Changes

===Climate===

===Climate===

Much of the area claimed by the CSA had a humid subtropical climate with mild winters and long, hot, humid summers. The climate varied to semi-arid steppe and arid desert west of longitude 96 degrees west. The subtropical climate made winters mild but allowed infectious diseases to flourish. Consequently disease killed more soldiers than did enemy action.

Much of the area claimed by the CSA had a humid subtropical climate with mild winters and long, hot, humid summers. The climate varied to semi-arid steppe and arid desert west of longitude 96 degrees west. The subtropical climate made winters mild but allowed infectious diseases to flourish. Consequently, disease killed more soldiers than did enemy action.

===River system===

===River system===

===Rural areas===

===Rural areas===

The area claimed by the Confederate States of America was overwhelmingly rural. Small towns of more than 1,000 were few — the typical county seat had a population of less than 500 people. Cities were rare. New Orleans was the only Southern city in the list of top 10 largest U.S. cities in the 1860 census, and it was captured by the Union in 1862. Only 13 Confederate cities ranked among the top 100 U.S. cities in 1860, most of them ports whose economic activities were shut down by the [[Union blockade]]. The population of Richmond swelled after it became the national capital, reaching an estimated 128,000 in 1864 (Dabney 1990:182).  Other large Southern cities such as Baltimore, St. Louis, Louisville, and Washington, as well as Wheeling, West Virginia, and Alexandria, Virginia (both located in territory that had officially seceeded), were never under the control of the Confederate government.

The area claimed by the Confederate States of America was overwhelmingly rural. Small towns of more than 1,000 were few — the typical county seat had a population of less than 500 people. Cities were rare. New Orleans was the only Southern city in the list of top 10 largest U.S. cities in the 1860 census, and it was captured by the Union in 1862. Only 13 Confederate cities ranked among the top 100 U.S. cities in 1860, most of them ports whose economic activities were shut down by the [[Union blockade]]. The population of Richmond swelled after it became the national capital, reaching an estimated 128,000 in 1864 (Dabney 1990:182).  Other large Southern cities such as Baltimore, St. Louis, Louisville, and Washington, as well as Wheeling, West Virginia, and Alexandria, Virginia (both located in territory that had officially seceded), were never under the control of the Confederate government.

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|  [[Image:Starsand bars1.png|125px]] ||Called the ''Stars and Bars'', it was first flown over Fort Sumter on April 13, 1861. || 1861

|  [[Image:Starsand bars1.png|125px]] ||Called the ''Stars and Bars'', it was first flown over Fort Sumter on April 13, 1861. || 1861

|-

|-

| [[Image:CSAnational1.png|125px]] ||The First National Flag of the Confederacy.  Like the flag before, it was also called the ''Stars and Bars''; this flag incorporated the 11 stars which symbolized the states that had seceeded from the Union by March, 1861.|| March 4, 1861 to May 26, 1863

| [[Image:CSAnational1.png|125px]] ||The First National Flag of the Confederacy.  Like the flag before, it was also called the ''Stars and Bars''; this flag incorporated the 11 stars which symbolized the states that had seceded from the Union by March, 1861.|| March 4, 1861 to May 26, 1863

|-

|-

| [[Image:CSAnational2.png|125px]] ||The Second National Flag; also known as the ''Stainless Banner'' due to the large white field.  It was also referred to as the ''Stonewall Flag'', as its first official use was to cover the casket of Lieutenant General [[Thomas J. Jackson]] in 1863.|| May 26, 1863 to March 3, 1865

| [[Image:CSAnational2.png|125px]] ||The Second National Flag; also known as the ''Stainless Banner'' due to the large white field.  It was also referred to as the ''Stonewall Flag'', as its first official use was to cover the casket of Lieutenant General [[Thomas J. Jackson]] in 1863.|| May 26, 1863 to March 3, 1865

