Introduction - Civil War Facts
The American Civil War lasted for four bloody years. Fighting began at Fort Sumter in South Carolina in 1861 and ended in 1864 with the surrender of General Lee at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. There are numerous interesting Civil War facts listed on the pages of this website with information on many aspects of the War Between the States. You will find information on why the war started, where and when the major battles were fought, who the great union and confederate generals were, and much more. Some pages will list just a few facts (5 or 10) where as others will list 20, 30, 40 or even 50 facts. We will be constantly updating this site to make it as comprehensive as possible so that it will become a major source of information on all aspects of the American Civil War. Below the listed facts you will find a list of which states fought for the Union and which fought for the Confederacy
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Interesting Civil War Facts - General Information
- Fighting started on April 12th, 1861, when Confederate cannons fired upon the Union held Fort Sumter in South Carolina. No one was killed during the bombardment; a blood less beginning to a very bloody war.
- The American Civil War is the deadliest war in American history. Over 750,000 soldiers and an unknown amount of civilians died. It is interesting to note that most of these deaths were the results of disease and not wounds.
- Although the causes of the Civil War are complex the main cause was definitely the issue of slavery. Slavery, and especially its spread into new states, was a major cause of political tension in the months and years leading up to the war. The Union leaders wanted the practice abolished and the South, whose economy relied heavily upon this horrible institution, did not want it abolished.
- Seven southern states had seceded from the United States of America by February 1861, before hostilities began. These states were South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. These states called themselves the Confederate States of America and declared Jefferson Davis their president.
- Lincoln's election in 1860 was the event that triggered the beginning of hostilities. Several Southern leaders had threatened secession if Lincoln (the Republican candidate) was elected. They followed through on their threats a few months later.
- The Civil War was one of the earliest industrial wars. Weapons were mass produced and numerous industrial age inventions such as the telegraph were employed. The Unions industrial might was a key factor in its victory.
- The war ended on the 9th of April 1865 when Confederate General Lee surrendered to Union General Grant in the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia. After signing the surrender in the parlor of the McLean House Lee stepped out onto the porch, paused and looked up into the air, leaving history to ponder his thoughts at that moment.
- Upon Lee's surrender Grant allowed him to keep his sword and horse. This was an untraditional practice and showed Grants respect for his adversary.
List of Confederate States
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
List of Union States
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nevada (became a new states during the war and joined the Union)
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- West Virginia (seceded from Virginia to join the Union)
- Wisconsin
Interesting Civil War Facts - Conclusion
It should be noted that Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri did not secede from the Union but were not completely loyal to the Union side. The future states of Colorado, Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington were territories during the war that were loyal to the Union.
Please read the other pages of this site for more detailed information and facts on many different aspects of the American Civil War. We will be adding a lot more pages in the future so please come back and visit.