The Civil War

Martina views portraits of Confederate leaders Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee

The secession of Southern states triggered a long and costly war. During this war, key leaders benefited the Confederacy and the Union. Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Fredrick Douglas served as leaders for the Union. Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee were leaders for the Confederacy. Each of these leaders served a different role for the side that they supported during the Civil War.

The Civil War lasted over five years from the firing on Fort Sumter, to the Surrender at the Appomattox Courthouse. There were many major events that occurred during the Civil War. Perhaps the most significant was President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation that was issued after the Battle of Antietam and ended slavery in the United States. During the Civil War, the survival of the United States as one nation was at risk. The nation’s ability to bring to reality the ideals of liberty, equality, and justice depended on the outcome of the war.