The Legacy Of The American Civil War Essay

April 12th, 1861 through May 10th, 1865, a divided country is at war with itself after American Southern slave states secede from the Union. Newly elected President Abraham Lincoln, leader of the Republican Party, is about to lead the path down America’s bloodiest war due to his anti-slavery expansion agenda and the Deep South’s dependence upon slavery. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas form the new Confederate States of America and Jefferson Davis was now their new President. While the reasons behind the American Civil War have been controversial, the issue of slavery has always been front and center.

On March 4th, 1861, Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as the 16th President of the United States. During his inaugural address, President Lincoln spoke for Union preservation and compromise. President Lincoln promised he would not initiate force to maintain the Union or interfere with slavery in the states in which already existed (americaslibrary). However, a decisive decision was soon made to resupply Fort Sumter in Confederate Charleston, South Carolina. President Lincoln vowing not to give up federally controlled property ordered the fort be supplied and manned. On April 12, 1861, Fort Sumter was attacked by Confederates and the American Civil War had officially begun.

July 1 – 3, 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg was the decisive Civil War battle that turned the tide of the war in favor of the Union. The Confederate troops…