|-

|-

|[[Image:CSAnational3.png|125px]] ||The Third National Flag.  The red stripe was added to the fly to correct a major drawback of the previous flag: the appearence of a flag of surrender when it hung limp.|| March 4, 1865 to April 26, 1865

|[[Image:CSAnational3.png|125px]] ||The Third National Flag.  The red stripe was added to the fly to correct a major drawback of the previous flag: the appearance of a flag of surrender when it hung limp.|| March 4, 1865 to April 26, 1865

|-

|-

| [[Image:CSAbattleflag.png|125px]] ||The flag of General [[Robert E. Lee]]'s Army of Northern Virginia, called the ''Southern Cross''; the design became so popular that is was used as the canton of the Confederate national flag.|| November 28, 1861 to the fall

| [[Image:CSAbattleflag.png|125px]] ||The flag of General [[Robert E. Lee]]'s Army of Northern Virginia, called the ''Southern Cross''; the design became so popular that is was used as the canton of the Confederate national flag.|| November 28, 1861 to the fall

No country appointed any diplomat officially to the Confederacy, but several maintained their consuls in the South who had been appointed before the war.<ref>In 1861, [[Ernst Raven]] applied for approval as the [[Saxe-Coburg-Gotha]] consul, but he was a citizen of Texas and there is no evidence that Saxe officials knew what he was doing; Saxe was a firm supporter of the U.S. It is false to state that Saxe (or the Pope) recognized the Confederacy. No country did so.  On the Pope see see [http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?root=%2Fmoa%2Fofre%2Fofre2003%2F&tif=01042.TIF&cite=http%3A%2F%2Fcdl.library.cornell.edu%2Fcgi-bin%2Fmoa%2Fsgml%2Fmoa-idx%3Fnotisid%3DANU4547-2003&coll=moa&frames=1&view=50]</ref>  

No country appointed any diplomat officially to the Confederacy, but several maintained their consuls in the South who had been appointed before the war.<ref>In 1861, [[Ernst Raven]] applied for approval as the [[Saxe-Coburg-Gotha]] consul, but he was a citizen of Texas and there is no evidence that Saxe officials knew what he was doing; Saxe was a firm supporter of the U.S. It is false to state that Saxe (or the Pope) recognized the Confederacy. No country did so.  On the Pope see [http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?root=%2Fmoa%2Fofre%2Fofre2003%2F&tif=01042.TIF&cite=http%3A%2F%2Fcdl.library.cornell.edu%2Fcgi-bin%2Fmoa%2Fsgml%2Fmoa-idx%3Fnotisid%3DANU4547-2003&coll=moa&frames=1&view=50]</ref>  

</ref>  In 1863, the Confederacy expelled all foreign consuls (all of them British or French diplomats) for advising their subjects to refuse to serve in combat against the U.S.   

In 1863, the Confederacy expelled all foreign consuls (all of them British or French diplomats) for advising their subjects to refuse to serve in combat against the U.S.   

Throughout the war most European powers adopted a policy of neutrality, meeting informally with Confederate diplomats but withholding diplomatic recognition. None ever sent an ambassador or official delegation to Richmond.  However, they applied international law principles that recognized the Union and Confederate sides as [[belligerent]]s. Canada allowed both Confederate and Union agents to work openly within its borders, and some state governments in northern Mexico negotiated local agreements to cover trade on the Texas border.

Throughout the war most European powers adopted a policy of neutrality, meeting informally with Confederate diplomats but withholding diplomatic recognition. None ever sent an ambassador or official delegation to Richmond.  However, they applied international law principles that recognized the Union and Confederate sides as [[belligerent]]s. Canada allowed both Confederate and Union agents to work openly within its borders, and some state governments in northern Mexico negotiated local agreements to cover trade on the Texas border.

== Legacy ==

== Legacy ==

Slavery was abolished in the Confederacy—but not in the four slave states that had not seceeded—by Lincoln's [[Emancipation Proclamation]], by the U.S. Army, and by the [[Thirteenth Amendment]] which became law in late 1865.  

