What was the most important war in American history? The American Civil War was a significant conflict between the northern and southern states of America. Fought mainly over the issue of slavery, this war changed our nation forever. Today, we will talk about what caused the war, major turning points, and the aftermath. In the north, the economy was industrial, while in the south, the economy was agricultural independent on the labor of enslaved people. In the 1830s there was a growing movement in the north against slavery. As the nation expanded west, southerners, began to fear that their economy was in danger. In the 1857 Dred Scott decision, the supreme court ruled that people were not citizens of the US. The presidential election of 1860 …show more content…
About two months later, on April 12, 1861, confederate forces attacked union occupied Fort Sumter off the coast of South Carolina. This event launched the American Civil War. The American Civil War was marked by several major turning points that shaped its outcome. The battle of Chancellorsville was a huge victory for the Confederate States and General Robert Lee. Lee took the chance of fighting an army twice his size. His division of troops was a daring operation, which led to his triumph. Another battle was the Battle of Gettysburg. Which was a crushing southern defeat. The battle involved the largest number of casualties of the entire war. It ended with a determined second pursuit to invade the north and end the war. This law destroyed the hopes of the Confederate States of America to become an independent nation. The bloodiest battle in history, the battle of Antietam was a crucial union victory. General George B. McClellan successfully turned Robert E. Lee‘s invasion back on. This union victory allowed President Abraham Lincoln to issue the emancipation proclamation. This proclamation, abolished slavery in the United States and freed over 4 million