The American Civil War

The American Civil War

Photo by Scott Umstattd on Unsplash

The American Civil War was a conflict between the Union (Northern states) and the Confederacy (Southern states). It is considered one of the most important events in the history of the United States because it decided the future of the nation and ended slavery.

The tensions between the two sides arose due to certain conflicts. The northern states were industrially developed, while the southern were into cotton farming. As time passed, both regions developed distinct beliefs regarding the economy.

Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, and Mississippi were slave states.

Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Ohio were free states, where slavery was illegal.

“Slavery is defined here as the enslaved people who were made to work at farms and treated as property and made to work without pay.”

With the expansion of the United States, new territories were created; the only issue was whether these territories would be free or slave states. Both sides feared losing power.

The government tried to reduce tensions, though it only worsened the situation. In 1860, elections were held. Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the North and Jefferson Davis of the South.

Firstly, Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter; the Union gave a response, and as a result, the war began.

Early in the war, the Confederacy won several battles. The Battle of Antietam gave the Union an important victory.

The Battle of Gettysburg (1863) stopped a Confederate invasion of the North and became a major turning point. The Battle of Vicksburg gave the Union control of the Mississippi River.

The North had more soldiers, factories, railroads, and resources. Gradually, Union forces gained the advantage and weakened the Confederacy. The Union preserved the states and gave an end to slavery. Slavery was completely abolished through the 13th Amendment.

This war continued for four years (1861–1865); slavery was abolished in the end, and the United States remained united at the end.