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<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">
<p id="caption-attachment-30490">Battle of Atlanta, Georgia by Kurz & Allison, 1888.</p>
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<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>
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<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, fueled by deep-seated ideological divisions and socio-economic disparities, pitted the Union against the Confederacy, forever altering the course of the nation. The war's roots were complex, extending far beyond the singular issue of slavery, though that undeniably served as the most potent catalyst. This article explores the key factors that contributed to the outbreak of **The Civil War**, the major events that defined its trajectory, and the lasting consequences that continue to shape the United States today.</p>
<p>The genesis of **The Civil War** can be traced back to the early years of the republic. Even as the Founding Fathers crafted a nation predicated on liberty and equality, the institution of slavery cast a long and troubling shadow. The economic reliance of the Southern states on enslaved labor created a fundamental divergence from the industrialized, free-labor economy of the North. This divergence fostered differing perspectives on states' rights versus federal authority, the economic benefits of slavery versus free labor, westward expansion, modernization, and taxation.</p>
<p>Westward expansion further exacerbated the tensions. As the United States acquired new territories, the question of whether these lands would be designated as "free" or "slave" states became a flashpoint. The Southern states, fearing the erosion of their political power, advocated for the expansion of slavery into these new territories. In contrast, the "Free-Soilers," a coalition of abolitionists and those opposed to the expansion of slavery for economic reasons, vehemently opposed its spread. This conflict manifested violently in territories like Kansas, where pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions engaged in open warfare, a period known as "Bleeding Kansas." This brutal conflict, a microcosm of the larger national struggle, foreshadowed the impending national crisis.</p>
<p>The election of Abraham Lincoln as president in November 1860 proved to be the tipping point. While Lincoln, a Republican, did not advocate for the immediate abolition of slavery in states where it already existed, his stance against its expansion was perceived as a direct threat to the Southern way of life. Lincoln's famous declaration that a "house divided against itself cannot stand" encapsulated the growing sense of irreconcilable differences between the North and South. This divergence would lead to the fracturing of the Union and the beginning of **The Civil War**.</p>
<p>Following Lincoln's election, the Southern states began to secede from the Union, initiating a chain reaction that would culminate in armed conflict. South Carolina was the first to declare its secession on December 20, 1860, followed swiftly by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. These states convened to form the Confederate States of America on February 9, 1861, with Jefferson Davis as its president. The Confederacy established its own government, constitution, and military, effectively creating a separate nation within the borders of the United States. This act of secession was viewed by the Union as an act of rebellion, setting the stage for inevitable conflict.</p>
<p>The first shots of **The Civil War** were fired on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces launched an attack on Fort Sumter, a federal military installation in Charleston, South Carolina. This act of aggression ignited the full-scale conflict that would engulf the nation for the next four years. The bombardment of Fort Sumter galvanized public opinion in both the North and the South, solidifying support for their respective causes.</p>
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<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">
<p id="caption-attachment-35623">Fort Sumter, South Carolina, is bombed by the Confederates while the people of Charleston look on.</p>
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<p>Initially, both sides anticipated a swift resolution to the conflict. However, the war dragged on for four years, characterized by brutal battles and staggering casualties. The North, with its superior industrial capacity and larger population, held a significant advantage in terms of resources and manpower. However, the South possessed strong military leadership, particularly in the figure of General Robert E. Lee, and a fierce determination to defend its way of life. The war witnessed numerous pivotal battles, including Bull Run, Antietam, Gettysburg, and Vicksburg, each contributing to the immense loss of life and the reshaping of the American landscape.</p>
<p>The war's trajectory shifted significantly with the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863. This declaration proclaimed the freedom of enslaved people in Confederate territories, transforming the war into a struggle for human liberation and opening the door for African Americans to enlist in the Union Army. The Emancipation Proclamation not only weakened the Confederacy's labor force but also garnered international support for the Union cause.</p>
<p>After years of intense fighting, the tide of the war turned decisively in favor of the Union. General Ulysses S. Grant's relentless campaigns in the Western Theater and General William T. Sherman's devastating march through Georgia crippled the Confederacy's ability to wage war. The Confederate capital of Richmond fell to Union forces in April 1865, signaling the imminent collapse of the Confederacy.</p>
<p>On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, effectively ending **The Civil War**. The surrender marked the culmination of a long and bloody conflict that had claimed the lives of over 620,000 Americans. While sporadic fighting continued for several months, the surrender at Appomattox signaled the end of organized Confederate resistance.</p>
<p>The Union victory in **The Civil War** had profound and lasting consequences for the United States. The war resulted in the preservation of the Union, the abolition of slavery, and the strengthening of the federal government. The Reconstruction era that followed sought to rebuild the South and integrate formerly enslaved people into American society. However, Reconstruction faced numerous challenges, including widespread resistance from white Southerners, economic hardship, and political corruption. Despite its shortcomings, Reconstruction laid the foundation for the civil rights movement of the 20th century.</p>
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<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">
<p id="caption-attachment-3845">Our heaven-born banner painted by William Bauly, 1861.</p>
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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>
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<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">
<p id="caption-attachment-41641">Civil War Ships by Henry Bill, 1862.</p>
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<p>Compiled and edited by Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated January 2025.</p>
<p><strong>Also See:</strong></p>
<p>African American History in the United States</p>
<p>American History</p>
<p>Soldiers & Officers in American History</p>
<p>War & Military in the United States</p>
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