Civil War Cause & Effect

Civil War

The American Civil War began in 1861 and ended in 1865 when some areas of the United States had different economies. In the North, the economy was based on factories and wages. In the South, they had large plantations, which grew cotton. The plantation owners needed the slaves to pick the cotton. They didn't receive wages, but they were provided with food and shelter. In the Midwest, wheat was the number one cash crop. These different economies caused divisions in the United States. After four years of warfare, the Confederacy surrendered and slavery was outlawed everywhere in the nation. The Civil War was fought to prevent the South from breaking away from the union.

The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863, freeing the slaves in those territories still in rebellion against the Union. It didn't free all slaves immediately, this is because its application was limited to those parts of North America which were still under the control of the armed forces of the Confederate States of America. This had freed 3.1 million of the 4 million slaves in the USA. The Proclamation also authorized the Union armies to recruit these freed slaves to fight. A large number joined the Union Army and made a major contribution to the war effort during the final two years of the war.

The Civil War was the deadliest war in Americas History, resulting in the deaths of 620,000 soldiers and an undetermined number of civilians. This was a big deal in history because this fight was very crucial. The Confederate strength, known less accurately because of missing records, was from 750,000 to 1,250,000 men. The Union armies had from 2,500,000 to 2,750,000 men. Victory for the North meant the end of the Confederacy and of slavery in the United States, and strengthened the role of the federal government.

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