Sarah Emma Edmonds enlisted because she believed in the Union cause; Melverina Peppercorn joined to stay near her twin brother. Although women were not allowed to enlist as soldiers in the Civil War, many disguised themselves as men and fought anyway.
The Confederate States of America had a short life but the history leading up to its establishment went back decades to the establishment of the United States and the early failure to confront the "original sin" of slavery.