WEBVTT 00:00:00.310 --> 00:00:02.830 - [Narrator] This video was made possible by NordVPN. 00:00:02.830 --> 00:00:03.780 Click the link down below 00:00:03.779 --> 00:00:06.029 to get 70% off an annual subscription, 00:00:06.030 --> 00:00:07.960 plus an additional month free. 00:00:07.960 --> 00:00:09.529 Also, stun your friends, 00:00:09.529 --> 00:00:11.250 turn heads, get compliments. 00:00:11.250 --> 00:00:13.490 Buy yourself some overSimplified Merch today, 00:00:13.490 --> 00:00:15.929 along with a very honest new character pin. 00:00:15.929 --> 00:00:18.300 Link in the description down below. 00:00:18.300 --> 00:00:20.240 Okay, Mrs. Lincoln, this is it. 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:22.500 One last push and we're done. 00:00:22.500 --> 00:00:24.750 (grunting) 00:00:26.489 --> 00:00:28.799 Nine months and four days ago. 00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:32.350 My father brought forth upon my mother himself 00:00:32.350 --> 00:00:36.280 and gave to her a child conceived in a shack in Kentucky 00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:38.259 and dedicated to the proposition 00:00:38.259 --> 00:00:40.079 that I will drink num-nums from a bottle 00:00:40.079 --> 00:00:41.609 and do little poo poos in my pantses 00:00:41.609 --> 00:00:43.909 for the next two to three years. 00:00:43.909 --> 00:00:46.169 Now, what is it babies do again? 00:00:46.170 --> 00:00:47.003 Oh yeah. 00:00:48.073 --> 00:00:51.030 (cries loudly) 00:00:51.030 --> 00:00:53.009 I am not touching that. 00:00:56.302 --> 00:00:57.609 Abraham Lincoln grew up 00:00:57.609 --> 00:00:58.950 with his relatively poor family 00:00:58.950 --> 00:01:01.250 in Kentucky, eventually moving to Indiana, 00:01:01.250 --> 00:01:02.729 and finally, Illinois. 00:01:02.729 --> 00:01:05.090 He read a lot of books, worked a lot of jobs, 00:01:05.090 --> 00:01:06.890 wrote some questionable poetry 00:01:06.890 --> 00:01:09.109 and finally entered the law profession. 00:01:09.109 --> 00:01:10.420 Despite being self-taught, 00:01:10.420 --> 00:01:12.950 he turned out to be a pretty clever and astute lawyer. 00:01:12.950 --> 00:01:15.600 In one case, a guy claimed he witnessed a murder at night 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:17.649 and Lincoln was like, "How could you have seen anything 00:01:17.650 --> 00:01:18.483 in the dark?" 00:01:18.483 --> 00:01:19.787 "There was a bright full moon." 00:01:19.787 --> 00:01:20.620 "A what?" 00:01:20.620 --> 00:01:21.527 "A bright full moon." 00:01:21.527 --> 00:01:23.087 "Can you say that again, please?" 00:01:23.087 --> 00:01:24.507 "There was a bright full moon." 00:01:24.507 --> 00:01:25.777 "A dim half moon?" 00:01:25.777 --> 00:01:27.277 "No, a bright full moon." 00:01:27.277 --> 00:01:29.626 "That's funny because according to this Almanac 00:01:29.626 --> 00:01:31.839 "there was a dim half moon that night 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:34.507 which makes you a liar!" 00:01:34.507 --> 00:01:35.340 "Uh... 00:01:35.340 --> 00:01:39.427 "Well, I got a bright full moon for y'all right here." 00:01:39.427 --> 00:01:42.505 "Now that's what I call a rebuttal." 00:01:42.504 --> 00:01:44.049 (claps loudly) 00:01:44.049 --> 00:01:45.250 - [Narrator] Lincoln and his cheekbones, 00:01:45.250 --> 00:01:47.079 weren't only interested in law however, 00:01:47.079 --> 00:01:49.069 he also dabbled in the world of politics, 00:01:49.069 --> 00:01:51.089 serving as a legislator in both local 00:01:51.090 --> 00:01:52.420 and national assemblies. 00:01:52.420 --> 00:01:54.070 And what a time it was. 00:01:54.069 --> 00:01:56.459 Not even 100 years after the founding fathers wrote, 00:01:56.459 --> 00:01:58.069 all men are created equal. 00:01:58.069 --> 00:02:00.199 Politicians were already asking, 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:03.250 yeah, but what does that mean exactly? 00:02:03.250 --> 00:02:04.680 It means all men. 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:07.690 Yeah, but what does that mean... 00:02:07.689 --> 00:02:08.829 Exactly? 00:02:08.830 --> 00:02:10.760 And not just that states' rights 00:02:10.759 --> 00:02:12.159 versus the federal government. 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:14.409 What are the executive powers of the president? 00:02:14.409 --> 00:02:15.659 Is cereal a soup? 00:02:15.659 --> 00:02:17.639 The founding fathers left some of these questions 00:02:17.639 --> 00:02:20.399 perhaps a little too open to interpretation. 00:02:20.400 --> 00:02:23.430 And the biggest question of them all was slavery, 00:02:23.430 --> 00:02:25.300 an ugly mark, and what should have been 00:02:25.300 --> 00:02:28.960 a revolutionary new nation based on liberty and democracy. 00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:31.750 Thomas Jefferson had written a condemnation of slavery 00:02:31.750 --> 00:02:33.610 in the declaration of independence, 00:02:33.610 --> 00:02:35.970 but out of fear of losing Southern State support, 00:02:35.969 --> 00:02:37.060 it was removed. 00:02:37.060 --> 00:02:39.229 Hey guys, do you think leaving this a little vague 00:02:39.229 --> 00:02:42.139 will create any unforeseen problems in the future? 00:02:42.139 --> 00:02:42.972 Cannonball. 00:02:44.500 --> 00:02:45.819 And those unforeseen problems 00:02:45.819 --> 00:02:48.359 were now beginning to rear their ugly heads. 00:02:48.360 --> 00:02:50.700 As the nation developed the North and the South developed 00:02:50.699 --> 00:02:52.369 along two very different lines 00:02:52.370 --> 00:02:55.460 and two very different cultural identities emerged. 00:02:55.460 --> 00:02:57.950 Northern cities began rapidly industrializing 00:02:57.949 --> 00:03:00.560 while the Southern climate allowed for large plantations 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:02.090 of labor-intensive crops. 00:03:02.090 --> 00:03:05.330 As a result, one half of the country didn't rely on slaves 00:03:05.330 --> 00:03:07.500 while the other half had become economically 00:03:07.500 --> 00:03:08.759 dependent on them. 00:03:08.759 --> 00:03:12.039 In 1793, Eli Whitney's cotton gin caused the slave trade 00:03:12.039 --> 00:03:13.549 in the South to explode, 00:03:13.550 --> 00:03:15.980 while in the North a growing abolitionist movement 00:03:15.979 --> 00:03:17.060 was taking root. 00:03:17.060 --> 00:03:19.849 A general mistrust began to develop between the North 00:03:19.849 --> 00:03:20.769 and the South. 00:03:20.770 --> 00:03:22.560 As Northerners felt the South were hell bent 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:25.530 on expanding slavery and fear spread throughout the South 00:03:25.530 --> 00:03:28.099 that the North wanted to take their slaves away. 00:03:28.099 --> 00:03:30.560 In 1819, there were 11 free states 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:33.390 and 11 slave states, a perfect balance, 00:03:33.389 --> 00:03:35.639 a happy medium, a harmonious relationship. 