Civil War Review

Causes—Slavery The most common belief is that the Civil War was fought over the issue of slavery. –Slavery was a dividing issue in the United States. –Why did the South need slavery? Agriculture needed a large labor force –Why was the North able to survive without slavery? Industrial economy did not need slave labor –While slavery was a contributing factor, keep in mind that some slave states (Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri) remained in the Union –Also, when Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation to free the slaves, it only applied to the southern states who were fighting the Union.

Causes—States Rights The real reason the Civil War was fought was over the issue of states rights. Southerners believed that the states should determine the issue of slavery. –They did not think the federal government had the right to determine the issue. –They believed in the idea of popular sovereignty, which meant the people of the state would determine if the state would allow slavery or not. Another major issue was secession, or breaking away from the Union. –President Lincoln’s main concern was to keep the Union together. –He did not believe states had the right to leave, and he was willing to fight to keep them as a part of the Union.

Civil War Statistics Casualties –360,000 Union Soldiers Killed –275,000 Union Soldiers Wounded –260,000 Confederate Soldiers Killed –260,000 Confederate Soldiers Wounded Cost –Over $20 billion