Civil War History

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the history of the Civil War in the United States. The tension between the Southern states and the Northern states, particularly with regards to slavery are discusses and the causes and tactics of the Union and the Confederation are briefly examined. Finally, the paper discusses the military strategy of General Lee in leading the Confederate Army to the ultimate defeat of the South.

From the Paper:

"It is strongly believed that the military strategy of General Lee in leading the Confederate Army led to the ultimate defeat of the South. Lee was able to defeat the Union Army under General Hooker at the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia (Holsworth). Using daring and brilliant tactics, Lee led his relatively small army into the battle against Hooker's larger forces and gained a victory which momentarily strengthened morale in the Confederation. Feeling confident in his battle tactics and still riding the glory of his past triumph, Lee leads 75,000 men of the Confederate army into his second invasion of the North in June of 1863, heading into Pennsylvania in a campaign that will soon lead to Gettysburg (Holsworth). However General Lee is not as lucky and the tide of war turns against Lee and the Confederate army when they are defeated at the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania (Wert). Although it is easy in retrospect to see General Lee's folly in his decision to invade the North, it is important that one views General Lee's decision as objectively as possible. Knowing that the Confederate army he was leading took its strength in its victories, Lee saw an opportunity to further the invasion after his triumph in the Battle of Chancellorsville. With his army's morale high from the recent success, General Lee's choice made sense taking into consideration the state of the Confederate army and its overall weakness militarily."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Browne, Ray B. The Civil War as a Theological Crisis. The Journal of American Culture. Malden: Sep 2006. Vol. 29, Iss. 3; p. 389.
• Holsworth, Jerry. Fields of Honor: Pivotal Battles of the Civil War. Civil War Times Illustrated. Harrisburg: Mar/Apr 2007. Vol. 46, Iss. 2; p. 66.
• Matthews, Kevin. The Confederate Battle Flag: America's Most Embattled Emblem. History. Washington: Summer 2005. Vol. 33, Iss. 4; p. 132.
• Sutherland, Daniel E. A People's History of the Civil War: Struggles for the Meaning of Freedom. The Journal of Southern History. Athens: Nov 2007. Vol. 73, Iss. 4; p. 906.
• Wert, Jeffrey D. These Honored Dead: How the Story of Gettysburg Shaped American Memory. Civil War Times Illustrated. Harrisburg: Apr 2004. Vol. 43, Iss. 1; p. 75.

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