The Nation Divides

     The Civil War was a dark time in American history. More lives were lost in this war then in any other war we have fought in to date. When the Confederates opened fire on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, the War between the States had begun.
     Many still disagree about what caused the War between the States. Opinions differ over whether the root cause of the War was over slavery or state's rights. Regardless of the cause, it forever changed our country. Over the course of the war, heavy fighting occurred in several places throughout the South. Every Confederate state saw military action and suffered great loss of lives. Plantations  and crops were destroyed and many were left homeless. However, the slaves gained their freedom, and the Union entered into a new beginning.
There are a few little known facts about the 4 year War that I found interesting:
1. Lincoln wanted to send all black slaves out of America so they could live in freedom. Many were opposed to this, especially the slaves.
2. Lincoln was almost killed two years before his assassination.
3. 2/3 of the soldiers died from disease, infection, starvation, or weather conditions.
4. The most common surgery during the war was amputation.
5. 7 future presidents fought in the War.
6. Income Tax was established after the war, so we can thank the War between the States for the IRS:)

In the next Unit, you will read about the aftermath of the bloody War. It took our country years to recover from the brutal event.

   

     You are now officially on Thanksgiving break from history! Are you excited! You still have a little homework but nothing major. I am going to miss our energetic discussions for the next 2 weeks. We will have so much to catch up on!

Homework:
1. read Unit 13 and write out memory verse
2. work on semester project ( I will send out the requirements for the project)
3. add to Timeline
4. eat lots of good food!

Have a great Thanksgiving!