Causes
North vs. South- Economic and Social Differences
Throughout the country, there were two distinct areas of economic structure. The south had become prosperous after the invention of the cotton gin in 1793 by Eli Whitney, and now relied on cheap slave labor to keep their cash crops in high production. The north, on the other hand, was industrial and manufactured goods, including processed southern cotton. The north disapproved of slavery, but it was essential to the south to maintain their way of life. Because of this discrepancy, the two cultures had trouble working together. The north was interested in progressiveness and the south was dead-set in their traditional ways.
State vs. Federal Rights
Since the Revolution, there was a lot of disagreement on how the government should be run. Some people pushed for more rights for the states, while others wanted the central government to have more control. The Articles of Confederation had formed a weak government, and problems arose. This persuaded leaders to come together the the Constitutional Convention and secretly create the US Constitution. But many of the leaders that pushed for states' rights were not present, and many people felt like the new Constitution ignored the rights of the states to act independently. Thus the idea of nullification was born, since the states felt they should have the right to decide what acts to accept. The federal government would not allow this right, but many fought hard for it. The states felt like they were not respected, so when nullification failed, they turned to secession.
Slave vs. Non-Slave State Proponents
The size of the US continued to increase as it acquired land through the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican War, and people wondered whether the new land would allow slavery or not. In 1820 the Missouri Compromise was passed to prohibit slavery anywhere north of 36 degrees 30 minutes latitude, except in Missouri. The Wilmot Proviso, in 1846, was proposed by David Wilmot to ban slavery in the new areas, but it was shot down. Henry Clay created the Compromise of 1850 to create a balance between salve and non-slave states, including the fugitive slave act. The Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 created two new territories who would use popular sovereignty to determine the status of the state in regard to slavery. Pro-slavery Missourians, called border ruffians, flew into the state to sway the vote towards slavery. This resulted in Bleeding Kansas, an outbreak of violence between the two sides that reached even into the senate, where Preston Brooks (SC) viciously beat anti-slavery figurehead Charles Sumner.
Growth of the Abolition Movement
Several events led to the growth of the abolition movement. Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin, the Dred Scott case came to light, and the fugitive slave act made it illegal to harbor slaves even in non-slave states. The north was increasingly anti-slavery and anti-slaveholders, so tensions between the north and south continued to grow.
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860, and many southern states like South Carolina believed Lincoln was more supportive of the north and anti-slavery. They then issued the "Declaration of the Causes of Secession". When Lincoln became president, seven states had already seceded from the Union: SC, MS, FL, AL, GA, LA, and TX.
Throughout the country, there were two distinct areas of economic structure. The south had become prosperous after the invention of the cotton gin in 1793 by Eli Whitney, and now relied on cheap slave labor to keep their cash crops in high production. The north, on the other hand, was industrial and manufactured goods, including processed southern cotton. The north disapproved of slavery, but it was essential to the south to maintain their way of life. Because of this discrepancy, the two cultures had trouble working together. The north was interested in progressiveness and the south was dead-set in their traditional ways.
State vs. Federal Rights
Since the Revolution, there was a lot of disagreement on how the government should be run. Some people pushed for more rights for the states, while others wanted the central government to have more control. The Articles of Confederation had formed a weak government, and problems arose. This persuaded leaders to come together the the Constitutional Convention and secretly create the US Constitution. But many of the leaders that pushed for states' rights were not present, and many people felt like the new Constitution ignored the rights of the states to act independently. Thus the idea of nullification was born, since the states felt they should have the right to decide what acts to accept. The federal government would not allow this right, but many fought hard for it. The states felt like they were not respected, so when nullification failed, they turned to secession.
Slave vs. Non-Slave State Proponents
The size of the US continued to increase as it acquired land through the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican War, and people wondered whether the new land would allow slavery or not. In 1820 the Missouri Compromise was passed to prohibit slavery anywhere north of 36 degrees 30 minutes latitude, except in Missouri. The Wilmot Proviso, in 1846, was proposed by David Wilmot to ban slavery in the new areas, but it was shot down. Henry Clay created the Compromise of 1850 to create a balance between salve and non-slave states, including the fugitive slave act. The Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 created two new territories who would use popular sovereignty to determine the status of the state in regard to slavery. Pro-slavery Missourians, called border ruffians, flew into the state to sway the vote towards slavery. This resulted in Bleeding Kansas, an outbreak of violence between the two sides that reached even into the senate, where Preston Brooks (SC) viciously beat anti-slavery figurehead Charles Sumner.
