The American JourneyA History of the United States, 7th Edition

By: Goldfield • Abbott • Anderson • Argersinger • Argersinger • Barney • Weir

Chapter

Battle Cries and

Freedom Songs: The

Civil War

1861-1865

15

Battle Cries and Freedom Songs:

The Civil War 1861-1865

Mobilization, North and South

The Early War, 1861–1862

Turning Points, 1862–1863

The War Transforms the North

The Confederacy Disintegrates

The Union Prevails, 1864–1865

Conclusion

Learning Objectives

What were the North’s key advantages at the outset of the

war?

How did the two sides’ objectives dictate their strategies in

the early years of the war?

What convinced Lincoln to issue the Emancipation

Proclamation?

What impact did the war have on the North’s economy?

Learning Objectives (cont'd)

How did the war affect civilian life in the South?

What was Grant’s strategy for ending the war?

Mobilization

North and South

War Fever

After the fall of Fort Sumter, President Lincoln mobilized

state militias for 90 days, but Virginia, Arkansas, North

Carolina, and Tennessee seceded from the Union.

The general belief was that the war would be brief and both

northerners and southerners strongly supported their

governments.

War Fever (cont'd)

War fever led many to volunteer for military service.

The initial enthusiasm for serving faded, leading to drafts by

both the Union and Confederacy.

The North’s Advantage in Resources

The North had human and economic advantages over the

South.

Approximately half the men of military age fought in the

North and their numbers were supplemented by African

Americans and Irish immigrants. In the South, 90 percent

of the eligible population served.

The North’s Advantage in Resources (cont'd)

At the beginning of the war, the North controlled 90 percent

of the nation’s industrial capacity.The northern railroad

system was twice that of the South.

The North has more abundant financial resources than the

South.

FIGURE 15–1 A Comparison of the Union and

Confederate Control of Key Resources at the

Outset of the Civil War

Leaders, Governments, and Strategies

Jefferson Davis had to build a government from scratch

while Lincoln had an established structure and

organization. Lincoln’s personality was better fit for

leadership than the aloof, uncompromising Davis.

Abraham Lincoln and the North

Lincoln and other northern leaders secured support for the

prolonged sacrifice of the Civil War by articulating the

importance of preserving the Union.

On a human level, Lincoln’s folksy personal skills, simple

eloquence, and humor enabled him to connect with

people and handle disagreement better than Davis did.

Lincoln’s Fight for the Border States

Lincoln adopted a soft strategy to keep the border states in

the Union. Maryland and Kentucky never seceded while a

guerilla war broke out in Missouri.

Although Virginia went with the Confederacy, some counties

in the western part of the state established themselves as

the pro-Union state of West Virginia.

The Southern Landscape

The southern landscape played a significant strategic role in

the Civil War, and its idiosyncracies led to several tragic

errors of judgment involving the realities of the southern

natural environment.

The South’s dense forests, uneven terrain, heat, and

humidity hampered traditional battle tactics and

exhausted the troops.

The Southern Landscape (cont'd)

However, eventually the Union’s technological superiority

would enable it to transcend environmental barriers.

The Early War

1861–1862

First Bull Run

Union forces under McDowell confronted Confederate

soldiers under Beauregard at Manassas, Virginia.

At the First Battle of Bull Run, the Union seemed headed

toward victory but wound up losing.

Bull Run dispelled some illusions about the war but also

boosted southern confidence in their superior military

ability.

MAP 15–1 From First Bull Run to

Antietam: The War in the East,

1861–1862

The War in the West

Forces under General Ulysses S. Grant captured the

strategic forts Henry and Donelson.

Grant moved south and won victories at Shiloh Church,

Tennessee and Corinth, Mississippi.

Admiral David Farragut led a naval force that captured New

Orleans.

The War in the West (cont'd)

The fall of Memphis meant the only major river town

remaining in Confederate hands was Vicksburg.

MAP 15–2 The War in the West,

1861–1862

The War in the East

General George McClellan assumed command of the Union

army in the east while General Robert E. Lee was named

head of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.

Lee attacked McClellan’s forces twice and was repulsed

both times but casualties numbered in the tens of

thousands.

The War in the East (cont’d)

When McClellan withdrew, Lincoln replaced him with John

Pope who lost the Second Battle of Bull Run to Lee.

Turning Points

1862–1863

The Naval War

The Union naval strategy was to blockade the southern

coast and capture its key seaports and river towns,

destroying the South’s ability to carry on the war.

Neither the Union nor the Confederacy had much of a navy

when war erupted. As the Union navy grew, the blockade

became more effective.

