In the heat of battle, against her own people, America fights the most destructive war to the country, which killed more of her own lives than any other war in history. The United States, not nearly as united as before, started splitting in two when in 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union, quickly followed by other Southern states, forming the 11th state, the Confederacy. Since the Southern states used agriculture done by slaves as their economy, when Northern states started opposing slavery’s extension into the West, the Southerners feared they would lose their main money source. The Confederacy was “founded upon the truth that the Negro does not equal the white man” (The Civil War). Lincoln did not want to start a war with his own …show more content…
The Army of the Potomac was the largest Union Army in the Civil War, and it fought in many important battles (“Army Of The Potomac”). The Confederate cavalry was said to have given three options when being faced- run, surrender, or die. The Federal cavalry knew they had to improve their unequipped and unorganized fighting force if they were ever going to get a chance to claim victory. Hooker’s ultimate goal was to crush Robert E. Lee in battle, so he took the cavalry, reformed it, and made it a new force of over 2,000 men, which “acted as a single body” ("The Battle of Kelly's Ford Summary & Facts"). This was the largest cavalry force to be put together by a lone commander up to that point. Control of this force was given to Averell. With this new army, they would have a chance to change the course of the war in their favor. After the renovation, Hooker wanted a place to test his new brigade and turn the tables on the Confederates, so he chose Fitzhugh Lee’s fort at Kelly's’ Ford on the Rappahannock River. He figured he could show the Confederates how good the Unions can be if they are organized. Now that the battle was set in place, the real course-changing fight could
The American Civil War has become a point of controversy and argument when discussing key events in shaping America. The arguments that arise when discussing the war tend to focus on whether the Confederate was constitutionally justified in seceding, or whether the North had the right to prevent the secession. However, when discussing the America Civil War and the idea of separation, it is important to be mindful that separation did not simply end at the state level. Letters written by Jesse Rolston, Jr. and Jedediah Hotchkiss portray two significantly different attitudes toward the war, despite the fact that the writers both fought for the Confederate States and give accounts of the same battle, one of which ended in the Confederate’s favor. When examining the documents, both writers express different viewpoints on life on and off the battlefield. This significant difference represents a division amongst the Confederate army.
bloody and costly years for both sides we come to the date of July 1,
From 1861 to 1865, the United States of America was fighting itself. The northern part of the United States, known as the Union or simply the North, was trying to end slavery in the southern part of the United States. The South seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. The North consisted of Maine, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, California, Nevada, and Oregon. The South consisted of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. The North wanted slavery to be abolished, but the South needed slaves for their economy; the conflict started war. The North and the South were both prepared for war.
No other war seems to hold our focus like the Civil War. Scholars have chosen to make it their life's work, authors have written reams about it, and we all feel some kind of connection to the Civil War. This paper was created to highlight some of the major battles that took place during that conflict. Major battles usually marked a drastic change in the momentum from one side to the other or led to massive losses of troops. These battles and their results all played a huge part in the outcome of the war.
The Battle of Gettysburg was the most decisive battle for the North, and it lasted for a total of three days. It began on July 1 and ended on July 3, 1863. The Confederacy was going on the offensive and was beginning to venture into Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington D.C. They encountered Union troops as they advanced towards Harrisburg where they planned to cut off Union supply lines and to steal provisions that they needed. The Battle of Gettysburg became the bloodiest multi-day battle ever fought in United States history. At the end of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Union claimed victory, and they would use this psychological advantage throughout the rest of the Civil War.
Many historians have tried to offer their ideology on the outcome of the Civil War. McPherson in his “American Victory, American Defeat” writes about what other historians have decreed their answers to why the Confederacy lost. He tells us the reasons that could not be the explanation for the loss, and explains the internal reasons but leaves the true cause of the loss untold. Freehling explains the defeat by discussing what could have been and then gives reasons to negate some of the cases that he states for the outcome of the Confederacy. Both McPherson and Freehling both agreed that there were other factors besides battles that needed to be looked at.
