The Civil War

Two SidesU.S.(Union/North/Blue)Capital:

Washington D.C.President: Abraham

Lincoln

Generals: George McClellanUlysses S. Grant

Confederacy(South, Gray)Capital: Richmond,

VAPresident:

Jefferson DavisGenerals:Robert E. Lee

Lincoln Davis

Army Size

U.S.187,000(Yankees)

Confederacy112,000(Rebels)

Border States• All have strategic locations• Missouri controls parts of

Mississippi River• Kentucky controlled Ohio River• Maryland surrounds D.C.

Lincoln’s Controversial Move

• Worried about Maryland• Arrested those who supported

secession• Suspends Habeas Corpus (told

what you’re being accused of)

Union-North• Advantages

– Larger Population– More Industry– Banking System– Navy– Efficient Railroad– Lincoln

• Disadvantages– Has to invade

South (large area)– Has to defeat the

South – cannot settle for a tie

Confederacy-South• Advantages

– Fighting on Home Turf

– Slaves can cover work

– Military Leadership– In a position to

defend, only have to avoid defeat

• Disadvantages– Smaller Population– Few Factories– Limited Railroad

System– State’s Rights

Backfire

War Aims & Strategies• North

– Aim: Bring the Southern States Back

– Blockade Southern Ports

– Control Mississippi (Anaconda Plan)

– Capture Richmond

• South– Aim: Win

recognition of Independence

– Play Defense– Get European Help– Follow example of

Revolutionary War

Outset of War• False Hope: Most

Americans thought war would be short.

• Soldiers signed up for service based on this thinking (90 day enlistments)

1st Battle of Bull Run• 1st Major Battle of Civil War• Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson rises to

fame• South develops a “Rebel Yell”• Inexperience: Troops and Civilians

stampede back to D.C.• Confederate Victory (call it Battle of

Manassas Junction)

North’s Reaction to Loss

• Complete Shock• 1 Benefit - become

more realistic about War - realize it will be a long and bloody war

• Lincoln appoints George B. McClellan to head Army of the Potomac

War at Sea• Monitor vs. Merrimack• 2 Ironclads (wooden ship covered

with thick iron plates)• Virtually unsinkable - cannons

bounce off them• Completely changes warfare at Sea

Ft. Henry and Ft. Donelson• Grant’s rise to fame - captures

Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers - calls for Unconditional Surrender (leads to nickname)

• Important Because:• Kick Confederates out of Kentucky• Opened path to Tennessee,

Mississippi and Alabama

Battle of Shiloh• Ulysses Grant marches army to

Mississippi• Confederates try surprise attack• 2 days - 20,000 casualties (Dead

and Wounded) - Conf. General Johnston among the dead

• More deaths in 1 battle than any other previous war

• Union Victory - continues advance towards Mississippi

Capture of New Orleans• David Farragut

uses Navy to capture largest city in the South

• Confederacy can no longer use Mississippi River to transport goods

7 Day’s Battle

7 Day’s Battle• McClellan tries to capture Richmond• Meets Robert E. Lee’s defenses• McClellan is cautious, Lee is risky• J.E.B. Stuarts goes on daring

Cavalry ride - gathers intelligence• Union Defeat (Major Turning Point) -

Lee becomes famous

Battle of Antietam• Lee responds by marching Army

into Maryland (near Sharpsburg)• McClellan finds copy of Lee’s Battle

plans - waited 4 days to attack• Bloodiest Day of Entire War (23,000

Casualties)• Slight Union Victory - McClellan

does not pursue - Lincoln fires him

Emancipation• Lincoln Hesitates to Emancipate

(free) the Confederate Slaves Because:

• Union’s Main Goal is to preserve Union, Not end slavery

• Worried about Border States• Also waiting for American Victory

so it doesn’t look like last ditch effort

Emancipation• Lincoln Reasons for

issuing Emancipation:• Wants to Damage

South - If they lose slaves, more men must return home to work on farm (can’t fight in war)

• Keep Europe Out

Emancipation Proclamation• Lincoln issues in 1863• Freed only the Slaves in the

Confederacy• Encouraged Slaves to run away• Usually only became free if Union

Army was near• Therefore: Who should get credit?

Lincoln - Army - or slaves themselves?

13th Amendment

• Congress responds by issuing Amendment in 1864

• Ratified in 1865• Officialy put an

end to slavery

African American Contributions• South: Ag, hospital work, cooked for

soldiers– Misconception: Did not fight for South

• North: Navy work, 1862 - can serve in Army - by end of war 200,000 serve (10% of army), 37,000 lost their lives for the country

54th Massachusetts• One of the most famous

all Black regiments• Led by Robert Gould

Shaw• Led a heroic attack on a

fortified Charleston fort - 50% casualties

• Killed immediately if captured

Camp Life• Pleasant Moments: Songs, Friends,

Letters, Games• Dull Moments: Drills, Marches, Guard

Duty• Bad Moments: Food, Disease, Bugs,

Weather• Southerners lacked food and supplies

(Shoes)• One in ten deserted (ran away)• Biggest Killer: Dysentery, Diarrhea

Life at Home• Fighting and Blockade disrupt

many families• Huge loss of crops and livestock• Shortage of Meat, Clothing,

Medicine• If Army comes through - land

trampled, fences used for firewood, crops eaten, well drunk dry

Tougher Life in South• 9,000% inflation• Farmland overrun and Rail lines

destroyed• Impressment = take horses, mules• 1,000s become homeless - many

chose prison, population doesn’t return until 1930

• Blockade leads to food riots• High Desertion Rate among soldiers

Tougher Life in South• 1/2 of Southern

Livestock Killed• 1/3 of Farm

Machinery destroyed

• 1/4 of Confederate Soldiers are dead

Women’s Role• Picked up Men’s work: became

teachers, office workers, clerks• Managed farms, government jobs,

factory work• Aided Soldiers - Women enter

Nursing Profession (thanks to Clara Barton) thought to be male work

• Spy legend is exaggerated

Women’s Role

• Sanitary Commission cut in half sickness of U.S. Soldiers

• Impact: Women keep war alive

Declining Enlistment• North and South need soldiers -

institute a draft (require men to serve in army)

