The Civil War and Its Aftermath

Despite the progress made in the early decades of the 19th century, there were social and economic problems. The most serious issue was slavery. (The slave population totaled 225,000 on the eve of the Civil War.) Although slavery was an integral part of the state's economy, strong antislavery sentiment had also developed. Prominent abolitionists were James G. Birney and Cassius M. Clay. In the U.S. Senate, two Kentucky political leaders, Henry Clay and John J. Crittenden, sought to ease national tensions over the slavery question by proposing compromise legislation.

When the Civil War began in 1861, Kentucky proclaimed itself “neutral” but eventually chose to remain in the Union. Kentuckians fought for both the Union, whose President, Abraham Lincoln, had been born in the state, and the Confederacy, also led by a Kentucky native, Jefferson Davis. About 70,000 men, including nearly 24,000 blacks, joined the Union army, while about 30,000 men went into Confederate service. Troops from both armies occupied parts of Kentucky at various times. The decisive engagement in the state was the Battle of Perryville, in October, 1862. Union troops under General Don Carlos Buell repulsed a Confederate invasion led by General Braxton Bragg. Throughout the war, in almost every county, guerrilla raids were conducted by Union and Confederate forces alike.

In the period following the war, Kentucky was the scene of bitter turmoil. Since it had remained in the Union, it was not subject to Reconstruction measures. However, as a former slave-holding state, it faced many of the same problems as the states of the Confederacy.

Kentucky's economy was in disarray. The loss of 10,000 men as war casualties and the freeing of the slaves had caused a sharp drop in food production. The war had also caused lingering bitterness between Kentuckians who had supported opposing sides. Years of violence followed. In the eastern mountains, long-lasting blood feuds between communities and among clans—including the notorious feud between the Hatfields of Kentucky and the McCoys of West Virginia—had their origin in Civil War antagonisms. Intimidation of former slaves was carried on by the Ku Klux Klan for years after the Civil War.