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Civil War
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Election of 1860
It was the result of the election of 1860 that was the final cause to Southern secession. Abraham Licoln, a man who saw slavery as unjust, and opposed in every way the expansion of it, was seen by the South as a threat to their economy and their way of life. Abraham Licoln of the Republican party was running against Deomcrat John C. Breckenridge. Licoln and the Republicans stood against the expansion of slavery, and supported protective tariffs and internal improvements. -
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was a general of the Confederate army. A veteran of the Mexican American war, he had very good military tactics. He led the Confederates to victory several times, including at the Battle of Bull Run. He was severely injured in the Battle of Chancellorsville, and after having his arm amputated, got pneumonia and soon passed away. -
Robert E. Lee
Confederate General Robert E. Lee was the commader of the South's eastern forces. Because of his successful experience as a United States Army Officer, he was personally invited by Licoln to serve as a general in the Union, but being a Virginian, though he disagreed with their secession, he decided to defend his state and serve in the Confederacy. Though his amazing military tactics won them the first block of the war, the lack of supplies caused their downfall and eventual loss to the Union. -
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter, located in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, was still held by federal troops, but located in a seceded state. The southerners controlling the harbor had put the Fort in a siege, and there was no way for the troops there to get supplies. Licoln, not wanting to be the "aggressor", sends down supplies and troops, asking to get through, and the South attacks, thus starting the war. After two days, the Fort was recaptured by the North. -
Ulysses S. Grant
When Abraham Licoln called for someone to help train and drill the militia, (the volunteer army), Ulysses S. Grant jumped to the job and immediately began to train them. He left after a month, but was commissioned soon afterwards when his men began to ask for him. He was a very succsessful general in the civil war. -
Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Bull Run, the first major battle of the civil war, occurred near Bull Run Creek in Manassas Junction, Virginia, where 30,000 federal troops marched to attack Confederate troops. It looked as if the union were about to take victory, when suddenly confederate reinforcements counterattacked and sent the union away in surrender. This battle gave the illusion that the confederates were indestructible. -
Battle of Antietam
After a victory at Bull Run, Lee led his army into enemy territory in Maryland, hoping that a victory in the North would gain British support and help. Unfortunately for the South, their military plans had been dropped by an officer, revealing them to the Union. Although the Union got the victory in this battle, the cost was still much. Both sides combined lost a total of 23,000 lives in just one day. It was the bloodiest one-day battle in American History. -
George McClellan
General George McClellan helped the Union troops be organized and trained up for the battles. He took very long to do this though, and greatly tested Licoln's patience. The army finally invaded Virginia in March 1862, but were defeated by the brilliant tactics of the Confederate army. McClellan and his army were forced to retreat after five months, and was replaced by General John Pope. -
Winfield Scott and the Anaconda Plan
Union General-in-Chief Winfield Scott came up with the Anaconda Plan in 1861. It was composed of three parts; to divide confederacy by taking control of the Mississippi River, to raise and train an army of 500,000 to take to Richmond, and to blockade the southern ports, thereby cutting off their essential supplies. This plan was essential to the Union's victory in the civil war. -
Monitor and Merrimack
The battle of Monitor and Merrimack was the first battle between ironclad warships. The Confederacy had the first warship, called the CSS Virginia. Virginia destroyed 2 ships in one day, and threatened the USS Minnesota. The Virginia took a break for repair to minimal damage, and by the next morning,the ironclad USS Monitor had arrived as her competitor. They fought for three hours, and after not making damage, they went to their bases on defensive mode.Neither side won. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg lasted from December 11th through the 15th. The Union army, though much larger, suffered a brutal defeat. More than 1,000 of their soldiers were killed, and more than 10,000 men were either captured, MIA, or wounded. The Confederacy took very defensive postions, and had much better military tactics than the Union. The confederacy won this battle. -
Emancipation Proclomation
The Emancipation Proclamation was a document declaring all of the slaves in the rebel states (the conferderacy) free. This changed the meaning of the war; they were no longer just fighting for who had the right to rule, but for the emancipation of slaves. This ensured that neither the British nor the French, who were both anti-slavery, would help the South. -
Battle of Gettysburg
On July 1st, the southern army led by Robert E. Lee invaded Gettysburg, Pensylvania. The resulting battle was the bloodiest, with 50,000 casualties, and one of the most important.