When Did the Civil War Start?

Wondering when did the Civil War start? Although most wars begin with a specific incident, the climate that exists within the governments of both sides of each war contributes to the forces that bring about the declaration of war. For instance, Pearl Harbor was a fine example of an all out attack of one side against the forces of the other side. In the case of the Civil War, however, many issues were at the forefront of governmental concerns, making it a little more difficult to actually answer the question "When did the Civil War start?". The split in opinion on these issues eventually cause a split in the unity of the Union.

Slavery was one of the main issues that led to the Civil War. Opinions about slavery burned strong in the hearts of many, and both those that favored slavery and those that thought it should be outlawed had very strong opinions. The main proponents for slavery were the southern states that utilized slaves as labor on their crop and plantations.

The time period leading up to the outbreak of the war coincided with the election of a new President to guide the country. During the campaign for presidency, both sides were vocal about their views as to the issue of slavery.

The opposition to slavery was not demanding the practice be outlawed; it merely wanted to limit the extension of slavery to any new territories that the country acquired. The proponents of slavery, on the other hand, felt that to limit the spread of slavery would doom the practice to decline and eventual death as pressure was applied to those that still practiced it.

Secession

By the time the results of the 1860 Presidential Election became known, the first states were already declaring their secession from the Union. Seven southern states seceded from the Union even before the new President, Abraham Lincoln, officially took office. South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Texas had all seceded by February of 1861.

The seven states formed a new Government, The Confederate States of America, on February 4, 1861. President Jefferson Davis was their leader. They modeled their new government on a document closely mirroring the US Constitution. Within the next few months, four other states joined the Confederacy, Tennessee, North Carolina, Arkansas and Virginia. Following the secession of the states and swearing in of the new President, the Confederacy took possession of all federal properties except Fort Sumter, Fort Pickens and Fort Taylor.

The new president declared the southern states in violation of the Constitution and declared that they did not have the authority to secede from the Union. He therefore, claimed in his inaugural address that, while he had no intention of invading southern states or ending slavery where it existed, he would use military forces to retain possession of federal lands.

When Did the Civil War Start?

Lincoln ordered supply ships to sail for Fort Sumter to resupply the fort. On April 12, 1861, Confederate troops bombarded Fort Sumter until they surrendered. These were the first shots of the Civil War. Upon news of the surrender and Confederate capture of Fort Sumter, Lincoln ordered 75,000 troops to recapture Fort Sumter and the war was in full swing.

The Union began a blockade of all major Southern ports in 1861 and this blockade continued until the end of the war. This blockade succeeded in instigating hyperinflation and widespread hunger across the South. By 1865, all southern ports had been effectively shut down to shipping. The land war continued until 1865.

On April 6, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse. The Civil War was over.

The Civil War was the bloodiest war this nation has ever fought. Over 650,000 men were killed or died in camp. One of the saddest facts is that all the casualties of the war were Americans. The Civil War set brothers against each other and fathers against sons.

In the end, slaves were freed based on the Emancipation Proclamation delivered by Lincoln following the Battle of Antietam. This was the single bloodiest battle of the entire war.

The southern defeat of the Civil War paved the way for the introduction of the thirteenth amendment to the US Constitution that proclaimed universal emancipation.