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Civil War and the end of slavery, 1861 to 65
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The Civil War was the bloodiest war in American history. It ended with the Union restored and slavery abolished.
Leaders and strategy
Union (North): President Lincoln; generals Grant and Sherman. The North had more people, industry and railways, and used a naval blockade to cut off Southern trade.
Confederacy (South): President Jefferson Davis; General Robert E. Lee, a skilled commander. The South fought mainly on home ground.
Confederacy (South): President Jefferson Davis; General Robert E. Lee, a skilled commander. The South fought mainly on home ground.
Turning points, 1863
Emancipation Proclamation (from 1 January 1863): freed enslaved people in Confederate areas, made ending slavery a war aim, and let Black soldiers join the Union army.
Gettysburg (July 1863): Lee's invasion of the North was defeated.
Vicksburg (July 1863): Grant gained control of the Mississippi.
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (November 1863) described the war as a struggle for freedom and democracy.
Gettysburg (July 1863): Lee's invasion of the North was defeated.
Vicksburg (July 1863): Grant gained control of the Mississippi.
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (November 1863) described the war as a struggle for freedom and democracy.
Union victory
Sherman's March through Georgia (1864) destroyed Southern railways, farms and supplies.
Lee surrendered in April 1865. Days later, Lincoln was assassinated.
Lee surrendered in April 1865. Days later, Lincoln was assassinated.
Explain why the Emancipation Proclamation was important.
- It made ending slavery a war aim.
- It discouraged Britain and France from backing the South.
- It allowed Black soldiers to fight for the Union.
Answer: It turned the war into a fight against slavery and strengthened the Union.
Union (Lincoln, Grant, Sherman) had more resources and a naval blockade; the Confederacy (Davis, Lee) fought on home ground. 1863: Emancipation Proclamation, victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the Gettysburg Address. Sherman's March through Georgia (1864); Lee surrendered in April 1865.
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