When the Founding Fathers created this nation, they believed that its citizens would be bound together by a common desire for equality and freedom. Contrary to their predictions, the definitions of equal and free were challenged due to the persistent plunder of abolitionists and separated the crumbling democracy into two sectors: North and South. The Civil War emerged from this debate and set America on the path long road towards change. The war, while deeply rooted in our nation's beginnings, technically began with the attack on Fort Sumter. The Union coveted this place on Confederate soil to display its power over the South. For the Confederates, the fort was a symbol of the omnipresent North, which intended to hinder their economy and way of life. The Confederates finally attacked the fort on April 12, 1861, and the Union, short of supplies, surrendered. This was the sign of the beginning of the civil war. The South began the war with a surprising amount of success, considering the North's many advantages. These advantages included, but were not limited to, the majority of free males, the construction of firearms, the tonnage of railroads, and naval vessels. From a superficial perspective, the Confederacy was hopeless. Yet many countries still predicted their victory. One might have surmised that Southern men were "rough and tough" due to their upbringing. The South was also fighting a defensive war, meaning they only had to focus on defending their own territory. These advantages seemed sufficient to counter strong Union forces until the battles of Vicksburg and Gettysburg. This was the main turning point of the war. Under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant, the Union achieved victory... in the middle of the paper... it seemed to open up new paths. He found that he could look back at the ostentation and emphasis of his early gospels and truly see them. He was happy when he discovered that he now despised them. The life-changing realities of war are shown through the letters and diaries of the soldiers involved in it. Much of the time was spent fighting, while the other time was spent doing demanding work in the camp. While the soldiers were constantly busy, they had plenty of time to contemplate the horrors they had encountered and could allow themselves to succumb to personal change. No one who lived through the Civil War escaped the permutations that resulted. Individuals, the military and African Americans heard them and with them changed the face of the future. And while we are still on the road to change, we went down this path during the Civil War.