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<div id="attachment_30490"><p><a href="https://photos.legendsofamerica.com/georgiaplaces/e442a6e20"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-30490" title="Battle of Atlanta, Georgia by Kurz & Allison, 1888." src="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Battle-of-Atlanta-Death-of-GenJames-B.-McPhersonJuly-22d-1864Kurz-Allison1888.jpg" alt="Battle of Atlanta, Georgia by Kurz & Allison, 1888." width="800" height="215" srcset="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Battle-of-Atlanta-Death-of-GenJames-B.-McPhersonJuly-22d-1864Kurz-Allison1888.jpg 900w, https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Battle-of-Atlanta-Death-of-GenJames-B.-McPhersonJuly-22d-1864Kurz-Allison1888-300x81.jpg 300w, https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Battle-of-Atlanta-Death-of-GenJames-B.-McPhersonJuly-22d-1864Kurz-Allison1888-768x207.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"></a></p><p id="caption-attachment-30490">Battle of Atlanta, Georgia by Kurz & Allison, 1888.</p></div>
<h6><span><em><strong> </strong></em></span><span><em><strong>We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.</strong></em></span></h6>
<h6><span><strong> â Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863, The Gettysburg Address</strong></span></h6>
<div>
<p>From 1861 to 1865, the United States was torn apart by the Civil War, primarily by the issue of <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/ah-slavery/">slavery</a>. Though many disagreements between the North and South had been brewing since the <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/american-revolution/"> American Revolution</a> ended in 1782, the crisis began to come to a head in the 1850s. It was at this time that northern factions feared that those supporting slavery had too much control in government, and the South feared losing that control to anti-slavery forces. Other issues included statesâ rights vs. federal power, the economic merits of free labor vs. slave labor, expansionism, modernization, and taxes.</p>
<p>Adding fuel to the fire was the nationâs growth westward. As new territories such as <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/kansas/">Kansas</a> and <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/nebraska/">Nebraska</a> were added, the Southern factions felt that slavery should be allowed in these new territories, while the â<a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/free-state-kansas/">Free Soiler</a><span><a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/free-state-kansas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">â</a></span> was set against it. This led to open warfare between Kansas and <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/missouri/">Missouri</a>, generally referred to in history as â<a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/ks-bleedingkansas/">Bleeding Kansas</a>.â One of the many precursors to the Civil War, these battles pitted neighbor against neighbor.</p>
<p>This dispute over the expansion of slavery into the new territories and <span><a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/ah-abrahamlincoln/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Abraham Lincolnâs election</a></span> as president on November 6, 1860, finally led to the secession of eleven Southern states. Though Lincoln did not propose federal laws making slavery unlawful where it already existed, his sentiments regarding a âdivided nationâ were well known.</p>
<p>On December 20, 1860, <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/destinations/#South%20Carolina">South Carolina</a> was the first state to secede from the <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/ah-unioncivilwar/">Union</a>, and within two months, <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/ms-civilwarbattles/">Mississippi</a>, <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/fl-civilwarbattles/">Florida</a>, <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/alabama/">Alabama</a>, <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/georgia/">Georgia</a>, <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/louisiana/">Louisiana</a>, and <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/texas/">Texas</a> followed. On February 9, 1861, the <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/ah-confederatestates/%20">Confederate States of America</a> States of America was formed with President <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/ah-jeffersondavis/">Jefferson Davis</a> at its helm.</p>
<p>Fighting began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces attacked a Federal military installation at <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/sc-fortsumter/">Fort Sumter</a> in South Carolina.</p>
<div id="attachment_35623"><p><a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/BombingFortSumpter.jpg"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-35623" src="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/BombingFortSumpter-259x300.jpg" alt="Fort Sumter, South Carolina is bombed by the Confederates while the people of Charleston look on." width="259" height="300" srcset="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/BombingFortSumpter-259x300.jpg 259w, https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/BombingFortSumpter.jpg 518w" sizes="(max-width: 259px) 100vw, 259px"></a></p><p id="caption-attachment-35623">Fort Sumter, South Carolina, is bombed by the Confederates while the people of Charleston look on.</p></div>
