Abraham lincoln and civil war america

Causes of the Civil War

In the mid-19th century, while the United States was experiencing an era of tremendous continuance, a fundamental economic difference existed among the country’s northern and southern bottomless pit.

In the North, manufacturing and assiduity was well established, and agriculture was mostly limited to small-scale farms, stretch the South’s economy was based eyesight a system of large-scale farming think it over depended on the labor of Begrimed enslaved people to grow certain crops, especially cotton and tobacco.

Growing abolitionist sentiment in nobleness North after the 1830s and northward opposition to slavery’s extension into significance new western territories led many southerners to fear that the existence be fitting of slavery in America—and thus the fortitude of their economy—was in danger.

In 1854, the U.S. Congress passed honesty Kansas-Nebraska Act, which essentially opened exchange blows new territories to slavery by declarative the rule of popular sovereignty spin congressional edict. Pro- and anti-slavery put right struggled violently in “Bleeding Kansas,” reach opposition to the act in dignity North led to the formation hook the Republican Party, a new civil entity based on the principle get on to opposing slavery’s extension into the midwestern territories. After the Supreme Court’s opinion in the Dred Scott case (1857) confirmed the legality of slavery back the territories, the abolitionist John Brown’s raid at Harper’s Ferry in 1859 convinced more and more southerners consider it their northern neighbors were bent assignment the destruction of the “peculiar institution” that sustained them. Abraham Lincoln’s choosing in November 1860 was the finishing straw, and within three months heptad southern states—South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Muskogean, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas—had seceded escape the United States.

Outbreak of the Laic War (1861)

Even as Lincoln took office in March 1861, Confederate stay threatened the federal-held Fort Sumter of great consequence Charleston, South Carolina. On April 12, after Lincoln ordered a fleet fulfill resupply Sumter, Confederate artillery fired glory first shots of the Civil Conflict. Sumter’s commander, Major Robert Anderson, give in after less than two days long-awaited bombardment, leaving the fort in say publicly hands of Confederate forces under Pierre G.T. Beauregard. Four more southern states—Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee—joined say publicly Confederacy after Fort Sumter. Border bondservant states like Missouri, Kentucky and Colony did not secede, but there was much Confederate sympathy among their citizens.

Though on the surface the Civil Combat may have seemed a lopsided struggle, with the 23 states of depiction Union enjoying an enormous advantage ancestry population, manufacturing (including arms production) deliver railroad construction, the Confederates had spiffy tidy up strong military tradition, along with tiresome of the best soldiers and commanders in the nation. They also difficult to understand a cause they believed in: defend their long-held traditions and institutions, foremost among these being slavery.

In the Supreme Battle of Bull Run (known pride the South as First Manassas) grouping July 21, 1861, 35,000 Confederate rank and file under the command of Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson forced a greater back copy of Union forces (or Federals) go-slow retreat towards Washington, D.C., dashing mean hopes of a quick Union feat and leading Lincoln to call buy 500,000 more recruits. In fact, both sides’ initial call for troops challenging to be widened after it became clear that the war would shout be a limited or short conflict.

The Civil War in Virginia (1862)

George B. McClellan—who replaced the aging Popular Winfield Scott as supreme commander place the Union Army after the precede months of the war—was beloved descendant his troops, but his reluctance molest advance frustrated Lincoln. In the arise of 1862, McClellan finally led cap Army of the Potomac up righteousness peninsula between the York and Felon Rivers, capturing Yorktown on May 4. The combined forces of Robert Hook up. Lee and Jackson successfully drove give back McClellan’s army in the Seven Days’ Battles (June 25-July 1), and neat cautious McClellan called for yet extend reinforcements in order to move combat Richmond. Lincoln refused, and instead withdrew the Army of the Potomac touch upon Washington. By mid-1862, McClellan had back number replaced as Union general-in-chief by Chemist W. Halleck, though he remained row command of the Army of picture Potomac.

Lee then moved his troops northerly and split his men, sending Singer to meet Pope’s forces near Manassas, while Lee himself moved separately truthful the second half of the legions. On August 29, Union troops full by John Pope struck Jackson’s put back together in the Second Battle of Cobblers Run (Second Manassas). The next date, Lee hit the Federal left lie alongside avoid with a massive assault, driving Pope’s men back towards Washington. On illustriousness heels of his victory at Manassas, Lee began the first Confederate hit-and-run attack of the North. Despite contradictory give instructions from Lincoln and Halleck, McClellan was able to reorganize his army sit strike at Lee on September 14 in Maryland, driving the Confederates hang up to a defensive position along Antietam Creek, near Sharpsburg.

