Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America was a group of 11 states in the Southern United States that tried to leave the United States from 1861 to 1865. These states were South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. They felt that their way of life, which depended on slavery, was in danger after Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States in 1860.

The conflict began in April 1861 when South Carolina's militia attacked Fort Sumter. The fighting became known as the American Civil War. The states that formed the Confederacy created their own government and army, with their capital in Richmond, Virginia. After four years of hard fighting, the Confederate forces were defeated, and the states were readmitted into the United States during a time known as the Reconstruction era.

Even after the war, some people still honored the Confederacy. They created stories and built monuments to remember it. These efforts sometimes supported unfair policies that kept people unequal, especially during the 1950s and 1960s. The Confederate flag became a symbol for some during these times.

Origins

Main article: Origins of the American Civil War

See also: Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War

The Confederate States of America was formed when 11 Southern states decided to leave the United States. The main reason for this was to protect the practice of slavery, which was very important to their economies. Seven states left before a big war started, and four more joined after the fighting began.

There were many arguments and disagreements between the Northern and Southern states. One big issue was whether new areas of the country could allow slavery or not. The Northern states were against slavery, while many Southern states were very worried about losing it. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, several Southern states decided to leave the United States and form their own country, the Confederate States of America. The Civil War began when Confederate forces attacked a United States fort in Charleston, South Carolina, in April 1861.

Secession

The Confederate States of America was formed when eleven states decided to leave the United States in 1861. These states were South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. They formed their own government and chose Jefferson Davis as their president.

These states left because they believed each state had the right to decide its own laws, especially about slavery. They felt the United States government was no longer respecting their rights. After a battle at Fort Sumter, President Abraham Lincoln asked for troops to defend United States property, which led more states to join the Confederacy. The conflict that followed is known as the American Civil War.

Diplomacy

During its four years, the Confederate States tried to show it was an independent country and sent many diplomats to other nations. However, no foreign country officially recognized it as a real nation. The United States saw the Southern states as part of its country and refused to recognize them as separate.

The Confederate States hoped that the UK or France would help them during the war. They sent diplomats to London and Paris, but these efforts failed. The belief that Britain needed cotton from the South was wrong, as Britain had enough supplies and was developing other sources. Also, many people in Britain were against slavery, which made them unsympathetic to the Confederacy. Some European countries kept diplomats in the US but did not send any to the Confederacy, only seeing both sides as fighters in a war.

At war

Motivations of soldiers

Most soldiers who joined Confederate military units did so because they chose to. Historians have different ideas about why so many were ready to fight, suffer, and even die for four years. Some think soldiers were driven by strong beliefs about freedom, the importance of their state, or protecting their way of life. Others believe soldiers fought to defend their homes and families, or for the honor of fighting alongside others. Most agree that, no matter their original reasons, fighting in battles changed soldiers deeply and often changed their reasons for keeping up the fight.

Military strategy

The Confederate leaders struggled to decide on a clear plan for the whole war. Some wanted to attack strongly, while others thought it was better to wait and defend. The leaders finally decided on a mix of both, but their plan was not strong enough. One famous Confederate leader thought their strategy was wrong and would lead to defeat. As the Confederacy lost more land, they hoped their size would make it hard to defeat, but they faced big problems like heat, disease, and a lack of supplies.

Armed forces

The Confederate military had three parts: the Army, the Navy, and the Marine Corps. In early 1861, leaders gave the new Confederate president control over the army. By March 1861, they had taken charge of a fort in the sea, marking the start of bigger battles. The Confederate Army grew to between 750,000 and 1,000,000 soldiers, though many records were lost. Many of these soldiers were young men, and some were forced to help with building defenses.

Many Confederate leaders had served in the U.S. Army before, but others had little experience. Soldiers were mostly young white men, and some were chosen by their fellow soldiers to be officers. The army had to change its rules often because so many soldiers were leaving or getting hurt.

Victories: 1861

The American Civil War began in April 1861 when Confederate forces took a fort in Charleston. After this, several states decided to leave the United States and join the Confederacy. In the early battles, Confederate forces won at places like First Bull Run, but they could not keep up their wins because they lacked supplies and fresh troops. The Union Navy also began blocking Confederate ports and taking control of parts of the coast.

Incursions: 1862

In 1862, the Confederacy faced many defeats. Union forces took control of more land, including parts of Virginia, Missouri, and Kentucky. Confederate forces tried to attack the North but were stopped at battles like Antietam and Fredericksburg. By the end of 1862, the Confederacy controlled less of its own land and faced big problems with supplies and soldiers.

Anaconda: 1863–1864

From 1863 to 1864, the Confederacy kept losing ground. Union forces took control of important rivers and cities, making it hard for the Confederacy to move supplies. Big battles like Gettysburg and Vicksburg were losses for the Confederacy. By 1864, the Confederacy was losing more land and struggling to keep its armies together.

