Justin Bost Ms.

Caruso English 1102 14 February 2012 The American Civil War

Imagine yourself lined up with 72,000 other soldiers, staring at your enemy 97,000 soldiers strong, with only a musket. What is going through your head? Am I going to die? Will I make it home to my family? Will I end someone elses life? Thousands of thoughts go through your head. Then you hear cannon fire, not knowing where the cannon balls will hit. You hear musket-fire and hear yells and cries of wounded, dying soldiers. Before you know it you are caught up in hand-to-hand combat. It is up to your will to survive. Welcome to the Battle of Gettysburg, otherwise known as the most deadly and bloodiest battle on American soil with more than 51,000 casualties. This battle was the turning point in the war, where it was evident that the North would prevail. Although this is probably the most famous battle in the Civil War, there were more than a total of 50 major battles and 5,000 minor battles where men, women, slaves, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters lost their lives. How did all of this start and what caused it? Why did our own country fight against each other? Before the Civil War the U.S. was going through an era of economic growth, where differences were between the North and South parts of the country. While the North was based on the manufacturing industry, the South was primarily agriculture-based with many small farms that grew plants such as cotton and tobacco. Farmers in the South depended on black slaves for labor and were considered the backbone of their economy (The American Civil War). Many

southerners and farmers began fearing the existence of slavery after growing abolishers and the Norths opposite to slavery. After many events including the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and President Lincolns election, southern states including Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana had seceded from the United States. The first shots on the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter in Charleston, SC on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces were threatened when Lincoln ordered a fleet to resupply the fort. After two days of battle, Sumters commander surrendered and left the fort to the Confederates. After that battle, North Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas, and Tennessee joined the Confederacy and the war began.