<p>In the beginning, most believed that the war would be short-lived, but the North underestimated the determination of the South to remain independent. The battles raged over four long years, with some three million men fighting for their cause and resulting in the loss of some 620,000 lives. <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/ah-robertlee/">Confederate General Robert E. Lee</a>, after being forced to abandon the Confederate capital of Richmond, surrendered at <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/appomattox-court-house/">Appomattox</a>, <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/virginia/">Virginia</a>, on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the Civil War. However, small sporadic battles would occur months later.</p>
<p>In the end, the <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/ah-unioncivilwar/">Union</a> prevailed, resulting in the restoration of the United States and the end of slavery.</p>
<div id="attachment_3845"><p><a href="https://photos.legendsofamerica.com/patriotic/h240d6d68#h240d6d68"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3845" src="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Our-heaven-born-banner-painted-by-Wm.-Bauly-1861-500-300x203.jpg" alt="Our heaven born banner painted by Wm. Bauly, 1861" width="300" height="203" srcset="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Our-heaven-born-banner-painted-by-Wm.-Bauly-1861-500-300x203.jpg 300w, https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Our-heaven-born-banner-painted-by-Wm.-Bauly-1861-500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px"></a></p><p id="caption-attachment-3845">Our heaven-born banner painted by William Bauly, 1861.</p></div>
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<h5><span><strong><em>A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved â I do not expect the house to fall â but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. </em></strong></span></h5>
<h5><span><strong><em> â Abraham Lincoln in his acceptance speech for the Republican State Senatorial nomination on June 16, 1858.</em></strong></span></h5>
<div id="attachment_41641"><p><a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ShipsCivilWarHenryBill1862.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41641" src="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ShipsCivilWarHenryBill1862-300x178.jpg" alt="Civil War Ships by Henry Bill, 1862." width="300" height="178" srcset="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ShipsCivilWarHenryBill1862-300x178.jpg 300w, https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ShipsCivilWarHenryBill1862.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px"></a></p><p id="caption-attachment-41641">Civil War Ships by Henry Bill, 1862.</p></div>
<p>Compiled and edited by <a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/about-us/">Kathy Alexander</a>/<a href="https://www.legendsofamerica.com">Legends of America</a>, updated January 2025.</p>
<p><strong>Also See:</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/african-american-history-united-states/">African American History in the United States</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/american-history/">American History</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/soldier-list/">Soldiers & Officers in American History</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/war-military/">War & Military in the United States</a></p>
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<article id="post-3841">
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<p>
<a href="https://photos.legendsofamerica.com/georgiaplaces/e442a6e20">
<img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-30490"
title="Battle of Atlanta, Georgia by Kurz & Allison, 1888."
src="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Battle-of-Atlanta-Death-of-GenJames-B.-McPhersonJuly-22d-1864Kurz-Allison1888.jpg"
alt="Battle of Atlanta, Georgia by Kurz & Allison, 1888." width="800" height="215"
srcset="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Battle-of-Atlanta-Death-of-GenJames-B.-McPhersonJuly-22d-1864Kurz-Allison1888.jpg 900w, https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Battle-of-Atlanta-Death-of-GenJames-B.-McPhersonJuly-22d-1864Kurz-Allison1888-300x81.jpg 300w, https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Battle-of-Atlanta-Death-of-GenJames-B.-McPhersonJuly-22d-1864Kurz-Allison1888-768x207.jpg 768w"
sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px">
</a>
</p>
<p id="caption-attachment-30490">Battle of Atlanta, Georgia by Kurz & Allison, 1888.</p>
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<h6>
<span>
<em>
</em>
</span>
<span>
<em>
We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall
have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall
not perish from the earth.
