The Confederacy fought for its constitutional right to own property; specifically slaves. Slavery had been a part of southern life and culture since the first Dutch ship carrying slaves from West Africa landed on the southeastern coast of the then British colonies. It is not likely that a war would cause Southerners to feel guilty about something that has been their existence for over two hundred years. After the war and the slaves had been freed, but they were not equal. Southern states passed laws called black codes that took away the civil rights of blacks. Southerners felt so guilty about slavery, that they decided to make free life for blacks as miserable as possible. In addition state governments passed legislation to make the current situation of blacks as similar to sla

It's a simple fact about life, and in this case war, that success breeds confidence. At the start of the war, the southern generals, Beauregard, Lee, the two Johnstons, and Jackson, outclassed the northern generals, who had not yet worked their way through the ranks and acquired leadership positions. Therefore, the early battles of the war were Confederate victories especially in the East, which sent southern moral soaring. Union leaders thought they would march down to Richmond, take the capital and end the war. This did not happen. The initially inept northern generals were neither conditioned nor able to smash he "rebel uprising". The confederate victory at Bull Run, among other early Confederate victories, put an end to northern overconfidence.

The next turning point came in the fall of '62. Two battles fought at this point, Antietam and Perryville had important effects on the outcome of the war. The victories threw back Confederate invasions, stalled European mediation and recognition of the Confederacy, prevented a Democratic victory in the northern elections, which might have inhibited the government's ability to carry on the war, and set the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation.

The "peculiar institution" of slavery had supported the infrastructure of the southern economy since plantation owners realized indentured servants did not work like it was supposed to. Without the free labor of slaves, what would happen to the crops that needed to be gathered? Would the plantation owners pick the cotton? That is not

Some common words found in the essay are:
Mississippi Gettysburg, West Africa, North America, Johnstons Jackson, James McPherson, Antietam Perryville, Run Confederate, Timing South, Jackson West, Anaconda Plan, plantation owners, war confederate, confederate victories, northern generals, confederate victory, south lost, feel guilty, civil war, outcome war,
Approximate Word count = 1039
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)