The Civil War began after decades of tensions between northern and southern states over slavery, states’ rights, and westward expansion. Southern leaders accused Lincoln of deliberately provoking war to overthrow the Confederacy, a claim which seems a distortion of facts. Lincoln was determined to preserve the Union and took a stand at Sumter.
When Lincoln got elected in 1861, resentment among southerners spread, leading to the outbreak of war. After his victory, seven southern states seceded to form the Confederate States of America; four more states soon joined. The principal cause of the war is slavery; secondary causes are sectionalism, abolitionism, federalism, economics, and the 1860 election. Overall, there were over 10,000 engagements and 50 major battles between April 1861 and April 1865 when General Lee surrendered, ending the war.
A fundamental economic difference existed between the Northern and Southern regions. The North’s economy was based on manufacturing and industry, while the South’s was based on large-scale farming dependent on slave labor to grow cotton and tobacco. Lincoln’s election is considered one of the most crucial, with most scholars agreeing slavery was the central cause, although revisionists offered additional reasons.
Abraham Lincoln believed that American democracy meant equal rights and equality of opportunity. Lincoln was instrumental in the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, which officially ended slavery in America. A former Whig, Lincoln ran on a political platform opposed to the expansion of slavery in the territories. Before delving further into his actual role, it’s notable that Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States who led the nation through its darkest hours from 1861-1865, which coincided with the tragic Civil War. Lincoln’s re-election ensured that he would preside over the successful conclusion of the Civil War.