Changes

==Beginnings==

==Beginnings==

Eleven southern states seceded from the [[United States of America]] and joined together as the "Confederate States of America" to protect slavery.  They saw that the antislavery forces in the North were gaining strength, typified by the election as president of [[Abraham Lincoln]] in 1860. The political future for slavery was bleak, as the South was losing relative strength in Congress. A widespread fear was that the North would unleash terrorists--[[abolitionism|abolitionists]]--who would cause a bloody race war.  Arguing that their Constitutional [[states' rights]] protected slavery outside the South, they saw that issue rejected in the North.  

Eleven southern states seceded from the [[United States of America]] and joined together as the "Confederate States of America" to protect slavery.  They saw that the antislavery forces in the North were gaining strength, typified by the election as president of [[Abraham Lincoln]] in 1860. The political future for slavery was bleak, as the South was losing relative strength in Congress.   Arguing that their Constitutional [[states' rights]] protected slavery outside the South, they saw that issue rejected in the North. The Union government rejected the claims that a state had a right to secede.

Of the 15 slave states, four remained in the United States: [[Delaware]], [[Kentucky]], [[Maryland]] and [[Missouri]].  Residents of the latter three states raised [[regiment]]s for the Confederacy, although not as an official act of their governments.

Of the 15 slave states, four remained in the United States: [[Delaware]], [[Kentucky]], [[Maryland]] and [[Missouri]].  Residents of the latter three states raised [[regiment]]s for the Confederacy, although not as an official act of their governments.  In addition West Virginia broke away from Virginia and joined the Union as a state.

The president of the Confederate States of America was [[Jefferson Davis]], a former [[Secretary of War]] under President [[Franklin Pierce]] and Senator from [[Mississippi]].  [[Richmond, Virginia]] was the capital of the Confederacy after that state seceded in mid-April of 1861 following the surrender of [[Fort Sumter]] and [[Lincoln's call for volunteers]].

The president of the Confederate States of America was [[Jefferson Davis]], a former [[Secretary of War]] under President [[Franklin Pierce]] and Senator from [[Mississippi]].  [[Richmond, Virginia]] became the capital of the Confederacy after that state seceded.  

General [[Robert E. Lee]] led the Confederate forces into battle against the Union armies, which were led by various generals appointed by [[Abraham Lincoln]], with the last, and most successful being General Ulysses S. Grant.  

Starting in 1862 General [[Robert E. Lee]] led the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia against the Union armies, which were led by various generals appointed by [[Abraham Lincoln]], with the last, and most successful being General [[Ulysses S. Grant]].  Lee proved a tenacious defender of Richmond, which had an exposed position and a long, difficult supply line.  Grant wore down Lee's army, which was unable to replace its casualties and desertions.

== Ideology ==

== Ideology ==