The Real Facts About the Civil War

The Real Facts About the Civil WarHeather Sapp

Roughly 1,264,000 American Soldiers have died in the wars of America. 620,000 Soldiers died in the Civil war alone.

Reasons For WarHistorical facts show that the Civil War was no fought over one issue alone. It also proves that it being over slavery could not actually be any further from the truth. The war between the Southern States and the Northern States was over the rights that the Southern States were entitled to, but was not receiving.Congress heavily favored the industrialized Northern States.They demanded the Southern States only sell their raw materials to Northern factories.Congress taxed the finished materials of the Northern factories. This made it imposable for the Southerners so own these products.Civil War Official Records Show the War Was Over More Then Slavery!

There are hundreds of documents and letters from both the Union and Confederate States to prove the war was not started over slavery. Slavery was an issue later on in the war, but it was not the main issue.This War Could Have Been AVOIDED!

If the Northern States & Congress had listened to the problems of the Southern people. If they would have stopped taxation without representation.The South would have never seceded and there would have been no war!Soldiers Who Made Up the Armies of the Civil War (10 Surprising Civil War Facts By Dennis Gaffney

One-third of the soldiers who fought for the Union Army were immigrants, and nearly one in 10 was African American. immigrant soldiers were Irish, French, Italian, Polish, English and Scottish. In fact, one in four regiments contained a majority of foreigners. Blacks were permitted to join the Union Army in 1863, and some scholars believe this infusion of soldiers may have turned the tide of the war.Black Union soldiers refused their salaries for 18 months to protest being paid lower wages than white soldiers.When black soldiers began signing up with the Union Army in early 1863, they were paid $10 a month. White soldiers were paid at least $13, with officers earning more. Blacks were further insulted when only they were charged a $3 monthly fee for clothing, lowering their pay to $7. As a result, the highest-paid black soldier earned about half the lowest-paid white soldiers salary. To protest these conditions, black regiments refused to accept their inferior wages. Finally, pressure from abolitionist congressmen coupled with the courage black soldiers had shown in combat persuaded Congress to rectify the pay structure. In September 1864, black soldiers finally received equal pay that was retroactive to their enlistment date. For many, this meant they finally had enough money to send some home to their families.

Small Minority of Whites Owned Slaves1860 U.S. census shows that before the start of the war there were around 27,000,000 whites in America.Only 8,000,000 million people owned slaves.Less than 385,000 of the slave owners were white.1.4 % of the people in America were white.4.8 % of the total Southern population owned slaves.

African Americans Owned SlavesJustus Angel and Mistress L. Horry, who were from South Carolina, the Colleton District were among them. The each owned 84 slaves in 1830.Historical facts show that in 1830 of all free African American slaves masters in South Carolina owned 10 or more slaves. With eight of them owning no less then 30 or more.William Ellison Jr. was a blacksmith and a cotton gin maker. He was a free black man after his release from slavery. He lived in South Caroline. He became a major planter and a very rich man. When he died, he held 40 slaves. Professor John Hope (leading African American Historian) records that over 3,000 freed black slaves owned slaves in New Orleans. That is 28% of all slaves in New Orleans.1960 in Louisiana, 6 black slave owners owned 65 or more slaves. Widow C Richards and her son P.C. Richards (also black) owned 152 slaves. They owned a large sugar cane plantation.Antoine Duduclet, yet another black sugar can plantation owner, owned more than 100 slaves.1860, There was 125 Free Blacks whom owned slaves in Charleston, South Carolina.Out of these 125, six owned 10 or more slaves."One of the more curious aspects of the free black existence in Virginia was their ownership of slaves. Black slave masters owned members of their family and freed them in their wills. Free blacks were encouraged to sell themselves into slavery and had the right to choose their owner through a lengthy court procedure. states Ervin L. Jordan, an African-American and assistant professor at the University of Virginia

Black Slave Owner Ervin L. Jordan Jr. writes that, as the great conflagration of 1861-1865 approached: "Free Afro-Virginians were a nascent black middle class under siege, but several acquired property before and during the war. Approximately 169 free blacks owned 145,976 acres in the counties of Amelia, Amherst, Isle of Wight, Nansemond, Prince William and Surry, averaging 870 acres each. Twenty-rune Petersburg blacks each owned property worth $1,000 and continued to purchase more despite the war. This was in his book. He goes on to state, "Gilbert Hunt, a Richmond ex-slave blacksmith, owned two slaves, a house valued at $1,376, and $500 in other properties at his death in 1863." Jordan wrote that "some free black residents of Hampton and Norfolk owned property of considerable value; 17 black Hamptonians possessed property worth a total of $15,000. Thirty-six black men paid taxes as heads of families in Elizabeth City County and were employed as blacksmiths, bricklayers, fishermen, oystermen and day laborers. In three Norfolk County parishes 160 blacks owned a total of $41,158 in real estate and personal property.