00:03:35.639 --> 00:03:36.869 Hey guys, nice to meet you. 00:03:36.870 --> 00:03:39.670 I'm Missouri, and I would like to become the 23rd state. 00:03:39.669 --> 00:03:41.169 Hey buddy, welcome to the nation. 00:03:41.169 --> 00:03:44.119 We'll be happy to accept you as a free state. 00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:45.170 No, you don't. 00:03:45.169 --> 00:03:46.599 You're trying to get one over on us. 00:03:46.599 --> 00:03:48.460 Missouri is gonna be a slave state. 00:03:48.460 --> 00:03:50.409 Okay, listen why don't we just ask Missouri 00:03:50.409 --> 00:03:51.729 what it wants to be... 00:03:51.729 --> 00:03:52.562 Slave state. 00:03:53.750 --> 00:03:56.960 Well, then allow me to introduce to you 00:03:56.960 --> 00:04:00.110 the newest freshest state on the scene, Maine. 00:04:00.110 --> 00:04:01.097 Hey, you can't do that. 00:04:01.097 --> 00:04:03.350 And you can't have any more slaves things about this line. 00:04:03.349 --> 00:04:04.340 What? 00:04:04.340 --> 00:04:05.920 The issue of slavery is solved 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:08.042 and it will never come up again. 00:04:09.099 --> 00:04:11.039 A few years later, it came up again. 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:13.099 You see, as America expanded westward, 00:04:13.099 --> 00:04:15.030 each new state or territory that was added 00:04:15.030 --> 00:04:17.470 threatened to up and the delicate balance between the slave 00:04:17.470 --> 00:04:18.690 and free States. 00:04:18.689 --> 00:04:20.879 If one faction managed to outnumber the other, 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:23.480 it could gain an easy majority and force its own ideals 00:04:23.480 --> 00:04:24.910 on the opposing side 00:04:24.910 --> 00:04:26.860 leaving a huge portion of the population, 00:04:26.860 --> 00:04:29.270 feeling spiteful and depressed. 00:04:29.269 --> 00:04:31.849 For awhile compromises, kick the can down the road 00:04:31.850 --> 00:04:33.750 and kept the volatile balance in check 00:04:33.750 --> 00:04:37.000 as new free and slave states were roughly added in Paris 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:39.350 but then one landmass mass state just had to barge in 00:04:39.350 --> 00:04:42.088 and ruin everything as usual. 00:04:42.088 --> 00:04:43.390 (gun shots) 00:04:43.389 --> 00:04:45.319 The addition of Texas saw the United States 00:04:45.319 --> 00:04:47.649 enter into a war with Mexico, which they won, 00:04:47.649 --> 00:04:49.370 gaining a huge amount of land out West 00:04:49.370 --> 00:04:51.399 and creating even more problems. 00:04:51.399 --> 00:04:52.699 Hey guys, nice to meet you. 00:04:52.699 --> 00:04:55.699 I'm California and I would like to become the 31st state. 00:04:55.699 --> 00:04:57.209 Hey buddy, welcome to the nation. 00:04:57.209 --> 00:05:00.120 We'll be happy to accept you as a Southern slave state. 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:01.060 No, you don't. 00:05:01.060 --> 00:05:02.550 You're trying to get one over on us. 00:05:02.550 --> 00:05:04.259 California is gonna be a free state. 00:05:04.259 --> 00:05:05.093 Okay, listen, 00:05:05.093 --> 00:05:07.250 why don't we just ask California what it wants to be 00:05:07.250 --> 00:05:08.083 and we can... 00:05:08.083 --> 00:05:08.950 Free state. 00:05:08.949 --> 00:05:12.229 Well, then allow me to introduce to you 00:05:12.230 --> 00:05:14.509 the territories of New Mexico and Utah 00:05:14.509 --> 00:05:16.779 able to freely vote for slavery themselves. 00:05:16.779 --> 00:05:18.109 Hey, you can't do that! 00:05:18.110 --> 00:05:19.840 And we can enter Northern territory anytime we want 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:21.310 to recapture escaped slaves! 00:05:21.310 --> 00:05:22.143 What? 00:05:22.142 --> 00:05:23.629 The issue of slavery is solved 00:05:23.629 --> 00:05:25.918 and it will never come up again. 00:05:25.918 --> 00:05:26.752 (crowd shouts loudly) 00:05:26.752 --> 00:05:28.269 A few years later, it came up again. 00:05:28.269 --> 00:05:30.779 In 1854 a democratic Senator from Illinois 00:05:30.779 --> 00:05:33.019 wanted to build a really cool Chichi train here 00:05:33.019 --> 00:05:35.629 and proposed the territories of Kansas and Nebraska 00:05:35.629 --> 00:05:37.430 be created open to slavery, 00:05:37.430 --> 00:05:39.230 even though they were clearly above 00:05:39.230 --> 00:05:40.550 the Missouri compromise line. 00:05:40.550 --> 00:05:43.160 Obviously the Northern States were like, "Hell no." 00:05:43.160 --> 00:05:44.880 But the Southern Democrats who controlled Congress 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:47.250 at the time were like, "Well, if you love liberty 00:05:47.250 --> 00:05:48.990 and democracy so much, 00:05:48.990 --> 00:05:50.670 then you should let them vote on whether slavery 00:05:50.670 --> 00:05:51.980 should be legal or not." 00:05:51.980 --> 00:05:53.110 And so it was. 00:05:53.110 --> 00:05:55.540 Huge numbers of pro and anti-slavery settlers 00:05:55.540 --> 00:05:58.140 rushed to Kansas to sway the vote in their favor. 00:05:58.139 --> 00:05:59.240 And while they were all there, 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:01.449 they began to beat crap out of each other. 00:06:01.449 --> 00:06:03.620 One of the settlers was a man named John Brown, 00:06:03.620 --> 00:06:04.930 a former businessman who failed 00:06:04.930 --> 00:06:08.840 at just about everything he tried and went arguably insane. 00:06:08.839 --> 00:06:11.879 He was a radical abolitionist and dedicated much of his life 00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:14.639 to the underground railroad and freeing slaves. 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:16.669 One night in revenge for an earlier rate 00:06:16.670 --> 00:06:18.240 by pro-slavery forces, 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:21.079 he and his sons killed a number of pro-slavery settlers 00:06:21.079 --> 00:06:24.089 in the territory, helping to kick-start years of violence 00:06:24.089 --> 00:06:25.769 known as Bleeding Kansas. 00:06:25.769 --> 00:06:28.120 Kansas and Nebraska both eventually voted in favor 00:06:28.120 --> 00:06:29.500 of outlawing slavery. 00:06:29.500 --> 00:06:32.740 But from here, the tension began to grow at a rapid pace. 00:06:32.740 --> 00:06:35.230 In 1852 author Harriet Beecher Stowe 00:06:35.230 --> 00:06:36.770 penned Uncle Tom's Cabin, 00:06:36.769 --> 00:06:39.620 a bestselling novel that exposed the terrible cruelty 00:06:39.620 --> 00:06:41.100 of slavery to the world. 00:06:41.100 --> 00:06:41.933 How awful. 00:06:41.932 --> 00:06:43.730 How morally corrupted nation must be 00:06:43.730 --> 00:06:45.610 to allow such things to happen. 00:06:45.610 --> 00:06:46.680 Your majesty, what should we do 00:06:46.680 --> 00:06:48.860 about all the starving children working in the coal mines? 00:06:48.860 --> 00:06:49.740 Nothing! 00:06:49.740 --> 00:06:52.269 In 1854, the Republican party was formed, 00:06:52.269 --> 00:06:54.629 and Abraham Lincoln emerged as a leading figure. 