Pat Barnes explained the issues that lead to the Civil War. It was the economics of slavery and political control that was central to the conflict. The Southern states wanted to assert their authority over the federal government so they could abolish federal laws they didn’t support, especially laws interfering with the South’s right to keep slaves. Another factor was territorial expansion. The South wished to take slavery into the western territories, while the North was committed to keeping them free from slavery. The election of a Republican, Abraham Lincoln, as President in 1860, sealed the deal. His victory, without a single Southern electoral vote, was a clear signal to the Southern states that they had lost all influence. Feeling excluded from the political system, they turned to the only alternative they believed was left to them: secession, a political decision that led directly to war.
The South won the early victories of the war. The tide was turned at the Battle of Gettysburg in which took place from July 1 -3, 1863. The Union suffered 23,000 casualties while the Confederate had 28,000. The North was the victor and went on to win the war.
In November 1863, President Abraham Lincoln was invited to deliver remarks, which later became known as the Gettysburg Address, at the official dedication ceremony for the National Cemetery at Gettysburg. Though he was not the featured orator that day, Lincoln’s 273-word address would be remembered as one of the most important speeches in American history. In it, he invoked the principles of human equality contained in the Declaration of Independence.