The Civil War



The Civil War

17.1 -- The Conflict Takes Shape

READ pgs 484 –489

Presidents:

|1st |1789 |– |1797 |2 terms |George Washington - 57 |

|2nd |1797 |– |1801 |1 term |John Adams - 61 |

|3rd |1801 |– |1809 |2 terms |Thomas Jefferson - 57 |

|4th |1809 |– |1817 |2 terms |James Madison - 57 |

|5th |1817 |– |1825 |2 terms |James Monroe – 58 |

|6th |1825 |– |1829 |1 term |John Quincy Adams - 57 |

|7th |1829 |– |1837 |2 terms |Andrew Jackson - 61 |

|8th |1837 |– |1841 |1 term |Martin Van Buren - 54 |

|9th |1841 |– |1841 |Died |William Henry Harrison - 68 |

|10th |1841 |– |1845 |1 term |John Tyler - 51 |

|11th |1845 |– |1849 |1 term |James K Polk - 49 |

|12th |1849 |– |1850 |Died |Zachary Taylor - 64 |

|13th |1850 |– |1853 |1 term |Millard Fillmore - 50 |

|14th |1853 |– |1857 |1 term |Franklin Pierce - 48 |

|15th |1857 |– |1861 |1 term |James Buchanan - 65 |

|16th |1861 |– |1865 |2 terms |Abraham Lincoln - 52, assassinated in office |

17th 1865 – 1869 1 term Andrew Johnson – 50, replaced Lincoln

Time Line:

1861 – The 1st major battle of the war takes place at Bull Run on July 21st

1862 – Union gunboats capture New Orleans and Memphis

– Great Britain refuses to recognize the Confederacy

1863 – The Battle of Gettysburg ends the Confederate drive into the North

– Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation

1864 – General U.S. Grant becomes commander of the Union Army

1865 – General Lee surrenders at Appomattox Court House

1865 – Can Opener Invented

Civil War Amendments – 13th , 14th , & 15th Amendments

13th Amendment – Abolition of Slavery

14th Amendment – Rights of Citizens ( includes ALL freedmen )

15th Amendment – Voting Rights ( for former slave males )

One definition of democracy might be a system in which the people have a say in how they are governed. If that is the case, the American Civil War is perhaps the one major example in our history of the system breaking down. The North and the South came to blows, in large part because not all “the people”—African American slaves in particular—had a say in how they were governed. Many historians, including B&B Ranch historians, consider the Civil War to be a major turning point in US History. At no point since, have US citizens been so bitterly divided on issues that they have taken up arms against one another. The war’s legacy is a strong federal government, but one that still struggles to achieve true equality for all its citizens.

Main Idea:

Although both sides believed that their cause was just, the North had important advantages at the start of the war.

Vocabulary:

racism -- the belief that one race is by nature superior to another

border state -- slave state that remained in the Union during the civil war

martial law -- ruled by the army instead of the elected government

Setting the Scene:

President Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to serve as soldiers in a campaign against the South. The term of enlistment was only 90 days—most northerners believed that the war would be over quickly. In the words of one confident Union supporter, “We shall crush out this rebellion as an elephant would trample a mouse.”

Southerners were just as convinced that a Confederate victory would be quick. A confederate in North Carolina predicted, “Just throw three or four bombshells among those blue-bellied Yankees and they’ll scatter like sheep.”

With flags held high, both northerners and southerners marched off to war. Most felt certain that a single, gallant battle would bring a quick end to the conflict. Few suspected that the Civil War would last four terrible years. By the time fighting was over, every part of American society would be affected by the Civil War.

|[pic] [pic] |

|Northern States Southern States |

|Nicknames |

|Blue Bellies Johnny Reb |

|Union Grey Backs |

|Yankees Rebels , Confederates |

Name the Confederate States of America. Try to do it in ORDER…

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Nation Divided

( Southerners believed they had a right to leave the Union; the “war for southern independence”

( Independence so they could keep their traditional way of life

( HMM! Sounds kinda like what the 13 colonies did 85 years earlier.

( Northerners had to fight to save the Union; abolishing slavery was not the main issue

( In fact, many northerners believed in racism; they actually approved of slavery

( April 1861, eight slave states remained in the Union; these states had half of the South’s population and food crop, cotton is not the issue

( However, four states quickly joined; North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Virginia

note ( In Western Virginia—there were few slave owners, most people supported the Union; so, when Virginia left the Union, citizens of Western Virginia formed their own government and became a new state in the Union, West Virginia, 1863

( The southern border states remained in the Union; Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, Delaware, and in 1863-West Virginia

( Maryland was very important to the Union because it bordered the nation’s capital of Washington, D.C.

