Lecture Notes on The Civil War (Chapter 15)

Introduction to the Civil War

• The Civil War was a pivotal conflict in United States history.
• It lasted from 1861 to 1865, primarily fought between the Northern states (Union) and the Southern states (Confederacy).

Causes of the Civil War

• Slavery: Central issue that divided the nation.
• States’ Rights: Dispute over the power of federal government vs. state governments.
• Economic Differences: Industrial North vs. Agricultural South.
• Political Tensions: Dred Scott decision, Lincoln's election.

Key Events Leading to War

• Missouri Compromise (1820): Attempt to balance power between slave and free states.
• Compromise of 1850: Included the Fugitive Slave Act.
• Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): Allowed territories to decide on slavery, leading to “Bleeding Kansas.”
• Election of 1860: Abraham Lincoln elected as the first Republican president.

Major Battles and Events

• Fort Sumter (April 1861): First shots of the Civil War.
• Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863): Turning point in the war.
• Sherman's March to the Sea (1864): Notable for its "total war" strategy.
• Appomattox Court House (April 1865): Lee surrenders to Grant, effectively ending the war.

Important Figures

• Abraham Lincoln: 16th President of the United States; led the Union.
• Jefferson Davis: President of the Confederate States.
• General Robert E. Lee: Confederate general.
• General Ulysses S. Grant: Union general who later became President.

Impact of the Civil War

• Abolition of Slavery: Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment.
• Reconstruction Era: Period after the war focused on rebuilding and integrating Southern states.
• Social and Economic Changes: Shift from agrarian to industrial economy in the South.

Conclusion

• The Civil War remains one of the most significant events in American history, shaping the nation both politically and socially.
• The conflict resolved issues of states’ rights and slavery but left a lasting legacy of regional tensions.