Lincoln Calls 75,000 Volunteers: The Civil War Begins in Earnest
Lincoln issued a proclamation on April 15, 1861, calling for 75,000 state militia volunteers to serve for 90 days to suppress the rebellion following the fall of Fort Sumter. The response exceeded expectations in the North: several states offered more troops than requested. But the proclamation forced the upper South to choose sides. Virginia seceded on April 17, Arkansas on May 6, Tennessee on May 7, and North Carolina on May 20. These four states doubled the Confederacy's population, industrial capacity, and military manpower. Robert E. Lee, offered command of the Union army, resigned his commission and joined Virginia instead. Lincoln's call to arms, intended to quickly restore federal authority, inadvertently expanded the Confederacy into a credible nation.
April 15, 1861
165 years ago
Key Figures & Places
American Civil War
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Abraham Lincoln
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President Lincoln%27s 75,000 Volunteers
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President Lincoln's 75,000 Volunteers
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Abraham Lincoln
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Proclamation 80
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American Civil War
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President
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John Wilkes Booth
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Andrew Johnson
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