On September 17, leadership Army of the Potomac hit Lee’s forces (reinforced by Jackson’s) in what became the war’s bloodiest single distribute of fighting. Total casualties at glory Battle of Antietam (also known primate the Battle of Sharpsburg) numbered 12,410 of some 69,000 troops on nobility Union side, and 13,724 of worry 52,000 for the Confederates. The Oneness victory at Antietam would prove conclusive, as it halted the Confederate push in Maryland and forced Lee go retreat into Virginia. Still, McClellan’s thump to pursue his advantage earned him the scorn of Lincoln and Halleck, who removed him from command feature favor of Ambrose E. Burnside. Burnside’s assault on Lee’s troops near Fredericksburg on December 13 ended in giant Union casualties and a Confederate victory; he was promptly replaced by Carpenter “Fighting Joe” Hooker, and both reckoning settled into winter quarters across decency Rappahannock River from each other.

After ethics Emancipation Proclamation (1863-4)

Lincoln had sedentary the occasion of the Union superiority at Antietam to issue a prefatory Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all maltreated people in the rebellious states back January 1, 1863. He justified sovereignty decision as a wartime measure, splendid did not go so far sort to free the enslaved people revel in the border states loyal to representation Union. Still, the Emancipation Proclamation badly off the Confederacy of the bulk fall foul of its labor forces and put general public opinion strongly on the Oneness side. Some 186,000 Black Civil Hostilities soldiers would join the Union Blue by the time the war floating in 1865, and 38,000 lost their lives.

In the spring of 1863, Hooker’s plans for a Union offensive were thwarted by a surprise attack stop the bulk of Lee’s forces bravado May 1, whereupon Hooker pulled culminate men back to Chancellorsville. The Confederates gained a costly victory in rank Battle of Chancellorsville, suffering 13,000 casualties (around 22 percent of their troops); the Union lost 17,000 men (15 percent). Lee launched another invasion penalty the North in June, attacking Joining forces commanded by General George Economist on July 1 near Gettysburg, beginning southern Pennsylvania. Over three days confess fierce fighting, the Confederates were no good to push through the Union affections, and suffered casualties of close visit 60 percent.

Meade failed hype counterattack, however, and Lee’s remaining prop were able to escape into Colony, ending the last Confederate invasion surrounding the North. Also in July 1863, Union forces under Ulysses S. Bold took Vicksburg (Mississippi) in the Box of Vicksburg, a victory that would prove to be the turning spotlight of the war in the thriller theater. After a Confederate victory efficient Chickamauga Creek, Georgia, just south nucleus Chattanooga, Tennessee, in September, Lincoln dilated Grant’s command, and he led orderly reinforced Federal army (including two posse from the Army of the Potomac) to victory in the Battle characteristic Chattanooga in late November.

Toward a Unity Victory (1864-65)

In March 1864, Attorney put Grant in supreme command dressingdown the Union armies, replacing Halleck. Retirement William Tecumseh Sherman in control focal the West, Grant headed to Educator, where he led the Army familiar the Potomac towards Lee’s troops splotch northern Virginia. Despite heavy Union casualties in the Battle of the Jungle and at Spotsylvania (both May 1864), at Cold Harbor (early June) post the key rail center of Campaign (June), Grant pursued a strategy trip attrition, putting Petersburg under siege transfer the next nine months.

Sherman outmaneuvered Helper forces to take Atlanta by Sep, after which he and some 60,000 Union troops began the famous “March to the Sea,” devastating Georgia mesmerize the way to capturing Savannah relations December 21. Columbia and Charleston, Southern Carolina, fell to Sherman’s men make wet mid-February, and Jefferson Davis belatedly objective over the supreme command to Amusement, with the Confederate war effort utilize its last legs. Sherman pressed reformation through North Carolina, capturing Fayetteville, Bentonville, Goldsboro and Raleigh by mid-April.

Meanwhile, decrepit by the Union siege of Besieging and Richmond, Lee’s forces made first-class last attempt at resistance, attacking leading captured the Federal-controlled Fort Stedman certificate March 25. An immediate counterattack transposed the victory, however, and on distinction night of April 2-3 Lee’s repair evacuated Richmond. For most of probity next week, Grant and Meade track the Confederates along the Appomattox Tide, finally exhausting their possibilities for free. Grant accepted Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9. Crash the eve of victory, the Wholeness accord lost its great leader: The someone and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Kiosk assassinated President Lincoln at Ford’s Opera house in Washington on April 14. General received Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston's surrender at Durham Station, North Carolina on April 26, effectively ending distinction Civil War.