The Civil War came to be because the South seceded and declared war on the North. From the firing at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 to the surrender at Appomattox Court House, The Union (North) waged war against the Confederacy (South). The South seceded because of the balance of power in America. There was more free states, which would mean they would have a bigger voice in the Senate than the fewer slave states. To protect their way of life, they had to go to war. The war before Vicksburg was leaning towards the Confederacy, the Confederacy won battles, such as The 1st Bull Run, Chancellorsville, Shiloh, and Fredericksburg; meanwhile the Union’s only major victory was the capture of New Orleans but the true decider of the War was the Siege of Vicksburg. Vicksburg was the gateway to the Trans-Mississippi region from the eastern region, when it fell, it became the beginning of the end for the Confederacy. …show more content…
Vicksburg was so important to the Union because of two things: One, it was the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi; Two, if taken, the forces in the North could not use the river to contact the forces in the South and vice versa. It was important to the Confederacy because of location, it held the Confederacy together. Confederate president Jefferson Davis, when asked about the Siege of Vicksburg, said, “Vicksburg is the nailhead that holds the South’s two halves together.”(Bacharach)The city of Vicksburg was the beginning of the end for the Confederacy,whomever controlled the Mississippi, controlled the
On April 12, 1861, a date that changed our great nation, began the Civil War when Confederate soldiers invaded the Union’s Fort Sumter in Charleston Bay. Made up of eleven southern states, the Confederate Army battled the Union in a bloody war that resulted in the deaths of approximately 618,222 men. The key issue as to why the Civil War began was states’ rights. The southern states wanted authority over federal government and the power to abolish laws that did not benefit them, such as laws prohibiting slavery. This caused a great split in our young nation and resulted in significant leaders on both sides of the armies.
Vicksburg, Mississippi lies on the Louisiana-Mississippi state boarder. Confederate powers gathered ammunition preparing to challenge the passage of union ships. This battle was fought between the confederates and the union. The battle was fought to see who would take control of Vicksburg, solely because the Mississippi River had so huge of an impact on the Civil War. The Mississippi River was essential for defense. Prior to the Civil War Vicksburg had ended up a standout amongst the most prosperous, and refined towns in the old southern boondocks. The city was famous for its municipal orchestra, the imposing courthouse, along with other landmarks. With the coming of the war Vicksburg became one of the most important, and bitterly fought
As a result of its critical location, Vicksburg unified the southern states. As long as the South held control of the Mississippi the southern states were not divided. Jefferson Davis described Vicksburg as, “"Vicksburg is the nail head that holds the South's two halves together” (Boundless, 2016). One of the main reasons the North wanted to siege Vicksburg was because they could cut the southern states down the middle, leaving Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas separated from the rest of southern forces. Without unity of command, the South was left to a severe disadvantage. President Lincoln described Vicksburg as “See what a lot of land these fellows hold, of which Vicksburg is the key. The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket,” (Vicksburg Siege, n.d.). In order to hinder the unity of command the Vicksburg campaign was designed to shut off communication and supply with the rest of the Confederacy. Without communication with other Confederacy troops, no one was aware that there were troops trapped in Vicksburg. After gaining the control of Vicksburg, the North was able to further hinder the communication and unity of command between the southern states as they now were split down the middle. General Grant knew that when
There were many reasons why the south got so angered by the north that they decided to secede from the union. One of the reasons was because of the differences in economy and the protective tariff between the north and the south. Another reason was because of the Election of 1850 where Abraham Lincoln was elected president. Because of these reasons, the south seceded from the union later leading to the Civil War.
What caused the South to secede from the union ? The South secede from the Union in 1861 because the North was going to take away their lifestyle. The South withdrew from the North because the North was trying to take away the South’s ways of living.