The Naval War (cont'd)

Southerners believed recognition by foreign governments

would legitimize their cause and that cotton would be an

important diplomatic bargaining point.

Neither Great Britain nor France recognized the

Confederacy and France invaded Mexico.

Antietam

Recognizing that the South could not sustain a prolonged

conflict, Lee moved into Maryland in September 1862,

hoping to cut railroad links in Pennsylvania. He was

convinced McClellan would not attack. Copies of Lee’s

orders fell into Union hands and McClellan pursued Lee.

Antietam (cont'd)

The Battle of Antietam caused thousands of casualties, was

a tactical draw, and forced Lee back into Virginia.

Antietam (cont'd)

Antietam was a turning point because it kept Lee from

threatening Northern industry and financial institutions. It

also prompted Britain and France to abandon plans to

recognize the Confederacy and allowed Lincoln to

announce the abolition of slavery.

Emancipation

Pressure had mounted in the North during 1862 for some

form of emancipation but it was not favored by a majority

of northerners, including Irish immigrants. But freeing the

slaves would appeal to the British.

The Emancipation Proclamation freed all slaves in the

states still in rebellion against the Union.

Emancipation (cont'd)

The proclamation raced through the slave grapevine and

continued the process of running away to Union camps

that had begun earlier.

Of the approximately 180,000 black soldiers and 20,000

black sailors who fought for the Union, over 80 percent

were from the South. Many faced discrimination but

fought valiantly.

Emancipation (cont'd)

Emancipation Proclamation

Decree announced by President Abraham Lincoln in September 1862

and formally issued on January 1, 1863, freeing slaves in all

Confederate states still in rebellion.

Confiscation Act of 1862

Second confiscation law passed by Congress, ordering the seizure of

land from disloyal Southerners and the emancipation of their slaves.

From Fredericksburg to Gettysburg

General Ambrose Burnside replaced McClellan and moved

against Lee’s army, but was repelled at the Battle of

Fredericksburg.

General Joseph Hooker replaced Burnside but was

defeated by Lee at Chancellorsville, leading Lee to plan a

bold move north.

From Fredericksburg to Gettysburg (cont'd)

General George Meade replaced Hooker. At the three-day

Battle of Gettysburg, the Union army defeated Lee’s

forces. It was the bloodiest battle of the war, boosting

Union morale but draining Lee of men and material.

MAP 15–3 From

Fredericksburg to

Gettysburg: The War in

the East, December 1862–

July 1863

MAP 15–4 The Battle of

Gettysburg, July 1–3, 1863

Vicksburg, Chattanooga, and the West

Grant captured Vicksburg after a siege.

Confederate forces confined a Union army at Chattanooga,

but Union reinforcements divided the Confederate army

and broke the siege forcing the Confederate army to

retreat into Georgia.

In the Trans-Mississippi West, several Native American

tribes battled Union forces for land and resources.

Vicksburg, Chattanooga, and the West (cont'd)

Confederate hopes for securing Texas fell short as the

naval blockade tightened and Comanches raided western

settlements.

MAP 15–5 Vicksburg and Chattanooga: The War

in the West, 1863

The War Transforms the North

Wartime Legislation and Politics

Lincoln used executive authority to silence opposition

through several controversial actions, including

suspending the writ of habeas corpus. Executive

sanctions fell hard on dissenting Democrats called

“Copperheads.”

Wartime Legislation and Politics (cont'd)

To boost the economy, Congress passed the Homestead

Act of 1862 and the Land Grant College Act. A protective

tariff helped manufacturers and the National Banking Act

of 1863 established a uniform national currency.

The draft aroused conflicts including the New York Draft

Riot that began with an Irish mob protesting conscription.

Wartime Legislation and Politics (cont'd)

Copperheads

A term Republicans applied to northern war dissenters and those

suspected of aiding the Confederate cause during the Civil War.

Radical Republicans

A shifting group of Republican congressmen, usually a substantial

minority, who favored the abolition of slavery from the beginning of the

Civil War and later advocated harsh treatment of the defeated South.

War Transforms the North (cont'd)

Homestead Act

Law passed by Congress in 1862 providing 160 acres of land free to

anyone who would live on the plot and farm it for five years.

Land Grant College Act

Law passed by Congress in July 1862 awarding proceeds from the sale

of public lands to the states for the establishment of agricultural and

mechanical (later engineering) colleges. Also known as the Morrill Act,

after its sponsor, Congressman Justin Morrill of Vermont.

War Transforms the North (cont'd)

New York Draft Riot

A mostly Irish-immigrant protest against conscription in New York City in

July 1863 that escalated into class and racial warfare that had to be

quelled by federal troops.

