XII B:Badiceanu Maria Dascalu Ruxandra Dobrea Andrei Vaduva Marian

The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the

Confederacy, was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by a number of Southern slave states that had declared their secession from the United States. The Confederacy recognized, as members, 11 states that had formally declared secession, two additional states with less formal declarations, and one new territory. The Confederacy was eventually defeated in the American Civil War against the Union (the U.S.). Secessionists argued that the United States Constitution was a compact among states, an agreement which each state could abandon without consultation. The United States government rejected secession as illegal. Following the Confederate attack at Fort Sumter, the Union used military action to defeat the Confederacy. No foreign nation officially recognized the Confederacy as an independent country, but several did grant belligerent status.

 Slavery is a system under which people are treated as

property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation. Historically, slavery was institutionally recognized by many societies; in more recent times slavery has been outlawed in most societies but continues through the practices of debt bondage, indentured servitude, serfdom, domestic servants kept in captivity, certain adoptions in which children are forced to work as slaves, child soldiers, and forced marriage. There are more slaves in the early 21st century than at any previous time but opponents hope slavery can be eradicated within 30 years.

 Slavery predates written records and

has existed in many cultures. The number of slaves today remains as high as 12 million to 27 million. Most are debt slaves, largely in South Asia, who are under debt bondage incurred by lenders, sometimes even for generations. Slavery in the Americas had a contentious history, dating back at least to the Aztecs,and played a major role in the history and evolution of some countries, triggering at least one revolution and one civil war, as well as numerous rebellions. Other Amerindians, such as the Inca of the Andes, the Tupinamb of Brazil, the Creek of Georgia, and the Comanche of Texas, also owned slaves.

 In the United States, Southern Unionists were people living in

the Confederate States of America, opposed to secession, and against the Civil War. These people are also referred to as Southern Loyalists, Union Loyalists, and Lincoln Loyalists. During Reconstruction these terms were replaced by Scalawag, which covered all Southern whites who supported the Republican party. The term Southern Unionist, and its variations, incorporate a spectrum of beliefs and actions. Some Unionists opposed secession, but afterwards served and fought with the Confederate armies. Others refused to fight, went North or stayed North to enlist in the Union Armies, or fought informally as partisans in the South. The term could also be used of any Southerner who worked with the Republican Party or Union government in any capacity after the war ended in 1865.