Goals of the Civil War

When the Civil War first broke out in 1861, both sides imagined a swift victory. Newspapers in the North and South alike claimed the war would be over by Christmas. As Christmas approached, however, the war showed no signs of stopping. While the Confederacy remained steadfast in its goals, by 1863, the war had taken on a whole new meaning in the Union.

Goals Of The South During The Civil War

The issue of slavery had been a heated topic for decades leading up to the Civil War, and by 1860, the South was no longer willing to compromise. Southerners wanted to preserve their way of life and did not trust the federal government to protect their interests. There were more free states than slave states, meaning free states had control of Congress. When Republican Abraham Lincoln won the presidency, it was the final straw.

In December 1860, South Carolina became the first Southern state to secede from the Union. By February, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas had joined. Together, they formed the Confederate States of America. The main goal of the Confederacy was to defend Southern territory and achieve full independence. On April 12th, 1861, the Confederacy attacked Fort Sumter, a Union military garrison in South Carolina. It was the point of no return and the beginning of the American Civil War.

Strategies Of The South During The Civil War

The South was on the defensive and at a disadvantage when it came to resources and troops. The Confederacy hoped for an early victory so that they could win over the border states. The border states–Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, and Delaware–still had slavery but were undecided when it came to secession. Gaining the support of these border states not only offered more manpower, but also more access to manufactured goods, food, and fuel.

The South also hoped to win the support of England and France. Just like the border states, England and France could provide much-needed resources. The Confederacy held hope they would intervene because of their reliance on Southern cotton. Unfortunately for the Confederacy, England and France did not support slavery and found cotton elsewhere, namely India.

Goals of the North During the Civil War

The main goal of the North at the start of the Civil War was reunification. Hopes of compromise ended with the Battle of Fort Sumter, and the North went on the offensive to force the South to surrender. Individuals in the North varied in their ultimate goals. Northern abolitionists were hoping for the end of slavery. Northern industrialists were hoping for legislation to pass that Southern plantation owners would never allow.

Goals of the North During the Civil War: The Turning Point

What was expected to be a quick victory had turned into over a year of war, and Northern morale was at an all-time low. The North needed something to rally around, and the Emancipation Proclamation did just that. On January 1st, 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all enslaved people in rebellious states. The North was now fighting for the end of slavery.

Lincoln's Main Goal of the Civil War

At the start of the Civil War, President Lincoln’s main goal was to preserve the Union. As such, he hesitated to take on an anti-slavery position:

However, Lincoln was sensitive to the war weariness of Northerners. As such, he began working on the Emancipation Proclamation.

Fig. 2 - Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln's Main Goal of the Civil War: The Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln did not issue the Emancipation Proclamation immediately. Instead, on the advice of his cabinet, he waited until a major Union victory–The Battle of Antietam. Just five days after the battle, on September 22, 1862, Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. In it, he warned of what was to come for rebellious states and gave them until January 1st, 1863, to surrender.

No Southern states surrendered, so on January 1st, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all enslaved peoples in rebellious states:

It is important to note that this did not apply to border states where slavery still existed, as Lincoln remained hesitant about upsetting the border states and losing their support.

Fig. 3 - print of the Emancipation Proclamation

Strategies Of The North During The Civil War

The North was just as concerned with winning the support of the border states as the South. The border states offered important geographic advantages, and winning their support kept resources away from the South. Ultimately, the North was successful in gaining the support of all four (Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, and Delaware). Using the Anaconda Plan, the Union hoped to figuratively strangle the South with a naval blockade.

Fig. 4 - illustration of the Anaconda Plan

Ultimately, the Confederacy needed to put up enough of a fight that the Union would lose its will to fight. The Emancipation Proclamation served to counter this strategy. It not only boosted Northern morale, but also directly hurt the Confederate cause. Firstly, it dashed any Confederate hopes of British or French intervention–they would not support a cause that was explicitly pro-slavery. Secondly, the abolition of slavery meant the Confederates lost a major labor source. They could no longer rely on enslaved peoples to work while they went to battle.

With the shift in strategy, the Union began allowing free Blacks and escaped enslaved peoples into the army, a move that seemed too radical before. However, the Union was not devoid of racism, and neither was its army. Most Black soldiers fought in all-Black battalions led by white officers. Their wages were also a fraction of what their white counterparts earned. Regardless, for many, the abolition of slavery was a cause worth fighting for.