Social Studies · US History

The Civil War: A Nation Divided

Slavery and states' rights split America in two. From 1861–1865, North and South fought a war that ended slavery and saved the nation.
⚔️Two Sides, One Country
🔵THE UNION (North)
BelievedSupported abolition — ending slavery
EconomyCities, factories & free workers
🇺🇸 Stayed loyal · Led by Abraham Lincoln
🟠THE CONFEDERACY (South)
BelievedStates' rights — keep enslaved labor
EconomyPlantations growing cotton & tobacco
🏚️ 11 states seceded · Broke away in 1861
UNION North C.S.A. South ✂️ One nation, split in two
🗺️ A nation divided — 1861
The UNION — Northern states loyal to the U.S. 🔵
The CONFEDERACY — 11 Southern states 🟠
The tear is secession — breaking away ✂️
📜Timeline of the War
1860 Lincoln elected 1861 South secedes, war begins ⚔️ 1863 Emancipation Proclamation 1865 Union wins, 13th Amendment
🔗Cause & Effect
1Slavery & states' rights deeply divide North and South.
2Lincoln is elected in 1860 — the South fears for slavery.
3Southern states secede and form the Confederacy → war begins.
4The Union wins → the nation is saved & the 13th Amendment ends slavery.
🔑Key Terms
Abolition The movement to end slavery.
🚪Secession Formally withdrawing from a country or group.
🟠Confederacy The 11 Southern states that broke away from the U.S.
🔵Union The Northern states that stayed loyal to the U.S. government.
🕊️Emancipation Setting people free from slavery.
⚖️States' Rights The idea that states have powers the federal government can't override.
Remember: the Union's victory preserved the nation and led to the 13th Amendment, which permanently abolished slavery.
✏️ Social Studies Anchor Chart · The Civil War: A Nation Divided
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