00:06:54.629 --> 00:06:57.000 Southern Democrats viewed the new Republican party 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:00.430 with mistrust, believing it to be radical and abolitionist. 00:07:00.430 --> 00:07:03.030 In 1856 a politician named Charles Sumner 00:07:03.029 --> 00:07:04.359 gave a speech in Congress, 00:07:04.360 --> 00:07:07.157 calling out slave owning Democrats with fiery language, 00:07:07.156 --> 00:07:09.746 "If slavery was a woman, she'd be an ugly one. 00:07:09.747 --> 00:07:11.347 "And the Senator from South Carolina 00:07:11.346 --> 00:07:12.439 "would like to boink her." 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:14.918 Representative Brooks, do you have a rebuttal? 00:07:14.918 --> 00:07:16.729 I have a rebuttal, all right? 00:07:16.730 --> 00:07:19.185 Yeah, here's a rebuttal for you. 00:07:19.185 --> 00:07:20.699 (loud bangs) 00:07:20.699 --> 00:07:22.899 Come on, surely this isn't allowed. 00:07:22.899 --> 00:07:23.733 I dunno. 00:07:23.733 --> 00:07:25.250 I'll have to consult the rule book. 00:07:28.060 --> 00:07:29.620 Hmm, I can't find anything about caning 00:07:29.620 --> 00:07:31.740 a political opponent, but it says here I'm not 00:07:31.740 --> 00:07:33.540 allowed to wear a woman's underwear. 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:36.073 News of the violence, 00:07:36.072 --> 00:07:38.349 on the Senate floor took the nation by storm. 00:07:38.350 --> 00:07:41.010 Southern slave owners sent representative Brooks new canes 00:07:41.009 --> 00:07:42.469 to replace his now broken one. 00:07:42.470 --> 00:07:45.170 And on the floors of Congress, politicians carried weapons 00:07:45.170 --> 00:07:47.900 in self-defense, which is never a good sign. 00:07:47.899 --> 00:07:51.439 In 1857, the Supreme court ruled in the Dred Scott Case 00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:54.079 that all people of African descent slave 00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:56.109 or free could not be citizens 00:07:56.110 --> 00:07:58.460 and therefore could not sue for their own freedom 00:07:58.459 --> 00:08:00.019 under any circumstances, 00:08:00.019 --> 00:08:03.459 undoing years of progress with the strike of a gavel. 00:08:03.459 --> 00:08:05.810 Now within all this bitter debate over slavery 00:08:05.810 --> 00:08:08.420 there were many nuances North versus South, 00:08:08.420 --> 00:08:10.270 Republican versus Democrat, 00:08:10.269 --> 00:08:12.199 States versus the federal government. 00:08:12.199 --> 00:08:14.170 But let's strip all of that away. 00:08:14.170 --> 00:08:16.960 For 4 million individuals living in America, 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:19.949 this wasn't about political intrigue or party alignment. 00:08:19.949 --> 00:08:23.759 It was about the basic human right to be free. 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:27.500 Men, women and children were stolen from their homelands 00:08:27.500 --> 00:08:30.430 and brought to the American continent where for generations 00:08:30.430 --> 00:08:32.240 they were considered to be property, 00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:33.610 forced to live in poverty 00:08:33.610 --> 00:08:36.159 and work from sunrise to sunset, 00:08:36.159 --> 00:08:38.179 plantation overseers did whatever they 00:08:38.179 --> 00:08:41.559 felt was necessary to get the most out of their slaves. 00:08:41.559 --> 00:08:44.149 Punishments were often barbaric. 00:08:44.149 --> 00:08:45.980 Families were regularly separated 00:08:45.980 --> 00:08:48.009 and parents could often only watch 00:08:48.009 --> 00:08:49.779 as their children were auctioned off, 00:08:49.779 --> 00:08:52.179 never to be seen again. 00:08:52.179 --> 00:08:54.189 Thousands of slaves took the treacherous risk 00:08:54.190 --> 00:08:56.580 of running away and abolitionists in the North helped 00:08:56.580 --> 00:08:58.680 many escape by the underground railroad. 00:08:58.679 --> 00:09:01.750 As bounty hunters entered the North to chase them down. 00:09:01.750 --> 00:09:04.059 Leading figures within the abolitionist movement 00:09:04.059 --> 00:09:06.949 included many significant free black men and women. 00:09:06.950 --> 00:09:08.350 But it's important to note that 00:09:08.350 --> 00:09:10.750 from many of the anti-slavery white individuals 00:09:10.750 --> 00:09:11.582 in the North, 00:09:11.582 --> 00:09:14.490 opposition to slavery was often an economic issue, 00:09:14.490 --> 00:09:15.549 not a moral one. 00:09:15.549 --> 00:09:18.289 As many worried large plantations would take their lands 00:09:18.289 --> 00:09:19.949 and livelihoods away. 00:09:19.950 --> 00:09:22.690 Abraham Lincoln knew that slavery was a moral evil 00:09:22.690 --> 00:09:24.540 and he regularly spoke out against it 00:09:24.539 --> 00:09:26.559 in powerful speeches that helped him rise 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:28.729 through the ranks of the new Republican Party. 00:09:28.730 --> 00:09:30.200 He lamented at the hypocrisy 00:09:30.200 --> 00:09:32.410 of a great American nation meant to stand 00:09:32.409 --> 00:09:34.019 as a shining beacon of freedom 00:09:34.019 --> 00:09:38.129 while also enslaving 4 million men, women and children. 00:09:38.129 --> 00:09:41.279 He most famously declared in 1858 that a house divided 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:43.240 against itself cannot stand, 00:09:43.240 --> 00:09:46.399 that one day, slavery in America would end. 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:49.429 However, even Lincoln was cautious in his opposition. 00:09:49.429 --> 00:09:51.139 He didn't want to outlaw it entirely 00:09:51.139 --> 00:09:53.090 but simply prevent its expansion. 00:09:53.090 --> 00:09:55.320 So that given enough time he believed it would 00:09:55.320 --> 00:09:56.750 naturally die out. 00:09:56.750 --> 00:09:59.269 Thankfully history would force his hand. 00:09:59.269 --> 00:10:01.740 In October, 1859 one abolitionist 00:10:01.740 --> 00:10:03.259 decided he tried to single-handedly 00:10:03.259 --> 00:10:05.110 take down slavery by force. 00:10:05.110 --> 00:10:07.659 Who'd be crazy enough to even attempt such a thing? 00:10:07.659 --> 00:10:09.899 Ah, it's our good friend, John Brown. 00:10:09.899 --> 00:10:11.759 He planned to seize arms from an armory in the town 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:13.720 of Harper's ferry, free the slaves there 00:10:13.720 --> 00:10:16.340 and continue South inciting a major slave uprising 00:10:16.340 --> 00:10:19.389 along the way, a noble cause, a bad plan, 00:10:19.389 --> 00:10:21.259 and terrible execution. 00:10:21.259 --> 00:10:23.500 Brown's van took the armory and some hostages 00:10:23.500 --> 00:10:25.639 but we're quickly surrounded by one Robert E. Lee 00:10:25.639 --> 00:10:27.429 and his US Marine. 00:10:27.429 --> 00:10:29.779 Brown was captured, and a couple of months later, 00:10:29.779 --> 00:10:31.620 he was executed for treason. 