The Northern Economy

After an initial downturn before the war, the northern

economy picked up quickly. New industries boomed and

new inventions increased manufacturing efficiency.

The productivity of northern agriculture grew as well, fueled

by the emergence of farm machinery.

Trade Unions and Strikebreakers

Though wages increased during the war, prices rose higher,

reviving the trade union movement. By 1865, 200,000

northern workers belonged to unions.

The prospect of large profits bred greed and corruption.

Profiteers traded with the enemy, swindled the

government, and sold shoddy goods to the army.

Trade Unions and Strikebreakers (cont'd)

The northern economy, however, fed, clothed, and armed

the Union soldiers as well keeping most civilians

employed and well fed.

Northern Women and the War

More than 100,000 northern women worked in various

industries during the war.

Women also worked in the expanding government

bureaucracy and as nurses.

But the war also left thousands of women widowed and

devastated.

Northern Women and the War (cont’d)

The new economic opportunities created by the war opened

up women’s options, including admission to higher

education.

The Confederacy Disintegrates

Southern Politics

Southern politics was hindered by dissent that grew

stronger as the Confederacy’s fortunes declined.

States’ rights was a major obstacle to the development of

central authority.

Because their were no political parties, Davis could not

appeal to party loyalty to control dissent.

Calls for peace arose as early as 1863.

Southern Politics (cont'd)

Attempts by Davis and other Confederate leaders to build a

strong sense of Confederate nationalism failed.

Southern Faith

In a devout society convinced it was waging a holy war,

white southerners interpreted their mounting losses from

different spiritual perspectives.

Black southerners also found hope and biblical confirmation

that the war was fulfillment of prophecy.

The Southern Economy

By 1863, the South experienced difficulty feeding its

population. Bread riots broke out in Mobile, Atlanta, and

Richmond.

As the war progressed, Southern soldiers had threadbare

uniforms with many garments and arms taken from the

Union. Their families suffered under similar conditions.

The Southern Economy (cont’d)

The Union and Confederate armies threatened civilians with

robbery, rape, and murder.

Many slaves stopped working and abandoned the

plantations.

Southern Women and the War

Southern women managed plantations, working in fields

alongside slaves.

Southern women also worked in factories making uniforms

and munitions, government offices and they taught

school.

Southern Women and the War (cont’d)

As the war continued, many women helped their deserting

husbands and relatives elude Confederate authorities.

By 1864, many southern women had tired of the war.

The Union Prevails

1864–1865

Grant’s Plan to End the War

Grant was appointed commander of the Union forces. He

coordinated the Union war effort and changed the tempo

of the war.

Grant’s strategy was to hammer the enemy continuously.

Sherman was advancing through Georgia and Grant’s

major focus was on Lee.

Grant’s Plan to End the War (cont'd)

At the Battle of the Wilderness, Grant surprised Lee by not

withdrawing after both sides endured heavy casualties.

Grant pursued Lee fighting at Spotsylvania and Cold

Harbor but heavy casualties led to criticism.

Sherman moved through Georgia and captured Atlanta.

MAP 15–6 Grant and Lee in Virginia, 1864–1865

The Election of 1864 and

Sherman’s March

George McClellan opposed Lincoln in the 1864 election.

The fall of Atlanta and later victories boosted support for

Lincoln who won the election.

The Thirteenth Amendment outlawing slavery was passed

in 1865.

Sherman marched from Atlanta to the sea leaving ruin and

devastation in his wake.

The Election of 1864 and

Sherman’s March (cont'd)

Some Confederate leaders proposed arming slaves but the

slaves responded with little enthusiasm.

Thirteenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment ratified in 1865 that freed all slaves

throughout the United States.

MAP 15–7 The Atlanta Campaign and Sherman’s

March, 1864–1865

The Road to Appomattox and

the Death of Lincoln

Lee’s army remained the obstacle to Union victory. He

abandoned the defense of Richmond which fell to Union

forces.

Grant’s army caught up with Lee’s forces at Appomattox

Court House in Virginia where Lee surrendered, ending

the war.

In Washington, celebration greeted the Confederate

surrender but it was muted by the assassination of

Lincoln.

Major Battles of the Civil War, 1861–1865

Major Battles of the Civil War, 1861–1865

Conclusion

Conclusion

The Civil War caused over one million casualties, dead and

wounded.

It left the South devastated. One in four men between 20

and 40 died. Forty percent of the livestock were lost and

so was half the farm machinery.

The Union victory solved the constitutional problem of

secession and ended slavery.

Conclusion (cont'd)

For black Southerners, emancipation was the conflict’s

most important result.

The Civil War also stimulated a host of diverse changes that

unfolded over time.