The Civil War was a very significant war that led to the strengthening of the nation and government. Notably both sides had very different opinions on what caused the war, what they wanted from the war, and what the war meant, resulting in what is considered the bloodiest war in American history, approximately six hundred thousand Confederate and Union soldiers died in battle . But what did they all die for? Depending on whether you are from the North or the South the answer to this question would vary. Indeed, the speeches of the leaders of both sides demonstrate that each side had a very different meaning for the war and wanted to achieve very different outcomes. Contrary to what I initially believed, this war is about much more than the issue of slavery. Although the South was very concerned about abolishing slavery, their main driving factor was securing their rights and gaining sovereignty. The North didn't simply want to end slavery either. President Lincoln was much more interested in keeping the Union together because once one state left the Union it would bring others and eventually the “United States of America” would become the “Sovereign States of America”. This is not to say, however, that slavery did not play an important role in the Civil War. I feel like the Confederacy felt like they weren't getting the rights promised to them in the Constitution, but the specific right they were talking about is the right to own slaves. I find it all very ironic. The South secedes and demands equality and rights, but has the complete opposite opinion when it comes to their slaves. Lincoln promises not to abolish slavery but what will he do next? Pass the Emancipation Proclamation. The war in general seemed to be based on some apparently... middle of paper... n history. The fact that both sides had very different opinions about what caused the war, what they wanted out of the war, and what the war meant led to a conflict that would change the course of American history and make us an even stronger nation. strong. Fortunately for us today the North won the war and saved the Union. Our current government and our Nation could be drastically different or not even exist at all today if the South had successfully seceded. As for the slavery issue, if the South had won slavery might have been preserved for a while, but I don't think it would have lasted forever. The Civil War was much more than just a conflict over rights and slavery. It was the war that proved that America had succeeded in creating a powerful democratic government that was a force to be reckoned with whether you were a citizen, a state, or a foreign nation..