00:10:31.620 --> 00:10:33.310 Northerners sympathized with Brown, 00:10:33.309 --> 00:10:35.449 but Southerners were like you see this, 00:10:35.450 --> 00:10:36.710 they're coming for us. 00:10:36.710 --> 00:10:39.259 Soon, there'll be a million John Browns. 00:10:39.259 --> 00:10:40.883 A million John Browns? 00:10:43.190 --> 00:10:45.030 What on earth are you thinking about? 00:10:45.029 --> 00:10:46.033 The John Brown farm. 00:10:46.870 --> 00:10:48.149 Yeah, me too. 00:10:48.149 --> 00:10:49.370 To make matters worse, 00:10:49.370 --> 00:10:51.810 new Northern free States meant now the Southern States 00:10:51.809 --> 00:10:53.809 really were outnumbered and they were beginning to 00:10:53.809 --> 00:10:56.219 feel bitterly, spiteful and oppressed. 00:10:56.220 --> 00:10:58.129 Further fear began to spread in the South, 00:10:58.129 --> 00:11:00.879 when news broke that a relatively unknown figure had just 00:11:00.879 --> 00:11:03.899 secured the Republican party nomination for president. 00:11:03.899 --> 00:11:06.509 Abraham Lincoln mostly well liked among anti-slavery 00:11:06.509 --> 00:11:08.529 northerners had made some of the most powerfully 00:11:08.529 --> 00:11:11.159 worded speeches against slavery of any politician 00:11:11.159 --> 00:11:12.019 at the time. 00:11:12.019 --> 00:11:13.149 And now there was a chance 00:11:13.149 --> 00:11:16.259 that he and his cheekbones could become president, 00:11:16.259 --> 00:11:17.120 for the South, 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:18.909 that would be too much. 00:11:18.909 --> 00:11:20.159 In the 1860 election, 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:22.299 Lincoln's name, didn't even appear on the ballot 00:11:22.299 --> 00:11:25.189 in 10 Southern States, but much to their horror, 00:11:25.190 --> 00:11:26.740 when the final results came in 00:11:26.740 --> 00:11:30.080 Lincoln had won by an electoral college landside 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:32.360 Lincoln himself tried to calm their fear. 00:11:32.360 --> 00:11:34.240 How many times do I have to tell you, 00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:36.350 I'm not gonna take away your slaves? 00:11:36.350 --> 00:11:37.889 Yeah, right honest Abe. 00:11:37.889 --> 00:11:39.480 We've had enough of you northerners. 00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:41.350 We're gonna go form our own country. 00:11:41.350 --> 00:11:42.290 You can't do that. 00:11:42.289 --> 00:11:43.159 Why not? 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:45.100 Well, if you had won the election, 00:11:45.100 --> 00:11:46.810 would it be okay for us to leave? 00:11:46.809 --> 00:11:47.642 Of course not. 00:11:47.643 --> 00:11:48.779 Well, why not? 00:11:48.779 --> 00:11:51.610 Because that's not how victim mentality works. 00:11:51.610 --> 00:11:53.669 Many States felt that when they joined union 00:11:53.669 --> 00:11:55.209 they always withheld the right to leave it 00:11:55.210 --> 00:11:56.370 whenever they pleased. 00:11:56.370 --> 00:11:58.929 Many people living in 19th century, America often 00:11:58.929 --> 00:12:01.889 felt more loyalty to their state than to the nation. 00:12:01.889 --> 00:12:04.549 And now with the South feeling like it had lost its voice 00:12:04.549 --> 00:12:07.849 in the federal government, they were out of here. 00:12:07.850 --> 00:12:09.659 South Carolina was the first to go. 00:12:09.659 --> 00:12:13.419 And over a period of six months, one by one 11 slave States 00:12:13.419 --> 00:12:15.199 officially succeeded from the union 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:18.810 with just four contested border States opting to remain. 00:12:18.809 --> 00:12:20.449 The succeeding States issued a number 00:12:20.450 --> 00:12:23.540 of official documents justifying their succession. 00:12:23.539 --> 00:12:26.069 South Carolina proclaimed that it was Northern States 00:12:26.070 --> 00:12:27.940 hostility to slavery that rendered 00:12:27.940 --> 00:12:29.750 the federal government illegitimate. 00:12:29.750 --> 00:12:31.889 Mississippi declared that their position 00:12:31.889 --> 00:12:33.460 was thoroughly identified 00:12:33.460 --> 00:12:36.350 with the institution of slavery and then a speech. 00:12:36.350 --> 00:12:38.269 The Confederate vice-president stated 00:12:38.269 --> 00:12:39.980 that the new Confederate government rested 00:12:39.980 --> 00:12:43.570 upon what he called the great truth of racial inequality. 00:12:43.570 --> 00:12:44.940 Revered American generals, 00:12:44.940 --> 00:12:46.930 such as Robert E. Lee opted to side 00:12:46.929 --> 00:12:48.809 with their States over the union. 00:12:48.809 --> 00:12:50.819 And with all the chaos, one New York lawyer wrote 00:12:50.820 --> 00:12:53.190 that rather than a bold Eagle America's national 00:12:53.190 --> 00:12:55.230 bird should be a debilitated chicken. 00:12:55.230 --> 00:12:57.639 And hey, I kind of like that. 00:12:57.639 --> 00:13:00.039 One man watching the crisis unfold 00:13:00.039 --> 00:13:02.309 knew it would be his job to solve it. 00:13:02.309 --> 00:13:04.339 Lincoln was just about to hop on a train 00:13:04.340 --> 00:13:08.170 and become the president of the United States of America. 00:13:08.169 --> 00:13:09.759 Hey man, you're hella ugly 00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:12.129 Grow a beard or something to hide that face. 00:13:12.129 --> 00:13:14.700 Hmm, good idea. 00:13:14.700 --> 00:13:15.533 Hmm. 00:13:17.710 --> 00:13:18.920 Still ugly 00:13:18.919 --> 00:13:21.129 With assassination plots already underway, 00:13:21.129 --> 00:13:23.090 Lincoln had to travel to Washington DC, 00:13:23.090 --> 00:13:25.280 under heavy disguise and protection. 00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:28.409 All along the way he received stacks of threatening letters. 00:13:28.409 --> 00:13:30.679 May the hand of the devil strike you down. 00:13:30.679 --> 00:13:32.449 You are destroying this country. 00:13:32.450 --> 00:13:36.870 Damn you every breath you take, love from, grandma? 00:13:36.870 --> 00:13:38.759 At his inauguration speech Lincoln 00:13:38.759 --> 00:13:40.039 once again, reiterated that, 00:13:40.039 --> 00:13:43.319 no, I do not wanna take away anyone's slaves 00:13:43.320 --> 00:13:46.080 but for Lincoln, he did want to preserve the union. 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:47.580 He declared succession to be nothing 00:13:47.580 --> 00:13:51.360 but an illegitimate rebellion in your hands and not in mine. 00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:54.500 He said is the momentous issue of civil war. 00:13:54.500 --> 00:13:56.879 You can have no conflict without being yourselves 00:13:56.879 --> 00:14:00.409 the aggressors, we are not enemies, but friends. 00:14:00.409 --> 00:14:03.049 It was clear Lincoln was ready and willing to get freaky 00:14:03.049 --> 00:14:05.399 and open up a can of Scatman John if he had to, 00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:06.919 whether he had the support of the people, 00:14:06.919 --> 00:14:08.509 however, was in question. 