Border states (American Civil War) facts for kids
The Border states were states that did not leave the Union during the American Civil War. These states were Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri. Later, West Virginia also became a border state after it separated from Virginia.
Most border states had strong cultural ties to the South. But they also had important business connections to the North. Even though they stayed loyal to the Union, these states still allowed slavery.
The war caused a lot of division in the Border States. Neighbors often fought against neighbors in tough guerrilla fighting. The strong disagreements in these states lasted long after the Civil War ended.
Contents
Why Border States Were Different
In the border states, slavery was slowly disappearing in cities. It was also fading in areas where cotton was not grown. Many cities like Baltimore, Louisville, and St. Louis were quickly becoming industrial.
By 1860, most African Americans in Delaware were free. In the South, fewer families owned slaves over time. In 1830, about 36% of Southern families owned slaves. By 1860, this number dropped to 25%.
In the Upper South, the number of slaves in the population also fell. For example, in Kentucky, it went from 24% in 1830 to 19% in 1860. In Maryland, it dropped from 23% to 13%. Some slave owners even sold extra slaves to traders. These slaves were then sold in the Deep South for cotton farms.
Slavery became less useful for farmers in the South when tobacco prices dropped. But in 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. This machine made growing cotton very profitable. Cotton farming also needed many slaves. By 1860, cotton and slavery were strongly linked to the Southern economy.
Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri were deeply divided. Many parts of these states had stronger cultural and economic ties to the South than to the North.
The Five Border States
Each of these five states shared a border with Union states. All except Delaware also shared borders with states that joined the Confederate States of America (CSA).
West Virginia's Story
In October 1859, John Brown led a raid on the Harpers Ferry Armory. This happened in what is now Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. At that time, it was part of Virginia. This event shocked the South.
Even though Brown was quickly captured and put to death, the raid had a big effect on the 1860 presidential election. When Abraham Lincoln won, many Southern states decided to leave the Union.
When the Civil War began, 40 western counties of Virginia were strongly against leaving the Union. These counties had very few slaves. So, they decided to separate from Virginia and later became West Virginia.
Delaware's Choice
By 1860, Delaware was closely tied to the Northern economy. Slavery was rare there, except in the southern parts of the state. About 91.7% of black people in Delaware were free by this time.
Both parts of Delaware's state General Assembly voted against leaving the Union. The lower house voted unanimously against it. The state senate voted five to three against secession.
Many state politicians, including the governor and their U.S. Senators, felt sympathy for the South. But the state legislature showed the true feelings of the people. Most people wanted to stay with the Union. However, they also did not like the idea of ending slavery by force. Generally, people in Delaware hoped for a compromise to prevent war.
Maryland's Divisions
Maryland was caught in the middle of the war. The state was split. It had strong economic ties to the North but cultural ties to the South. By 1860, about 49.1% of black people in Maryland were free.
But Maryland's Southern and Eastern counties had used slaves for over 200 years to grow tobacco. This made their situation difficult. Their politicians had worked hard to prevent the government from interfering with slavery in their counties.
In the 1860 presidential election, Lincoln did not get a single vote from these counties. This was true even though Lincoln promised not to interfere with slavery where it already existed. But the Maryland legislature never voted to leave the Union. The governor suggested a meeting to consider secession, but the legislature ignored him.
On April 19, 1861, Union troops moving through Baltimore were attacked by angry mobs. These mobs supported the South. The attacks left 14 people dead and lasted for three days. Many people tried to block Union troops from passing through the city.
These riots might have led to Maryland leaving the Union if they had been more organized. Union troops heading to Washington, D.C. quickly changed their route to avoid Baltimore. Maryland decided not to be neutral and not to join the Confederacy.
In May 1861, General Benjamin Franklin Butler marched into Baltimore without orders. He occupied Federal Hill and set up cannons, threatening anyone who opposed them. Lincoln was angry and removed Butler from his command. Still, the Massachusetts troops stayed on Federal Hill.
To prevent more trouble, Lincoln suspended habeas corpus. This meant people could be put in jail without charges or trials. He imprisoned a U.S. congressman, the mayor, police chief, and the city council of Baltimore.
