The issue of slavery had been tearing the nation apart for decades. The federal government never upheld that section of the Constitution that guaranteed that “All men are created equal” and allowed the individual States to determine for themselves whether they would be free or slave. Tensions finally boiled over with the election of Abraham Lincoln to President in 1860. "Honest Abe" was an abolitionist and just prior to his inauguration on December 21, 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union. Then Jefferson Davis attacked Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 - and the bloodiest war in U.S. history had begun. |
SOUTH: Gray Coats, Rebels
Confederate Army Casualties
Deaths: 289,000 Wounded: 194,026
Confederate Casualties: 483,026
NORTH: Blue Coats, Yankees
Union Army Casualties
Deaths: 389,753 Wounded: 275,175
Union Casualties: 664,928
Total Dead (North & South): 678,753
Total Casualties (North & South): 1,147,954
Verse 1
WHAT CAUSED THE CIVIL WAR
WHAT WERE WE FIGHTING FOR?
TO PRESERVE THE UNION STRONG
TO ABOLISH SLAVERY WRONG
BUT ELEVEN CHOSE TO FIGHT
AS IF SLAVERY WAS THEIR RIGHT
Verse 2
BROTHERS FOUGHT AND KILLED AND DIED
FOR VICTORY HONOR AND PRIDE
THE HONOR OF SLAVERY
THE PRIDE OF MASTERY
FOR THEIR OWN FINANCIAL GAIN
THEY WOULD USE THE WHIP AND CHAIN
Chorus
TELL ME PLEASE WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR?
TELL ME PLEASE WHAT ARE WE DYING FOR?
TELL ME PLEASE WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR?
Verse 3
TO BE FAIR AND TO BE TRUE
THE NORTH ONCE HAD SLAVERY TOO
AND SLAVE SHIPS HAD TO USE THEIR DOCKS
AND THEY SOLD SLAVES ON AUCTION BLOCKS
AND SLAVE LABOR KEPT PRICES LOW
SO UNION PROFITS COULD FLOW
Chorus
TELL ME PLEASE WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR?
TELL ME PLEASE WHAT ARE WE DYING FOR?
TELL ME PLEASE WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR?