Kyle Keck

AP Language Blended

Mrs. Norton

May 10, 2017

The Effects Fort Sanders had on East Tennessee

Fort Sanders, located in Knoxville, Tennessee, held a significant impact for both the

North and South during the Civil War. With the amount of blood shed, men, and financial cost

the torn United States was in the melting pot of anger and rivalry. However, Fort Sanders held a

key point in how the Knoxville Campaign and control of Union forces occupied East Tennessee

and how the rest of the war would turn out. Due to the Unions victory at Fort Sanders, the

impact that is had for both sides were financial, social, and moral issues resulting in how the war

ended.

One of the impacts that the Battle of Fort Sanders had was financial support from those

in other parts of Tennessee. With the lost of Fort Sanders and the Knoxville Campaign, Union

control of East Tennessee and eventually the rest of Tennessee marked the beginning of the

downfall of the South and the end of the Civil War. Due to this, Tennessee would take years of

financial aid to achieve the level of prosperity (Whiteaker, 25) it had before the Civil War.

However, time did finally bring many people in from up North building businesses and settling

in East Tennessee. Such businesses included Knoxville Woolen Mills, Dixie Cement, and the

Candora Marble Works who would eventually become the nations biggest producer of pink

marble. (Knox Heritage, 25). Thus, East Tennessee became booming again after the war.

Keck !1
Despite the financial issues, many other factors helped shape how the war turned out and the

affect Fort Sanders had on East Tennessee.

Racism was a huge issue during the Civil War. Socially, it affected everyone but mostly

southerners. Despite East Tennessee having less than 10 percent of slaves, the rest of the state

suffered majorly. With the Battle of Fort Sanders giving way to Union victory, the Confederates

lost lots of their men, resulting in the wives having to man the plantation

themselves (Whiteaker,25). Not only that, but it also forced women to have to take on new roles

such as serving as nurses and spying on the enemy. (Whiteaker, 25). African Americans were

also greatly affected by bringing hope to them that slavery would end. If the Battle of Fort

Sanders hadnt been won by the Union, then slavery wouldve still been going on for many more

years.

Apart from the social and financial issues, one of the most crippling issues that affected

Knoxville, East Tennessee and the war, were the morals of the soldiers on both sides. The

aftermath of the Battle of Fort Sanders, left the Confederates crippled and defeated. The loss of

both Knoxville and Chattanooga spiraled the Confederates into retreat, abandoning East

Tennessee and allowing the Federalist to maintain and hold much of the Eastern region of

Tennessee throughout the entire war. With this victory, it bolstered the Union forces into

pressing their attack into Middle and West Tennessee ultimately claiming Tennessee and thus

maintaining a foothold in the South. This crippling defeat was paramount for the Union, because

if the South had gained Fort Sanders and Knoxville then the moral of the Confederate soldiers

wouldve been bolstered due to these tremendous take back of Eastern Tennessee and possibly

could have helped win the Civil War.

Keck !2
 The Battle of Fort Sanders played a pivotal role in how East Tennessee and the rest of the

war were affected. With social, financial, and moral changes on both sides, alterations were made

to history and helped play out the significant events that were to take place after the war and help

make East Tennessee and the rest of America what it is today. Ironically, for Fort Sanders to have

had such an impact on the war, today it is a mere neighborhood marked with small historical

markers to preserve the spot where this battle was fought but not receiving the recognition it

deserves.(Word Count: 750 words)

Keck !3
 Works Cited:

"Civil War in Knoxville." Knox County Schools, n.d. Web. 12 May 2017. <http://

knoxheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/The-Civil-War-in-Knoxville-Lesson-Plan.pdf>.

"Civil War." Civil War | Entries | Tennessee Encyclopedia. Tennessee Technology University, n.d.

Web. 13 May 2017. <http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=265-->.

"Knoxville, Tennessee." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 May 2017. Web. 13 May 2017.

"Morality." The Sins of Our Soldiers: Morality. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2017.

Keck !4
Keck !5