AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Southern Opposition in the Civil War (Day 138/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about Southern Opposition as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Confederate Capitol in Virginia, Wikimedia Commons

During the Civil War, considerable homefront opposition made it difficult for the Confederacy to maintain the support needed to outlast the Union.

Southern “Volunteers,” Wikimedia Commons

One of the major causes of secession was an opposition to a strong federal government. So, when the Confederacy requested changes to farming, enforced conscription, impressed enslaved persons for work, confiscated crops, and implemented taxes, Southerners were outraged. 

West Virginia and Virginia, Wikimedia Commons

Southern Unionists opposed secession and created secret societies that engaged in guerilla warfare to disrupt the Confederate war effort. Additionally, West Virginia separated from Virginia to join the Union.

A Ride for Liberty, Wikimedia Commons

With many Southerners enlisted in the military, subversion by enslaved people increased with more refusing to work and escaping which was especially detrimental to the southern economy.

Opposition to the Confederate war effort was fueled by Southern Unionists who opposed secession, resistance to federal policies, and subversion by enslaved people.

Join me tomorrow as I explain Key Victories in the Civil War in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!