Growth of the Abolition Movement
Several events led to the growth of the abolition movement. Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin, the Dred Scott case came to light, and the fugitive slave act made it illegal to harbor slaves even in non-slave states. The north was increasingly anti-slavery and anti-slaveholders, so tensions between the north and south continued to grow.
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860, and many southern states like South Carolina believed Lincoln was more supportive of the north and anti-slavery. They then issued the "Declaration of the Causes of Secession". When Lincoln became president, seven states had already seceded from the Union: SC, MS, FL, AL, GA, LA, and TX.
John Brown's Raid
John Brown led an army of 18 men into Harper's Ferry, Virginia on October 16, 1859 in order to start a slave rebellion in the south. With no rations and no plan for escape, it was flawed from the very beginning. He planned to capture the federal arsenal's arms and ammunition in order to arm slaves and help them fight. When he reached the federal complex there was very little defense and he had no trouble in capturing the arms. He sent some of his men out to rally the slaves and take hostages, including the great grandnephew of George Washington. Then he waited. The slaves did not rise, and he was surrounded by local militia and citizens. Gunfire began, and 8 of Brown's men were killed, along with two townspeople. Robert E. Lee's troops arrived from Washington and captured Brown. He was tried for treason in Virginia and hanged on December 2nd.
Even though it was unsuccessful, Brown's raid drove a wedge between the north and south. The north viewed him as a martyr, calling his act both brave and heroic. Northern newspapers denounced the raid, and the Republican party condemned Brown and his plan, but this is not what the south saw. The south was livid and felt they could not live under a government who martyred a man who tried to destroy their livelihood. Southerners denounced the Republicans and believed Abraham Lincoln backed Brown. Any hope of compromise was squashed, and the 1860 election became an unthinkable taboo for the south. |
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Battles
First Battle of Bull Run
The first Battle of Bull Run was fought July 21, 1861 in Fairfax County and Prince William County, VA, and resulted in a Confederate victory.
Union: Brigadier General Irvin McDowell
29,000 troops (2,896 casualties)
Confederate: General Joseph E. Johnston and General P.G.T. Beauregard
32,000 troops (1,982 casualties)
The Battle of Bull Run was the first major land battle of the civil war. It was also the largest and bloodiest up until that point. It was at this battle that Thomas J. Jackson earned his famous nickname, "Stonewall Jackson". One of the casualties was 85-year-old invalid Judith Carter Henry, who was killed when cannon fire decimated her Spring Hill home. The south did not celebrate their victory as expected because they realized the war would be bloody and long with heavy casualties to both sides.
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was fought April 6-7, 1862 in Hardin County, TN, and resulted in a Union victory.
Union: Major General Ulysses S. Grant and Major General Don Carlos Buell
67,000 troops (13,407 casualties)
Confederate: General Albert Sidney Johnston and General P.G.T. Beauregard
45,000 (10,699 casualties)
This battle was a toss up, with significant Confederate gains on the first day but a Union victory on the second. General Johnston was killed on the first night and Beauregard decided to stall the fighting until the next day. The Battle of Shiloh also resulted in major damage to Grant's reputation. Northern newspapers reported that he had been drunk and his men were bayoneted in their tents. Now, however, he is recognized positively for his judgement.This battle field was one of the first of five restored in the 1890's by the government.
Seven Days Battle
The Seven Days Battle was a series of battles fought June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, VA. It resulted in a Confederate victory.
Union: Major General George McClellan
104,000 troops (15,855 casualties)
Confederate: General Robert E. Lee
92,000 troops (20,204 casualties)
The Seven Days Battle was a series of six major battles in which the Confederate Army drove the Union in retreat down the Virginia Peninsula. It was the culmination of the Peninsula Campaign. Although this battle had the greatest potential of the war, the leaders were inexperienced and could not properly execute their maneuvers or concentrate forces. General Lee had developed a reputation of being cautious, but this battle showed his aggression that would follow him the rest of the war. After this battle, northern morale was destroyed and morale and support in the south skyrocketed.
Battle of Antietam Creek
The Battle of Antietam Creek was fought September 17, 1862 near Sharpsburg, MD. The battle was tactically inconclusive, but a strategic Union victory.