Chief Justice Roger Taney said Lincoln's action was against the Constitution. But Lincoln ignored the ruling to handle the national emergency. On September 17, 1861, federal troops arrested 27 state legislators. They were held at Fort McHenry and later released when Maryland was secure for the Union. Because many legislators were in jail, the session was canceled.
The song "Maryland, My Maryland" was written to criticize Lincoln's actions against pro-Confederate groups. Maryland sent troops to both sides. About 60,000 men joined the Union army, and 25,000 joined the Confederate army. In 1864, Maryland adopted a new state constitution that ended slavery.
Kentucky's Neutrality
Kentucky was very important for the Union to win the Civil War. Lincoln once said that losing Kentucky would be like losing the whole war. He believed that if Kentucky, Missouri, and Maryland joined the Confederacy, the Union's job would be too big.
Lincoln also reportedly said, "I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky." In the spring of 1861, Kentucky Governor Beriah Magoffin and the state legislature declared that Kentucky would stay neutral. They would not send troops to either the Union or the Confederacy. They also offered to help make peace between the two sides.
Kentucky's neutrality ended when Confederate General Leonidas Polk occupied Columbus, Kentucky, in the summer of 1861. This made Kentucky ask the North for help to push back the Confederate invaders. Union General Ulysses S. Grant, who was waiting in Illinois, moved to occupy Paducah and Southland, Kentucky.
Polk's mistake cost the Confederacy any chance of getting Kentucky to join them. The areas the Union occupied gave them a huge advantage in both Kentucky and Tennessee. During the war, about 35,000 men from Kentucky joined the Confederacy. About 74,000 joined the Union army, including about 24,000 African Americans.
Missouri's Conflict
Missouri had been fighting with Kansas over slavery since 1854. This conflict was known as Bleeding Kansas. When the Civil War started in April 1861, Missouri was strongly divided between pro-Confederate and pro-Union forces.
Missouri's governor, Claiborne Fox Jackson, refused to send volunteers to fight for Abraham Lincoln. Instead, the governor had the state militia gather outside the city to train. He planned for them to join the Confederate forces. He also asked the legislature to approve a meeting to decide on secession.
A special election approved the meeting, and delegates were sent. This Missouri Constitutional Convention voted to stay in the Union.
Governor Jackson, who supported the Confederacy, was unhappy with this result. He called up the state militia for their yearly training. Jackson wanted to take the St. Louis Arsenal. He had secretly talked with Confederate President Jefferson Davis about getting weapons for the militia in St. Louis.
Union Captain Nathaniel Lyon knew about these plans and acted first. He surrounded the militia camp and forced them to surrender. As his troops marched the prisoners to the arsenal, a deadly riot happened. This was called the Camp Jackson Affair. It caused more support for the Confederacy in the state.
The pro-Southern legislature then passed the governor's military bill. This created the Missouri State Guard. Governor Jackson appointed Sterling Price as major general of this new militia. Price and Union commander Harney made an agreement called the Price–Harney Truce. This calmed things for a few weeks.
After Harney was removed, Lyon took charge. A meeting was held in St. Louis between Lyon, his ally Francis P. Blair, Jr., Price, and Jackson. The talks went nowhere. After a few hours, Lyon declared, "this means war!" Price and Jackson quickly left for the capital.
Lyon quickly moved his army to attack the pro-Confederate forces at Jefferson City, Missouri, the state capital. He moved fast and caught them unprepared. On June 15, Lyon's small Union army occupied Jefferson City.
Lyon set up a pro-Union government after Jackson and most of his militia went to the southwest corner of Missouri. Lyon then moved his army to chase the rebels. On June 17, both sides fought the Battle of Boonville. It lasted only about 30 minutes. The Union forces completely defeated the pro-Confederates. Lyon then led his troops in several small fights with the Missouri State Guard and the Confederate Army.
Lyon then moved to Springfield, Missouri where his army camped. On August 10, Lyon's Army of the West was defeated by a combined force of the Missouri Militia and Confederate troops. This happened near Springfield and was called the Battle of Wilson's Creek. Lyon was killed trying to rally his outnumbered soldiers.
However, Lyon’s actions stopped Missouri from joining the Confederacy. Missouri ended slavery during the war in January 1865.
Images for kids
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Historical military map of the border and southern states by Phelps & Watson, 1866
See also
In Spanish: Estados fronterizos (guerra de Secesión) para niños