00:14:08.509 --> 00:14:10.279 In the end it was the Confederates 00:14:10.279 --> 00:14:12.049 that fired the first shot. 00:14:12.049 --> 00:14:12.949 As they succeeded 00:14:12.950 --> 00:14:15.610 the Confederate States began seizing federal us property 00:14:15.610 --> 00:14:16.629 throughout the South. 00:14:16.629 --> 00:14:18.700 Off the coast of Charleston South Carolina 00:14:18.700 --> 00:14:20.509 was one such federal property, 00:14:20.509 --> 00:14:24.259 Fort Sumpter, held by a measly under supplied US force. 00:14:24.259 --> 00:14:26.909 The Confederate militia there demanded the Fort surrender, 00:14:26.909 --> 00:14:28.889 a request, which was quickly denied 00:14:28.889 --> 00:14:31.000 and any remaining hope for a peaceful solution 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:33.649 to the secession crisis probably then died 00:14:33.649 --> 00:14:36.939 when the Confederates did this. 00:14:36.940 --> 00:14:40.080 The battle of Fort Sumpter is considered to be the beginning 00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:41.879 of the American Civil War. 00:14:41.879 --> 00:14:44.070 Many of the Confederates there also considered it to 00:14:44.070 --> 00:14:46.100 be the end of the American Civil War. 00:14:46.100 --> 00:14:49.700 They hoped old Abe would just sign and say, okay, you win. 00:14:49.700 --> 00:14:51.937 Unfortunately for them, Lincoln actually said 00:14:51.937 --> 00:14:54.090 "You're about to get a roundhouse to the face." 00:14:54.090 --> 00:14:57.149 Lincoln sent out the call for 75,000 volunteers 00:14:57.149 --> 00:14:59.689 and men signed up in droves hopeful 00:14:59.690 --> 00:15:03.440 for some adventure and good old fashioned F-U-N. 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:05.710 In the new Confederate Capitol at Richmond Virginia, 00:15:05.710 --> 00:15:07.530 Confederate president Jefferson Davis 00:15:07.529 --> 00:15:09.589 and his cheekbones had also sent out the call 00:15:09.590 --> 00:15:10.990 for 100,000 men. 00:15:10.990 --> 00:15:13.620 As ever both sides hope for a quick end to the war. 00:15:13.620 --> 00:15:14.470 Is it over yet? 00:15:14.470 --> 00:15:16.430 No, Jimmy it's been one week. 00:15:16.429 --> 00:15:17.469 Is it over now? 00:15:17.470 --> 00:15:18.560 No. 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:19.392 How about now? 00:15:19.393 --> 00:15:21.100 If you ask that one more time 00:15:21.100 --> 00:15:23.570 I swear I will turn this army around 00:15:23.570 --> 00:15:25.270 and you'll all have to go back home 00:15:25.269 --> 00:15:27.297 to your wives and children (troop cheering). 00:15:28.610 --> 00:15:29.919 But in particular, the South 00:15:29.919 --> 00:15:32.009 knew the conflict would pose a bit of a challenge. 00:15:32.009 --> 00:15:34.149 How can we expect to win with a population 00:15:34.149 --> 00:15:37.500 of only 5 million against 22 million in the North? 00:15:37.500 --> 00:15:38.970 If you count us 4 million slaves 00:15:38.970 --> 00:15:41.210 you'd have 9 million, great idea. 00:15:41.210 --> 00:15:44.600 Hand these rifles to all the, hey, wait a minute, 00:15:44.600 --> 00:15:45.790 you almost had me there. 00:15:45.789 --> 00:15:47.289 The problem for Lincoln was that many 00:15:47.289 --> 00:15:48.899 of his top generals were getting old 00:15:48.899 --> 00:15:50.610 and were being a bit too cautious. 00:15:50.610 --> 00:15:53.180 The commanding general was a man named Winfield, Scott 00:15:53.179 --> 00:15:54.969 a veteran of the Mexican American war. 00:15:54.970 --> 00:15:57.980 And by now he was too fat to even mount a horse. 00:15:57.980 --> 00:15:58.812 Okay chaps, 00:15:58.812 --> 00:16:00.720 we need to come up with a plan, hit me. 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:03.100 We could wait for the Confederates to come and apologize. 00:16:03.100 --> 00:16:03.932 Maybe we should all sit 00:16:03.932 --> 00:16:05.720 in a circle and discuss our feelings. 00:16:05.720 --> 00:16:08.160 Crossing the Delaware into New Jersey worked for me. 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:12.100 Those are all terrible ideas and you, wrong video. 00:16:12.100 --> 00:16:13.440 Hey, I'm the greatest president 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:14.630 in the history of this nation. 00:16:14.629 --> 00:16:16.330 Yeah, we'll see about that Dingus. 00:16:16.330 --> 00:16:17.970 Eventually Lincoln's generals came 00:16:17.970 --> 00:16:19.649 up with a multi-pronged strategy. 00:16:19.649 --> 00:16:21.269 First, a blockade would cut off 00:16:21.269 --> 00:16:23.500 and starve the South of supplies by sea. 00:16:23.500 --> 00:16:24.779 Secondly, taking control 00:16:24.779 --> 00:16:26.750 of the great Mississippi river would sever the 00:16:26.750 --> 00:16:29.509 South's economic artery while splitting it into two. 00:16:29.509 --> 00:16:32.569 And finally a main union force in the East would move South 00:16:32.570 --> 00:16:35.140 and take the Confederate Capitol ending the war, 00:16:35.139 --> 00:16:36.539 bada-boom bada-bing. 00:16:36.539 --> 00:16:37.929 Skirmishes began to break out 00:16:37.929 --> 00:16:39.709 across the nation and the union army 00:16:39.710 --> 00:16:42.240 in the East began to move South towards Richmond. 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:43.669 Everything seemed to be going well 00:16:43.669 --> 00:16:45.089 until they reached Manassas 00:16:45.090 --> 00:16:47.500 where they came upon a large Confederate force. 00:16:47.500 --> 00:16:49.320 It's almost like they were waiting for us. 00:16:49.320 --> 00:16:50.290 How did they know? 00:16:50.289 --> 00:16:52.980 As it turned out, spies in DC had sent a coded message 00:16:52.980 --> 00:16:55.029 to the Confederates warning of the invasion. 00:16:55.029 --> 00:16:56.610 Did you use Nord VPN? 00:16:56.610 --> 00:16:58.529 What the heck is Nord VPN? 00:16:58.529 --> 00:17:00.769 I'm so glad you asked. 00:17:00.769 --> 00:17:02.809 Do you use the internet? 00:17:02.809 --> 00:17:03.689 Me too. 00:17:03.690 --> 00:17:05.789 Do you like internet safety? 00:17:05.789 --> 00:17:06.920 Me too. 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:08.259 Hey, we should hang out sometimes, 00:17:08.259 --> 00:17:10.509 so I can tell you about Nord VPN. 00:17:10.509 --> 00:17:13.950 Nord VPN has over 5,000 secure and super fast servers 00:17:13.950 --> 00:17:16.720 in 60 countries that allow you to surf the net safely 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:18.500 with that personal data logging. 00:17:18.500 --> 00:17:20.299 Not only does it help you stay secure, 00:17:20.299 --> 00:17:21.730 but with just the click of a button, 00:17:21.730 --> 00:17:22.700 you can take a quick trip 00:17:22.700 --> 00:17:25.440 to Sweden and enjoy some Nordic crime dramas. 