</em>
</span>
</h6>
<h6>
<span>
<strong>
â Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863, The Gettysburg Address
</strong>
</span>
</h6>
<div>
<h1>The Civil War</h1>
<p>The period between 1861 and 1865 witnessed a profound and devastating chapter in American history: **The
Civil War**. This internal conflict pitted the United States of America against the Confederate
States of America, a coalition of eleven Southern states that had declared their secession from the Union.
At the heart of this tumultuous period lay the deeply divisive issue of slavery, a moral and economic
controversy that had simmered for decades, ultimately erupting into open warfare. Beyond slavery, a
complex web of factors contributed to the conflict, including disputes over states' rights versus federal
authority, the economic disparity between the industrialized North and the agrarian South, and the
ideological clash between modernization and traditionalism.</p>
<p>The roots of **The Civil War** can be traced back to the early years of the nation, with tensions steadily
escalating in the decades leading up to the outbreak of hostilities. The economic reliance of the South
on enslaved labor created a system fundamentally at odds with the North's burgeoning industrial economy
and its growing abolitionist movement. The expansion of the United States westward further exacerbated
these tensions, as the question of whether new territories would be admitted as slave states or free
states became a central point of contention. This struggle played out dramatically in the territories of
Kansas and Nebraska, where pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions clashed violently in a prelude to the
larger conflict, a period known as "Bleeding Kansas."</p>
<p>The election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States in November 1860 proved to be the
catalyst that triggered the secession crisis. Although Lincoln's platform did not advocate for the
immediate abolition of slavery in states where it already existed, his opposition to the expansion of
slavery into new territories was perceived as a direct threat to the Southern way of life. The South
feared that Lincoln's administration would ultimately undermine the institution of slavery and erode their
political and economic power. As a result, South Carolina led the way, declaring its secession from the
Union on December 20, 1860, setting in motion a chain of events that would plunge the nation into a
bloody and transformative conflict. The shadow of **The Civil War** was looming large.</p>
<p>The secession of South Carolina was quickly followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana,
and Texas. These states, united by their shared commitment to preserving slavery and their belief in
states' rights, convened in Montgomery, Alabama, in February 1861 to form the Confederate States of
America. Jefferson Davis, a former U.S. Senator and Secretary of War, was chosen as the President of the
Confederacy, solidifying the South's determination to establish itself as an independent nation. The
formation of the Confederacy marked a decisive break with the United States and set the stage for the
inevitable clash of arms. The very fabric of the nation was being torn apart by **The Civil War**.</p>
<p>The first shots of **The Civil War** were fired on April 12, 1861, at Fort Sumter, a United States military
installation located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. Confederate forces, under the command of
General P.G.T. Beauregard, bombarded the fort, which was defended by a small garrison of Union soldiers
under Major Robert Anderson. After a 34-hour bombardment, Anderson was forced to surrender, marking the
official beginning of the war. The attack on Fort Sumter ignited a wave of patriotic fervor in both the
North and the South, as men rushed to enlist in the armies of their respective sides, eager to defend
their beliefs and their way of life. This single act plunged the nation into a protracted and brutal
conflict.</p>
<div id="attachment_35623">
<p>
<a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/BombingFortSumpter.jpg">
<img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-35623"
src="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/BombingFortSumpter-259x300.jpg"
alt="Fort Sumter, South Carolina is bombed by the Confederates while the people of Charleston look on."
