The four border states during the American Civil War were Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri. These slaveholding states remained loyal to the Union despite their location along the border with Confederate states.

Historical Context

Border states played a pivotal role in the Civil War due to their strategic position and divided loyalties. They allowed slavery but chose not to secede, preventing the Union from losing key territories and resources early in the conflict. President Abraham Lincoln took extraordinary measures, like suspending habeas corpus in Maryland, to keep them in the fold.

Key Characteristics

  • Delaware : Smallest border state with a minimal slave population; Union sentiment dominated.
  • Maryland : Critical for Washington, D.C.'s defense; heavy Union military presence quelled secessionist fervor.
  • Kentucky : Famously neutral at first ("I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky"), later fully Union after Confederate invasion.
  • Missouri : Deeply split, with rival governments; brutal guerrilla warfare plagued the state.

These states supplied troops to both sides, highlighting the war's internal divisions.

Strategic Impact

Control of the border states secured vital rivers like the Ohio and Missouri for Union supply lines. Their loyalty ensured the Confederacy couldn't encircle the North or cut off key Midwestern support. By war's end, gradual emancipation policies in these states aligned them fully with Union goals.

TL;DR : Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri were the four slave states that stayed Union during the Civil War, tipping the strategic balance.

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