Can the Civil War be seen as a second American Revolution?

  In a couple different ways the Civil War could be seen as a Second American Revolution. In one way the American Revolution could be seen as a Civil War because of the split between colonists and their own country. Also due to the major shift in beliefs between both sides which each wanted to hold onto in such a way that they each caused major violence to occur. The Civil War was fought because the Union and Confederacy wanted different things and were willing to fight to the death to obtain it. So since each were fighting for what they wanted these wars are similar.
    During the first American Revolution the colonists wanted to secede from Great Britain because they didn’t feel like they should be governed by someone who wasn’t actually present to see what was going on and the best way to fix it. This kind of control angered the colonists so they fought back in creative ways to ensure that they could separate from Great Britain. The colonists laid out a long list of reason why they have been treated poorly and that they should govern themselves. During this conflict though many would either stay in the neutral on the politics of it or choose a side which is similar to what happened in the Civil War. Kentucky stayed a neutral place while many others would either choose the Union or the Confederacy.
    Many battles later and thousands dead would the colonists win and split from Great Britain and become their own which the ability to govern themselves. The Treaty of Paris was signed and gave The United States its borders. It gave the United States the independence they had fought so hard to obtain. In the same way that the Civil War gave way to someone winning. The confederates didn’t look like they had a chance to win in the beginning. Abraham Lincoln even signed into effect the Emancipation Proclamation which would free slaves everywhere when the war ended if it had to be won instead of the Confederates just giving up. If the Confederates just gave up then they could keep some slaves and by doing this then Lincoln hoped it would bring an end to the war. However the Confederates did not give up and Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation which angered many people. Slaves then ran from the south into the Union where they would not be returned into slavery. By this happening then it weakened the manpower that the Confederacy held.
    The battle of Gettysburg is where the tide was really turned into the favor of the Union. With that win then the Union stood a much better chance of winning the war. Just like when the battle was won at Yorktown between the colonists and Great Britain. With the colonists winning at Yorktown they were able to establish peace treaties and begin a new time without the influence of Great Britain. These wars are similar in the way that they were fought over differing beliefs.
    Slaves were used in both wars as well. In the battle of Yorktown there were four to five thousand troops that assisted the british side and some even helped in the gaining of independence on the colonists side. Slaves were used in the Civil War as a way to beef up each side so they had more fighting power. After the Emancipation Proclamation many slaves went and joined the Union side even though they were getting lower pay than the white soldiers which was remedied in 1864 so everyone was getting the same pay. Some slaves went to the Union so they could gain freedom after the war ended. When it came to being a women during this time it was very different. During the war they were able to help in various ways as to be a productive member in the American Revolution. They made blankets and food, provided food and lodging for soldiers, and nursed wounded soldiers. Women played a key role during war time and then once the war ended they were put back into the original status they had before. During the Civil War women were nurses and even some snuck their way into combat.
    They were similar politically wise because there was a side fighting against a bigger force such as the government. There were colonists fighting against Great Britain in the American Revolution and were trying to establish their independence. In the Civil War it was the Confederacy fighting against the Union trying to continue with the ways that things were going and not wanting a change, especially in slavery which the Union wanted to abolish.
    Some common ways that the wars were similar is how women were used, the way African Americans helped, and who was fighting who. Women were used in making clothes and assisting with nursing duties for the injured soldiers. African Americans were fighting in both wars. In the American Revolution they were fighting for the British primarily and they were fighting for the Union in the Civil War. In both wars it was a group of people who were trying to change things for the way that they wanted. In these ways the Civil War can be considered a second american revolution because they had so many similarities.