The Civil War Of America - 1854 Words

The Civil War The American Civil War was a civil war fought from 1861 to 1865 to determine the survival of the Union or independence for the Confederacy. Among the 34 states in 1861, seven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy, the South, included eleven states. The states that remained loyal to the United States and did not declare secession were known as the Union or the North. The war had its origin in the factious issue of slavery, especially the extension of slavery into the western territories. After four years of fighting, which left over 600,000 Union and Confederate soldiers dead and destroyed much of the South s infrastructure, the†¦show more content†¦Speaking directly to the Southern States, he reaffirmed, I have no purpose, directly or indirectly to interfere with the institution of slavery in the United States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so , and I have no inclination to do so. The first six to secede had the highest proportions of slaves in their populations, a total of 48.8 percent for the six. Outgoing Democratic President James Buchanan and the incoming Republicans rejected secession as illegal. 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. Efforts at compromise failed, and both sides prepared for war. The Confederates assumed that European countries were so dependent on King Cotton that they would intervene; none did and none recognized the new Confederate States of America. Because Europe relied on cotton so heavily they had to find a new place to receive their cotton. They found Egyptian cotton which later became a much more desirable fabric. The causes of the Civil War were complex and have been controversial since the war began. James C. Bradford wrote that the issue has been further complicated by historical revisionists, who have tried to offer a variety of reasons for the war. Slavery was the