American Civil War

The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"). The Confederacy was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded from the Union. This happened mainly because of the election of Abraham Lincoln, who opposed allowing slavery to grow in new states. The war lasted a little over four years. It ended with the Union winning, the Confederacy ending, and slavery being stopped, which freed four million African Americans.

The conflict began when the Confederacy attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 12, 1861. Both sides were ready to fight, and many people joined to support their cause. The war included many important events and battles, such as the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which said slaves in rebel states were free, and big battles like the Battle of Gettysburg. The war ended when Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union general Ulysses S.. Grant at the Battle of Appomattox Court House in April 1865.

The Civil War changed America forever. It led to the end of slavery and the start of a time called the Reconstruction era, when the country worked to heal and bring the Southern states back into the United States. The war was also notable for using new technologies like railroads, the electrical telegraph, steamships, the ironclad warship, and weapons made for large numbers of soldiers. It was a very hard time, and many soldiers died.

Origins

Main article: Origins of the American Civil War

Further information: Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War, Slave states and free states, Slavery in the United States, and Abolitionism in the United States

The American Civil War started because some Southern states wanted to keep slavery. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, several Southern states decided to leave the United States. They were worried Lincoln would stop slavery.

Lincoln’s election was an important moment. The Southern states thought Lincoln would limit slavery, and they felt this threatened their way of life. The North wanted to keep the country together and did not accept the South’s decision to leave. This disagreement led to the Civil War.

Outbreak of the war

Secession crisis

Main article: Ordinance of Secession

Abraham Lincoln became president in 1860. Some Southern states decided to leave the United States because they were worried about their way of life. They thought Lincoln would stop them from having slaves. South Carolina left first on December 20, 1860. Other states like Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas also left. These states formed the Confederate States of America in February 1861. They believed that slavery was very important and that the Northern states did not support them.

Battle of Fort Sumter

Main article: Battle of Fort Sumter

See also: Proclamation 80

The Civil War started on April 12, 1861. It began when Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. The fort had been a place of tension for months. Lincoln tried to send food but not weapons. The Confederates saw this and began to attack. After one day, the fort gave up. This attack helped many Northerners support the Union, and Lincoln asked for volunteers to fight for the United States.

Attitude of the border states

Main article: Border states (American Civil War)

Some states had slavery but did not join the Confederacy. These were called the border states. They included Maryland, Delaware, Missouri, and Kentucky. These states were important because their loyalties were split. Maryland was kept in the Union by Lincoln, who used strong measures. Missouri had battles between Union and Confederate forces. Kentucky tried to stay neutral but was pulled into the war when Confederate troops entered. West Virginia was created from part of Virginia after people there supported the Union. It joined the United States in 1863.

War

See also: List of American Civil War battles and Military leadership in the American Civil War

The Civil War had many battles over four years. The war was very fierce, with many soldiers fighting on both sides.

Mobilization

See also: Economic history of the American Civil War

Both the Union and the Confederacy needed more soldiers. The Union started with 16,000 soldiers, and the Confederacy wanted up to 100,000 troops. Both sides asked for more soldiers. Later, they used laws to get more soldiers. Many immigrants joined the Union Army, including people from Germany and Ireland. Some Canadians also served.

Southern Unionists

Main article: Southern Unionist

In some areas of the Confederacy, people still supported the Union. Many men in these areas served in the Union Army or pro-Union groups.

Prisoners

At the start of the war, captured soldiers were held in camps. Later, this system broke down and many prisoners suffered.

Women

See also: Women in the military § United States, and Gender issues in the American Civil War

Women served in many roles during the war. Some worked as spies, nurses, and in hospitals. Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor, served in the Union Army caring for the wounded.

Union

Women in the North supported the war effort in many ways. They made supplies for soldiers, held rallies, and helped in workplaces. They sewed uniforms and knitted socks.

Confederate

Confederate women had to manage plantations and farms with many men away at war. They kept the economy going and tried to keep morale high.

