The Civil War greatly changed American history. Even before the Civil War, many people had mixed opinions about slavery. Abolitionists had many different reasons why they needed to end slavery. Some thoughts are a form of free labor, others thought it was a sin. Slavery existed throughout almost all of America's history. During 1800, a new invention called the cotton gin made farming more profitable. Growing cotton was a very labor-intensive process, and cotton gin needed a large supply of laborers to tend to the fields. This labor was supplied by enslaved African Americans. Even though growing cotton was the main industry, it wasn't the only one. Many enslaved people were forced to work in other industries like tobacco, hemp, corn, and livestock. Even with all this, many slaves brought their own freedom. It was not uncommon to see people in cities who put aside enough money to feed themselves.
In the November 1860 race, Lincoln represented the Republican Party. Stephen Douglas, who represented the Democratic Party. The announcement of Lincoln's victory singled the separation of the Southern states who openly threatened succession since the beginning of the year. If Republicans had won the White House. Southerners were convinced that the election of President Lincoln was irreversibly threatening the way of life bounded on slavery. By the time of Lincoln's inauguration on March 4, 1861, seven States had succeeded and the Confederate States of America had been officially created with Jefferson Davis as its elected president.
The battle of Fort Sumter started the Civil War on April 12, 1861. The Confederates wanted the Union to abandon Fort Sumter, but the Union refused. In reply to the Union's refusal, the Confederates opened fire on Fort Sumter and the first shots of defense were made, starting the Civil War. This battle lasted for 36 hours and resulted in the Union surrendering the fourth on April 13, 1861. On August 22, 1862, Horace Greeley, an editor for the New York Tribune, sent a letter to Abraham Lincoln stating that he thought that Lincoln's stand against slavery was too moderate really demanded Lincoln did more about abolition. Lincoln replied, saying, My paramount objective in this struggle is to save the Union and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it. And if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it. And if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that. Lincoln communicates the ultimate purpose in the war is to unite the Union. In January 1863, Lincoln gave the Emancipation Proclamation. This speech is another example of Lincoln's successful communication.
The Emancipation Proclamation marked an important point in the war as the warships were one to preserve the Union to one about ending slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation also ensured that the escaped slaves could help the Union by enlisting in the Union Army. This resulted in the south suffering heavy losses due to lost labor. Additionally, nations of Britain and France, who had once considered supporting the Confederacy to increase their power and influence, retreated due to their strong opposition to slavery. Fought in July of 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the entire war with about 510 casualties on both sides. In November of that year, Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. This speech highlighted Lincoln's communication skills. Lincoln communicated to the Union soldiers to motivate them to keep fighting for what the fallen soldiers lost their lives for. With his effective communication in the speech, he managed to motivate the Union to keep fighting for what they believed in. From 1863 to 1865, many battles were fought with numerous Union victories due to Lincoln's effective communication, and on May 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee surrendered his 28,000 ships to Union General Yules S. Grant, effectively ending the Civil War.
While the scattered opposition continued for many weeks, the Civil War had come to an end for all practical purposes. With strong leadership, Lincoln effectively ended slavery and changed the course of the country for the better.