The American Civil War

The American Civil War was fought between southern and northern states of the
United States. The southern states didn't want to be part of the United States
anymore and decided to make their own country. However, the northern states
wanted to stay one country.
The South (Confederacy)
When the southern states decided to break away, or secede, they made their own
country called the Confederate States of America, or the Confederacy. They wrote
their own Constitution and even had their own president, Jefferson Davis. The
Confederacy was made up of 11 southern states including South Carolina,
Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North
Carolina, and Tennessee.
The North (Union)
The North consisted of the remaining 25 states which were located in the north. The
North was also called the Union to symbolize that they wanted the United States to
remain a single country and union. The North was bigger and had more industry than
the South. They had a lot more people, resources, and wealth giving them an
advantage in the civil war.
There are many causes that led to the American Civil War. While slavery is generally
cited as the main cause for the war, other political and cultural differences between
the North and the South certainly contributed.
Cause #1 Sectionalism
Sectionalism the excessive devotion to local interests and customs to a region of a
nation.
The intense feelings of sectionalism further divided the country into two separate
sections- North and South.
Prior to the Civil War, the United States was not really united.
Our country was more like two separate countries sharing the same land.
The North had industry, large cities, a diverse population, and favored the politics of
the Republican Party, which supported the abolition of slavery.
Southerners were especially loyal to their section. They thought of themselves...
as citizens of their own state first,
as Southerners second,
and as U.S. citizens third.
Cause #2 Slavery

Slavery was a cause of the Civil War for two reasons.

The South viewed slavery as a necessity to maintaining economic wealth.
However, many people in the North viewed slavery as unconstitutional.
At the heart of much of the South's issues was slavery. The South relied on slavery
for labor to work the fields. Many people in the North believed that slavery was wrong
and evil. These people were called abolitionists. They wanted slavery made illegal
throughout the United States. Abolitionists such as John Brown, Frederick Douglass,
Harriet Tubman, and Harriet Beecher Stowe began to convince more and more
people of the evil of slavery. This made the South fearful that their way of life would
come to an end.
Cause #3 States Rights
States right is the idea that each state had the right to determine whether or not to
follow federal laws.
Southerners supported states rights. They believed that they had the right to own
slaves and even secede, or leave the Union, if they desired.
Northerners did not support states rights. They believed the national government
had final power.
Cause #4 Tariffs
A tariff is a tax on imported goods.
Northerners felt the federal government had the power to make laws that applied to
all states, including imposing taxes.
Southerners were also angry at Congress using its power to impose taxes on the
Souths agricultural products.
They felt that any federal tax restricted the rights of the individual states.
Texans were for low tariffs to continue to trade cotton with European nations and
southern sates produced 80% of the worlds supply of cotton.
Cause #5 Election of 1860
When Republican Abraham Lincoln won the Election of 1860, Southerners believed
that their rights would no longer be respected.
Many southerners believed it was time to leave the Union.
Cause #5 Secession
After Lincolns election, eleven southern states eventually seceded from the Union
and formed the Confederate States of America.
Texass lawmakers voted to secede by a vote of 166 to 8, and the people of Texas
voted for secession by a margin of more than 3 to 1.
Leaders of the Civil War
Abraham Lincoln: President of the United States

Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States during the Civil War from 18601865. He was born in a log cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky, on February 12, 1809.
When he was president he was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Union Army,
which is the highest-ranking military officer. He appointed generals to command his
troops. In 1863 he issued the Emancipation Proclamation which declared that all
slaves in the Confederate States would be free. This helped end slavery in the United
States. The same year he gave a great speech called the Gettysburg Address at a
cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He wanted to honor all the soldiers who had
lost their lives in the war. Many people thought he was a great president, but some
people did not like his views on slavery. President Lincoln was assassinated on April
14, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth at a theater in Washington DC. This was only five
days after the South surrendered to end the Civil War.
Jefferson Davis: President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis was the President of
the Confederate States of America. He was also Commander - in - Chief of the
Confederate Army. He was a colonel in the United States Army during the MexicanAmerican War. He was Secretary of War and also a United States Senator.
Jefferson Davis was born in the South and grew up on a cotton plantation. When he
was 16 years old he went to the Military Academy at West Point. The training he got
at the military school helped him to become a great military leader and is one of the
reasons the Confederates won so many battles at the beginning of the Civil War.
Ulysses S. Grant: Union General
Ulysses S. Grant was the leader of the Union Army. He had all the qualities President
Lincoln wanted for the commander of his army. Grant fought very hard and was very
stubborn in battles. He did not like to be defeated. Grant was trained at the Military
Academy at West Point, New York. During the Mexican-American War he was a
second lieutenant in the army. In 1854 he went home to his family. When the Civil
War began and the North began losing so many battles, Grant joined the Army for a
second time. He was an excellent military leader because of his training and skill.
General Robert E. Lee, The leader of the Confederate Army had to surrender to
General Grant in 1865. Later General Grant became president of the United States
twice. People remember him as a great war hero. They felt he did more as a leader of
the army than what he did as president.
Robert E. Lee: Confederate General
Robert E. Lee was the South's greatest general during the Civil War. He graduated
from West Point Military Academy and became a colonel in the army before the Civil
War began. He was from Virginia and decided to fight on the side of the Confederates

even though President Lincoln asked him to be commander of the entire Union Army.
General Lee wanted to fight for the South and remain loyal to his home state.
General Lee was a fierce fighter and helped his soldiers win many battles at the
beginning of the Civil War. But the Union Army was bigger and stronger. Lee felt he
had to surrender to the North to stop so many of his soldiers from being killed.