Union: Major General George McClellan
75,500 troops (12,401 casualties)
Confederate: General Robert E. Lee
38,000 troops (10,316 casualties)
The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest one-day battle of American history. It was the first major battle to take place on Union soil. Antietam is considered a turning point in the war, and it led President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. It has now become the Antietam National Battlefield and 2,743 acres of land are preserved.
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1-3, 1863 in Gettysburg, PA and ended in a Union victory.
Union: Major General George G. Meade and Major General John F. Reynolds
94,000 troops (23,055 casualties)
Confederate: General Robert E. Lee
72,000 troops (23,231 casualties)
The Battle of Gettysburg is considered the major turning point of the Civil War. It also had the heaviest casualties of any battle in the war, and successfully ended Lee's attacks on the north. The Confederacy saw this battle as a huge missed opportunity. If the south had managed to win, it likely would have ended the war with a Confederate victory. Later, President Lincoln dedicated the Soldier's National Cemetery and gave the Gettysburg Address on November 19.
The first Battle of Bull Run was fought July 21, 1861 in Fairfax County and Prince William County, VA, and resulted in a Confederate victory.
Union: Brigadier General Irvin McDowell
29,000 troops (2,896 casualties)
Confederate: General Joseph E. Johnston and General P.G.T. Beauregard
32,000 troops (1,982 casualties)
The Battle of Bull Run was the first major land battle of the civil war. It was also the largest and bloodiest up until that point. It was at this battle that Thomas J. Jackson earned his famous nickname, "Stonewall Jackson". One of the casualties was 85-year-old invalid Judith Carter Henry, who was killed when cannon fire decimated her Spring Hill home. The south did not celebrate their victory as expected because they realized the war would be bloody and long with heavy casualties to both sides.
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was fought April 6-7, 1862 in Hardin County, TN, and resulted in a Union victory.
Union: Major General Ulysses S. Grant and Major General Don Carlos Buell
67,000 troops (13,407 casualties)
Confederate: General Albert Sidney Johnston and General P.G.T. Beauregard
45,000 (10,699 casualties)
This battle was a toss up, with significant Confederate gains on the first day but a Union victory on the second. General Johnston was killed on the first night and Beauregard decided to stall the fighting until the next day. The Battle of Shiloh also resulted in major damage to Grant's reputation. Northern newspapers reported that he had been drunk and his men were bayoneted in their tents. Now, however, he is recognized positively for his judgement.This battle field was one of the first of five restored in the 1890's by the government.
Seven Days Battle
The Seven Days Battle was a series of battles fought June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, VA. It resulted in a Confederate victory.
Union: Major General George McClellan
104,000 troops (15,855 casualties)
Confederate: General Robert E. Lee
92,000 troops (20,204 casualties)
The Seven Days Battle was a series of six major battles in which the Confederate Army drove the Union in retreat down the Virginia Peninsula. It was the culmination of the Peninsula Campaign. Although this battle had the greatest potential of the war, the leaders were inexperienced and could not properly execute their maneuvers or concentrate forces. General Lee had developed a reputation of being cautious, but this battle showed his aggression that would follow him the rest of the war. After this battle, northern morale was destroyed and morale and support in the south skyrocketed.
Battle of Antietam Creek
The Battle of Antietam Creek was fought September 17, 1862 near Sharpsburg, MD. The battle was tactically inconclusive, but a strategic Union victory.
Union: Major General George McClellan
75,500 troops (12,401 casualties)
Confederate: General Robert E. Lee
38,000 troops (10,316 casualties)
The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest one-day battle of American history. It was the first major battle to take place on Union soil. Antietam is considered a turning point in the war, and it led President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. It has now become the Antietam National Battlefield and 2,743 acres of land are preserved.
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1-3, 1863 in Gettysburg, PA and ended in a Union victory.
Union: Major General George G. Meade and Major General John F. Reynolds
94,000 troops (23,055 casualties)
Confederate: General Robert E. Lee
72,000 troops (23,231 casualties)
The Battle of Gettysburg is considered the major turning point of the Civil War. It also had the heaviest casualties of any battle in the war, and successfully ended Lee's attacks on the north. The Confederacy saw this battle as a huge missed opportunity. If the south had managed to win, it likely would have ended the war with a Confederate victory. Later, President Lincoln dedicated the Soldier's National Cemetery and gave the Gettysburg Address on November 19.
