Why did the Civil War start?
THE Civil War between northern states loyal to the Union and the Confederate States began over uncompromising differences on slavery, secession, and expansion.
The conflict raged from 1861 to 1865 and accounted for more than 600,000 deaths - by far the greatest death toll in American history.
What started the Civil War?
The Civil War started over a disagreement between northern and southern states over the right to keep slaves.
While America was experiencing a period of rapid growth in the Mid 19th century, vast economic differences existed between the northern and southern regions.
Manufacturing was well established in the north, while the south's economy was supported by agriculture and a system of large-scale cotton and tobacco farming that was dependent on black slave labor.
Seven southern states after Abraham Lincoln came to power in 1860.
Lincoln was the first Republican president elected who pledged to abolish slavery, threatening the southern states' economic foundations and way of life.
The Confederacy spanned the Deep South, beginning as Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, South Carolina, and Texas. They were later joined by Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina by the time the war was declared in 1861.
Who declared the Civil War?
The Civil War began at Fort Sumter in Charleston Bay on April 12, 1861.
The Confederate army claimed the Union base as their own, opening fire on the camp and forcing the surrender of the American flag.
Lincoln assembled soldiers to reclaim control of the base.
A number of similar battles began to taken place, and by the end of 1861, nearly a million Union and Confederate soldiers confronted each other at army bases spanning 1200 miles from Virginia to Missouri.
By 1862, large-scale battles were advancing across the nation, from Shiloh in Tennessee to Fredricksburg in Virginia.
Who won the Civil War?
After four years of conflict, the major Confederate armies surrendered to the north in 1865 and the .
The southern states were occupied by Union soldiers and the 20-year "Reconstruction Era" began, repairing the south's economy, farms, roads, and factories.
After the war drew to a close, the Union added 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the constitution.
These amendments abolished slavery, guaranteed citizens “equal protection under the law,” and granted black men the right to vote.
How many people died in the Civil War?
The war was the costliest and deadliest in American history, with the deaths of some 625,000 soldiers out of 2.4million enlisted men.
Nearly as many American soldiers died in the Civil War as all of the wars that America has fought combined.
What does the confederate flag stand for?
The Confederate flag, made up of the St Andrew's cross and 13 white state-representative stars, was used by the Confederate Army during the Civil War.
Today, many view the flag as symbolic of the oppression of liberty and civil rights for Black Americans.
Institutions, retailers, and large corporations across the United States are shedding the use of the Confederate flag in light of the Black Lives Matter movement.
the flag at its events, stating that "the presence of the at Nascar events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry."
After the death of George Floyd refocused the country's attention on racial injustice, Confederate statues honoring slave traders are being vandalized and
"These statues were meant to create legitimate garb for white supremacy," James Grossman, executive director of the American Historical Association, told .
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Black Lives Matter protesters recently tore down the statue of and beheaded four statues of other controversial historical figures in Richmond, VA.