The Civil War major milestones

Nov 6 1860
Election of 1860
The Election of 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected president on November 6, 1860.
Southerners associated the Republican Party with abolition and worried about the
South's loss of power in Congress. The southerners warned that if the Republicans
won the presidential election, they would secede. When Lincoln won, the South
seceded on December 20, 1860.
Dec 20 1860
The Seccession of the South
The South Secedes After Abraham Lincoln was elected president, South Carolina
seceded from the Union on December 20, 1860 along with Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas on February 1, 1860. Delegates from
these states met three days later in Montgomery, Alabama, and formed the
Confederate States of America, or the Confederacy. They then wrote a constitution
and elected Jefferson Davis as their president.
Apr 12 1861
Confederate attack on Fort Sumter
Confederate Attack on Fort Sumter Confederates began bombarding Fort Sumter
which was a federal fort at the entrance to Charleston Harbor in South Carolina.
When the fort surrendered, Lincoln stated that the seceded southern states were in
rebellion. The Civil War had begun.
Jul 21 1861
The First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run This battle took place about 25 miles southwest of
Washington, along a stream called Bull Run. The Union troops drove the
Confederates back first. The Confederate soldiers rallied, or charged, behind General
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. More southern troops arrived causing the Union army
to retreat to Washington. Any hopes that anyone had of a quick end to the war were
gone.
Apr 6 1862
The Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh General Ulysses S. Grant, who was the most important figure in
the western region, led his troops into Tennessee. The Confederates caught him by
surprise on April 6, and pushed the Union army back at this battle. More Union

soldiers arrived during the night, and Grant counterattacked and forced the
Confederates to retreat the next day.
Jun 26 1862
The Seven Days' Battles
Seven Days' Battles June 26, 1862, was when General Robert E. Lee attacked
General George B. McClellan in what became known as the Seven Days' Battles. The
Confederates suffered many casualities, or losses, but finally forced McClellan to
retreat. Then General John Pope was ordered by Lincoln to advance on Richmond
from Washington. Robert E. Lee caught the Union army off guard causing Pope's
army to fall apart at the Second Battle of Bull Run.
Sep 17 1862
The Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam Lee's forces were hoping to win a Confederate victory on
Union soil as they began crossing into Maryland. The two armies met along Antietam
Creek in Maryland. This battle was the bloodiest single-day battle of the war and in
U.S. history. This was also an important victory for the Union, but Lee lost almost a
third of his troops and couldn't advance any farther.
Sep 22 1862
The Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation After the victory at Antietam, Lincoln issued this
proclamation which called for all slaves in nonoccupied areas in rebellion against the
Union to be freed on January 1, 1863. Congress allowed about 180,000 African
Americans to serve in the Union army during the war.
Jul 1 1863
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg Confederate and Union troops started this battle by clashing
at the town of Gettysburg. The Confederates then pushed the Union line back, but the
Union turned back a major Confederate assault the next day. General George Pickett
was ordered by Lee to attack on July 3, but most of his men were killed or captured.
Lincoln dedicated the Union to winning the war with the famous Gettysburg Address.
Jun 1 1864
The Re-election of Abraham Lincoln
The Re-election of Lincoln While General Grant was in command of Union forces,
Union troops seiged Petersburg, Virginia, in June. In September, General Sherman
captured Atlanta, Georgia. These successful events helped Lincoln win re-election.
Apr 9 1865
Appomattox Courthouse
Appomattox Courthouse General Grant broke through General Lee's defenses at
Petersburg. General Lee then surrendered to Grant in the town of Appomattox
Courthouse on April 9, 1865, ending the Civil War. Many Americans died during the

four years of the Civil War. The Civil War is known as the deadliest conflict in U.S.
history.
President Lincoln is Assassinated (April 14, 1865) - While attending the Ford's
Theatre, President Lincoln is shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth.
Interesting facts:
Was the deadliest war in American history.
The Civil War, and the major events leading up to the war, lasted from 1860 to
1865.
The Union Army was nearly twice the size of the Confederate Army.
It was the deadliest war in American history. There were around 210,000
soldiers killed in action and 625,000 total dead.
Around 9 million people lived in the Southern states at the time of the Civil War.
Around 3.4m were slaves.
Sixty six percent of the deaths in the war were due to disease.
Lincoln dreamed of getting assassinated only a few days before he was killed
by John Wilkes Booth.