American Civil War: Difference between revisions
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[[File: | [[File:USA Map 1864 including Civil War Divisions.png|thumb|300px|right]] The '''American Civil War''' ('''ACW'''), also known as the '''War between the States''' or simply the '''Civil War''' (see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naming_the_American_Civil_War naming]), was a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_war civil war] fought from 1861 to 1865 between the United States (the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_%28American_Civil_War%29 "Union"] or the "North") and several<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War#cite_note-3 [3]]</sup> Southern [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_states slave states] that declared their [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secession secession] and formed the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_States_of_America Confederate States of America] (the "Confederacy" or the "South"). The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_the_American_Civil_War war had its origin] in the fractious issue of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_the_United_States slavery], especially the extension of slavery into the western territories.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War#cite_note-4 [4]]</sup> Foreign powers did not intervene. After four years of bloody combat that left over 600,000 soldiers dead and destroyed much of the South's infrastructure, the Confederacy collapsed, slavery was abolished, and the difficult [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstruction_Era Reconstruction] process of restoring national unity and guaranteeing rights to the freed slaves began. | ||
In the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1860 1860 presidential election], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_%28United_States%29 Republicans], led by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln Abraham Lincoln], opposed expanding slavery into [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territories_of_the_United_States United States' territories]. Lincoln won, but before [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_inauguration_of_Abraham_Lincoln his inauguration] on March 4, 1861, seven slave states with cotton-based economies formed the Confederacy. Outgoing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_%28United_States%29 Democratic] President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Buchanan James Buchanan] and the incoming Republicans rejected secession as illegal. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln%27s_first_inaugural_address Lincoln's inaugural address] declared his administration would not initiate civil war. Eight remaining slave states continued to reject calls for secession. Confederate forces seized numerous federal forts within territory claimed by the Confederacy. A [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Conference_of_1861 Peace Conference] failed to find a compromise, and both sides prepared for war. The Confederates assumed that European countries were so dependent on "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Cotton King Cotton]" that they would intervene; none did and none recognized the new Confederate States of America. | In the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1860 1860 presidential election], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_%28United_States%29 Republicans], led by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln Abraham Lincoln], opposed expanding slavery into [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territories_of_the_United_States United States' territories]. Lincoln won, but before [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_inauguration_of_Abraham_Lincoln his inauguration] on March 4, 1861, seven slave states with cotton-based economies formed the Confederacy. Outgoing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_%28United_States%29 Democratic] President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Buchanan James Buchanan] and the incoming Republicans rejected secession as illegal. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln%27s_first_inaugural_address Lincoln's inaugural address] declared his administration would not initiate civil war. Eight remaining slave states continued to reject calls for secession. Confederate forces seized numerous federal forts within territory claimed by the Confederacy. A [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Conference_of_1861 Peace Conference] failed to find a compromise, and both sides prepared for war. The Confederates assumed that European countries were so dependent on "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Cotton King Cotton]" that they would intervene; none did and none recognized the new Confederate States of America. |