By Romina Camaiora & Nicole Zimmermann

The American Civil War happened in 1861 to 1865,was a war between the North and South of the United States. It was a war of Americans against Americans. About 630,000 soldiers died in this war.

The opponents were the North and the South. The American President Abraham Lincoln was the leader of the North, and Jefferson Davis was the leader of the South.

The North also called “the Union” wore blue uniforms and the soldiers were “Yankees”. In the North there were a lot of industries but there no slaves. Everyone worked and was free. The people of the North wanted to stop slavery.

The South also called “the Confederacy” wore gray uniforms and the soldiers were “Rebels”. In the South there were a lot of cotton, tobacco and sugar plantations. Black slaves worked on these plantations. They lives were very difficult. They were not free because they belonged to an owner. He bought and sold them. Some owners were cruel. The South did not want to stop slavery.

The American Civil War started on 12 April General Ulysses S. Grant commanded the Union Army, and General Robert E. Lee commanded the Confederate Army. In January 1863 President Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation, with this new law all slaves in the southern states were free. But the Civil War continue 2 more years. The biggest battle of the Civil War was at Gettysburg in July 1863, the Union Army won. The war finally ended on 9 April 1865.

We think that it was a terrible war and that Abraham Lincoln was a good man and he fighted for the justice and for the freedom.

War is bad!