The Battle of Galveston was a naval and land battle of the American Civil War, when Confederate forces under Major Gen. John B. Magruder expelled occupying Union troops from the city of Galveston, Texas on January 1, 1863.
After the loss of the cutter Harriet Lane, the Union Fleet Commander William B. Renshaw blew up the stranded vessel USS Westfield to save it from falling into enemy hands. Union troops on shore thought the fleet was surrendering, and laid down their arms. The battle is sometimes called the Second Battle of Galveston, as the Battle of Galveston Harbor (October 1862) is sometimes called the First Battle of Galveston.
The Border States were vital to the success of the Union. ... This failure to gain emancipation in the Border States was one of the major reasons he felt it necessary to draft the Emancipation Proclamation. In addition to the slavery issue, Lincoln had to delicately balance the military force in all the Border States.
How did the 1898 Treaty of Paris shift the balance of power in the world? It imposed unpopular war reparations that contributed to the rise of totalitarianism in Europe. It ushered in an extended period of isolationism by the United States and European powers.
