Mar 31, 2018 the song dixie was the composed by daniel decatur emmett and acted as an unofficial anthem for the confederate states of america during the civil war. Ultimately more than 620000 americans lives were lost in the fouryear war that ended. The civil war began primarily as a result of the longstanding controversy over the enslavement of black people. This video is part of the civil war trusts in4 video series, which presents short videos on basic civil war topics. Union american civil war facts for kids kiddle encyclopedia. The american civil war 18611865 was a civil war in the united states of america. Union leaders of the civil war american battlefield trust. Jun 27, 2008 black dispatches was a common term used among union military men for intelligence on confederate forces provided by negroes.
It was evident both sides wished to gain the support of specific major powers, to enable them to take advantage of both military and. This number comprised of both northern free african americans and. The union lost the battle of first bull run in june 1861, convincing many people that this conflict might be a long one. Map of the division of the states during the civil war. American civil war, fouryear war 186165 fought between the united. During the american civil war 18611865, the union, also known as the north, referred to the united states of america, specifically to the national government. The southern states of the united states and america were eager to separate from the union and found their own country known as. Union vs confederacy in american civil war slavery.
She was transferred to the us navy in 1862 and participated in several operations on the mississippi river, including the capture of baton rouge and port hudson in 1863. During the war s first year, events went poorly for the union. By the beginning of the american civil war, the united states was a little more than 50 years of age. Teach using civil war documents use our online tool, docsteach, for teaching with primary source documents from the national. They also included states then called the old northwest and now usually thought to be part of the.
During the american civil war, the union meant the federal government of the united states, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border states. The union blockade began just a few weeks after the start of the civil war. It arose out of disputes over slavery and states rights. The conflict was the costliest and deadliest war ever fought on american soil, with some. Union american civil war champlain, new york landmark. Rape and justice in the civil war the new york times. They formed the confederate states of america, also called the confederacy. Their disagreements soon resulted in a war which was called the american civil war.
The american civil war was fought between the united states of america and. The american civil war also known by other names was a civil war in the united states from 1861 to 1865, fought between the northern united states loyal to the union and the southern united states that had seceded from the union and formed the confederacy. The american civil war was the largest and most destructive conflict in the western world between the end of the napoleonic wars in 1815 and the onset of world war i in 1914. The civil war soldiers and sailors system cwss is a database containing information about the men who served in the union and confederate armies during the civil war. In the union army, over 179,000 african american men served in over 160 units, as well as more serving in the navy and in support positions. The american civil war in pictures part 1, 18611865. Union generals of the civil war, best known union generals. The northern states also known as the union, where slavery was already illegal, wanted it abolished throughout the country. Apr 05, 2020 american civil war, also called war between the states, fouryear war 186165 between the united states and 11 southern states that seceded from the union and formed the confederate states of america. Begin your civil war research learn about resources at the national archives for researching individuals who served in the civil war. The civil war trusts webpage explaining the top 10 things kids should know about. The civil war started because of uncompromising differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the. Africanamericans served in the in the civil war on both the union and confederate side.
Supported by 20 free states and five border states, the union was comprised of. The civil war was a conflict that dived a nation threatening to split a country in two. Scholastic encyclopedia of the civil war by catherine clinton. Largely forgotten today, the lieber code established strict laws. American civil war, fouryear war 186165 fought between the united states and 11 southern states that seceded to form the confederate states of america. What did the union fight for in the american civil war answers. But the civil war did create some cinematic gems that attempted to create some understanding about why americans decided, over 150 years ago, to march off to war to try to kill one another. States of america, a collection of eleven southern states that left the union in. The conflict was the costliest and deadliest war ever fought on american soil, with. They had started to develop relationships with all the major powers in europe and the rest of the world.
This source of information represented the single most prolific and productive category of intelligence obtained and acted on by union forces throughout the civil war. The civil war was a major conflict in american history, and in this lesson well look at one of the sides. Organized in 1881 and chartered by congress in 1954, we are the legal successor to the grand army of the republic. The union blockade was part of a larger strategy called the anaconda plan. Of the 211,411 union soldiers captured 16,668 were paroled on the field and 30,218 died in prison.
The union army aka the federal army, or northern army was the army that fought for the union or north during the the american civil war. During the american civil war 18611865, the union, also known as the north, referred to the united states of america, specifically to the national government of president abraham lincoln and the 20 free states and 5 border states that supported it. Eleven southern states seceded from the union to form the confederacy. During the american civil war, the union meant the federal government of the united states, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. During the american civil war 18611865, the union referred to the united states of america. American civil war american civil war the land war. A brief overview of the american civil war american. The south was defeated and the rebel states were gradually readmitted to the union from 1866 to 1870. When antislavery candidate abraham lincoln was elected president 1860, the. Of the 462,634 confederate soldiers captured 247,769 were paroled on the field and 25,976 died in prison. The sons of union veterans of the civil war is a fraternal organization dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of heroes who fought and worked to save the union. The other group, which broke away from the union, comprised of the southern states and was called the confederacy.
