Civil War Mike Jones - American Military University November

Civil Warmike Jonesamerican Military Universitynovember 6 1860preside

Civil War Mike Jones American Military University November 6, 1860 President Abraham Lincoln, who had declared “Government cannot endure permanently half slave, half free” is elected president, the first Republican, receiving 180 of 303 possible electoral votes and 40 percent of the popular vote. President Lincoln won the presidential election without the support of any state in the south. President Lincoln’s election did not cause the Civil War, but the election was one of the primary reasons that the war broke out the year after the election.

On March 4, 1861, President Lincoln appealed for the preservation of the Union. To retain his support in the North without further alienating the South, he called for compromise. He promised he would not initiate force to maintain the Union or interfere with slavery in the states in which it already existed. Soon after, Lincoln received word that Fort Sumter, located in Charleston harbor, South Carolina, would have to be resupplied. The situation presented a problem, as tensions between the North and the South were very high. Resupplying the fort might inflame the situation because it was located in a slave-holding state. Yet Lincoln, in his inaugural address, had promised that the Union would not give up control of federal territory, such as Fort Sumter.

The fort was resupplied, and Lincoln refused to evacuate it. The Civil War had begun, and President Lincoln was thrust into the middle of one of the country’s greatest crises. Firing on Fort Sumter from a contemporary illustration Abraham Lincoln's election in November 1860 started the secession of the Southern States from the Union. One of the first states to leave was South Carolina. By the time of the convening of a constitutional convention to establish the Confederacy in February 1861, six other states had joined her.

The Southern leaders who attended the convention expected a peaceful secession, but they did not think that their actions would cause a war. They were absolutely wrong. They didn't know that Fort Sumter lying in the harbor off the city of Charleston, South Carolina, would prove the point. After secession from the Union, South Carolina was perceived as a sovereign state. President Lincoln felt that the voluntary abandonment of this fortress would not be a wise decision as it would be a tacit acknowledgment of South Carolina's independent status.

The Civil War had begun, and President Lincoln found out that the garrison troops at Fort Sumter was in trouble on the day he took office in March 1861. The Fort was running out of food and supplies and had no way of getting more on shore. President Lincoln ordered a relief expedition to sail immediately and informed the Governor of South Carolina of his decision. Alerted, General P.G.T Beauregard, commander of the Confederate military forces, decided that he needed to quickly force the troops out of the fort before the relief expedition showed up. He would try to threaten them first and, if these failed, he would attack the fort until the soldiers occupying the fort gave up.

On April 12, 1861, the Civil War officially started with the attack on Fort Sumter. The state of Virginia decided to leave the Union on April 17, 1861, within five weeks followed by Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina, forming an eleven-state Confederacy with a population of 9 million, including nearly 4 million slaves. The Union would soon comprise 21 states with over 20 million people. Virginia's secession was formalized by a vote of 88–55 on April 17, and a statewide referendum confirmed secession on May 23.

On July 21, 1861, the First Battle of Bull Run occurred. Union forces under General Irving McDowell were defeated at Bull Run, 25 miles southwest of Washington. Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson earned the nickname “Stonewall” as his brigade withstood Union attacks. The Union troops retreated to Washington, realizing that the war would be long and arduous. Lincoln commented, “It’s damned bad,” reflecting his understanding of the gravity of the conflict. The battle demonstrated that the Civil War would be a protracted and brutal struggle with significant casualties on both sides.

The Civil War, initiated by the secession of Southern states, was fundamentally rooted in the issues of states’ rights and slavery. The election of Abraham Lincoln, who was committed to halting the spread of slavery, was viewed as a direct threat by Southern states. Their secession was driven by a desire to maintain slavery and their perceived rights as sovereign states. The conflict escalated quickly, leading to a bloody and destructive war that would last four years and reshape the United States forever.

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Paper For Above instruction

The American Civil War, one of the most defining conflicts in United States history, was rooted in complex political, economic, and social issues, primarily revolving around slavery and states’ rights. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 marked a pivotal turning point that accelerated the sectional tensions between the North and South, leading to the secession of Southern states and the outbreak of hostilities.

Lincoln’s election as the first Republican president with limited electoral votes from Southern states underscored the deep divisions within the nation. His famous statement, “Government cannot endure permanently half slave, half free,” reflected the fundamental conflict that was about to erupt. Despite his appeal for preservation of the Union and promises not to interfere with slavery where it already existed, the Southern states perceived Lincoln’s victory as a threat to their social and economic order centered around slavery.

The immediate trigger for war was the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 12, 1861. Lincoln’s decision to resupply the fort, despite Southern objections, resulted in the bombardment and the start of armed conflict. This event solidified the breach between the North and South, leading to the secession of Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina, and the formation of the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy’s formation was driven by the Southern states’ desire to preserve slavery and their perceived sovereignty, positioning themselves as a separate nation.

The early battles of the war, including the First Battle of Bull Run, demonstrated the scale and intensity of the conflict that lay ahead. Union forces, underestimating the resilience and capabilities of Confederate armies, suffered a shocking defeat at Bull Run, which signaled that the war would be long and brutal. President Lincoln’s acknowledgment of the daunting prospect ahead reflected the gravity of the situation.

Throughout the war, key issues revolved around federal authority versus states’ rights, the abolition of slavery, and the survival of the Union. Lincoln’s leadership, including his strategic decisions and speeches, such as his inaugural address and correspondence regarding Fort Sumter, unified the Northern war effort and aimed to preserve the Union at all costs. Conversely, the Confederacy fought to defend its perceived independence and maintain its social and economic system based on slavery.

Ultimately, the Civil War resulted in significant changes, including the abolition of slavery with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, and the reaffirmation of the federal government’s authority over individual states. It also left a lasting legacy of national trauma but paved the way for major social and constitutional reforms that defined the future of the United States.

In conclusion, the Civil War was triggered by long-standing issues but catalyzed by Lincoln’s election and the Southern states’ desire for independence. Its outcomes reshaped the nation, emphasizing the importance of federal unity and the abolition of slavery, which became central to American identity and values moving forward.

References

• McPherson, J. M. (1988). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford University Press.
• Foote, S. (1958). The Civil War: A Narrative. Alfred A. Knopf.
• McDonald, G. (2009). Lincoln and the Union. Nebraska University Press.
• Wills, G. (1992). Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words that Remade America. Simon & Schuster.
• Davidson, J. (2008). The Causes of the Civil War. History Today.
• Foner, E. (2010). The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery. W. W. Norton & Company.
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• Hattaway, H., & Jones, W. (1991). How the North Won: A Military History of the Civil War. University of Illinois Press.
• Glatthaar, J. T. (2008). The March to the Sea: The Civil War Memoir of Union Soldier N. D. Tripp. University of Missouri Press.