By: Esmeralda Morales
Tensions Lead to War
The major issue that caused secession was slavery. As America began to expand, states questioned weather the Union would allow slavery or not. The Missouri Compromise was then passed and stated that states that were in the Louisiana Purchase were prohibited slavery. Another cause were the state's rights. They weren't sure weather if those citizens who left the state carried those certain rights. Other reasons included Sectionalism, which reffers to the different stuctures and economies in the North and South, Territorial Crisis, and the final step to secession, Lincoln's election. The South belived that Abraham was agaist slavery. They had lost their power in the House of Representatives and finally declared secession before Lincoln was even in office.
The South then created a new Southern goverment and the Confederacy in Febuary 4, 1861. On Febuary 9, Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Confederacy. President Lincoln stated that the Union was perpetual. He said that they had no right to leave it. On April 12, 1861, the United States troops refused to evacuate Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. The Confederate troops were forced to open fire. This led to the beginnig of the Civil War.
The South then created a new Southern goverment and the Confederacy in Febuary 4, 1861. On Febuary 9, Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Confederacy. President Lincoln stated that the Union was perpetual. He said that they had no right to leave it. On April 12, 1861, the United States troops refused to evacuate Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. The Confederate troops were forced to open fire. This led to the beginnig of the Civil War.
Texas During the War
Sam Houston thought that staying in the Union would be the only way for Texas to remain stable. After Governor Sam Houston refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, Texas replaced Sam Houston with Lieutenant Governor Edward Clark. During the Civil War, Texas played an important role, supplies.
Texan Women during the War
During the Civil War, 4 out of 5 white men were fighting in the army. There were almost no men to end livstock or take care of farming. Women, children and slaves were left at home doing most of the farm work. Other jobs women had to do that were peformed by men were drivers, shopkeepers, teachers, oil rigs, etc. Many other women made contributions to the war. Women worke as nurses and sewed clothing for soldiers.
Recruitment
Most men were with the Confederacy. More than 60,000 men joined the army and fought in every major battle in the war. Few of them had served earlier in the Texas Revolution. The state had different branches of units. Cavalries, regiments of infantry, and battalions of cavalry. Some of the most famous units were The Texas Brigade (a.k.a. Hood's Brigade), Terry's Texas Rangers, and Walker's Greyhounds.
The War Ends
After 4 years of bloody combat, the South couldn't take it any longer. The North had more food, supplies, soldiers, more money, and more factories for war materials. On April 9, 1865, General Robert Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant. General Robert had the largest Confederate military force. Weeks later, President Jefferson Davis was captured and all the remaining armies in the South surrendered. The last battle of the war was at Palmiito Ranch on May 3, 1865. The forces led by John S. Ford beat a Union force trying to invade the mainlads. The Texas troops didn't recive a word the war had ended or that General Lee had surrendered one month earlier. A prisioner they had captured told them.