Slavery was abolished in the Confederacy—but not in the four slave states that had not seceded—by Lincoln's [[Emancipation Proclamation]], by the U.S. Army, and by the [[Thirteenth Amendment]] which became law in late 1865.  

The seceding states all rescinded their ordinances of secession and were admitted, one-by-one, back into the Union by a government that had prevously maintained that it was not possible to seceed from the Union. This was done by the process of [[Reconstruction]].  Reconstruction began during the war and ended in 1877.  

The seceding states all rescinded their ordinances of secession and were admitted, one-by-one, back into the Union by a government that had previously maintained that it was not possible to secede from the Union. This was done by the process of [[Reconstruction]].  Reconstruction began during the war and ended in 1877.  

There was never an effort to revive the Confederacy, but nostalgia for the Lost Cause, poisoned relations from the war and the destruction of Southern property, and by the vengeful administration of Reconstruction soured North-South relations until at least the 1890s. Some Southerners insisted on white supremacy.

There was never an effort to revive the Confederacy, but nostalgia for the Lost Cause, poisoned relations from the war and the destruction of Southern property, and by the vengeful administration of Reconstruction soured North-South relations until at least the 1890s. Some Southerners insisted on white supremacy.

===Surveys and textbooks===

===Surveys and textbooks===

* Coulter, E. Merton. ''The Confederate States of America, 1861-1865'' (1950), highly detailed overview; strong Southern accent

* Coulter, E. Merton. ''The Confederate States of America, 1861-1865'' (1950), highly detailed overview; strong Southern accent

* Current, Richard N., et al eds. ''Encyclopedia of the Confederacy'' (1993) (4 Volume set; also 1 vol abridged version), comprehensive excellent reference work  

* Current, Richard N., et al. eds. ''Encyclopedia of the Confederacy'' (1993) (4 Volume set; also 1 vol abridged version), comprehensive excellent reference work  

* Davis, William C. ''Look Away! A History of the Confederate States of America'' (2003)

* Davis, William C. ''Look Away! A History of the Confederate States of America'' (2003)

* Donald, David ''et al.'' ''The Civil War and Reconstruction'' (latest edition 2001); 700 page survey

* Donald, David ''et al.'' ''The Civil War and Reconstruction'' (latest edition 2001); 700 page survey

===Specialized studies===

===Specialized studies===

* Beringer, Richard E., Archer Jones, and Herman Hattaway, ''Why the South Lost the Civil War'' (1986) influential analysis of factors; ''The Elements of Confederate Defeat: Nationalism, War Aims, and Religion'' (1988), abridged version

* Beringer, Richard E., Archer Jones, and Herman Hattaway, ''Why the South Lost the Civil War'' (1986) influential analysis of factors; ''The Elements of Confederate Defeat: Nationalism, War Aims, and Religion'' (1988), abridged version

* Boritt, Gabor S., et al, ''Why the Confederacy Lost'', (1992).

* Boritt, Gabor S., et al., ''Why the Confederacy Lost'', (1992).

*  Davis, William C. and Robertson, James I., Jr., eds.  ''Virginia at War, 1861.'' (2007). 241 pp.   

*  Davis, William C. and Robertson, James I., Jr., eds.  ''Virginia at War, 1861.'' (2007). 241 pp.   

* Goldin, Claudia D., and Frank D. Lewis, "The Economic Cost of the American Civil War: Estimates and Implications," ''Journal of Economic History'' 35#2 (June 1975), pp.&nbsp;299–326  [http://www.jstor.org/pss/2119410 in JSTOR]

* Goldin, Claudia D., and Frank D. Lewis, "The Economic Cost of the American Civil War: Estimates and Implications," ''Journal of Economic History'' 35#2 (June 1975), pp.&nbsp;299–326  [http://www.jstor.org/pss/2119410 in JSTOR]