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Cause of the War: Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin; Photo From University of Missouri
This widely popular book was a large source of contention between people in the North and South during the preantebellum era. Stowe wrote this book in response to the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law and wanted to awaken the North to the evil of slavery. Readers in the north swore to have nothing to do with this law because of Stowe's powerful imagery. This book was one of the largest causes of the Civil War. It added to the sectional division between Northerners and Southerners. -
Cause of the War: Kansas-Nebraska Act; Photo From National Archives
This act was a main cause of the Civil War. It split the territory of Nebraska in two, and allowed for popular sovereignty in those territories. The Northerners were angry because this allowed for the expansion of slavery and Southerners felt victorious. Politically speaking, this act provided great division on the issue of slavery. The Republican party formed in opposition to this act and eventually won the election of 1860 which directly led to the secession of the Confederate States. -
Cause of the War: Presidential Election of 1860; Photo From Library of Congress
The election of Abraham Lincoln as President was the final straw for the Southern states. Feeling as though Lincoln was a tyrant and ignored their wants and needs, they seceded from the Union. South Carolina was the first state to secede in December of 1860. Lincoln believed that this was wrong and that the Union needed to be preserved. This was the ultimate division of the South and the North and led to the whole of the Civil War. -
Battle of the War: Battle of Fort Sumter; Photo From National Archives
President Lincoln decided to try and supply Fort Sumter with food and other necessities after the initial states seceded. He did not want to send more troops to this fort because the South would see it as an act of war. Lincoln notified the South that he was sending a garrison to only resupply and did not mean any harm. The Confederacy saw this as aggression. Fort Sumter was taken after a day of seige by the Confederates. No one was killed or injured and Lincoln would not fight back. -
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The Civil War
The American Civil War was fought between the Union Army and the Confederate Army. There were many causes of this war, the primary one being the election of President Abraham Lincoln in 1860, which forced South Carolina to seceed from the Union. -
Economics of the War: Confederate Congress Passes War Tax; Photo From University of North Carolina
The Confederate government realized at the beginning of the Civil War that they needed to find an effective way to gain revenue for war debts. A war tax was put into effect in 1861. This tax was levied on property and many luxury items. The ownership of slaves also incurred this tax. This tax was not very effective, and it only raised up to 10% of revenue by 1864. -
Battle of the War: Battle of Shiloh; Photo From NinthTexas.com
After taking Fort Donelson and Fort Henry, Grant went south to capture the junction of the main Confederate railroads in the Mississippi Valley. But, just before he reached Corinth, Missippi, he was attacked. The Battle of Shiloh was a very gory one. This battle showed that the West would not be won easily. The Confederates seemed to have the upperhand, but eventually lost this battle. They were forced to retreat and realized that they could not block the Union from penetrating Mississippi. -
Home Front: First Conscription Act Passed by Confederate Congress; Photo From Library of Congress
This act passed by the Confederate congress in 1862 provided that all males, ages 18-35, were declared members of the Confederate Army. Men over 18 and younger than 35 could substitute by paying money to the government. This caused division in the government and at home and was eventually abolished. By 1864, the age requirements were extended, from 17-45. This act gave birth to the saying "rich man's war and a poor man's fight". -
Home Front: Homestead Act of 1862; Photo From Nebraska State Historical Society
Passed in 1862 by Congress, this act helped to support the 300,000 pioneers who moved west during the war. It provided for free gold nuggets and free land for these people. The only stipulation for these rewards were that the pioneer had to have never taken up arms against the US government and be 21 or older. For land, people had to file an application, improve the land and file for deed of title. After 5 years, they could apply for a federal land grant. -
Economics of the War: Revenue Act of 1862; Photo From Library of Congress
This act was passed by the federal congress in order to fund the war on the Union side. The first progressive rate income tax in American history was introduced with this measure, though it was only to be used as revenue for four years. Americans were taxed 3-5%, depending on their annual income. The Commissioner of Internal Revenue was established to help with the collection of this tax. The employer would immediately deduct this tax from pay to give to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. -
Battle of the War: Battle of Antietam; Photo From Associated Press
This battle, the bloodiest one day battle in American history, was fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland. After chasing General Lee to this spot, General McClellan and his Union boys attacked. Major General Hooker and his troops advanced on Lee's left flank. After General Burnside's advance over what is now known as Burnside Bridge, Confederate General Hill's men showed up and attacked, ending the war. Lee retreated across the Potomac. -
Politics of the War: President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation Takes Effect; Photo From National Archives
In September, 1862, Lincoln announced his pre-Emancipation Proclamation, which went into effect at the beginning of the next year. This act theoretically freed all slaves residing in the rebellious states, but Lincoln actually had no power to enforce this. The slaves in the Border States were not freed. Internationally, France and Britain turned away from intervening in the war because they wanted slaves to be free. This proclamation gave the Union a moral edge over the Confederacy. -
Battle of the War: Battle of Gettysburg; Photo From Library of Congress
During Lee's attempt to penetrate the North, his men heard of a cache of shoes in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. They traveled there and immediately got into a battle with Union calvary. This battle lasted three days and was the bloodiest battle in the Civil War. As Lee tried to acquire the high points of the area, the Union fought back heavily. On the third day of fighting, Lee and his troops were forced to retreat back to Virginia. This battle was the last major conflict before the end of the war. -
Home Front: New York Draft Riots of 1863; Photo From UncommonplaceBook.com
After the U.S. government passed conscription acts to add to their number of soldiers, angry men in New York, mostly of Irisih descent and of low social class, began to riot. This was due to anger over the substitution of people for the rich. These protests lasted 3 days and eventually turned into a race war. About 120 people were killed and 2,000 were wounded. Lincoln sent regiments remaining from the Battle of Gettysburg to contain the violence and it was eventually repressed. -
Politics of the War: Presidential Election of 1864; Photo From Library of Congress
Previous Union army General George McClellan and President Lincoln ran against eachother. McClellan was the Democratic nominee and Lincoln was the Republican one. This election was divided between people who wished to continue fighting (Republicans) and those who did not (Democrats). Because of the war, no electoral votes were counted in the Southern states, except Louisiana and Tennessee. Lincoln won the reelection. -
Battle of the War: Battle of Appomattox Court House; Photo From Library of Congress
This was the last battle fought between the Confederate and Union troops before General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant. After leaving Richmond, Virginia, Lee attempted to escape to North Carolina. But, at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, he was stopped by what he thought was just Union calvary. Lee tried to fight his way through, but was stopped by more Union men. The Confederate army was forced to surrender to Grant and this battle ended the war.