Vicksburg was an important position because it was the last confederate stronghold on the mississippi river. Once the union took control they decided what went from the west coast to the east coast. Lincoln in one of his speeches claimed that vicksburg was the key to winning the war. An important reason for the union gaining Vicksburg was on how it split the confederacy. After General pemberton lost the battle of vicksburg's the south's army didn't trust him to be in a leadership position. Once the confederacy was split
Why did the southern states seceded from the union? It was a good life in america before the southern states seceded there were equal numbers of slaves in free states, the south started many tobacco plantation, the North work in factories. Southern states seceded from the union because of slavery, differences how they made money, and because of political disagreements.
One of the key factor contributing to the Civil War was States Rights. This refers to the struggle between federal government and individual states over political power. One side argued for greater state’s rights and those arguing felt that the Federal Government needed to have more control over states. The states felt they should have the right to decide if they were willing to accept certain federal acts. Meaning that states had the right to rule federal acts unconstitutional. The federal government denied states this right. When nullification would not work and states felts that they were no longer respected, they moved towards secession from the Union. The southern people were viewed as democratic and depended slaves for the plantations, they were devoted to agriculture and shipped cotton up north and favored low tariffs.
After the defeat at Fort Sumter there were some northerners that tried to get Lincoln to let the south go. When deciding weather to take Fort Sumter by bombardment, one of Davis's ideas was a bargain with Washington , maybe purchase, for the peaceful turnover of the fort and other federal holding in the seceded states. Thinking Confederate independence was inescapable, Davis prayed that they would slow down long enough to recognize that they could save millions of dollars and many lives by stopping this. He believed that the honor of the Confederate States of America (CSA) would be reestablished if everyone seen Davis challenge Lincoln successfully. While dealing with all of this he still was ready to take Fort Sumter. Davis just wanted peace and to be left alone. The South was fighting a defensive war, which gave it inherent advantage.
One of the main reasons that Vicksburg was so significant to the Confederacy was its strategic location. Located directly on the Mississippi River, it connected the Trans-Mississippi states (Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas) to the rest of the Confederate States to the east. The Confederate army needed all the help it could get, so the supplies and manpower that the Trans-Mississippi states provided were crucial to its survival. Also, because it joined two sections of the Confederacy together, it allowed for all of the Confederate states to be unified. As Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States
The civil war, fought from 1861-1865, was started after seven southern slave states declared their secession and formed the Confederate states. The Union had many advantages that, ultimately, led them to victory. The had many political, economic, and military benefits that aided them in their victory.
Southern secession? I cannot think of something more ridiculous. The way it was handled and the reasons were just flat out disgraceful. It all started with South Carolina is 1860 and it was all about slavery and states rights.
The Civil War was the war that divided the young American nation into two opposing sides. One side being the North, also called the Union, and the second side being the South, also called the Confederacy. The root cause of why the South seceded from the Union has been debated and argued since the beginning of the war in 1861. Most people argue that the argument, between the North and the South, over slavery was the main reason why the South left the Union. However, the issue has to be more complex than just the issue with slavery. The root cause of the of the South secession from the Union was a combination of the South’s aggravation and fear over their dependence on the North for their economic prosperity and their dependence on slavery for a highly profitable economy.
A Civil War is a battle between the same citizens in a country. The American Civil War was fought from 1861 to 1865 to determine the independence for the Confederacy or the survival of the Union. By the time Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1861, in the mist of 34 states, the constant disagreement caused seven Southern slave states to their independence from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy, generally known as the South, grew to include eleven states. The states that remained devoted to the US were known as the Union or the North. The number one question that is never completely understood about the Civil War is what caused the war. There were multiple events that led to the groundbreaking, bloody, and political war.
The Civil War was provoked for several reasons which included industry, slavery, and territorial disputes among the Northern states and Southern states of the newly established United States. The first recorded engagement of war between the North and South is documented to have taken place on April 12th, 1861 at The Battle of Fort Sumter. This was the starting point of a war that would claim over 600,000 American lives in a relatively short span of 4 years.