Collapse: 1865

In early 1865, Union forces made quick progress, taking more land and cities. The Confederate capital, Richmond, fell, and the main Confederate army surrendered in April 1865. This marked the end of the Confederacy. Some leaders tried to escape, but most were caught, and the remaining Confederate forces gave up by June 1865. The U.S. Army took control of the former Confederate areas, though there were still problems with violence and conflict.

Government and politics

Political divisions

Main article: List of Confederate states by date of admission to the Confederacy

Constitution

Main article: Constitution of the Confederate States

In February 1861, leaders from the Southern states met in Montgomery, Alabama, to create their first constitution. They formed a group of independent states that promised to protect each state's rights.

A second constitution was made in March 1861. It aimed to create a stronger central government, similar to the United States Constitution. However, this new constitution had special rules to protect slavery. It allowed slavery in all areas controlled by the Confederacy and stopped the government from stopping trade between slave-owning states.

The second constitution gave more power to the states in some ways but took away some powers in others compared to the United States Constitution. It allowed state leaders to challenge government officials in certain situations. The constitution also included ideas from the first twelve changes made to the United States Constitution.

The second constitution became official on February 22, 1862, after the start of the American Civil War. It did not allow states to leave the Confederacy on their own. The leaders talked about letting states leave, but the idea was not accepted. The constitution also said that slavery would be protected and that states could not stop slave owners from bringing their slaves into any part of the Confederacy. The language of the constitution was different from the United States Constitution, as it asked for help from a higher power.

Executive

Main article: President of the Confederate States of America

The group that started the Confederacy met on February 4, 1861. Each state had one vote, and they chose leaders for their new government. Jefferson Davis was chosen as the first leader, and Alexander H. Stephens was chosen as his helper. They started their jobs in February 1862.

The rules for the leader of the Confederacy said that the person would serve for six years and not be allowed to serve again. The leader could also decide to not approve certain spending bills. Only Jefferson Davis served as leader because the Confederacy ended before he could finish his time in office.

Administration and cabinet

Main article: Cabinet of the Confederate States of America

Legislative

Main articles: Provisional Confederate States Congress and Confederate States Congress

The main groups that ran the Confederacy were the leaders chosen by Jefferson Davis and the Congress. The Congress started in February 1861 as a single group where each state had one vote. Later, in February 1862, it changed to two groups: a Senate with two leaders from each state and a House with leaders based on population. This Congress met six times until March 1865.

Without political groups, people voted based on whether they supported leaving the United States before or after a certain time. The Congress dealt with big issues like controlling the military, making laws about the economy, and supporting Davis in his work.

Judicial

The Confederacy planned to have a court system, but because of the war and disagreements about states' rights, a top court was never created. Instead, the state courts kept working as before, recognizing the Confederacy as their national government.

District courts were set up in each state, and Davis chose the leaders of these courts. Many of these leaders were the same people who had been leaders of United States courts before. These courts handled many types of cases, including those involving captured Union ships and property taken from people from the North.

Supreme Court – not established.

District Courts – judges

Post office

Further information: Postage stamps and postal history of the Confederate States

The Confederacy created its own post office to send and receive mail. John H. Reagan was chosen to lead this office in 1861. The post office was very important during the war because families and friends were separated, and many people wrote letters to each other. The post office also helped with business and military needs.

Because the Union blocked Southern ports, it was hard to get supplies, so sending mail outside the Confederacy was very important. Special ships called blockade runners helped move mail and goods past Union ships.

Both letters from soldiers and mail about avoiding the Union blockade were important for learning about life during the Civil War.

Civil liberties

Further information: Confederate patriotism

The Confederacy used its army to arrest people thought to support the United States. Historians estimate that thousands of people were arrested by the Confederate army. The Confederacy arrested people who supported the United States at about the same rate as the United States arrested people who supported the Confederacy. Some historians say that people in the Confederacy had fewer freedoms, like limits on travel within the Southern states.

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Confederate States of America

The Confederate States faced many economic challenges during the Civil War. Many people in the South worried that enslaved people might try to fight back, which caused concern. Though enslaved people stood up for their rights and some helped the North, there were no large uprisings.

About 31% of households in the South owned enslaved people, and they made up nearly 39% of the population. When President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it freed millions of enslaved people in parts of the Confederacy. This changed the South’s economy greatly, as enslaved people were no longer available to work on plantations.

The Southern economy relied heavily on farming, especially crops like cotton, tobacco, and sugar. These were sold to other countries, but when the war began, exports stopped. This led to shortages and hard times for many families. The South also struggled with transportation issues, as railroads were not well-connected and often damaged during the war.

As the war continued, the South faced serious shortages of food and supplies. Inflation made everyday items very expensive, and many families struggled to get by. By the end of the war, much of the South’s infrastructure was damaged, and recovery was slow. Many women and families had to adapt to new roles and responsibilities during and after the war.

National flags

Main article: Flags of the Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America had several flags during its time from 1861 to 1865. The first flag, called the "Stars and Bars," had stars to show the states that joined the Confederacy. As more states joined, more stars were added.

Because the first flag looked too much like the flag of the United States, a special flag called the "Battle Flag" or "Southern Cross" was made for soldiers to use in battles. Later, this design was used in two more national flags. These flags had a white background with the Battle Flag in the corner. The last flag also had a red stripe to make it easier to see.

