The Civil War began with the bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina on April 15, 1861. This marked the start of four bloody years of conflict between the Union and Confederate states over the issues of slavery and states' rights. Some of the major battles and events that took place include the battles of Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg, and Vicksburg in 1862-1863, which resulted in massive casualties but key Union victories. In 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, shifting the war's focus to emancipation. As the war dragged on, Lincoln and the Union adopted a "hard war" strategy of increasing pressure on the Confederacy. The war finally concluded in April 1865 with

1. The Civil War1861 - 1865

2. Bombing of Fort Sumter (15 April 1861)

3. Beginning of the Conflict (1861)Fort Sumter15 April 1861

4. Four years to the day of Lincoln’s assassination

5. Shelling was conducted by Southern belligerents upset at the possibility of Lincoln being an anti-slavery president

6. Lincoln demands the shelling stops

7. Commands them to disband immediately

8. Known to Southerners as the beginning of “Lincoln’s Aggression”

9. The South began to systematically secede from the Union because of Lincoln’s perceived ‘aggression’.

10. Waco’s own Felix H. Robertson (CSA) was present and helped the shellingBorder States Remain in the UnionMissouri, Kentucky, Maryland Delaware, and later West Virginia stay in the Union despite being slave states

11. West Virginia calls for gradual abolition and remains loyal to the Union throughout the conflict

12. Some stay because of Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus

13. Lincoln suspends it in cases involving Southern supporters

14. Becomes too risky to support the South if you were close to Washington D.C. Fort Sumter (1865)

15. Lincoln’s First Moves (1861-1862)Expanding Constitutional PowersSuspension of habeas corpus

16. Increased size of military and navy without Congressional approval

17. Blockade of Southern ports

18. Instructs the Treasury Dept. to pay two secret agents $2 million to secure extra supplies

19. Reasoning:

20. “By general law, life and limb must be protected, yet often a limb must be amputated to save a life; but a life is never wisely given to save a limb.”

21. What does Lincoln mean by this?

22. It makes no sense to follow the Constitution letter by letter if the ultimate purpose of the Constitution – preserving the Union was under attack.

23. Congress validates most of Lincoln’s actions because of this rationaleMilitary Planning (1862-1863)Northern Military PlanningThe “Anaconda Plan”

24. Suffocate the South from all sides and let it die by occupying a majority of the enemy territory

25. Advocated by General-in-Chief Winfield Scott

26. Called for a blockade on all Southern ports

27. Advance down the Mississippi River to cut the South into two pieces

28. This was a fairly passive military strategy

29. Scott takes on this approach partially due to Lincoln’s push for a blockade

30. The plan’s failure

31. No U.S. Navy ships could navigate the Mississippi the way Scott believed

32. The strategy was too short-sighted; Scott believed that the South would easily give up

33. Scott gives up his post and his plan to George B. McClellanSouthern Military StrategyThought the war would be primarily defensive

34. General Robert E. Lee believed and advocated for this initially

35. Battle of Shiloh (6-7 April 1862)