The Briefs of the American Civil War

This isn't even boxer briefs. Just briefs. Written late at night after a rough day at work, so forgive the somewhat jumpy nature of everything...if you will.

Today, we are going to briefly talk about the entirety of the American Civil War to give you all an understanding of what is going to be covered throughout the quarter.

The American Civil War started in April of 1861. To this day it is the most violent and deadly conflict on the North American continent. So many men died during the war that it will be remembered for a very long time to come.

The war was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America. It was a confusing and frightening time for our country. Bonds were broken, brother fought brother, and families were divided by the formation of the new nation.

We say the war started on April 12, 1861, although it really doesn’t have an official beginning date. The tension between the South and the North slowly built to a boiling point until the elections. Then, when it was clear that Abraham Lincoln was going to be the next President of the United States, the situation became hostile in a hurry.

In December of 1860, South Carolina was the first state to tell everyone that they would rather live in a new country than have to listen to Abraham Lincoln. So, they seceded. No, no, not succeeded, “Seceded”. It means to withdraw from a treaty or alliance. Basically they stopped listening to Abraham Lincoln so that they could elect the President that they wanted. Jefferson Davis was the man for the job.

On April 12, Confederate forces attacked a fort held by Union troops. This is why we say that this was the start of the war. The fort was known as Fort Sumter.

Over the next four years, the Confederate and Union armies would battle for supremacy. The war was full of complicated military maneuvers and vicious battles.

Fighting finally stopped in April of 1865, very nearly 4 years to the day from when it all started. The end of the war was bittersweet for everyone involved. War is not a good thing, so when it is over, it is better for the country. However, this war brought so much death, that whole towns disappeared from the maps. The slaves were free, but they didn’t have places to live. They also didn’t have jobs, so they couldn’t afford to pay for food, clothing, and other necessities.

As if that was not enough, one final tragedy brought this sad tale to a close. On the 14^th of April 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot in the back of the head. He lived for just a few more hours before dying. Thus, a war that had claimed more than 600,000 American lives, snatched one more as hostilities were ending.

~The Piebald Penguin