Southern Unionism

Main article: Southern Unionist

Some people in the Southern United States did not support the Confederate States. These people, called Southern Unionists, lived mainly in the mountain areas like Appalachia and the Ozarks. In 1863, Unionists led by Parson Brownlow and Senator Andrew Johnson took control of East Tennessee. They also tried to control western Virginia but could not hold most of it.

Union soldiers took some parts of coastal North Carolina. At first, many local people welcomed them, but later felt they were unfair and too strict.

In Texas, local leaders hurt and killed people who supported the Union. Many people refused to join the Confederate army, especially those with German or Mexican backgrounds, and some even moved to Mexico.

Many Southern Unionists served in the Union Army or in small fighting groups that supported the Union. They came from all walks of life but were often different from the wealthy plantation owners who were common in the South before the war.

Geography

The Confederate States of America had a long coastline of 2,919 miles (4,698 km). Much of the land near the coast was flat and sandy, while the inner areas were mostly farms. Some parts were hilly or mountainous, and the far west was dry and desert-like. The Mississippi River ran through the middle of the country, and the western side was called the Trans-Mississippi. The highest point was Guadalupe Peak in Texas, standing at 8,750 feet (2,670 m).

The weather there was mostly warm with mild winters and very hot, sticky summers. The land changed from big wet areas to dry grassy lands and deserts. Because of the warm, wet weather, many sicknesses spread easily, and many soldiers got sick rather than being hurt in fights.

Demographics

Further information: White Southerners and Black Southerners

Population

Percentages may not total 100% because of rounding.

The 1860 United States census shows the population of the areas that joined the Confederate States. The numbers do not include non-assimilated Indian tribes.

In 1860, the areas that later formed the 11 Confederate states (including the future West Virginia) had 132,760 (2%) free blacks. Males made up 49% of the total population and females 51%.

Rural and urban population

The Confederacy was mostly rural. Few towns had more than 1,000 people—the typical county seat had fewer than 500 people. Of the twenty largest U.S. cities in the 1860 census, only New Orleans was in Confederate territory. Only 13 Confederate-controlled cities were among the top 100 U.S. cities in 1860, most of them ports whose economic activities vanished or suffered severely in the Union blockade. The population of Richmond grew after it became the Confederate capital, reaching an estimated 128,000 in 1864. Before Richmond's late surge in population, only New Orleans among Confederate cities had 100,000 or more residents.

The cities of the Confederacy included (by size of population):

Religion

See also: Christian views on slavery and The Jewish Confederates

The Confederacy was mostly Protestant. The majority of both free and enslaved people identified with evangelical Protestantism. Baptists and Methodists. The enslaved population formed the Black church. Freedom of religion and separation of church and state were protected by Confederate laws.^{[citation needed]} Church attendance was very high and chaplains played a major role in the Army.

Most large church groups split before the war over the issue of slavery. The creation of a new country needed independent church structures. For example, the Presbyterian Church in the United States split, with much of the new leadership provided by Joseph Ruggles Wilson. Baptists and Methodists both broke off from their Northern coreligionists over the slavery issue, forming the Southern Baptist Convention and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Elites in the southeast favored the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America, which had reluctantly split from the Episcopal Church in 1861. Other elites were Presbyterians belonging to the 1861-founded Presbyterian Church in the United States. Catholics included an Irish working-class element in coastal cities and an old French element in southern Louisiana.

The southern churches met the shortage of Army chaplains by sending missionaries. One result was wave after wave of revivals in the Army.

Legacy and assessment

See also: Lost Cause of the Confederacy

Amnesty and treason issue

Main article: Pardons for ex-Confederates

When the Civil War ended, over 14,000 people who had fought for the Confederacy asked President Johnson for forgiveness. He was generous and gave many pardons. In 1868, he announced that all who had been in the war were forgiven. Later laws in 1866 and 1872 changed some rules about holding office. There was talk about trying Jefferson Davis, the leader of the Confederacy, for treason, but he was never tried. He was arrested but let go on bail in 1867, and later all chances of being tried went away.

After the war, the U.S. government started a period called Reconstruction. This was to fix problems left by the war. They wanted to make sure slavery ended and that new rules protecting rights for all people were added to the nation’s laws. By 1877, this period ended, and the Southern states were left poor and still struggling. Many leaders in these states made new rules that kept many people from voting, which lasted until laws in 1965 changed that.

Supreme Court rulings

In a big court case called Texas v. White in 1869, the Supreme Court decided that Texas was still part of the United States even when it tried to leave. The Court said that states could not just leave the United States on their own. Another case in 1874 said that the effort to create the Confederacy was wrong and its goal was to support that wrongness.

Theories regarding downfall

Some historians think the Confederacy struggled because state leaders did not always support the central government. They were worried the government would take away their powers. Others think the Confederacy could not get enough money, which caused big problems with money value and made it hard to keep going. There were also problems with leadership, as President Davis had many critics and struggled to get support from many people.