Civil War Facts For Kids | Deadliest War In The US History

The US Civil War is the most lethal war in the history of United States with maximum number of casualties. The war was started after Abraham Lincoln won the election and became 16th President of USA. The US was divided between states in the North and those in the South. In the South, there were more slaves and the whites were supporting slavery. While the North or Union wanted to abolish slavery. Thus when Republicans won the election, the Southern states seceded from the Union and formed Confederate States. Now let’s have a look at some more civil war facts for kids.

A Quick Guide To Civil War Facts For Kids

Date of Start: April 12, 1861

Date of End: May 10, 1865

Opponents: Union versus Confederate States

Total Number of Soldiers for Union: 2,100,000

Total Number of Soldiers for Confederate States: 1,064,000

Result: Union won the war

Basic Civil War Facts For Kids

Introduction

1. It is also known as ‘War Between the States.’
2. The US Civil War began in April 12, 1861 when Confederate States attacked Fort Sumter. This battle was known as ‘Battle of Fort Sumter’.
3. The number of soldiers killed in US civil war was almost 750,000.
4. The war was fought for 4 years starting from 1861 till 1865.
5. One of the major causes of American Civil War was slavery.

Confederate States

1. In the history of the US, America was divided among Slave states and Free states. Slave states were those states where slavery was permitted while in Free states slavery was illegal.
2. The Confederate States were made on February 4, 1861.
3. There were 7 states in the South that got separated. These states made an alliance known as Confederate States of America (CSA).
4. Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederate States of America.
5. Jefferson Davis took office of the President on February 18, 1861. His term was ended on May 10, 1865.
6. After the assault on Fort Sumter, 4 more states joined the Confederate States. Now there were 11 states in the Confederacy. The names of these four states were North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Arkansas.
7. The seven states were cotton-producing states. The names of these states were Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
8. A total of 48.8 percent of slaves were there in the 6 southern states.
9. The oldest general in the Confederate States Army was David E. Twiggs.
10. The number of soldiers in the army of Confederate States varies from 750,000 to 1,000,000.
11. The number of Confederate soldiers that were murdered was more or less 94,000 and almost 30,000 soldiers died in prison camps of Union.

Armies of Confederate States

1. The main military of Confederates was Army of Northern Virginia.
2. The Army of Northern Virginia was led by General Robert E. Lee.
3. Another major army of the Confederacy was Army of Tennessee.
4. The Army of Tennessee was led by General Joseph E. Johnston.
5. The Army of Northern Virginia gave up on April 12, 1865.
6. The Army of Tennessee gave up on April 18, 1865.

More Civil War Facts For Kids

1. Those states that were not separated were known as ‘North’. They were also called ‘Union’. Union is the old name for United States of America.
2. During 1860, Abraham Lincoln emerged as the new President of US. He was against slavery and was a republican.
3. The Civil War was certainly one of the first wars that used heavy artillery and ships.
4. Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 election but he was lost from all the states in the south where slavery was widespread. The whites in the southern states seceded themselves as a result.
5. There were 23 states that did not get separated and remained with the ‘Union’ till the very end.
6. The Union Army took the President of the Confederates into custody on May 10, 1865.

Learn more: Abraham Lincoln Facts

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