The Civil WarThe Civil War

A Mr. V Presentation

I. The Beginning• Lincoln is elected in 1860. South Carolina

secedes from the Union.• Georgia, Virginia, N. Carolina, Alabama,

Mississippi, Texas, LA, TN, Arkansas, & Florida follow.

• By firing at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, the South began the Civil War.

• Union = North (no slaves). Confederate = South (slaves).

• Slave states that stayed in Union = Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, & Missouri

Map

Union Advantages1. More people2. More raw materials (for guns,

uniforms, etc.)3. More money (banks)4. More railroad tracks (to ship

goods)5. Larger navy

Union Disadvantages1. In order to bring the Southern states back

into the Union it would have to invade and hold the South.

2. Many people believed the South had a good chance of winning.

Merrimack

B. Confederate Resources

1. Home court advantage2. Smaller supply lines3. Military tradition4. Better (at first) generals and

soldiers5. King Cotton diplomacy (get

Europe on their side)

Confederate Disadvantages

1. a smaller population 2. few factories 3. fewer resources, including an inferior

railroad system with fewer than half the miles of track and fewer trains than the North

4. belief in states’ right that limited a strong central government’s power

Presidents: Union• Abraham Lincoln

(Republican)• Declared Martial

Law (writ of habeas corpus)

• Patient leader

President: Confederacy• Jefferson Davis• Thought himself

a military strategist

• Difficult to govern the Confederacy

• Why?

Generals: Union

• U.S. Grant • William T. Sherman

Generals: Confederate1. Robert E. Lee2. Extremely smart

southern general3. Placed greater

loyalty in his home state (Virginia) than the federal gov’t. Thus he fought for the south

Early Years of the WarEarly Years of the War

Section 2Section 2

IntroductionIntroduction• Both sides planned to capture Both sides planned to capture

the other nation’s capitalthe other nation’s capital• Union capital = Washington D.C.Union capital = Washington D.C.• Confederate = Richmond Confederate = Richmond

(Virginia)(Virginia)

11stst Bull Run Battle (CS Bull Run Battle (CS Victory)Victory)

• Union expected Confederate to retreat quickly. People actually brought picnic lunches.

• General Jackson (CS) helped to defeat the Union, which fled to Washington DC

• Ended Union hope of a quick defeat of the South.

• Lincoln appoint Gen. George McClellan in charge of the army.

Major BattlesMajor Battles• Shiloh (Union Victory)

– Ulysses Grant (US)– 13,000 Union died, 11,000 Confederate

• Antietam (US sort of)– General Lee (CS) & General McClellan

(US)– Bloodiest day of Civil War: 5,000 Killed +

18,000 wounded– Lee forced to retreat

• Fredericksburg (CS victory)– US lost twice as many men as CS

Shiloh

Antietam

Fredericksburg

Union BlockadeUnion Blockade• Blockade = block ships from

landing• Within 1 ½ year, US blocked most

CS ports• CS captured ironclad warship

Merrimack and used it to sink some US ships.

• Still, US was very effective at blocking ports.

CS seeks foreign support• King Cotton Diplomacy = bribe

France & England with Cotton. Wanted them to recognize the CS.

• England didn’t want to risk war with US, so it didn’t recognize the CS

• France followed England’s lead

EmancipationEmancipation

Part 3Part 3

Slave issue: Lincoln’s Slave issue: Lincoln’s concernsconcerns

1. Lincoln, while against slavery, didn’t want to anger slave states still in the Union.

2. Lincoln believe in gradual “emancipation” (freeing of slaves) – w/ compensation to slave holders.

3. Lincoln was concerned about prejudice (racism) and favored shipping freed slaves out of the US (back to Africa).

Emancipation Proclamation

• Lincoln finally gave in to public pressure.

• After waiting for a US victory (Antietam), Lincoln declared that all slaves in Confederate states would be freed (Jan. 1, 1863).

• When slaves heard this, many fled their masters in the South.

Black Role in the WarBlack Role in the War• Eventually, 200,00o blacks

served in the Union army.• They were paid less, often used

as guards or chores around camp (rarely fought)

• Most well known = 54th Massachusetts

1313thth Amendment AmendmentSection 1: Neither slavery nor

involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Life During War

Part 4

Production & FinanceSouth:

– Hard to get industrialized goods (uniforms & guns) b/c of Union blockade.

– Cut back production of cotton to plant food

– Not good at borrowing money from other countries. Sold gov’t bonds – but these were worth nothing at end of war

– Printed money – no gold to back it up, thus worthless

– Had problems w/ inflation

Production & FinanceNorth

– Had many factories, easy to produce goods

– Crops planted w/ machines (instead of slaves), plenty of food

– Issued “green backs” as money, also had problems w/ inflation

Serving during the War• Confederacy passed a draft

where all men b/w 18 & 35 had to fight. However, rich men could “hire” soldiers in their place. Large slave holders were excused too. This angered many men.

• Union passed a similar bill. Men were drafted.

General Life• Food = Hardtack (dry, hard

biscuit).• Union uniform = Blue; CS = gray • Singing was popular• Life was hard – especially for CS;

often hungry