First American Slave Owner was A Black ManAnthony Johnson was the very first black person to own land.He was the very first man to own a slave.He did so through the Courts.Slavery Did Not Become an Issue Until September 1862Slavery was not an issue, until John Browns raid on Harpers Ferry.This event was after the battle of Antietam in September 1862.This was when Abraham Lincoln decided to free all the slaves of the Confederate States ONLY. This was his way to punish the Southern States for continuing to battle for their rights.The war had been in progress for two years by this point in history.Bloodiest Battles of the Civil War Gettysburg: 51,116 casualtiesSeven Days: 36,463 casualtiesChickamauga: 34,624 casualtiesChancellorsville: 29,609 casualtiesAntietam: 22,726 casualties

History is Written by the Victors

When studying any history one has to remember our history books are wrote by the victors.There is always two sides to the story and the truth lies somewhere in the middle.Slavery was a part of those greater issues, but it was not the reason the Southern States seceded from the Union, nor fought the Civil War. It certainly was a Southern institution that was part of the economic system of the plantations, and because of that, it was part and parcel of the economic reasons that the South formed the Confederacy. The economic issue was one of taxation and being able to sell cotton and other raw materials where the producers wanted to, rather than where they were forced to, and at under inflated prices. Funny, it sounds very much like the reason we broke from Great Britain to begin with. The South was within their rights, but there should have been another way to solve the problem. If they had been willing to listen to Abraham Lincoln, perhaps the war could have been avoided. Lincoln had a plan to gradually free the slaves without it further hurting the plantation owners. He also had a plan to allow them to sell their products anywhere they wanted to and at a fair price. They did not choose to listen to the President, however, so they formed the Confederacy and the Civil War began.Quote by Ron Paul. 15Historical Facts About the Confederate States, Armies, Soldiers, Slavery & Reasons for War.

South Carolina - December 20, 1860Mississippi - January 9, 1861Florida - January 10, 1861Alabama - January 11, 1861Georgia - January 19, 1861Louisiana - January 26, 1861Texas - February 1, 1861Virginia - April 17, 1861Arkansas - May 6, 1861North Carolina - May 20, 1861Tennessee - June 8, 1861

General Lee, A Confederate General, Historical Fact. April 18 1861, 6 days after the attack on Fort Sumpter. The commanding general of the Union army, Winfield Scott, told Lincoln he wanted Lee for a top command. Lee said he was willing as long as Virginia remained in the Union. Lee was asked by one of his lieutenants if he intended to fight for the Confederacy or the Union, to which he replied, "I shall never bear arms against the Union, but it may be necessary for me to carry a musket in the defense of my native state, Virginia, in which case I shall not prove recreant to my duty." After Lincoln's call for troops to put down the rebellion, it was obvious that Virginia would quickly secede and so Lee turned down the offer on April 18, resigned from the U.S. Army on April 20, and took up command of the Virginia state forces on April 23.Confederate Army was made up of mostly poor farmers. They did not own slaves or own plantations. They were fighting for their rights!

Reasons the Southern Farmers fought.

The largest part of the Confederate Army was poor farmers.They fought to maintain their lifestyles.They fought for their independence.They fought to keep the federal government from dictating them.Confederate States Recruitment

Confederate Armies Civilian occupations in the Confederacy. Others included laborers, 9 percent; mechanics, 5.3 percent; commercial, 5 percent; professional occupations, 2.1 percent; and miscellaneous, 1.6 percent.Farmers 69 %Laborers 9 %Mechanics 5.2 %Commercial 5 %Professionals 2.1 %Misc. 1.6 %

