Social Effects Of The Civil War

Lucia Nguyen

Social Studies

The Civil War is one of the most significant periods in American history. It lasted from 1861 to 1865, and throughout, there was a constant struggle for power. Hundreds of thousands of Americans lost their lives in the fight, and millions were injured. The two major players were the North, also known as the Union, and the South, or the Confederacy. The slavery and civil unrest that led up to the Civil War, the battles that took place during the war, and the result all this had on our country was monumental.

In January 1861, Abraham Lincoln was elected president, the first of many events that would lead to the Civil War. The South Carolina legislature took this as a threat, and at a state convention,

The Confederacy drafted their own constitution, with Jefferson Davison named as the provisional president of their union. Tensions rose to an all time high after Lincoln’s predecessor refused to release federal forts, causing the South’s troops to seize them. This served as the final catalyst for the war, and in April 1861, the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter. The war had begun.

Although the Civil War may have been a political fight, it was also one fought over a battlefield. Throughout the four years, there were countless fights, though three of the most defining were the First Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, and the Battle of Gettysburg. The First Bull Run was the first major battle of the Civil War, taking place on July 21, 1861. Troops sent by Lincoln stormed Washington, DC, in hopes of seizing the capital of Virginia. Despite the Union initially believing themselves to be winning, the Confederacy received backup troops, and the North was forced to retreat. By 1862, the war was in full swing, and in September of that year, the Battle of Antietam took place. Confederate General Robert E. Lee devised a plan to move supplies into Maryland and move troops into