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When Abe Lincoln, an opponent of slavery, was elected president, South Carolina threatened to leave the Union. Creating a state convention, it was voted to secede. Six more states followed-- Mississippi, Florida. Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas. Other states threatened to secede too.
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Shortly after seceding from the Union, southern states created a government. They held a meeting in Montgomery, Alabama and thus, the Confederate Constitution was born. Jefferson Davis was named president of the Confederate Nation.
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When President Buchanan, Lincolns predecessor refused to surrender forts to the Confederate States, the South seized them.
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Lincoln stated at his inauguration, that he didn't plan to end slavery in states that already legally accepted it, but, he wouldn't accept secession.
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When President Lincoln planned to send supplies to Fort Sumter, he notified the state ahead of time so he could avoid hostilities. South Carolina thought they were gonna be tricked, so they demanded Robert Anderson to surrender the fort A.S.A.P. Anderson agreed to surrender, but only after they got supplies. Shots were fired, and the Civil War was spawned.
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The attack on Fort Sumter made four more states to join the Confederacy. Viginia seceded, and Richmond was named the Confederate capital.
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Citizens of the western counties of Virginia didn't wanna secede with the rest of the state. This part of Virginia was admitted into the Union as the state of West Virginia on June 20, 1861.
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Despite their acceptance of slavery, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri did not join the Confederacy. Although divided in their loyalties, a combination of political maneuvering and Union military pressure kept these states from seceding.
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After being notified of a protracted war and the army's need of organization and training, Lincoln replaced McDowell with Gen. McClellen. Not too long after, a blockade was finally able to be posted on the Confederate coast.
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By public demand, General-in-Cheif Winfeild Scott was pushed to advance south, before he had to train his untried troops. Scott told Gen. McDowell to get ahead of Confederate troops stationed at Manassas Junction in Virginia. McDowell attacked on July 21, and was pretty much successful, but the oncome of Confederate troops resulted in a Southern win and a giddy up retreat toward Washington by federal soldiers
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in late January, President Lincoln issued a war order authorizing the Union to unite and take aggressive action against the Confederacy. Gen. McClellan ignored his command. In early March, President Lincoln, impatient with General McClellan's inactivity, issued an order regrouping the Army of Virginia and relieving McClellan of total command. McClellan was given authority over the army of the Potomac, and ordered to attack Richmond. This marked the start of the "Peninsular Campaign".
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In early April, Confederate troops attacked Union forces under Gen. Grant at Shiloh, Tennessee. By the end of the day, the federal troops were almost defeated. But, during the night, more troops arrived, and by the next morning the Union took over the field. When Confederate forces retreated, the out weighed federal forces did not follow. Casualties were heavy. 13,000 out of 63,000 Union soldiers died, and 11,000 of 40,000 Confederate troops were killed.
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Skipping ahead a bit....In an effort to win-over the slave border states., Lincoln resisted the demands of Republicans for complete deletion. But, some Union generals, such as Gen. Butler, declared slaves escaping to the state lines "contraband of war," not to be given back to their owners. Other generals decreed that the slaves of men fighting against the Union were to be pretty much free. Rules later stated that Confederate slaves could be free too. Thus, the Emancipation Proclomation was born
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Gen. Grant continued to attack Lee. At Spotsylvania Court House, they fought for nearly a week. Grant promised that he would fight all summer if that's what it took!
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The Republicans nominated President Lincoln to represtent them in the election, and Andrew Johnson for V.P. The Democrats chose Gen. McClellan for president, and Mr. Pendleton for V.P. At one point, war-weariness in the North made a win for Lincoln seem hard to do. However, Sherman's victory in Atlanta boosted Lincoln's popularity and helped him win re-election by a wide margin.
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Transportation issues and blockades caused severe shortages of food and supplies in the South. Starved soldiers began to leave Lee's forces. President Davis approved of arming slaves for the troops, but it never really went into effect.
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Gen. Lee's troops were soon surrounded, and on April 7, Grant called upon Lee to surrender. On April 9, the two commanders met at Appomatox Courthouse, and agreed on terms of surrender.
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Just a week after the great commanders agreed on surrender, Abraham Lincoln was killed. While watching a play at Ford Theatre ("Our American Cousin") He was fatally shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth. On the 15th, Lincoln died. Booth was found in Virginia and was shot by a Union soldier and killed.
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Q:What is the Emancipation Proclamation?
A: A documented law that illegalized Slavery
Q: Who was the Confederate President?
A: Jefferson Davis
Q: How was West Virginia created?
A: People in the western part of Virginia didn't want to secede, thus they made West Virginia! -
Remaining Confederate forces were defeated between April and May 1865. Jefferson Davis was captured May 10th.