( Some of the citizens in the border states, supported the South; they attacked Union troops in Baltimore, Maryland

( President Lincoln declared martial law; many ‘South’ supporters were arrested

|Resources of the North and South, 1861 |

|[pic] |

Strengths and Weaknesses

( South had advantage of fighting a defensive war

( Confederate President Jefferson Davis,

“We seek no conquest…All we ask is to be left alone”

( The South

( Southerners were fighting for independence; a.k.a. American Revolution

( Defending their homeland and way of life

( Confederate, “Our men must prevail in combat, or they will lose their property, country, freedom – in short, everything”

( Confederate Advantages:

( Friendly civilians showed the troops obscure roads that did not appear on maps, Confederate troops used the ‘woods’ throughout the south as cover against the invading Union troops

( Confederate Disadvantages:

( Few factories to produce weapons, very limited railroad tracks

( Political Problems:

( Heavy emphasis on state’s rights; limited Confederate government authority – example – governor of Georgia insisted only Georgian officers should command Georgian troops

( Small population, 9 million to 22 million; 3 of the 9 million were slaves

( Not enough people to serve as soldiers, farmers, machinists, etc. to support the war effort

( The North

( Union Advantages:

( 4:1 population; 22 to 6 million free citizens; more people to grow food, work in factories, replace dead soldiers, etc.

( Industry was the North’s greatest resource; produced 90% of all the manufactured goods in the US

( Quickly converted factories to produce guns, bullets, cannons, boots, uniforms, etc.

( 7 out of every 10 miles of railroad track was in the North: used to move troops and products quickly

( Strong Navy and large fleet of trading ships; the North controlled the seas -- Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico

( Union Disadvantages:

( Northern troops had to conquer huge areas of unfamiliar land

( Supply lines were long and vulnerable to Confederate attack

( This was to be a police action; the North did not want to take over land

¿¿ How would factory production be an advantage for the North ?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

The War’s Leaders

( Both sides had strong leaders; North – Abe Lincoln, South – Jefferson Davis

( Both sides had many strong capable military leaders

( President Jefferson Davis

( Davis was thought to be a stronger leader than Lincoln

( Davis’s experience prepared him for his position

“Mr. Davis’s military instincts still predominate, and his eager wish

was to have joined the army instead of being elected President.”

Arthur James Freemantle, from The Freemantle Diary

( Attended the United States Military Academy at West Point

( Officer in the Mexican War

( Secretary of War for President Pierce

( Widely respected by his peers; honest and courageous

( Weakness:

Did not allow others to work out the small details of military planning;

as a result, he spent much of his time on small matters and arguing with his advisors

( President Abraham Lincoln

( He did not have much military or political experience

( He was patient

( He became a strong leader and fine war planner

( He gained respect; mostly through his sense of humor

( He took criticism with a smile -- Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, called Lincoln a ‘fool’, Lincoln’s comment, “Did Stanton call me a fool?

Then I must be one, for Stanton is generally right and he always says what he means.”

( He also could have a sharp-tongue

¿¿ What were the leadership roles of Jefferson Davis versus Abraham Lincoln ?

Davis_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Lincoln____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

( Military Leaders

( United States Army officers, originally form southern states, had to decide whether to stay in the Army and fight against home states or join the Confederate forces

( Robert E Lee faced this issue when Lincoln, his friend, asked him to be the Union Commander

( In a letter to Lincoln he responded,

“If Virginia stands by the old Union, so will I. But if she secedes…,

then I will still follow my native State with my sword and,

and if need be, with my life.”

Robert E Lee, quoted in Carl Sandburg, Abraham Lincoln

( Virginia did secede and Lee refused Lincoln’s offer

An American Profile

Robert E Lee came from a distinguished Virginia family. After graduating with honors from West Point, he served in the Army Corps of Engineers. During the Mexican War, his superior officer described him as “the very best soldier I ever saw in the field.” Despite that, Lee hated the horror of war.

When the Civil War broke out, Lee was torn between the Union and his home state of Virginia. In the end he chose Virginia. “I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my children, my home.” Robert E Lee 1807-1870

( Later, Lee became the Commander of the Confederate Army

( Many of the best officers served the Confederacy

( Lincoln had trouble finding a General to match those in the South

1. What issues divided the nation when the war began ?

Southern____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Northern___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

2. What are the primary strengths and weaknesses of the North and South at the beginning of the war ?

South_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________North_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

3. Who were the leaders of each sides of the war ?

South; President –_______________________ General – ______________________

North; President –________________ _______ General – ______________________

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