Union Navy

Main article: Union Navy

The Union Navy grew quickly. Its job was to block Confederate ports, control rivers, and defend against Confederate ships. The Navy fought in rivers and along the coast.

Union blockade

Main article: Union blockade

The Union tried to block Confederate ports to stop supplies from reaching the South. This blockade hurt the Southern economy. The South tried to get supplies using fast ships, but it was very difficult.

Blockade runners

Main article: Blockade runners of the American Civil War

The Confederacy used fast ships to bring in supplies, but the Union Navy tried to stop them.

Diplomacy

Main article: Diplomacy of the American Civil War

Further information: United Kingdom and the American Civil War and France and the American Civil War

The Confederacy hoped that Britain and France would support them, but the Union worked to stop this. The Union emphasized the fight against slavery to gain support in Europe. Diplomacy was important in keeping Europe from supporting the Confederacy.

Eastern theater

Main article: Eastern theater of the American Civil War

The Eastern theater of the American Civil War was where many battles happened east of the Appalachian Mountains. This area included places like Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and parts of North Carolina. Two big armies fought here: the Union's Army of the Potomac and the Confederacy's Army of Northern Virginia.

Some important battles happened here. The first land battle was at Philippi in West Virginia. The First Battle of Bull Run was an early fight where the Union started well but were pushed back. Later, Union General George McClellan moved toward Richmond but was stopped by Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Big battles like the Battle of Antietam, the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Chancellorsville, and the Battle of Gettysburg were very important. Gettysburg was a big win for the Union and stopped Lee's second move into the North.

Western theater

Main article: Western theater of the American Civil War

The Western theater of the American Civil War was the area between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. Important places were Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, and parts of Louisiana.

Key Union armies were the Army of the Tennessee and the Army of the Cumberland. A big Union leader was Ulysses S. Grant. He won many battles, like at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. These wins helped the Union control important rivers. The Union also took cities such as New Orleans and Memphis. This helped them move troops and supplies. The capture of Vicksburg, Mississippi was very important because it gave the Union control of the whole Mississippi River.

Trans-Mississippi theater

Main article: Trans-Mississippi theater of the American Civil War

The Trans-Mississippi theater was part of the American Civil War that took place west of the Mississippi River. It included areas such as most of Missouri, Arkansas, parts of Louisiana, and the Indian Territory, which is now Oklahoma. Both the Union and the Confederacy had soldiers and leaders there.

One of the early battles was the Battle of Wilson's Creek in August 1861. There was also guerrilla warfare, where small groups attacked both soldiers and people. These attacks made it difficult for the Confederacy to hold the area, but they kept happening until Union forces could stop them. Other important battles took place in Indian Territory and the New Mexico Territory, such as the Battle of Glorieta Pass. Even after some big Confederate cities were lost, Texas stayed under Confederate control until the war ended.

Lower seaboard theater

Main article: Lower seaboard theater of the American Civil War

The lower seaboard theater was about military and naval actions near the coasts of the Southeast and the southern part of the Mississippi River. One of the first battles happened in November 1861 at Port Royal Sound. Union forces tried to capture Charleston, South Carolina. They met strong resistance but the courage of soldiers like those in the 54th Massachusetts Infantry inspired more African American soldiers to join the Union Army.

Union forces also focused on Fort Pulaski in Georgia and the forts near New Orleans in Louisiana. After taking these places, the Union gained more control over the Mississippi River. This was key to their strategy in the war. There were smaller fights in Florida, with the Battle of Olustee being the largest.

Pacific coast theater

Main article: Pacific coast theater of the American Civil War

The Pacific coast theater was part of the American Civil War. It happened on the Pacific Ocean and in places west of the Continental Divide. This area included several states and territories. Soldiers fought there during the war.

Conquest of Virginia

In 1864, Grant became the leader of all Union armies. He worked with other generals to attack the Confederacy from many directions. His plan was to move against the Confederate army near Richmond, capture important cities, and cut off supply lines.

