The American Civil War – Beginnings...Civil War A civil war is a war between people of the same...
Transcript of The American Civil War – Beginnings...Civil War A civil war is a war between people of the same...
The American Civil War – Beginnings
Presidential election of 1860
In 1860, Stephan Douglas and Abraham Lincoln ran against each other again, this time for president.
Lincoln had become well known from their debates about slavery.
This time, Lincoln won, becoming the 16th president.
Southern States secede As soon as Lincoln won the election, the South
started to secede. This means the South split from the Union. They no longer wanted to be part of the United States.
Supporters of secession based their arguments on the idea of states’ rights. They said they had voluntarily joined the union, so they could leave when they wanted.
Confederate States of America On December 20, 1860, South
Carolina became the first state to secede.
A total of eleven states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America.
They named Jefferson Davis as president.
They wrote a new Constitution which made slavery legal.
Civil War
A civil war is a war between people of the same country.
The American Civil War was fought to keep the South from leaving the Union.
Slavery was the major issue that separated the North from the South.
The Civil War began at Fort Sumter.
Fort Sumter was in the South, and the Union had a hard time defending the fort.
There were 23 states in the Union (North) at the beginning of the war.
There were 11 states in the Confederacy (South) at the beginning of the war.
North’s Advantages
Many more people More factories, which could be used to
make weapons Many more miles of railroad tracks
South’s Advantages
They were fighting at home. This would mean that they would be closer
to their supplies. They also would fight harder because they
were protecting their homes. The Confederacy also had superior
generals and better trained soldiers.
Battle of Bull Run
One of the first battles of the war was the Battle of Bull Run.
The North realized after this battle that the war would not be easy and would not be over soon.
New Weapons Many new weapons were used during the
Civil War. Ironclad ship - ship with iron plates on it to
protect it from cannon fire.
Other new weapons
Deadlier cannons and bullets
More accurate rifles
Battle of Antietam First time the Confederacy invaded
Northern territory Bloodiest battle day in United States
history. 23,000 men lost their lives that day.
The Union army stopped the Confederate army. This “victory” by the Union gave President Lincoln the chance to announce the abolition of slavery in the South.
Declared that all slaves should be set free in the Confederacy.
It also allowed blacks to serve in the Union army and navy.
South ignored the Emancipation Proclamation, but it did change to focus of the war to the issue of slavery.
Emancipation Proclamation
Women in the Civil War
Women on both sides worked during the war. Many became nurses. The most famous nurse from the Union was Clara Barton.
She also helped organize the American Red Cross.
The Confederate army invaded the North once again in the Battle of Gettysburg.
One of the bloodiest battles of the war.
90,000 Union soldiers fought 75,000 Confederate soldiers.
More than 50,000 men were killed or wounded in the battle.
Battle of Gettysburg
The Union won the Battle of Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point of
the war. The Confederacy would never invade Union territory again.
Gettysburg Address After the Battle of Gettysburg, President
Lincoln went to the battlefield to dedicate a cemetery in honor of all those who had died.
Lincoln spoke for two minutes, but his speech became very famous.
It is called the Gettysburg Address.