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The Great Trauma of America’s Adolescence
Launching the Conflict
• Abraham said there would be no war without the southerners being the
aggressors during his inaugural address as president.
• The confederacy fired the first shot of thwarting war, at Fort Sumter in
Charleston, South Carolina on April 12, 1861.
• President Lincoln called 75,000 state militia into federal service for the
Union in the wake of the agression.
• Key Figures:
• Jefferson Davis: Confederate president in Montgomery, Alabama.
• Abraham Lincoln: Union president in Washington, D.C.
• Fort Sumter:
• Lincoln’s decision to resupply Fort Sumter led to the first battle when
the Confederacy attacked it.
• The attack on Fort Sumter marked the beginning of the Civil War.
Expectations vs. Reality
• Both the Union and Confederacy believed the war would be short-lived.
• The first major battle at Bull Run was witnessed by spectators expecting
a quick end to the conflict.
• The war ultimately lasted four years, with over 600,000 casualties.
Motivations for Fighting
• Soldiers were motivated by adventure, peer pressure, and bounty money.
• Ideological motivations differed:
• Confederates drew parallels with the American Revolution, fighting
against perceived tyranny.
• Union soldiers fought to preserve the republic, not primarily to end
slavery.
• African Americans’ role in the war grew, with nearly 200,000 joining the
Union army by the end.
Life as a Civil War Soldier
The Great Trauma of America’s Adolescence
Launching the Conflict
• Abraham said there would be no war without the southerners being the
aggressors during his inaugural address as president.
• The confederacy fired the first shot of thwarting war, at Fort Sumter in
Charleston, South Carolina on April 12, 1861.
• President Lincoln called 75,000 state militia into federal service for the
Union in the wake of the agression.
• Key Figures:
• Jefferson Davis: Confederate president in Montgomery, Alabama.
• Abraham Lincoln: Union president in Washington, D.C.
• Fort Sumter:
• Lincoln’s decision to resupply Fort Sumter led to the first battle when
the Confederacy attacked it.
• The attack on Fort Sumter marked the beginning of the Civil War.
Expectations vs. Reality
• Both the Union and Confederacy believed the war would be short-lived.
• The first major battle at Bull Run was witnessed by spectators expecting
a quick end to the conflict.
• The war ultimately lasted four years, with over 600,000 casualties.
Motivations for Fighting
• Soldiers were motivated by adventure, peer pressure, and bounty money.
• Ideological motivations differed:
• Confederates drew parallels with the American Revolution, fighting
against perceived tyranny.
• Union soldiers fought to preserve the republic, not primarily to end
slavery.
• African Americans’ role in the war grew, with nearly 200,000 joining the
Union army by the end.
Life as a Civil War Soldier
