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From 1861 to 1865, the United States was
torn apart by the Civil War that resulted, primarily, by the issue of
slavery. Though many of the disagreements between the North and South
had been brewing since the American Revolution ended in 1782, the
crisis began to come to a head in the 1850’s. 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
antislavery forces. Other issues at hand included state’s rights
vs. federal power, the economic merits of free labor vs. slave labor,
expansionism, modernization, and taxes.
Adding fuel to the fire was the
nation’s growth westward. As new territories such as
Kansas and
Missouri were added, the Southern factions felt that slavery should be
allowed in these new territories, while the “Free Soilers” were set
against it. This led to open warfare between the two states, generally
referred to in history as “Bleeding Kansas.” One of the many
precursors to the Civil War, these many battles pitted neighbor
against neighbor.
It was this dispute over the expansion
of slavery into the new territories and election of Abraham Lincoln as
president on November 6, 1860 that 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 “divided nation” were well known.
On December 20, 1860, South Carolina
was the first state to secede from the Union and within two months,
Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and
Texas followed.
On February 9, 1861, the Confederate States of America was formed with
President Jefferson Davis at its helm.
Fighting began on April 12, 1861, when
Confederate forces attacked a Federal military installation at Fort
Sumter in South Carolina.
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.
In the end, the Union prevailed resulting
in the restoration of the United States and the end of slavery.
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