Grant's army faced tough battles but kept pushing forward. General Sherman marched through Georgia and the Carolinas. He destroyed farms and railroads to weaken the Confederacy. These efforts helped bring the war to an end.

Main articles: Sherman's March to the Sea and Carolinas campaign

End of the war

Main article: Conclusion of the American Civil War

The American Civil War ended in April 1865 when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. After this, other Confederate forces also surrendered. By June 1865, most Confederate soldiers had stopped fighting. On June 19, 1865, Union forces announced that all slaves in Texas were free. This day is now celebrated as Juneteenth. The war officially ended in August 1866 when the U.S. government said peace was restored across the country.

Union victory

The American Civil War ended with a victory for the Union. This meant the end of the Confederacy and the end of slavery. Many believe the Union had a better chance to win because it had more people and resources. The Confederacy hoped to wait until the war was too difficult for the North, but support for the Union grew.

Key reasons for the Union's success included President Abraham Lincoln's leadership and the Union's strong industry and economy. The Confederacy had trouble getting support from European countries. The Union's victory helped strengthen democratic government and changed history by ending slavery.

Casualties

The American Civil War had many casualties. Soldiers died from diseases and injuries in battles. The exact number of deaths is hard to know because records were not always kept well.

Many soldiers got sick, and some lost limbs. The war also affected many African Americans who joined the Union Army. The war used new weapons and tactics, which led to many deaths on the battlefield. Soldiers often fought from trenches to stay safer.

Emancipation

Abolishing slavery was not the Union's first goal when the American Civil War began. The main goal was to keep the United States together. But as the war went on, ending slavery became very important. President Abraham Lincoln made ending slavery an official goal with the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the states that had left the Union. It also allowed African Americans to join the Union Army, which helped the Union win the war. The Proclamation did not free slaves in border states that stayed with the Union, but it showed the Union's commitment to ending slavery.

Reconstruction

Main article: Reconstruction era

The Civil War hurt the Southern United States very much. It destroyed much of the South's wealth and left many banks and railroads with no money. After the war, the country had to decide how to help the South join the United States again.

Reconstruction was the time after the war when the nation worked to rebuild and make new rules. Important changes included three new parts added to the U.S. Constitution. These changes ended slavery, gave citizenship to former slaves, and protected voting rights for everyone, no matter their race. This helped make sure the goals of the war—like ending slavery and keeping the country together—were achieved.

Memory and historiography

The American Civil War is a very important event in American history. People have created statues, books, and memorials to remember it. They think about topics such as the lives of soldiers and the lessons of the war.

Historians study the causes and events of the war. They write about leaders from both sides and share their stories with the world. The name of the war has been debated, with different groups using various terms to describe it.

Lost Cause

Main article: Lost Cause of the Confederacy

After the war, some people in the South created an idea called the "Lost Cause." This idea said that the Southern cause was noble and heroic. It shaped how many people thought about the South for many years.

Battlefield preservation

Efforts to preserve battlefields began during the war itself. The government later created parks to protect important battle sites. Today, groups work to keep these places safe so people can visit and learn about history.

Commemoration

Main article: Commemoration of the American Civil War

See also: Commemoration of the American Civil War on postage stamps

People have remembered the Civil War in many ways, including reenactments, statues, films, and special stamps and coins. Famous movies and TV shows have helped shape how many people think about the war.

Technological significance

Technological changes during the war changed science and warfare. New inventions like trains, telegraphs, and repeating firearms changed how battles were fought and how people lived. The war also saw the first use of balloons for spying and ironclad ships in naval battles.

In works of culture and art

The American Civil War has inspired many books, movies, songs, and games. Famous books include Gone with the Wind and The Red Badge of Courage. Popular movies such as Gone with the Wind and Lincoln tell stories from the war. Well-known songs like Battle Cry of Freedom and Dixie come from this time. Video games like Sid Meier's Gettysburg! let players experience parts of the conflict.