How Did The Civil War Start

The American Civil War, a pivotal event in the nation's history, was a culmination of decades of tension and disagreement over issues like slavery, states' rights, and economic and cultural differences between the North and South. The conflict began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces fired on Union troops at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. However, the roots of the war were deeply embedded in the complexities of American society and politics long before the first shot was fired.

One of the primary factors leading to the Civil War was the long-standing debate over slavery. The Southern states, which relied heavily on agriculture and thus on slave labor, wanted to protect and expand the institution of slavery, while the Northern states, which were more industrialized and had fewer slaves, wanted to abolish it. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 were attempts to address the issue, but they ultimately failed to resolve the deepening divide. The Dred Scott decision of 1857, which ruled that slaves were not citizens and had no right to sue in court, further polarized the nation.

Causes of the Civil War

The immediate cause of the Civil War was the election of Abraham Lincoln as President in 1860, who was opposed to the expansion of slavery. Before his inauguration, seven Southern states seceded from the Union, citing the threat to their institutions and way of life. These states formed the Confederate States of America, with Jefferson Davis as their president. The Confederacy saw Lincoln’s election as a signal that the North would try to abolish slavery, and they believed that secession was necessary to preserve their rights and institutions.

Secession and the Formation of the Confederacy

The process of secession began in December 1860, when South Carolina became the first state to leave the Union. Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana followed in January and February 1861. Texas seceded in March 1861, and Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina joined the Confederacy after the war began. The Confederate government was formed in February 1861, with a constitution that protected the institution of slavery and provided for a stronger central government than the U.S. Constitution.

The Confederacy's formation was a direct challenge to the authority of the federal government, and Lincoln, who was inaugurated in March 1861, was determined to preserve the Union. He believed that secession was unconstitutional and that the Union must be maintained. The stage was set for a conflict that would test whether a nation "conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal" could long endure.

The War Begins

The Civil War officially began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces under General P.G.T. Beauregard opened fire on Union troops at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. The Union forces, commanded by Major Robert Anderson, returned fire, but after 34 hours, they surrendered. The fall of Fort Sumter was a significant symbolic victory for the Confederacy, but it also marked the beginning of a long and bloody conflict that would last for four years.

The first year of the war saw a series of Confederate victories, including the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861, which showed that the war would not be a quick or easy victory for either side. The Union suffered a series of setbacks, including the loss of the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862, but they also had some significant victories, such as the Battle of Antietam in September 1862, which gave Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

Major Battles and Turning Points

The Civil War was fought on multiple fronts, with battles taking place in the Eastern and Western theaters. Some of the most significant battles included the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, which is considered a turning point in the war, and the Battle of Vicksburg in May 1863, which gave the Union control of the Mississippi River. The Battle of Chattanooga in November 1863 and the Battle of Atlanta in July 1864 were also crucial Union victories.

The war finally came to an end on April 9, 1865, when General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, was a tragic end to a war that had already taken the lives of an estimated 620,000 to 750,000 soldiers and civilians.