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:27.299 Is there some amazing content on YouTube, 00:17:27.299 --> 00:17:29.500 that's still blocked in your country? 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00:19:22.210 --> 00:19:23.049 Not because he looks like 00:19:23.049 --> 00:19:24.750 he ran face first into a Stonewall? 00:19:24.750 --> 00:19:25.599 Apparently not. 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:28.299 Worse yet, the North had also lost the first major battle 00:19:28.299 --> 00:19:31.369 out West giving away control of Southwest, Missouri. 00:19:31.369 --> 00:19:33.989 All of this was terrible news for Abraham Lincoln. 00:19:33.990 --> 00:19:35.609 Especially since many of his generals 00:19:35.609 --> 00:19:38.109 in cabinet already didn't have much respect for him. 00:19:38.109 --> 00:19:40.229 They felt he wasn't capable of running a war 00:19:40.230 --> 00:19:42.650 because he seemed a bit like your friendly old grandpa. 00:19:42.650 --> 00:19:45.800 He famously loved a long-winded story and a good pun. 00:19:45.799 --> 00:19:46.879 I've been so busy. 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:50.173 My wife is missing me, but her aim is starting to improve. 00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:53.259 But deep down do you realized he could also 00:19:53.259 --> 00:19:54.960 be incredibly shrewd. 00:19:54.960 --> 00:19:57.069 Oh Abe, you're so funny. 00:19:57.069 --> 00:19:57.903 Funny how? 00:19:59.190 --> 00:20:00.940 Funny, like I'm a clown? 00:20:00.940 --> 00:20:01.773 Abe, I was just. 00:20:01.772 --> 00:20:03.919 No, no funny how, like I'm here to amuse you? 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:06.330 During the war Lincoln committed acts that were viewed 00:20:06.329 --> 00:20:07.699 by some as impeachable. 00:20:07.700 --> 00:20:09.789 His administration suppressed the free media 00:20:09.789 --> 00:20:12.460 from printing articles sympathetic towards the South. 00:20:12.460 --> 00:20:14.750 Some Southern sympathizers were even arrested 00:20:14.750 --> 00:20:15.650 without a trial. 00:20:15.650 --> 00:20:19.050 Lincoln's criticizers began accusing him of being a tyrant 00:20:19.049 --> 00:20:20.517 but to quote the man himself, 00:20:20.517 --> 00:20:22.007 "Hey it's war, baby. 00:20:22.007 --> 00:20:23.200 "What are you gonna do?" 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:25.960 By the end of 1861 with things already looking bad 00:20:25.960 --> 00:20:26.799 for the North, 00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:29.250 abolitionists such as Frederick Douglas couldn't believe 00:20:29.250 --> 00:20:31.950 that the union army weren't enlisting black men. 00:20:31.950 --> 00:20:34.410 He continued to put pressure on Lincoln to make the war 00:20:34.410 --> 00:20:35.670 about emancipation. 00:20:35.670 --> 00:20:39.300 Mr. President, it's time to make the war about emancipation. 00:20:39.299 --> 00:20:40.869 I don't wanna ruffle any feathers. 00:20:40.869 --> 00:20:43.259 The feathers are already ruffled. 00:20:43.259 --> 00:20:44.710 But Lincoln hanging on to hope 00:20:44.710 --> 00:20:46.150 for a quick end to the conflict, 00:20:46.150 --> 00:20:49.509 continued to fight only for the preservation of the union. 00:20:49.509 --> 00:20:51.779 It was decided, however, that escaped slaves 00:20:51.779 --> 00:20:54.559 from the Confederacy could be held as enemy contraband. 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:56.230 And many of these men were put to work, 00:20:56.230 --> 00:20:59.200 bolstering the unions, infrastructure and supply lines. 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:00.420 Hoping to get things moving, 00:21:00.420 --> 00:21:02.460 Lincoln made young General George McClellan 00:21:02.460 --> 00:21:05.230 the new commanding general and McClellan began to train 00:21:05.230 --> 00:21:06.063 up his men. 00:21:06.063 --> 00:21:08.200 He thought a lot of himself, however, and believed he 00:21:08.200 --> 00:21:10.400 was going to be the nation's great savior. 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:12.830 Unlike many others, he didn't approve of the president's 00:21:12.829 --> 00:21:13.899 handling of the war. 00:21:13.900 --> 00:21:16.430 On one occasion, Lincoln went to McClellan's house to meet 00:21:16.430 --> 00:21:18.759 with him, but McClellan was late returning home. 00:21:18.759 --> 00:21:20.000 He kept the president waiting. 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:21.380 And when he finally got there, 00:21:21.380 --> 00:21:24.080 he just straight up went to bed. 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:26.059 Now that's what I call disrespectful. 00:21:26.059 --> 00:21:29.190 McClellan talked the talk, but could he walk the walk? 00:21:29.190 --> 00:21:31.000 No, like Lincoln's other generals, 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:33.259 McClellan was maddeningly cautious. 00:21:33.259 --> 00:21:35.529 Hey man, could you move South and attack the enemy? 00:21:35.529 --> 00:21:36.899 What are you crazy? 00:21:36.900 --> 00:21:38.750 What if they have a big, scary army down there? 00:21:38.750 --> 00:21:40.380 They probably do. 00:21:40.380 --> 00:21:41.213 What? 00:21:41.212 --> 00:21:42.129 Oh my gosh. 00:21:42.130 --> 00:21:44.020 McClellan worried that he did not have the numbers 00:21:44.019 --> 00:21:45.740 he needed to fight effectively. 00:21:45.740 --> 00:21:47.690 What if they have like 10,000 men? 00:21:47.690 --> 00:21:48.750 Okay, no problem. 00:21:48.750 --> 00:21:50.109 We'll get you 20,000 men. 00:21:50.109 --> 00:21:52.179 Well, what if they have 30,000 men? 00:21:52.180 --> 00:21:53.210 I'll need 40. 00:21:53.210 --> 00:21:54.690 Okay, you can have 40. 00:21:54.690 --> 00:21:58.519 Well, what if they have 50 I'll need 60. 00:21:58.519 --> 00:22:00.549 Lincoln tried but it was all in vain. 00:22:00.549 --> 00:22:03.529 McClellan would not make a move for the rest of the year. 00:22:03.529 --> 00:22:05.250 The North's one saving grace for now, 00:22:05.250 --> 00:22:08.390 was a General out west fighting Kentucky and Tennessee. 00:22:08.390 --> 00:22:12.009 General Ulysses S. Grant cool, collected, methodical 00:22:12.009 --> 00:22:13.700 and a big fan of whiskey. 00:22:13.700 --> 00:22:16.900 His chief of staff took it upon himself to keep Grant sober. 00:22:16.900 --> 00:22:19.650 One officer said that Grant habitually worn expression 00:22:19.650 --> 00:22:21.190 as though he were determined to drive his head 00:22:21.190 --> 00:22:23.180 through a brick wall and was about to do it. 00:22:23.180 --> 00:22:25.289 And that determination led him to score a number 00:22:25.289 --> 00:22:27.659 of key victories when others around him were failing. 00:22:27.660 --> 00:22:29.480 At the battle of Fort Donaldson Grant was like, 00:22:29.480 --> 00:22:31.920 why does Stonewall Jackson get a cool nickname and I don't? 00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:33.110 I want a cool nickname. 