The peninsula campaign also known as the peninsular campaign of the american civil war was a major union operation launched in southeastern virginia from march through july 1862, the first largescale offensive in the eastern theater. The southern states also known as the confederacy, on the other hand, wanted to keep slavery. At first glance it seemed that the 23 states that remained in the union. The first military operations took place in northwestern virginia, where nonslaveholding pro union virginians sought to secede from the confederacy. Apr 14, 2015 april 1865 was a momentous month in american history.
Other information on the site includes histories of union and confederate regiments, links to descriptions of significant battles, and selected lists of prisonerof war records. The union and the confederacy quickly raised volunteer and conscription armies that fought mostly in the south for four years. American civil war simple english wikipedia, the free. American civil war, also called war between the states, fouryear war 186165 between the united states and 11 southern states that seceded from the union and formed the confederate states of america. The civil war in the united states began in 1861, after decades of simmering. American civil war facts civil war for kids dk find out. The war began on april 12, 1861 when confederate forces attacked fort sumter held by a union garrison. Apr 25, 20 disunion follows the civil war as it unfolded. During the american civil war, the federal government was generally referred to as the union, although the. Uniforms of officers and enlisted men in the united states and confederate armies. The war between the states, as the civil war was also known, ended in confederate surrender in 1865. The american civil war was fought between the united states of america.
Blue represents union states, including those admitted during the war. When the southern states seceded from the union, war was still not a certainty. United states records of headstones of deceased union veterans, 18791903 at familysearch. The union states included the western states of california, oregon, and after 1864 nevada. The union army fought and eventually defeated the smaller confederate states army during the war which lasted from 1861 to 1865. Discover the past with exciting projects, games, activities, and recipes by david c. Eleven southern states seceded from the union between december 1860 and june 1861, creating the confederate states of america and beginning the american civil war. Foreign countries respond to the american civil war. Union american civil war simple english wikipedia, the. Every union infantryman soldier fighting on foot wore a belt set that included a cartridge box and sling, cap pouch, and bayonet scabbard weapon case.
In 1861, the northern and southern us states went to war with each other. Actually, it was comprised of several armies, to cover the many departments geographic regions in which the war was fought. How many states were in the union during the american civil war. Facts, information and articles about union army during the civil war union army. The southern secessionists called themselves the confederate states of america. They were opposed by the american federal government and the northern states, collectively called the union during this conflict.
The union was referred to as the north while the confederacy was known as the south. The american civil war did not create as many films like did world war ii, the conflict that drenched the planet in blood and saved the world from fascism. The american civil war was a dispute over the union and the confederacy. Some confederates called him a bluebelly, mudsill, and even a lincolnite for president abraham lincoln, but the name that has carried down through the decades is simply billy yank. New american civil war and peninsula campaign see more philip sheridan.
The war was about the confederacy the south wanting to split off from the union due to slavery laws in the union. Mcclellan, in command of federal forces in southern ohio, advanced on his own initiative in the early summer of 1861 into western virginia with about 20,000 men. The war was fought because eleven southern states wanted to leave the united states of america. The confederate states of america jefferson davis was elected president of the c. The american civil war was fought between the union and confederate states from 1861 to 1865. Request copies of records you can order online or use natf form 86 for military service records and natf form 85 for pension records. The union continued to blockade the south throughout the civil war until the war ended in 1865. The republican party, led by abraham lincoln, won the 1860. The union army was the land force that fought for the union during the american civil war.
Aug 29, 2017 the ton ironclad river gunboat, originally a steampowered ferry, was acquired during the american civil war by the us army in 1861 for the western gunboat flotilla. During the american civil war, the federal government was generally referred to as the union, although the terms united states, federals, the north, and yankee, were also used. Still, the emancipation proclamation deprived the confederacy of the bulk of its labor forces and put international public opinion strongly on the union side. From the red badge of courage to the free state of. Union during the civil war historian gary gallagher weighs in on the 19th century concept of union and describes the severe repercussions it would have on the nation. The union was dedicated to the defeat and termination of the confederate states of america, informally called the confederacy or the south. Lets explore the size and ideology of the union, and see what helped them rise to. But the code also clarified how union soldiers should treat civilians, and in particular women.