Though slavery was an issue of the Civil War, it really wasn't the only one. The election of Abraham Lincoln and the issue of slavery in the
territories spurred on the conflict. The Southern States feared a loss of control in the federal government, and the Northern states thought
they didn't have any control at all. The South was worried that a constitutional amendment would be passed abolishing slavery once Lincoln was
elected.
In December of 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union, and by the 10th of January, 1861, six more states pulled out of the Union.
When the South attacked Fort Sumter April 12, 1861. The war had begun. President Lincoln ordered the states to supply 75,000 troops to serve for
90 days Three more states seceded, and it was to last much longer than 90 days.
Diplomacy Attempted
A series of compromises were made leading up to the secession. Some of which were the Missouri Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and
finally, the Crittenden Compromise. It would extend the line from the Missouri Compromise all the way to the Pacific, allowing slavery in
the states south of that line. A Peace Convention was proposed by Virginia, but poorly attended. It the last effort to avoid war.
Main Events
There were several key battles in the Civil War beginning with the attack on Fort Sumter. Keep in mind that the Confederacy was able to
occupy many federal buildings and take over Fort Sumter due to it actually being in Southern jurisdiction. The Battles of Vicksburg and Gettysburg have both been cited as the turning points of the war. By winning Vicksburg, the North divided the South into two sections, and
Gettysburg was the first major defeat by General Lee. The surrender of Lee to Grant at Appomattox signaled the war's end. |