00:22:33.109 --> 00:22:35.199 Sir, the Confederate say they're ready to surrender 00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:36.420 and wanna know your terms. 00:22:36.420 --> 00:22:37.330 No terms. 00:22:37.329 --> 00:22:39.429 Just unconditional surrender. 00:22:39.430 --> 00:22:42.580 Hey, Unconditional Surrender Grant. 00:22:42.579 --> 00:22:46.009 That's a pretty cool nickname, right guys, right? 00:22:46.009 --> 00:22:48.430 Later in April, 1862, the Confederates launched 00:22:48.430 --> 00:22:50.340 a sudden attack on Grant's army at Shiloh 00:22:50.339 --> 00:22:52.720 but the determined Unconditional Surrender Grant 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:55.250 through his lines at the rebels and sent them running. 00:22:55.250 --> 00:22:57.599 The battle resulted in the heaviest casualties 00:22:57.599 --> 00:22:59.480 in US history so far. 00:22:59.480 --> 00:23:02.490 And despite his victory, Grant found himself under fire. 00:23:02.490 --> 00:23:03.829 You have to get rid of Grant. 00:23:03.829 --> 00:23:04.663 Why? 00:23:04.663 --> 00:23:05.496 Didn't he win? 00:23:05.496 --> 00:23:07.920 Yes, but he just threw his men at the enemy. 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:09.000 Isn't that the point? 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:10.549 Also he's a loony drunk. 00:23:10.549 --> 00:23:11.849 Well, what does he like to drink? 00:23:11.849 --> 00:23:13.240 I believe whiskey, sir. 00:23:13.240 --> 00:23:14.823 Then send him more. 00:23:16.480 --> 00:23:19.339 Lincoln watched as his cabinet did nothing but bicker. 00:23:19.339 --> 00:23:23.139 And his generals did nothing but then worst of all, 00:23:23.140 --> 00:23:26.960 personal tragedy struck Lincoln's young son, Willie. 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:30.160 Very much loved by the president died of typhoid fever 00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:31.390 at the age of 11. 00:23:31.390 --> 00:23:32.860 Lincoln was a sensitive man 00:23:32.859 --> 00:23:35.099 and was heavily effected by the loss. 00:23:35.099 --> 00:23:37.079 His wife was inconsolable 00:23:37.079 --> 00:23:38.859 but one of Lincoln's greatest traits, 00:23:38.859 --> 00:23:40.759 what made him such a great leader was 00:23:40.759 --> 00:23:42.140 in the darkest of times 00:23:42.140 --> 00:23:46.440 with composure and determination, he kept moving forward. 00:23:46.440 --> 00:23:49.019 He knew it was his responsibility to hold himself 00:23:49.019 --> 00:23:50.430 and his family together. 00:23:50.430 --> 00:23:53.610 And by doing so, he hoped to hold the nation together 00:23:53.609 --> 00:23:56.469 and he had had it with McClellan's in action. 00:23:56.470 --> 00:23:59.180 Lincoln decided he was gonna take control. 00:23:59.180 --> 00:24:01.529 In March, 1862 Lincoln firmly ordered 00:24:01.529 --> 00:24:04.190 McClellan to once again move South towards Richmond, 00:24:04.190 --> 00:24:06.250 McClellan insisted instead they moved by sea 00:24:06.250 --> 00:24:07.640 to the Virginia Peninsula 00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:09.690 and attack Richmond from the South East. 00:24:09.690 --> 00:24:10.910 Yes, said Lincoln. 00:24:10.910 --> 00:24:12.390 Okay, anything. 00:24:12.390 --> 00:24:14.970 Lincoln held onto some of McClellan's men to defend DC 00:24:14.970 --> 00:24:17.180 from a nearby Stonewall Jackson wreaking havoc 00:24:17.180 --> 00:24:18.480 in the Shenandoah Valley. 00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:20.059 And he sent McClellan South. 00:24:20.059 --> 00:24:21.730 McClellan landed on the Peninsula 00:24:21.730 --> 00:24:23.190 and he began to move inland. 00:24:23.190 --> 00:24:24.990 He came up against a small Confederate army 00:24:24.990 --> 00:24:26.559 that had dug in at Yorktown. 00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:28.720 McClellan vastly outnumbered the force 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:30.549 but it said that Confederate general Magruder 00:24:30.549 --> 00:24:31.539 deceived McClellan 00:24:31.539 --> 00:24:33.690 by cleverly maneuvering his smaller force 00:24:33.690 --> 00:24:36.559 and making McClellan believe he faced a huge army. 00:24:36.559 --> 00:24:39.653 No, you have way more men than them, move forward. 00:24:40.490 --> 00:24:41.323 No. 00:24:41.323 --> 00:24:43.730 McClellan settled in for a month long siege, giving time 00:24:43.730 --> 00:24:46.120 for Johnston to move South from Manassas and Magruder 00:24:46.119 --> 00:24:47.179 time to retreat. 00:24:47.180 --> 00:24:49.750 When he finally entered the city and found it deserted 00:24:49.750 --> 00:24:53.230 he declared it a victory calling his success brilliant. 00:24:53.230 --> 00:24:55.630 Then after meeting some resistance at Williamsburg 00:24:55.630 --> 00:24:58.400 McClellan moved to within just 20 miles of Richmond 00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:00.610 his Army's able to hear the church bells ringing 00:25:00.609 --> 00:25:01.949 in the enemy capital. 00:25:01.950 --> 00:25:03.460 You still outnumber them. 00:25:03.460 --> 00:25:05.110 Go give them hell. 00:25:05.109 --> 00:25:05.942 No. 00:25:05.942 --> 00:25:07.440 McClellan once again held back 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:09.230 moving slowly and defensively. 00:25:09.230 --> 00:25:11.240 And with his army split in two, the Confederate 00:25:11.240 --> 00:25:13.430 saw an opportunity to strike back. 00:25:13.430 --> 00:25:16.570 McClellan's advance was halted, and now the Confederates 00:25:16.569 --> 00:25:18.200 pulled an ace out of their sleep. 00:25:18.200 --> 00:25:19.830 General Lee, you're up. 00:25:19.829 --> 00:25:21.619 Do you think we should evacuate Richmond? 00:25:21.619 --> 00:25:23.549 No. Mr. President, no need. 00:25:23.549 --> 00:25:25.000 General. Robert E. Lee, 00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:26.849 one of the most brilliant military commanders 00:25:26.849 --> 00:25:29.079 of the time was now in charge. 00:25:29.079 --> 00:25:30.990 One of his biggest strengths was his ability to 00:25:30.990 --> 00:25:33.549 read the mind of his enemy and he knew McClellan was 00:25:33.549 --> 00:25:36.819 cautious and weak after moving Stonewall Jackson South to 00:25:36.819 --> 00:25:37.653 join him. 00:25:37.653 --> 00:25:39.870 And even though he had a smaller army, Lee hit McClellan 00:25:39.869 --> 00:25:42.500 in a series of fast paced, close combat battles 00:25:42.500 --> 00:25:45.630 that had McClellan spook, McClellan retreated the union 00:25:45.630 --> 00:25:49.970 army back again and again and again, escaping the Peninsula 00:25:49.970 --> 00:25:51.569 and returning to DC. 00:25:51.569 --> 00:25:54.980 Lee had defeated McClellan and the campaign had failed. 00:25:54.980 --> 00:25:56.740 Well, that was a major success. 00:25:56.740 --> 00:25:57.700 A success? 00:25:57.700 --> 00:26:00.009 Tell me exactly what was successful about that. 00:26:00.009 --> 00:26:01.970 Well, we successfully retreated. 