Lesson 2: The War Begins

The election of 1860 was the final straw. Abraham Lincoln won the presidency without carrying a single Southern state. His victory convinced Southern leaders that they had lost all political power in the national government and that their "way of life" (slavery) was doomed.

In response, South Carolina became the first state to vote for Secession (leaving the Union). It was soon followed by six other states, which formed a new nation called the Confederate States of America. When Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in April 1861, the Civil War officially began.

As the war started, the Union (North) seemed to have every advantage. It had a larger population, more money, and 90% of the nation's Factories and Railroads. This meant the North could produce weapons, move troops, and supply its army far better than the South.

However, the Confederacy (South) had key advantages of its own. It was fighting a Defensive War on its own territory, meaning it only had to survive, not conquer. Furthermore, the South had superior Military Leadership. Many of the nation's best officers, including Robert E. Lee, resigned from the U.S. Army to fight for their home states.

To use its resource advantage, the Union developed a long-term strategy called the Anaconda Plan. Like a giant snake, the plan was designed to strangle the South's economy.

The strategy had three parts: 1) A naval Blockade of Southern ports to stop the export of cotton and import of supplies; 2) Capturing the Mississippi River to split the Confederacy in two; and 3) Capturing the Confederate capital at Richmond. Although slow, this plan eventually wore the South down.