US Civil War
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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