Important Historical Civil War Figures

Thesis:
Various people throughout the timline of the Civil War were greatly involved in causing it, pushing through it, and ending it.

Abraham Lincoln: Born on February 18, 1809, Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, preserver of the Union, and abolitioner of slavery. Lincoln was the final cause of the Civil War that made the Southern States rebel and form their own country after he was elected President in 1861. He led the Union in the war, appointing necessary generals and using the telegraph to secretly fight the South. On January 1, 1863, Lincoln freed all slaves in the Confederate states under the Emancipation Proclamation. Arguably the greatest President the United States has ever seen, Lincoln succeeded in bringing the Union together as one and ending the bloodiest battle in American History. He was reelected in 1865, but only served 5 weeks as he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14th. http://ehistory.osu.edu/uscw/features/people/bio.cfm?PID=72 This website provides Lincoln's Biography.

Abraham Lincoln

Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Davis: Born on June 3, 1808, Jefferson Davis started as a Representative in the House, to a commander in the Mexican-American War, to a Senator, to the Secretary of State of President Pierce, to a Senator of Mississippi again, to the President of the Confederate States of America. He was a poor President as he favored Generals that did not perform as well and wanted a central government with lots of power. This angered his Confederate allies as one of the reasons that they seceded was to get rid of a strong federal government. He was captured after the war and wrote an autobiography, blaming others for the loss of the war. Davis died on December 6, 1889. http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Jefferson_Davis.aspx Facts about this man can be found here.
 

Stephen Douglas
Born on April 23, 1813, The Little Giant, Stephen Douglas was important in the causes of the Civil
War. He was both a Senator as well as a Representative for Illinois for some time. He is famous in
the Lincoln-Douglas debates in which he won, but helped bring Lincoln into power. He wrote the Kansas-Nebraska Act in hopes that the nation would agree to Popular Sovereignty. He ran as the Northern Democratic candidate in the 1860 election and lost to Lincoln. After the South seceded, he fully supported Lincoln, but he died on June 3, 1861.
http://www.illinoiscivilwar.org/douglas-sa.html A plethora of facts can be found at this website about Douglas.


Stephen Douglas

 

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass: Born a slave in Maryland in February 1818, Douglass escaped to the North where he began to fight slavery as a powerful Abolitionist where he worked with William Lloyd Garrison. He went to Lincoln and convinced him to make the Civil War a war on slavery in which he succeeded. He also helped create 2 regiments of African American soldiers for the war. He died in 1895. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/frederick_douglass.html Here is a website with many quotes from Douglass.




John Brown: Born on May 9, 1800, John Brown and his violent ways of promoting anti-slavery raised tensions, causing the South to secede. He began his radical ways during the Kansas debates as he killed 5 pro-slavery southerners. Later, in 1859, he led a raid on Harper's Ferry where he took control of the arsenal with freed slaves in hopes of causing a slave revolt. He was captured as no slaves joined him and hung in 1859. His death was mourned by many of the North. This scared the South and gave them another reason to secede. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(abolitionist) More information on John Brown and his life can be found here.
 




John Brown

George McClellan: Born on December 3, 1826, George McClellan was an early famous General for the Union, but was later replaced as he was not fit to lead the army. He had his troops train for two years, but did not have the correct mindset in order to win a war. He did give the massive number of troops necessary during battles and Lincoln had him replaced in 1862 after he failed at the Battle of Antietam. After the war was over, McClellan ran against Lincoln in 1865 and lost. He died on October 29th, 1885. http://www.history.com/topics/george-b-mcclellan


George McClellan

Robert E. Lee: Born on January 19, 1807, Lee was one of the greatest military officers of all time. He was first offered by Lincoln to command the Union army, but declined and joined his homestate in the Confederacy. He is the most famous Confederate general and his abilities as a tactician are still admired by military experts today. He succeeded in defeating the Union at battles where the odds were against him such as Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered to the Union at Appomattox Courthouse. After the war, Lee became president of Washington University and died on October 12, 1870. http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64607 Here is a forum discussing Lee's tactics in war.


