In 1850, the Fugitive Slave Law was put into effect. This law stated that anyone helping a runaway slave could face up to six months in jail, and a fine of 1,000 dollars. This new law meant that many slaves who had already escaped to the North and were living in freedom could now be captured and returned to their owners where they were almost guaranteed death or an unbearable life. Because of this, abolitionists mainly in the North and some in the South began to speak out even more than before on the unfairness of slavery.

Until 1852, most of those involved in the antislavery movement, were free black men and women who had lived as slaves and been granted their freedom by their former owners. This began to change however with the release of the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1852. This book, written by

After the assault on Fort Sumter, in was time for each side to raise an army. The Union Army was far better supplied than the Confederates, but many of its members had no idea how to use firearms. This meant that a lot of time needed to be spent in training which didn't happen. As for a commanding general, Lincoln chose General Irvin McDowell, a West Point graduate with prior war experience.

The victory needed by the Union came a month later in what is referred to today as the turning point of the war. After Lee's victory at Chancellorsville, he and his troops invaded Union territory coming as far north as Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. There, General George G. Meade, and a very large portion of the Union Army met them. The fighting lasted from July 1 to July 3 with the Union displaying some of the best fighting in U.S. history. In a last ditch effort on July 3, Lee sent General George E. Pickett and over fifteen thousand soldiers across an open field right into the heart of the Union Army. In a stunning upset the Union fended them off and the Battle of Gettysburg became the turning point of the Civil War.

The Battle of Chancellorsville began on May 1, 1863 and lasted until May 5, 1863. General Lee decided to divide his troops, and attack the Union from two sides. General Jackson would take his troops to the right flank of the Union while General Lee would attack straight on. Lee's technique worked, and even though outnumbered, he won another victory for the Confederacy. Unfortunately for the Confederates, General Jackson suffered a fatal wound and eventually died from loss of blood. The loss of General Jackson was a major blow to Lee. As a result of the loss at Chancellorsville, the Union Army now desperately needed a victory, if they hoped to win the war.

After the Battle of Gettysburg, General Lee retreated back to Confederate territory, where the last battles of the war were to be fought. By this time, Lincoln had given command of his army to a very young general by the name of Ulysses S. Grant. General Grant had won numerous victories in the West especially in Tennessee and along the Mississippi River. His siege and defeat of the Confederates at Vicksburg, gave the Union control of the Mississippi River, a vital artery in supplying the new states and territories in the West with needed supplies and the troops with food and equipment.

The victory needed by the Union came a month later in what is referred to today as the turning point of the war. After Lee's victory at Chancellorsville, he and his troops invaded Union territory coming as far north as Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. There, General George G. Meade, and a very large portion of the Union Army met them. The fighting lasted from July 1 to July 3 with the Union displaying some of the best fighting in U.S. history. In a last ditch effort on July 3, Lee sent General George E. Pickett and over fifteen thousand soldiers across an open field right into the heart of the Union Army. In a stunning upset the Union fended them off and the Battle of Gettysburg became the turning point of the Civil War.

The Civil War began on April 12, 1861 with the firing on Fort Sumter, a United States fort located in South Carolina, by the Confederate Army. By this time, the Confederacy consisted of eleven states and two territories. The Union consisted of nineteen states and six territories. It was clear that the Union not only had the advantage in land controlled, but also in manufacturing seeing that practically all the major cities at this time were controlled by them. However the Confederacy did have one very large advantage. Most of their citizens had grown up on farms and had a large knowledge of how to fight and use firearms. They also had another major advantage that they didn't realize at the time - most of the fighting was to be done on their land.

In 1854, the northern concern about slavery dramatically increased with the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill,

Some common words found in the essay are:
Union Army, Kansas Nebraska, John Brown, Civil War, Beecher Stowe, Army Confederacy, President Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, Slave Law, President Lincoln's, union army, civil war, john brown, commanding officer, confederate army, 1861 firing fort, lee retreated, war south, territories union, battle gettysburg, moved troops, estimated twelve thousand, 12 1861 firing, april 12 1861, affect union soldiers,
Approximate Word count = 4882
Approximate Pages = 20 (250 words per page double spaced)