Leaders
Ulysses S. Grant (USA)
Born in Point Pleasant, OH in 1822, Grant was a career soldier who graduated from West Point then served in the Mexican-American War. In the summer of 1853, he was promoted to captain. He had problems with alcoholism and was asked to resign from the War Department in 1854. In 1861 when the Civil War began, Grant was a trainer of Illinois volunteer regiments. He fought several battles as a general, then was promoted to major general after he succeeded in forcing a Confederate surrender that gained Union control of Kentucky and much of Tennessee. He earned his reputation as an aggressive leader after a victory at the Battle of Shiloh, then seized the famous victory at Vicksburg in 1863, gaining full control of the Mississippi river. Later that year, Lincoln made Grant the commanding general of the Union Army and he started his long and bloody confrontation against Lee. Grant's army captured the Confederate capital of Richmond in April 1865 and the Confederacy collapsed when Lee was forced to surrender. After the Civil War, Grant served two consecutive terms as President (1869-1877) and passed the 15th amendment which gave blacks the right to vote.He also managed to avoid war with Spain and Britain, enacted the Indian Peace Policy, and enforced voting rights. He died in New York at age 63 and now rests at the General Grant National Memorial in New York City.
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William T. Sherman (USA)
Born in Lancaster, OH in 1820, Sherman was a soldier, businessman, author, and educator. He attended West Point as a cadet, and after graduation he was appointed as second lieutenant in the 3rd US Artillery and served in the Second Seminole War. He saw no action during the Mexican-American war but served administrative duties in California. He was promoted to captain but eventually resigned his commission. In the Civil war, he became a colonel and eventually was given control of Kentucky but had a nervous breakdown and was relieved of his position. He recuperated and began serving as a general under Grant in 1862. He was revered for his command of military strategy, and criticized for his "scorched earth" policies. In 1864, Sherman succeeded Grant in the western theater of the war. He led troops to capture Atlanta which aided in the reelection of Lincoln, and his later march through Georgia and the Carolinas helped to weaken the Confederacy further. In 1865, he accepted the Confederate surrender in Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas. After the war, Sherman succeeded Grant as Commanding General of the Army. He spent his years in command securing railroads from Indian attack and vehemently refusing candidacy for president. The north held Sherman as a hero, but the south villainized him. He died in New York at age 71, and rests in St. Louis, Missouri.
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Jefferson F. Davis (CSA)
Jefferson Davis was born in Kentucky in 1808. He attended Transylvania University and later attended West Point. He served in the Mexican-American war as a colonel of a volunteer regiment. He also served as a US Senator for Mississippi, and as Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce. He resigned from the Senate in 1861 and was elected to a six-year term as President of the Confederacy. But Davis had underestimated the Union. His own war plans were poorly organized and poorly executed. Davis was not a popular leader. Historians have called him overbearing and controlling, and he often was out of touch with the public and worked more towards war effort than for the people. However, many southerners later made Davis a war hero and admired him for his values, pride, and strict defiance. After the Confederate defeat, Davis was imprisoned and later indicted for treason. After two years a bail of $100,000 was posted and charges were eventually dropped as he traveled the world looking for work.He wrote several books and spent his time touring the south. He was bequeathed a large plantation from his friend and writing coach, Sarah Anne Ellis Dorsey, when she died in 1879. Davis died at age 81 and rests in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.
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Robert E. Lee (CSA)
Robert E. Lee was born in Virginia in 1807. He graduated near the top of his class at the United States Military Academy and was an exceptional officer and combat engineer for 32 years. He served in many parts of the US, fought in the Mexican-American war, and served as Superintendent of the US Military Academy. Although Lincoln had offered Lee command of the Union army when the south seceded, he chose to fight for his home state of Virginia and took command of the Confederate Army. He served under Confederate President Jefferson Davis as senior military adviser, but was quickly recognized as a talented tactician and battlefield commander. He fought hard to retain control of the south but his efforts to thwart the north were met with overwhelming response. After heavy casualties inflicted by Grant, he was unable to turn the war in the south's favor. He eventually surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House, but he called for reconciliation between the two sides. After the war, Lee was not arrested, but he lost some of his property and his right to vote. He supported Reconstruction and some rights for blacks, but still disagreed that they should have the right to vote. He served as President of Washington College (now Washington and Lee University) until his death in 1870. His body rests underneath Lee Chapel at the college.
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