00:26:01.970 --> 00:26:03.150 You lost. 00:26:03.150 --> 00:26:04.430 I didn't lose. 00:26:04.430 --> 00:26:06.039 I merely failed to win. 00:26:06.039 --> 00:26:08.369 Things just kept looking worse for the North. 00:26:08.369 --> 00:26:11.209 At least their Navy had seen some success capturing a number 00:26:11.210 --> 00:26:13.690 of key port cities, notably when they steamrolled 00:26:13.690 --> 00:26:16.400 past Confederate forts to take New Orleans. 00:26:16.400 --> 00:26:17.600 And speaking of the Navy 00:26:17.599 --> 00:26:19.839 both sides have begun using ironclads. 00:26:19.839 --> 00:26:20.699 So that's pretty cool. 00:26:20.700 --> 00:26:23.210 But in the East, they still weren't having any luck. 00:26:23.210 --> 00:26:25.400 After McClellan's disastrous campaign, 00:26:25.400 --> 00:26:27.730 Lincoln briefly sent that one General John Pope 00:26:27.730 --> 00:26:29.509 to attack Northern Virginia. 00:26:29.509 --> 00:26:30.920 Hey man, just checking in. 00:26:30.920 --> 00:26:31.753 How's it going? 00:26:31.752 --> 00:26:34.000 Well, the Confederates kicked my butt at Cedar mountain. 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:35.430 Then they raided my camp and ran off 00:26:35.430 --> 00:26:36.490 with my money and clothes. 00:26:36.490 --> 00:26:38.539 Also, I appear to have been wedgied. 00:26:38.539 --> 00:26:40.730 Lee defeated Pope at yet another battle 00:26:40.730 --> 00:26:43.000 at Bull Run in which nearby farm families, 00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:45.470 once again got caught up in the fighting. 00:26:45.470 --> 00:26:48.700 Hurry up, Martha, there's another war out here. 00:26:48.700 --> 00:26:51.492 I'm waiting for my hair to dry. 00:26:52.529 --> 00:26:55.609 Wilmer McLean sick of war moved his family South 00:26:55.609 --> 00:26:57.419 where he knew the war would definitely 00:26:57.420 --> 00:27:00.110 absolutely never touch him again. 00:27:00.109 --> 00:27:02.449 But Lincoln had yet another problem to contend with 00:27:02.450 --> 00:27:04.819 European powers in particular the UK 00:27:04.819 --> 00:27:05.819 we're looking increasingly 00:27:05.819 --> 00:27:07.679 like they may intervene diplomatically 00:27:07.680 --> 00:27:09.269 on the side of the Confederates. 00:27:09.269 --> 00:27:10.819 They were missing their precious supply 00:27:10.819 --> 00:27:13.250 of Southern cotton because of the union blockade. 00:27:13.250 --> 00:27:15.720 And they wanted to see a swift conclusion to the war. 00:27:15.720 --> 00:27:17.529 The tension between America and Great Britain 00:27:17.529 --> 00:27:20.299 had been increasing especially after Confederate diplomats 00:27:20.299 --> 00:27:22.079 were discovered on a British ship. 00:27:22.079 --> 00:27:24.649 Now after McClellan's failure to take Richmond 00:27:24.650 --> 00:27:27.690 the UK declared it impossible for the North to win. 00:27:27.690 --> 00:27:29.100 Lincoln needed something to 00:27:29.099 --> 00:27:30.740 prevent Europe from getting involved. 00:27:30.740 --> 00:27:33.009 And after more petitioning from abolitionists 00:27:33.009 --> 00:27:35.960 he decided maybe the time was finally right to make the war 00:27:35.960 --> 00:27:39.329 about ending the institution he hated, slavery. 00:27:39.329 --> 00:27:41.500 If the North had a noble cause to fight for, 00:27:41.500 --> 00:27:43.859 Europe would be less likely to intervene 00:27:43.859 --> 00:27:45.559 but Lincoln and his cabinet knew before they 00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:48.049 could declare something as radical as emancipation, 00:27:48.049 --> 00:27:50.299 they needed a victory, especially now 00:27:50.299 --> 00:27:53.220 that the Confederates were about to go on the attack. 00:27:53.220 --> 00:27:55.710 Aware that he had a limited number of men and supplies, 00:27:55.710 --> 00:27:56.730 Lee now hoped that 00:27:56.730 --> 00:27:59.240 if he could just threaten Washington DC militarily 00:27:59.240 --> 00:28:01.049 he would gain Europe's recognition 00:28:01.049 --> 00:28:02.529 and crush Northern morale in time 00:28:02.529 --> 00:28:05.490 for the midterm elections, forcing the North to negotiate. 00:28:05.490 --> 00:28:07.120 With confidence at an all-time high 00:28:07.119 --> 00:28:10.789 for the first time Robert E. Lee invaded the North 00:28:10.789 --> 00:28:14.170 but on September 13th, the North finally had some luck. 00:28:14.170 --> 00:28:15.800 Oh boy, it's my lucky day. 00:28:15.799 --> 00:28:17.059 That's a garner field. 00:28:17.059 --> 00:28:18.250 Hey, what's this wrapped around it? 00:28:18.250 --> 00:28:19.730 Oh my gosh. 00:28:19.730 --> 00:28:20.563 That's right. 00:28:20.563 --> 00:28:22.360 The North had discovered General Lee's battle plans 00:28:22.359 --> 00:28:23.869 wrapped around some cigars 00:28:23.869 --> 00:28:26.949 and in them they saw that Lee had split up his forces 00:28:26.950 --> 00:28:29.460 McClellan headed out from DC and the two sides met 00:28:29.460 --> 00:28:31.180 in the battle of Antietam. 00:28:31.180 --> 00:28:34.019 A crucial battle that would decide the course of the war. 00:28:34.019 --> 00:28:36.660 It saw the most vicious fighting to date and still 00:28:36.660 --> 00:28:40.100 remains the single bloodiest day in American history. 00:28:40.099 --> 00:28:42.949 But for once the North came out victorious 00:28:42.950 --> 00:28:44.799 and Lee was forced to retreat. 00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:47.950 He's on the run, chase him down and finish them off. 00:28:47.950 --> 00:28:49.610 No. 00:28:49.609 --> 00:28:52.969 You know what old buddy old pal, you're fired. 00:28:52.970 --> 00:28:55.589 The North had won their crucial victory. 00:28:55.589 --> 00:28:57.579 Lincoln breathed a huge sigh of relief. 00:28:57.579 --> 00:29:01.009 And with that wind, he was prepared to take a huge step 00:29:01.009 --> 00:29:05.390 on September 22nd, the emancipation proclamation was issued 00:29:05.390 --> 00:29:06.330 in January. 00:29:06.329 --> 00:29:09.480 All slaves held in the Confederate States would be as far 00:29:09.480 --> 00:29:12.970 as the US government was concerned officially free. 00:29:12.970 --> 00:29:15.150 Throughout the North free black men and women 00:29:15.150 --> 00:29:17.440 rejoiced knowing that if the North were to win 00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:19.590 their brothers and sisters would no longer 00:29:19.589 --> 00:29:20.909 be held in bondage. 00:29:20.910 --> 00:29:23.100 The proclamation also had the intended effect 00:29:23.099 --> 00:29:25.809 on Europe who were not willing to oppose a pledge to 00:29:25.809 --> 00:29:28.690 end slavery and outraged Confederacy knew that 00:29:28.690 --> 00:29:30.890 Lincoln had given the war a new meaning. 00:29:30.890 --> 00:29:34.230 It was no longer just about the preservation of the union. 00:29:34.230 --> 00:29:36.700 Now, it was about creating a new union, 00:29:36.700 --> 00:29:39.160 washed clean of its original sin, 00:29:39.160 --> 00:29:41.870 a union without slavery. 00:29:41.869 --> 00:29:44.452 (upbeat music)