The American Civil War. Why was the American Civil War fought?

The American Civil War

Why was the American Civil War fought?

• "My paramount objective in this struggle is to save the union, and it is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that." – Abraham Lincoln

•Reasons for the war included, but were not limited to:•State’s Rights•Cultural Differences•Slavery•Economic Issues and Tariffs

Sectionalism

•In a political context, sectionalism is loyalty to the interests of one's own region or section of the country, rather than the nation as a whole.

•an exaggerated devotion to the interests of a region

What is a “Civil War”?

•A civil war is a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country

If it helps to remember…

When was the American Civil war fought?

• The American Civil War began on April 12, 1861, when the Confederate troops in South Carolina opened fire on Fort Sumter.

• The American Civil War ended on April 9, 1865, when Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union general Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.

Who fought in the American

Civil War?

•The North, OR:•Union•Yankee•Blue

•The South, OR:•Confederate•Rebels•Gray

•The Union=President Abraham Lincoln

•Confederacy=President Jefferson Davis.

Abraham Lincoln

Jefferson Davis

Northern Advantages

• 3x the population• 3x the army size• Most railroads• Most industry• Most weapons• Most money• Establish

government

Southern Advantages

• Defending their home

• Knew their states well

• Great Generals and leaders

• 2x the farms.

Comparing the North and South

Who fought for the North, and who fought for

the South?

• The North consisted of:• Maine (ME)• New Hampshire (NH)• Vermont (VT)• Massachusetts (MA)• Rhode Island (R

I)• Connecticut (CT)• Pennsylvania (PA)• New Jersey (NJ)

Ohio (OH)Indiana (IN)

Michigan (MI)Illinois

(IL)Wisconsin (WI)

Iowa (IA)Minnesota (MN)

Kansas (KS)New York (NY)

California (CA)Oregon (OR)

•The South consisted of:•Virginia North Carolina

•Tennessee Arkansas•Texas Georgia•Alabama Mississippi•Louisiana Florida•South Carolina

•Border states, meaning states that had a stake in both sides winning the war, included:•Delaware Maryland•West Virginia Kentucky•Missouri

What is the dividing line between the

North and the South?

• The common dividing line between the North and the South is the Mason-Dixon Line.  The Mason-Dixon Line was originally the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania, later the Ohio river becomes a part of it.

Strategy

How many men fought, and died, in the American

Civil War?

•Approx. 2,160,000 soldiers fought on behalf of the Union army

•Approx. 780,000 soldiers fought on behalf of the Confederate army

•In all, approx. 620,000 Americans died during the war

•About as many American deaths as the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam COMBINED•Approx. 360,000 Union (1/6)•Approx. 260,000 Confederate (1/3)

•Total Casualties were approx. 1,100,000 – Combined battle deaths, disease, wounded, missing in action, and taken prisoner.

• Modern Civil Wars• Civil Wars are not unique to the US.

Currently there are major civil wars raging in parts of India, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Pakistan, Mexico, Israel/Palestine, Yemen, and in Sudan.

• In Somalia alone, the conflict has lasted more than 19 years and has resulted in over 400,000 deaths.