• Can avoid draft by hiring a substitute ($600) or pay commutation ($300) - exempt from 1 draft call (4 in war) - most subs are immigrants

1862-1863• Robert E.

Lee and Army of Northern Virginia seem invincible

Battle of Chancellorsville• Union Army is rebuilt – Lee strikes

before North can launch a major campaign

• Virginia Wilderness – Lee’s big risk pays off – divides Army twice in front of enemy

• Stonewall Jackson is injured (dies from wounds)

• Major Confederate Victory

Battle of Gettysburg• Lee feels confident with Army –

decides to invade the North• George Meade is ordered to find and

attack Lee• Accidentally meet near Gettysburg

Pennsylvania (Confederates looking for shoes)

• 3 Days – Bloodiest Battle of the War: 50,000 Casualties

Battle of Gettysburg• Day 1: Union forced South of Town• Day 2: Union holds Cemetery Ridge

against attack (form an upside down “U” Shape), Ends of the U save the Union

• Day 3: Union repels major assault, Pickett’s Charge – 14,000 Conf. soldiers charge in open territory, ½ die

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Little Round Top Today

Culp’s Hill: Ireland led defense against 2,000 Confederates (Little Round Top only fighting against 300)

Battle of Gettysburg• Outcome:

– Major Confederate Defeat, Pushed out of the North

– Ended on July 4th – date was very significant to all involved

– A Turning Point to the War, Not THE– Lincoln disappointed: Meade did not

pursue Lee during retreat

Battle of Vicksburg• Grant trying to secure Mississippi• Army crosses river, attacks Vicksburg

from the back• Lays siege to town for several months• Surrender on July 4th: Major Victory for

U.S.• Allows U.S. to control Mississippi River

and splits Confederacy in half

Gettysburg Address• Lincoln’s speech

commemorating deaths at Gettysburg

• 2 minute speech, followed 2 hour keynote speaker

• Gave the Civil War meaning

Gettysburg Address• Attempted to win the

Ideological Battle of the War• Changes meaning of

Constitution – gov’t of equality– not a gov’t of slavery

• Puts an end to States Rights Argument, Gov’t of the People, not the States– (Before)The United States Are – (After) The United States Is

Grant’s Promotion• Lincoln promotes Grant to oversee

War in East – knows that he will pursue and attack Lee

• Grant’s Strategy:– Attack Confederacy on all fronts– Army of Potomac will crush Lee in

Virginia– Sherman will attack South

Election of 1864• Virginia clashes ending in ties,

100,000 men are dead, Confederates are pushed to Petersburg

• North is war weary, Democrats want to negotiate peace

• Summer of 1864 – Lincoln is sure he will lose election

Election of 1864• However: Sherman accomplishes

breakthrough in September and captures Atlanta

• October, Sheridan amassed many victories in Shenandoah of Virginia

• Allows Lincoln to win• If Lincoln would’ve lost: McClellan and

Democrats would’ve negotiated for peace, Confederacy would be recognized as a country

Election of 1864

Election of 1864

Sherman’s March• After capture of Atlanta, Sherman

marched Army to the Sea• Unleashed total war: Army destroyed

anything in its path• Continued up through South Carolina• Meant to turn Southern Civilians

against War, only made them more bitter and steadfast in cause

William Tecumseh Sherman

War in Virginia• Grant lays siege to Lee’s Army in

Petersburg for several months• Battle of Crater – Low Point• Grant forces Lee to extend lines until

they break• Richmond falls on same day (April 2nd)

Deserters set fire to most of town on their way out

Appomattox• April 9th 1865: Lee is surrounded, asks

for meeting with Grant in Appomattox Court House, Virginia

• Lee surrenders to Grant in McLean House

• Grant allows soldiers to go home, keep horses, gives them 3 days worth of food

• Civil War Ends

Results of the War• 600,000 soldiers die• Damage=$Billions• Bitter feelings created between sides

(Lincoln’s Assassination)• Union is saved – Federal government

established as more powerful than states

• Millions of slaves are free

Winners and Losers Winners:• 4 Million Free

Slaves• Anyone interested

in Union

Losers:• Democrats• Confederates

What Happened To:• Lincoln:• Assassinated in

Ford’s Theatre by John Wilkes Booth on April 14th

What Happened To:

What Happened To:

• Ulysses S. Grant:

• Becomes 18th President of the United States

What Happened To:

• Robert E. Lee:• Loses Plantation

for Cemetery• Ran Washington

and Lee College until his death

What Happened To:

• Jefferson Davis:• Caught and

Arrested• Served 3 years in

prison• Worked for rest

of his life

Memory of the War: Lost Cause

Memory of the War: Lost Cause

Memory of the War: Lost Cause

Remember: Confederacy

would’ve never entered war if they

didn’t think they were going win