North Versus South
The Civil War kicked off from the complications between the Northern and Southern regions of the United States. The most noteworthy controversy that sprouted endless disagreements was the widely debated topic of slavery. Tensions grew tremendously between the North and the South. However, despite the fatalities and altercations that would continue for decades to come, the Civil War defined the image and ethics for the future of the United States. In the span of the four terrifying years, filled with trauma and unrest, over 625,000 American lives were lost.
Catalysts of the Civil War
The combat was fought primarily between the free and slave states, since the North felt bondage was wrong while the South benefitted from it. Another catalyst of the bloodshed was the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. Lincoln was portrayed in the Southern states as being an antislavery advocate although he only sought to contain slavery from expanding beyond the states that it had already occupied. South perceived this as an act of aggression and a threat to the South’s existence. As a result of this bias, seven states seceded from the United States in order to form the Confederate States of America. The final straw that broke the camel's back was the Confederate incursion on a Union-controlled Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. After the strike on the stronghold, four additional slave states agreed to unite with the Confederacy. In an attempt to cut off the Confederacy’s access to foreign countries and resources, the Union navy established a blockade. This first action was the only the onset of what would become the bloodiest and most devastating engagement in the history of the United States.