. After Missouri rejected secession, the newly elected government called for authorization of a state constitutional convention. Missouri approved convention and voted for remaining within the Union, but it opposed coercion of the Southern States. (Monaghan, 1955) Further, Kentucky is argued to contribute to strategic victory in the Civil War, and Lincoln once announced that to loose Kentucky was the same as to be defeated in the Civil War. The importance of Kentucky laid in the fact that the state hold Maryland and Missouri committed to the West. In the beginning Kentucky tended to remain neutral and in 1861 the state asked for keeping out the war. However, the neutrality was broken when General Polk made an attempt to occupy Kentucky openly enlisting troops. Kentucky had to respond and state’s government passed resolution to demand evacuation of Confederate forces from state’s territory. (Coulter, 1926) Summing up, the contribution of the West was significant for the Civil War outcome as the state supported war against the slavery and slave discrimination. Despite initial attempts to remain neutral, Western states realized that only victory would bring relative peace. Thus, Western states have done their best to abolish slavery and to ensure them emancipation in the country. References Merton, Coulter E.. (1926). The Civil War and Readjustment in Kentucky. North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. Monaghan, Jay. (1955). Civil War on the Western Border, 1854-1865. New York: New York Press.