“A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become lawful in all the States, old as well as new — North as well as South.”-Abraham Lincoln, 1858
A montage of the First Confederate-American War
War and Slavery
Following the election of abolitionist Abraham Lincoln to the presidency, seven southern states seceded from the United States prior to his inauguration and declared themselves independent as the Confederate States of America (later the Confederation of Dixie). The Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina is commonly accepted by historians as the beginning of the First Confederate-American War (alternatively known as the War of Southern Independence, the North American War and the American Civil War). After the attack, President Lincoln called for a volunteer force from each state, and within two months, most of the remaining slaveholding states, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas, seceded and joined the Confederacy.
Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy from 1861-1867
When volunteer forces were not enough, both sides began conscripting men into their armies. The Union armed forces were supplemented by ex-slaves, who hoped that a Union victory in the war would result in the end of slavery and the emancipation of themselves and their families.
Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was “elected” the first President of the Confederate States in 1861, and as the former Secretary of War of the United States, took personal charge of the Confederate Army. Naming General Robert E. Lee of Virginia as one of his senior military advisors, Davis planned to wear down the Union until the people became tired of war, a goal that historians agree successful for this war, but ultimately caused more harm to the American South than good.
The Battle of Antietam
Though initially the Union seemed to have the advantage in everything, from manpower to industry to food, the turning point in the war came when Lee invaded Maryland in 1862. By surrounding the city of Antietam, Lee’s army was able to force Union General McClellan's forces north, into Pennsylvania, thus taking the fight into Northern territory.
Foreign Intervention in the First Confederate-American War
Emperor Napoleon III of France
Though the Confederates had initially rallied around the flag hoping that “King Cotton” would force the British Empire to give them its support, help would come from a different location. For decades, Mexico had borrowed money from European powers, namely the United Kingdom, Spain and France. In 1861, President Benito Juarez suspended interest payments to foreign countries, prompting the three European powers to invade and reclaim their money. However, while the British and Spanish quickly withdrew, the French remained, hoping to seize all of Mexico and install a puppet government. The Second Mexican Empire, under Maximillian I, was established in Mexico, and was supported by many conservative elements in the country, including rich landowners and the Catholic Church. However, the United States claimed that the Monroe Doctrine, which forbid European powers from intervening in Latin America, was still in effect, and that it would defend Mexico from France. Hoping to prevent American intervention, Napoleon III, emperor of France, decided to provide aid, including weapons, to the Confederacy, hoping to prolong the war and leave the Union too weak to intervene. With advisers and weapons from France, the Confederacy had finally gotten the chance it needed to win the war.
A montage of the First Confederate-American War
War and Slavery
Following the election of abolitionist Abraham Lincoln to the presidency, seven southern states seceded from the United States prior to his inauguration and declared themselves independent as the Confederate States of America (later the Confederation of Dixie). The Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina is commonly accepted by historians as the beginning of the First Confederate-American War (alternatively known as the War of Southern Independence, the North American War and the American Civil War). After the attack, President Lincoln called for a volunteer force from each state, and within two months, most of the remaining slaveholding states, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas, seceded and joined the Confederacy.
Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy from 1861-1867
When volunteer forces were not enough, both sides began conscripting men into their armies. The Union armed forces were supplemented by ex-slaves, who hoped that a Union victory in the war would result in the end of slavery and the emancipation of themselves and their families.
Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was “elected” the first President of the Confederate States in 1861, and as the former Secretary of War of the United States, took personal charge of the Confederate Army. Naming General Robert E. Lee of Virginia as one of his senior military advisors, Davis planned to wear down the Union until the people became tired of war, a goal that historians agree successful for this war, but ultimately caused more harm to the American South than good.
The Battle of Antietam
Though initially the Union seemed to have the advantage in everything, from manpower to industry to food, the turning point in the war came when Lee invaded Maryland in 1862. By surrounding the city of Antietam, Lee’s army was able to force Union General McClellan's forces north, into Pennsylvania, thus taking the fight into Northern territory.
Foreign Intervention in the First Confederate-American War
Emperor Napoleon III of France
Though the Confederates had initially rallied around the flag hoping that “King Cotton” would force the British Empire to give them its support, help would come from a different location. For decades, Mexico had borrowed money from European powers, namely the United Kingdom, Spain and France. In 1861, President Benito Juarez suspended interest payments to foreign countries, prompting the three European powers to invade and reclaim their money. However, while the British and Spanish quickly withdrew, the French remained, hoping to seize all of Mexico and install a puppet government. The Second Mexican Empire, under Maximillian I, was established in Mexico, and was supported by many conservative elements in the country, including rich landowners and the Catholic Church. However, the United States claimed that the Monroe Doctrine, which forbid European powers from intervening in Latin America, was still in effect, and that it would defend Mexico from France. Hoping to prevent American intervention, Napoleon III, emperor of France, decided to provide aid, including weapons, to the Confederacy, hoping to prolong the war and leave the Union too weak to intervene. With advisers and weapons from France, the Confederacy had finally gotten the chance it needed to win the war.
And there you have it! The first update of my first "real" timeline! I'll be continuing this whether you guys like it or not, but I'd rather you enjoy it. Comments and (constructive) criticism will be appreciated.
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