American Civil War

Definition of Civil War

• A civil war is defined as a conflict in which people within the same country engage in warfare against each other.

Overview of the American Civil War

• The American Civil War occurred during the 1860s.

• It was a conflict between the Northern states (the Union) and the Southern states (the Confederacy).

• Fundamental disagreement:
    - North: Opposed slavery.
    - South: Relied on slavery for labor, particularly in agriculture (notably cotton farms).

Context of the United States in the 1860s

• At the time of the Civil War, the United States consisted of 34 states.

• Breakdown of states:
    - Northern States: 19 free states.
    - Southern States: 15 slave states.

Expansion of the United States

• The U.S. was actively expanding westward.

• Settlers moved west, leading to the formation of new states.

• North's Position: Wanted new states to be free states.

• South's Position: Wanted new states to permit slavery.

Economic Differences Between North and South

• Southern Economy:
    - Relied heavily on enslaved African Americans for labor.
    - Cotton plantations drove economic growth in the South.

• Northern Economy:
    - Based more on manufacturing and smaller farms.
    - Utilized paid laborers instead of slaves.

The Missouri Compromise (1819)

• In 1819, Congress faced the decision of whether Missouri could join the Union as a slave state.

• Northern opposition emerged against Missouri's statehood as a slave state.

• The compromise reached involved:
    - Missouri was admitted as a slave state.
    - Maine was admitted concurrently as a free state.

• This compromise aimed to maintain political balance in Congress between slave and free states.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

• Established two new territories: Kansas and Nebraska.

• Allowed settlers in these territories to decide whether to allow slavery or be free.

• Resulted in violent conflicts known as “Bleeding Kansas” as pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions fought for control.

Election of Abraham Lincoln (1860)

• Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860.

• Lincoln held an anti-slavery stance, which alarmed the Southern states.

• Southern fears: Lincoln’s presidency could lead to the outlawing of slavery.

• Reaction: Southern states began to withdraw from the Union and formed the Confederacy.

The Union and Confederacy

• Union: States that remained loyal to the United States during the Civil War.

• Confederacy: States that seceded from the Union and formed their own government.

Timeline of the Civil War

• War officially broke out in 1861 and lasted until 1865.

• The conflict concluded with the defeat of Confederate troops by Union forces.

Aftermath of the Civil War

• Following the war, slavery was officially outlawed in all states joining the United States.

• Gradually, all Southern states were reintegrated into the Union, contributing to the formation of the United States as it exists today.