width="259" height="300"
srcset="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/BombingFortSumpter-259x300.jpg 259w, https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/BombingFortSumpter.jpg 518w"
sizes="(max-width: 259px) 100vw, 259px">
</a>
</p>
<p id="caption-attachment-35623">Fort Sumter, South Carolina, is bombed by the Confederates while the
people of Charleston look on.</p>
</div>
<p>Initially, many on both sides believed that the war would be a short and decisive affair. However, the
North underestimated the South's unwavering commitment to independence and its military prowess, while the
South underestimated the North's industrial capacity and its vast manpower reserves. The war dragged on
for four long and bloody years, characterized by intense battles, strategic maneuvering, and immense
suffering on both sides. It is estimated that over three million men fought in the war, and the conflict
resulted in the deaths of approximately 620,000 soldiers, making it one of the deadliest wars in American
history. The scars of **The Civil War** ran deep, leaving an enduring legacy on the nation's landscape
and its collective psyche.</p>
<p>The tide of the war gradually turned in favor of the Union, due in large part to its superior resources and
its ability to sustain a long and costly conflict. Union forces, under the leadership of generals such as
Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, steadily gained ground, capturing key cities and
territories in the South. In 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all
slaves in Confederate-held territory to be free, transforming the war into a struggle for human
liberation and further galvanizing the Union cause. As the Confederacy's military situation deteriorated,
its economy crumbled, and its social fabric began to unravel. The end of **The Civil War** was
approaching.</p>
<p>The final act of **The Civil War** played out in Virginia in April 1865. Confederate General Robert E.
Lee, after a series of devastating defeats, was forced to abandon the Confederate capital of Richmond and
retreat westward. Pursued relentlessly by Union forces, Lee's army was finally cornered at Appomattox
Court House, where he surrendered to General Grant on April 9, 1865. Lee's surrender effectively ended the
major fighting in the war, although sporadic skirmishes continued for several weeks. The nation breathed a
collective sigh of relief as the long and agonizing conflict finally came to a close. However, the
challenges of Reconstruction and reconciliation lay ahead.</p>
<p>The conclusion of **The Civil War** marked a watershed moment in American history. The Union was preserved,
and the institution of slavery was abolished, forever altering the course of the nation. The war also
resulted in a significant expansion of federal power and a reshaping of the relationship between the
states and the national government. However, the legacy of the war continued to shape American society for
decades to come, as the nation grappled with the challenges of racial equality, economic recovery, and
political reconciliation. The echoes of **The Civil War** continue to resonate in contemporary American
life, reminding us of the enduring power of division and the importance of striving for unity and
justice.</p>
<div id="attachment_3845">
<p>
<a href="https://photos.legendsofamerica.com/patriotic/h240d6d68#h240d6d68">
<img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3845"
src="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Our-heaven-born-banner-painted-by-Wm.-Bauly-1861-500-300x203.jpg"
alt="Our heaven born banner painted by Wm. Bauly, 1861" width="300" height="203"
srcset="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Our-heaven-born-banner-painted-by-Wm.-Bauly-1861-500-300x203.jpg 300w, https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Our-heaven-born-banner-painted-by-Wm.-Bauly-1861-500.jpg 500w"
sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px">
</a>
</p>
<p id="caption-attachment-3845">Our heaven-born banner painted by William Bauly, 1861.</p>
</div>
</div>
<h5>
<span>
<strong>
A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently
half-slave and half-free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved â I do not expect
the house to fall â but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one
thing or all the other.
</strong>
</span>
</h5>
<h5>
<span>
<strong>
â Abraham Lincoln in his acceptance speech for the Republican State Senatorial
nomination on June 16, 1858.
</strong>
</span>
</h5>
<div id="attachment_41641">
<p>
<a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ShipsCivilWarHenryBill1862.jpg">
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41641"
src="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ShipsCivilWarHenryBill1862-300x178.jpg"
alt="Civil War Ships by Henry Bill, 1862." width="300" height="178"
srcset="https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ShipsCivilWarHenryBill1862-300x178.jpg 300w, https://www.nativehistory.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ShipsCivilWarHenryBill1862.jpg 600w"
sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px">
</a>
</p>
<p id="caption-attachment-41641">Civil War Ships by Henry Bill, 1862.</p>
</div>
<p>Compiled and edited by
<a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/about-us/">Kathy Alexander</a>/<a
href="https://www.legendsofamerica.com">Legends of America</a>, updated January 2025.</p>
<p><strong>Also See:</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/african-american-history-united-states/">African American History in
the United States</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/american-history/">American History</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/soldier-list/">Soldiers & Officers in American History</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.nativehistory.info/war-military/">War & Military in the United States</a></p>
</div>
</article>