Most historians debate that the American Civil War started when the seven states declared their session from the U.S and joined to form the confederate states of America. The main reason for this secession was slavery, particularly, the Southerners were angry at the efforts of the Northerner’s antislavery political forces to block the expansion slavery into the Western regions. The southerners debated argued that such restrictions on slavery would violate the principle of states’ rights. When Abraham Lincoln won the presidency in 1860, his victory triggered the declaration of secession by the seven states in the Deep South leading to the formation of the confederation even before Lincoln took office. This is because Lincoln won his presidential without being on the ballot in ten states, in the southern, territory (Thomas, 2008)
Most of the fighting during the American civil war took place on the confederate soil. This was viewed as a strategy of the states. This meant that for the confederates to win the civil war they had only to survive and, on the other hand, for the North to win the the civil war, the Yankees had to be restored. Therefore, for the North to win, the union had to conquer the south. Owing to the war action in their homes the Southerners experienced a lot of hardship (The South During the Civil War - For Teachers (Library of Congress)). More so, the hardships the Southerners faced intensified and increased for more reasons. For example, economically the confederates gained their income from the confederate plantations. This meant that they had more intricacy than the North in developing required goods for their soldiers as well as the civilians. Economic hardship the southerners faced was a result of the Yankees Strategy to use the Army to barricade the Southern port. The Union knew that by stopping the stream of goods between the confederates and other countries, they would strangle its foes economically. Therefore, in order for the Southern Civilians to win, they had to make more sacrifices than the Northern Civilians (Fredericksburg.com - Why the South lost the Civil War).
References
Fredericksburg.com - Why the South lost the Civil War . (n.d.). Fredericksburg.com -
Fredericksburg, Virginia's homepage . Retrieved August 15, 2012, from
The South During the Civil War - For Teachers (Library of Congress). (n.d.). Library of
Congress
Home. Retrieved August 15, 2012, from
Thomas, E. G. (2008). American Civil War. Square One Publishers.