Robert E. Lee

 

Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson: Jackson was born on January 21, 1824. He was a prominent general in the Confederate army and Lee's right arm. He got his nickname during the Battle of Bull Run for his abilities. He is famous for the Valley Campaign that he lead. His greatest effort in the war was at the Battle of Chancellorsville. However, some nervous Confederate soldiers fired and wounded him in the arm. He survived, but 8 days later, he died of pneumonia on May 10, 1863. His death took a toll on the entire Confederacy. http://www.biography.com/people/stonewall-jackson-9351451

       Thomas Jackson

P.G.T Beauregard: Born on May 28, 1818, Beauregard led the assault of Fort Sumter. After this victory as well as winning Bull Run, Beauregard commanded the Confederate army at the Battle of Shiloh, and defended Richmond the Confederate capital from the Union. He would've been much more respected, had it not been his poor professional relationships with high political officials. Beauregard died on Februrary 20, 1893.  http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/General_P_G_T_Beauregard.htm Biography

                 P.G.T Beauregard

William Tecumseh Sherman: Born on February 8, 1820, Sherman was a Union War General. He served under Ulysses S. Grant and fought in the battle of Vicksburg and journeyed down to defeat armies in Georgia and the Carlolinas. He accepted all surrenders. Sherman criticized the burning of the towns in the Confederate States that the Union committed later in the war. Sherman served as the Commanding General until 1883. He died on February 14, 1891.

William Tecumseh Sherman

Ulysses S. Grant: Born on April 7, 1822, the Commander in Chief of the Union army, Grant proved to be quite the successful army General. He first saw victory in 1862 where he won at battles in forts Henry and Donelson. His victories continued as he won the Battle of Vicksburg and Chatanooga in 1863, achieved the final surrender of the Confederates in 1865. Grant has been praised for his military genius. After the war, Grant became the 18th President and died on July 23, 1885. 
http://www.ulyssessgrant.org/ The life of Grant as a General and President.

Ulysses S. Grant

Thaddeus Stevens: Born on April 4, 1792, Stevens was a strong supporter of slave's rights and detested slavery. During the war, he helped fund it as well as oppose Lincoln's wait in freeing the slaves. He mainly played a part during reconstruction when he led Congress and the Radical Republicans against President Johnson in an attempt to secure freedmen in the South. Stevens died on August 11, 1868.

Thadeus Stevens

Rutherford B. Hayes: Born on October 4, 1822, Hayes became the 19th President of the United States. After serving in the army during the Civil War, Hayes made his way to become President. He saw to the last of Reconstruction and desired to fix the problems that had become of executive power after Lincoln. He died on January 17, 1893. http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/rutherfordbhayes Presidential life of Hayes.

Rutherford B. Hayes

Benjamin Wade: Born on October 27, 1800 Wade was a prominent leader of the Radical Republicans. Wade was a Senator during the time of Reconstruction. He was very critical of Lincoln and Johnson after Lincoln's passing. Because Wade was the President of the Senate, he was next in line for presidency. Because Johnson was not impeached, Wade did not become the 18th President. Wade died on March 2, 1878.

Benjamin Wade

John Wilkes Booth: Born on May 8, 1838, Booth was a famous actor who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. He greatly opposed abolition and conspired with many others to kill Lincoln, Johnson, and Seward. Booth was the only one who succeeded and shot Lincoln in the head at a theatre on April 14, 1865. After killing him, Booth fled but was tracked down and killed on April 26, 1865. http://www.biography.com/people/john-wilkes-booth-9219681 The short life of Booth.

John Wilkes Booth



 

Here is my podcast on John Wilkes Booth.
Ku Klux Klan: The KKK was founded in 1865 in Pulsaki Tennessee by 6 veteran Confederate Soldiers. They believed in White Supremacy and took to many violent measures in order to make their point. They spread throughout the South during the Reconstruction. Force acts were made to prosecute KKK crimes against many blacks and white Republicans. They reformed again twice in the 20th century. http://kkk.org/ Everything you ever wanted to know about the Ku Klux Klan.

Confederate armymen dressed as Ku Klux Klan members