Ending Slavery in the Southern StatesStarting in 1864, the Southern Confederate States began to free their slaves and abandon slavery all together.There are some indications in historical writings that even if the Civil War would have never happen, the Confederacy would have still ended slavery.Although some historians state that the Confederacy only started to abandon slavery because they realized that their defeat was imminent. However, if this was the case, then that proves that the CSA wanted their independence more then they wanted to hold on to their slaves.Some of the highest ranking Confederate Generals did not believe in slavery and released their slaves and or did not have them.General Lees slaves were inherited and not purchased. 1860 census, only 31% of Confederate families owned slaves. Around 75% of the families that did own slaves owned less than 10. They also worked beside them in their fields.Overseas slave trade was banned by the Confederate Constitution. This allowed the Confederate States to abolish slavery within the Confederate boarders.Actual Slavery was not Nationally abolished until 1868. This was three years after the war. States like Kentucky, Missouri, and Delaware still had slaves.Free African Americans In the Southern States.

Free African Americans Fought for the Confederate States.Bases on the 1860 U.S. census figures there were at least 800,000 African American Confederate Soldiers.African American Confederate Soldiers were made up of free and enslaved men.

African Americans in the Confederate ArmyThe Confederate Army paid their African American soldiers the same amounts that the white soldiers were being paid. This was a Confederate Congress rulings.Pay for both white and African American Soldiers was $11 per month.In 1862 African American musicians were authorized to receive pay. This authorization came from the Confederate Army.

Battle Flags of the Southern StatesBattle Flags where created because of the confusion on the battle field. To prevent friendly fire on both sides of the war.They were not created for hate.Seldom have these flags been used by groups like the Klu Klux Klan.Most hate groups use the National Flag of The United States of America.Yes, it is true and sad that some racist have in fact used battle flags of the Confederate Armies for racist reasons. However, these reason are not the history or the reasons these flags were made!

Confederate Prisoners of WarCaptured Confederate Soldiers 462,634Paroled on the field 247,769 Died in prison 25,976Morality rate of prisoners 12 %

During the Civil WarConfederates Enlistment was 1,317,035Battle Deaths 94,000Disease Deaths 164,000Other Cause No Record GivenTotal Deaths 204,070Percentage of Deaths 24%

Historical Facts About the Union States, Soldiers, Armies, Slavery & Reasons Behind the War.

Union States

The Union included the states of Maine, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, California, Nevada, and Oregon. Abraham Lincoln was their PresidentUnion Army Fought Because the President Asked Them TO. Civilian occupations in the Union. Farmers 48%Mechanics 24%Laborers 16%Commercial 5%Misc. 4%Professionals 3%

Lincoln Ask For Union States to Join His Armies

Slavery in the Northern StatesMany northern states still owned slaves at the start of the war."America was a slaveholding country -- North and South," said LaRoche. "Over the years, that reality has been lost, stolen or just strayed from the history books.Many of the Northern Slave owners did not release their slaves until 2 years after many of the Southern Slave owners did so.African Americans Fought for the UnionMany African Americans fought for the Union. Although, they were treated worse in the northern states, than they were in the southern states.

African American Soldiers of the UnionThe Union only paid their black soldiers $10 a month.They took out $3.00 a month for clothing. This only left these soldiers with $7.00 a month.The white soldiers received $13.00 a month and no clothing cost were taken out of their pay.The all black units were not used for combat as much as they could have been.They were not treated equally.Battle Flags of the Union

Union Prisoners of WarCaptured 211,411Paroled 16,668Died 30,218Mortality rate 15.5%During the Civil WarDeath from wounds 110,070Death from disease 413,458Total Deaths 23%Deaths for other reasons Unknown

More Horrible Things Have Happened Under the American National Flag, Then Any Other Flag our State Governments Fly.American soldiers pushed Natives from their land while carrying this flag.American Soldiers waved this flag as they murdered, raped, starved, and destroyed Native Americans.Racist groups wave this flag more than any other.This flag was created while Americans were committing treason to the King of Britain.Under this flag more lives have been lost or destroyed to keep our country free.This is OUR HISTORY good or bad. It is time that we educate Americans about the real truths in history and not just what the victors wrote about. United we shall stand, tore apart and we shall fall.GOD BLESS AMERICA, HER GOOD & BAD. ALL HER SOLDIERS & FREEDOM FIGHTERS!

Board States

Border States StandingsMissouri, Kentucky, Delaware, & MarylandSlavery was legalThey supported the Union.Some fought for the south.Some fought for the north.Bibliography

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