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US Civil War


Feature Writer Articles in US Civil War

 		Civil War Emancipation
Emancipation began as a gradual process that culminated in Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, starting a path toward full social and political equality.
Why the Confederacy Lost in 1865
Although many factors contributed to Southern loss such as lack of industry and allies, the war was decided on the battlefields at places like Vicksburg and Gettysburg.
Comparing Slave and Serf Emancipations
Both emancipations of the 1860s ended long periods of bondage yet in each case significant differences undermined the altruistic motives usually equated with freedom.
New Orleans Captured by Admiral David Farragut
The capture and occupation of New Orleans closed the Mississippi River to trade and shut down the prosperous cotton exports to Europe while fueling Northern morale.
John Brown and the Harpers Ferry Raid
In the turbulent decade of the 1850s, John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry was the culminating act that convinced Southerners civil war was a real possibility.
The Equal Protection Clause
In the wake of Southern resistance to Federal Reconstruction laws, Congress crafted the 14th Amendment to guarantee all citizens equal protection of the laws.
The Fall of Richmond April 1865
The Confederate government had no evacuation plans in effect, leaving Richmond to mob rule and self-inflicted destruction as Union troops advanced.
The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution
Only a Constitutional Amendment would guarantee an end to slavery in every state for all time despite earlier legislative acts and presidential proclamations.
The Presidential Election of 1864
Although renominated unanimously, Republicans had strong doubts that Abraham Lincoln would be returned to office given the shift in mood among Northern voters.
The Wade-Davis Bill of July 1864
Challenging Abraham Lincoln's reconstruction policies, the Wade-Davis bill sought to severely limit political participation by rebellious Southern white males.
Lincoln's Proclamation of Amnesty
The text of Lincoln's December 1863 Proclamation of Amnesty & Reconstruction represents a detailed plan of Presidential Reconstruction to swiftly readmit Southern states.
Civil War Political Generals
The appointment of political generals by Abraham Lincoln was part of an effort to help unify the North and guarantee support from ethnic and political constituencies.
Lincoln's Proclamation of April 15, 1861
The April 1861 Proclamation was not a war declaration, although Southern States would respond to it as if it was, setting the stage for a long and bloody conflict.
Capturing Gosport Naval Yard in 1861
Fears of pushing Virginia toward secession led Lincoln and some Cabinet members to avoid reinforcing Gosport Naval Yard, a decision resulting in dire consequences.
Lincoln and the South Before Inauguration Day
While both North and South prepared for conflict after the 1860 election, Abraham Lincoln sought only to reassure that the South could remain safely in the Union.
Northern Advantages in the Civil War
As the American Civil War began in 1861, the North benefited from significant advantages that would ultimately enable the defeat of the South in 1865.
Effects of the American Civil War
The American Civil War created relationships between government and business concerns that continued after the war and sparked Gilded Age industrialization.
The 1860 Census and Slavery in the United States
The 1860 census dispels myths about Southern slavery but also allows the researcher to develop new conclusions regarding the role of slavery and the coming of war.
Confederate Songs Highlight Southern Sovereignty
Nationalistic tunes of the Confederate South reflect the desire to defend against Northern tyranny and to take up arms to protect a lifestyle threatened by arbitrary rule
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Contributing Articles in US Civil War

 		Confederate Agent Rose O'Neal Greenhow
Rose Greenhow was a prominent leader in Washington society who helped the Confederacy from both inside and outside the U.S. capital.
The Confederate White House
The plain gray stucco neoclassical mansion housed war conferences. It also witnessed the death of a child and a visit by Abraham Lincoln.
Hemming Plaza in Jacksonville
From his station atop a 62-foot-high pedestal in the center of Hemming Plaza, a Confederate soldier keeps watch over Downtown Jacksonville.
America's Civil War Today – December 2009
Many acres are protected at Virginia's Chancellorsville and Winchester battle sites and more is saved on the Minnesota prairie.
Treatment of Prisoners in the Civil War
The early southern triumphs of 1861 and 1862, filled Southern prisons with thousands of Union prisoners. The South was anxious for a formal agreement on prisoners.
Lincoln and Haiti
In 1862, Abraham Lincoln made a failed attempt to emigrate former slaves out of the U.S. in a humanitarian effort to improve their future.
Antietam Changes War's Scope
In the Civil War, the Battle of Antietam was a Confederate gamble that ended in a bloody stalemate. However its aftermath changed the course of American history.
Quantrill's Men Held Reunions
These men, who looked like gentlemen grandfathers during the late 1800s and early 1900s, planned and executed some of worst acts of violence during the Civil War.
See 1860s America at Pamplin Historical Park
A 422-acre campus features four museums, four historic homes, living history demonstrations and an important battlefield.
Jedediah Hotchkiss
In 1862 Confederate general Stonewall Jackson ordered cartographer Jedediah Hotchkiss to "Make me a map of the Valley."
Battle of Nashville Monument Survives
The Battle of Nashville Monument in Nashville, Tenn., faced many struggles but finally was restored and moved to its current site on the actual battlefield.
The Origin of Taps
Almost everyone is familiar with Taps. This bugle call has been played at military funerals for years but the real story behind this music is less well-known.
America's Civil War Today - November 2009
Congressional action will help save additional battlefield sites as local groups move forward with plans to purchase land in Virginia and Tennessee.
Union General and Republican Carl Schurz
Carl Schurz, a German emigrant from the 1848 European revolutions, supported Abraham Lincoln and led soldiers into the major battles of the Civil War.
First Civil War Training Camp for Black Soldiers
Camp William Penn was the first and largest of 18 federal training camps for black soldiers, who were officially designated United States Colored Troops (USCT).
Civil War Battles – Ball's Bluff or Leesburg
Though a well-qualified individual, McClellan would lack the risk-taking needed to wage war, resulting in many political problems, and an increasingly hostile public.
Civil War Battles – Wilson's Creek or Oak Hills
After Bull Run, the focus of operations turned to securing the west, particularly Missouri, while McClellan trained the soon-to-be famous Army of the Potomac.
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation declared the Union would fight to end slavery, but its promises of full citizenship initially went unfulfilled.
Forty Acres and a Mule
Sharecropping replaced slavery as the southern labor system after the Civil War and became just as restrictive to the freedoms of blacks.
The Reconstructing America
The United States should have flourished during the Reconstruction, but instead failed to provide equal status for its black citizens.
The Historic Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln's victory in the 1860 presidential election ensured that the divisions between North and South could not be resolved.
Abraham Lincoln in the Illinois Legislature
Abraham Lincoln's first foray into politics featured a strict adherence to destructive Whig Party economic policies and minimal attention to the slavery issue.
Confederate Spy Belle Boyd
Belle Boyd was a spy who later became a celebrity because of her exploits. Bold, daring, ready to use feminine charms to gain information, she was very effective.
Civil War Battles – First Manassas or Bull Run
Following Fort Sumter, four more Southern states left the Union. Afterward, both sides raised armies, and met for the first time at Manassas Junction.
Bloody Bill Anderson - Raider and Guerrilla
William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson began life in 1840. He was one of William and Martha Anderson's six children.
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