(❄️) WK6, Day 2 - "Secession: The First Wave / The War Begins & A Second Secession Wave "

February 17, 2025 - Monday

What two important things happened during the Civil War?

slavery ended & 1,000,000+ people died in 4 years

When was the Civil War?

April 1861 - April 1865

When did the first wave of secession occur? How many months was it?

December 20, 1860 - February 1, 1861 (4 months)

How many states seceded from the Union in the first wave? Which ones?

7 states - South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, & Texas

Secession ordinances (reasons why states seceded) occurred at what?

state secession conventions

Why did the states want to secede?

states rights, keeping slavery, & keeping society rooted in white supremacy

When and where did the Confederate States of America (CSA) form?

Mid-February, 1861 in Montgomery, Alabama

Did the CSA have a Congress?

Yes

Who was President of the CSA?

Jefferson Davis

When was President Lincoln inaugurated? What did he know at this time?

March 4, 1861 - he knew he was speaking to two countries & he didn’t want war

When and where were the first shots of the Civil War fired?

April 12-13, 1861 - Fort Sumter, South Carolina

How long was the cannon fight at Fort Sumter? Were there any deaths?

34 hours, no

Who ended up having Fort Sumter after the battle and why?

The Confederacy b/c the Union gave it up

What was President Lincoln’s main concern after the battle at Fort Sumter?

How big will the CSA get?

What was the ratio between the Union states and the Confederate ones after the 1st Secession wave? How many states could possibly secede now?

21 (Union) - 7 (CSA), 8 states

When did the second wave of secession occur?

April 17 - June 8, 1861

How many states seceded in the second wave? Which ones seceded?

4 states - Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, & Tennessee

After the second secession wave, what was the ratio of Union states to Confederate ones?

17 (Union) - 11 (CSA)

Why was Lincoln worried about four border states possibly seceding?

If those 4 border states seceded, there would be 13 Union States and 15 Confederate ones, making it more difficult to win the war

What’s the Union’s main reason for fighting the Civil War from 1861-1862?

To save the Union, not to end slavery

Despite these states owning slaves, which states did the Union want to keep on their side?

Kentucky, Delaware, Missouri, & Maryland

When was the first battle of the Civil War and where did it happen?

July 21, 1861 - Battle of Bull Run

What did Union civilians think the Battle of Bull Run would be like? How long did they think it’d last?

a picnic, no longer than 15 minutes

In the Battle of Bull Run, how many Union soldiers died? How many CSA soldiers died? Why?

2,700 & 1,900 - most soldiers are young, untrained, and unprofessional

What did both sides realize after the Battle of Bull Run?

The Civil War was going to be a long, difficult war.