When a self-proclaimed white supremist gunned down 9 members of a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, last week, more than just racial violence once again entered the national spotlight. Among those slain was the church's beloved pastor, Clementa Pinckney. Pinckney was also a Democratic state senator who served as such since 2000.
Tensions began to grow between the North and the South over several issues as the United States was spreading to the west. Westward expansion only made matters worse because Southern states wanted slavery to spread. In comparison, more and more people in the North started to look down upon slavery and did not want it to expand westward. As tensions grew, some Southern states decided to secede from the United States and form their independent nation called the Confederate States of America (Hillstrom 3). These internal problems were all leading causes of the Civil War. The Civil War lasted from 1861 and ended in 1865, and resulted in more than 620,000 deaths, with millions of others severely wounded (“American Civil War” 1). During the Civil
Confederate States of America, the name adopted by the federation of 11 slave holding Southern states of the United States that seceded from the Union and were arrayed against the national government during the American Civil War.
"Don't kneel to me. You must kneel to God only, and thank him for the liberty you will enjoy hereafter" (Brinkley 414). President Abraham Lincoln spoke these words to a former slave that kneeled before him while walking the streets of the abandoned Confederate capitol of Richmond in 1865. Although there are several different questions of why the North won the Civil War, factors involving manpower, economy, military tactics and leadership, and presidential leadership, are all parts of a puzzle historians have tried to put together for years. I believe that these four factors should prove to be the most powerful reasons for the Union's destruction of the Confederate States of America. The presidential leadership of Lincoln will be
In 1861, the American Civil War commenced after many years of tension building between the Northern and Southern states. The main reason of the tension was said to be the debate of slavery between the North and South, and although some documents support this claim, it is false. The war had been brewing since 1607, before slavery was even introduced to the colonies that would become the United States of America. The debate of slavery did play a major part in the civil war; however it did so in supporting the true cause of the civil war. The main cause of the American Civil War was not the debate of slavery, but rather Europe’s role in the American economy.
By the time he had replaced Hooker with General George G. Meade, the gap between the two armies had already become dangerously small. By then, only one small town stood between them and it seemed as if every road in the area led to it. On July 1, 1863, a division of Confederate infantry marched to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in hopes of seizing a supply of desperately needed shoes for the ill-shod, sore-footed infantry of the Army of Northern Virginia. Much to their surprise, however, a division of Union cavalry, who had reached the town only a few hours earlier, had dismounted and was awaiting their arrival on the northwest side of town. Fierce fighting broke out as the Confederates slowly pushed their opponent back through the town itself and into the highlands to the south. That night, thousands of troops from both sides were rushed to the vicinity of Gettysburg and by morning there were over 100,000 soldiers in position there. The Battle of Gettysburg had begun, and it would soon prove to be one of the most pivotal battles of the entire war.
1863 a series of battles were fought between the Confederate army and the Union Army. Battles such as: Gettysburg, Viscksburg, Battery Wagner, Chickamauga Creek, and Chattanooga. Along with these battles the Gettysburg Address was presented, the role of women was noticed, and riots in New York broke out. Many say that these battles were the turning point of the U.S. Civil War. General Robert E. Lee, from the south and George G. Meade from the north lead their troops. On July 4th Robert E. Lee surrendered to the north, and the south was defeated.
In the Civil War the North had many advantages over the South. The South was outnumbered, out supplied, and pushed into a corner using military tactics. Many things changed because of the Civil War. The military tactics used by the North changed how war was fought from then on. Many changes were made politically; some were only temporary, while others were permanent. After the war was over, the country was reunited and the image of the soul and duty of our country redefined.
The Civil War, often called the War for Southern Independence began on April 12, 1861. The main cause of the war was slavery. The southern states depended on slaves to help grow crops which were the main source of income for the south. Slavery was illegal in all of the northern states but most people actually were neutral about it. The main conflict was if slavery should be permitted in the newly developing western territories.