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Civil War Study Guide
Many different events led to the Civil War. Mostly, the differences between the North and South caused the two
areas to clash. The biggest difference between the North and South was their opinion on slavery.
North and South Differences
 The North had a very industrialized economy and did not rely on slave labor. The South had a very
agricultural economy and needed slaves to work in the fields. Slaves mostly picked cotton, which was grown
in many areas. To southerners, ending slavery would cause them to lose a lot of money.
 Around this time, new states were being created out of the recently settled western territories. The North
wanted the states to be "free states," while the South wanted them to be "slave states."
 The differences between the North and South even began to affect individual families. Political beliefs
sometimes caused different members of a family to fight on opposite sides of the war.
Events Leading to the Civil War
 Harriet Beecher Stowe was an abolitionist who wrote a novel called Uncle Tom's Cabin. An abolitionist is a
person who wanted to end slavery in the United States. Stowe wrote her novel to show people in the U.S. the
evils of slavery.
 John Brown was an abolitionist who led a raid on Harpers Ferry in Virginia. The U..S Army kept many
weapons at Harpers Ferry, and Brown wanted to get these weapons to start a slave rebellion. The raid failed,
and Brown was captured. He was later hanged.
 When Abraham Lincoln was elected president in the 1860 election, it was the final straw for some states in
the South. These states seceded from (left) the Union because they did not agree with any of Lincoln's ideas.
Most of all, they left because Lincoln was against slavery.
Important Events
The Civil War was fought from 1861 to 1865 between the Union and the Confederate States of America. Some
important events during the Civil War included the battle at Fort Sumter, the Emancipation Proclamation,
General Sherman's March to the Sea, and General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox.
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter was built to protect Charleston Harbor in South Carolina. Both the North and the South wanted to
keep the fort because of its good location. When South Carolina left the Union, the soldiers in the fort stayed loyal to
the North. The South demanded that the North give up the fort, but the North refused. The South attacked in April,
1861. Northern troops were not prepared to fight back. The first shots of the Civil War were fired during this battle.
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln sent the Northern troops to war to save the Union. He also wanted to free the slaves. The Emancipation
Proclamation, signed in 1863, said that slaves were to be set free in all the Southern states that had left the Union.
Since the South was at war with the North, they ignored the Proclamation. All slaves were set free soon after the war
when the 14th amendment was passed.
The Battle of Gettysburg
Usually called the turning point of the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg was fought over three days in July,
1863, near the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Confederate army tried to invade the North through
Pennsylvania, but Union troops were able to push the Confederates back into Virginia. The Confederates never tried
another invasion, and some say the South lost the will to fight after this battle. More than 46,000 people were killed,
wounded, or captured during the battle.
Sherman's March to the Sea
General William T. Sherman, a Union Major General, ordered people to leave the city of Atlanta, Georgia, before
burning it during his famous "March to the Sea." On their way to the sea, he and his troops marched and destroyed
much property. This made people of the South feel hopeless about winning the war.
Lee's Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
In April, 1865, the final battle of the United States Civil War took place near the town of Appomattox
Courthouse, Virginia. Confederate General Robert E. Lee had no choice but to surrender when he found himself
surrounded by Union troops. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865.
Important Leaders
The Union and the Confederate States had important leaders during the Civil War. Some of these leaders were in
the military and made a difference in the war effort. Some leaders were not in the military and made a difference in
society during the time period. Examples of these leaders are Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Abraham
Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, and Jefferson Davis.
Frederick Douglass
(1817-1895)
Abolitionist
Frederick Douglass was an escaped slave who became a leader of the abolitionist movement.
He wrote an autobiography in 1845 and gave speeches throughout the country. Douglass was
involved in the Underground Railroad, and in 1847, he began publishing an antislavery paper
called the North Star. He served as an adviser to President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War
and fought for the adoption of constitutional amendments that guaranteed voting rights and other
civil liberties for blacks.
Harriet Tubman
(1820-1913)
Leader in the Underground Railroad
Harriet Tubman was an escaped slave who helped other slaves escape through the
Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a network of people and homes in which
escaped slaves could hide on their way to northern U.S. states or Canada. Tubman was a
conductor on the Underground Railroad, which meant she helped lead other slaves on the path to
freedom. She made 19 trips to the South and helped more than 300 slaves escape. She also
worked as a spy to bring back important information from the South.
Abraham Lincoln
(1809-1865)
President of the United States
Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States in the election of 1860. Even
before he became president, Lincoln was well known for debating issues including the topic of
slavery. Throughout the Civil War, he said his main goal was not to end slavery, but to bring the
Southern states back into the Union. He gave what is probably his most memorable speech at
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, after the Battle of Gettysburg was won by the Union. The press
helped spread Lincoln's Gettysburg Address all over the country, where it reached citizens and
helped unite the nation. Lincoln was re-elected in 1864, and he was assassinated at the end of
the Civil War in April of 1865.
Ulysses S. Grant
(1822-1885)
Union General
Ulysses S. Grant joined the Union Army in 1860 as a brigadier general. He had many
successful battles, including the capture of Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1863. After that, Lincoln
put him in command of all the Union armies. Grant focused on dividing and destroying the
Confederate armies. In 1865, Grant defeated Confederate General Robert E. Lee, who
surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House. Grant later became President of the United
States and served from 1869 to 1877.
Robert E. Lee
(1807-1870)
Confederate General
Robert E. Lee was the most famous Confederate general in the Civil War. Jefferson Davis,
President of the Confederate States of America, placed Lee in charge of the entire Confederate
Army in 1862. He then led the Confederate Army to many victories from 1862 to 1865,
though he lost the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. Lee surrendered to Grant in April 1865 at
Appomattox Court House without Confederate President Davis' permission.
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
(1824-1863)
Confederate General
Thomas J. Jackson was a Confederate general during the Civil War. He is probably most
well known for his leadership at the First Battle of Bull Run in July of 1861. It was during this
battle that he earned his nickname of "Stonewall." The Union army seemed to be winning
early in the battle, but Jackson and his troops stood firm. Though many of the Confederate
soldiers had started to flee, they stopped and came back when they saw Jackson. They said he
stood against the Union forces like a "stone wall."
Jefferson Davis
(1808-1889)
President of the Confederate States
Jefferson Davis was a senator from Mississippi before the Civil War. Once Mississippi
seceded from (left) the Union, Jefferson Davis left the Senate. He then was elected President
of the Confederate States of America. Davis managed the army very closely and believed that
the South needed a strong, centralized government, which many of the states did not agree
with. He appointed Robert E. Lee as the commander-in-chief of all the Confederate troops.
General Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox without Davis'
approval, ending the Civil War. Davis was later arrested for his leadership role in the
Confederacy.