End of the Second Party System

Republican Party est. 1854- Comprised of northern Whigs, anti-slavery Democrats,

and Free Soilers- Franklin Pierce (‘48-’52) → death of the Whigs- Free Soil Party est. 1848

- Pro free-labor (anti-slavery in expansion)

Note: American Party (“Know-Nothing”) est. 1854- Anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic

1857… Panic of 1857:

- The economy crashed → psychologically, exacerbated the sectional divide- Note: not as bad as the Panic of 1837

- Cause? Inflation from Cali gold + expected grain production from Crimean War + heightened speculation in RR/land

Tariff of 1857:- Lowered taxes (<20%) to help South- Coupled w/ ‘Panic’ → gave North 2 economic issues for next election:

- Protection from foreign competition- Farms for the farmless

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

1858 Illinois Senate race- 7 open-air debates over slavery- Douglas (popular sovereignty) v

Lincoln (slavery = immorality of slavery)

- Freeport Doctrine- Lincoln forced Douglas into a

bind - alienated amongst N.

Election of 1860

Republican Abraham Lincoln wins- Democrats split: Douglas (North; pop. sovereignty) v

Breckenridge (Buchanan’s VP)- James Buchanan (Dem.) won in 1856, preventing South secession

temporarily

- Abe ran on Free Soil campaign platform

Lincoln didn’t win a single Southern state...

Southern states begin to secede before Lincoln’s pres. begins

Secession...

◼ First Up, South Carolina▪ John C. Calhoun

▪ Nullification▪ States Rights

▪ “Fire Eaters”▪ Secedes Dec. 20, 1860

◼ January—Bye, bye, Mississippi◼ February—So long, FL, AL, GA, LA, TX

Federal Government’s Response? “Let’s wait!”

1861-1862: SECESSION AND WAITING

“If the cotton States shall decide that they can do better out of the Union than in it, we insist on letting them go in peace. The right to secede may be a revolutionary one, but it

exists nevertheless… Whenever a considerable section of our Union shall deliberately resolve to go out, we shall

resist all coercive measures designed to keep it in. We hope never to live in a

republic, whereof one section is pinned to the residue by bayonets.”

Horace Greeley, New York Tribune, 1960

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA ESTABLISHED

Jefferson DavisPresident

Alexander Stephens

Vice President

Crittenden CompromiseJohn J. Crittenden, KY… Two-Part Plan:

- 1: Amend Constitution to protect slavery in slave states → Congress approves- 2: MO Compromise Line to extend to CA border

...Lincoln rejects it ▪ “Free Soil” → don’t encourage them!▪ This compromise “would amount a perpetual covenant of war against

every people, tribe, and state owning a foot of land between here and Tierra del Fuego”

FEDERAL RESPONSE: COMPROMISE

“Middle Southern” States▪ VA, NC, TN, AR → Less eager to secede

“Border States”▪ MY, DE, KY, MO → Sharply Divided

▪ Yeoman power; Industry growing

Federal Government▪ Still weak▪ Outgoing Buchanan, push over▪ S. Carolina seizes Ft. Sumter—Response?

DIVISION IN THE “MIDDLE SOUTH”

Fort Sumter (April 12, 1861)

North naval expedition (w/ food, declaring peaceful intent), South opens fire

- 34hrs later, South (Maj. Robert Anderson) surrenders fort 2 days later

First “fight” of the Civil War

South justification: exercising right of self-determination under a democracyNorth (Lincoln) counter: secession was a rejection of democracy

Causes of the Civil War

1. Expansion of slavery2. Popular sovereignty3. States’ rights v Federal Power4. Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Are these causes related?

The Civil War1861-1865

Differences

The United States of America

The Northern Leader

Abraham Lincoln exceeds limits of Presidential power:- Expanded the army without Congressional

authorization- Suspended the writ of habeas corpus of the enemy- Emancipated slaves (once military advantage was

achieved)

Congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War (1861)- “Radical” Reps who resented expansion of pres.

power... wanted emancipation now

New York Draft Riots (1863)

Conscription Act (Mar 1863): forced enlistment into military service

- Men 20-45; Draftees could hire substitutes ($300)

- 50k drafted, 100k hired subs, 150k failed to report

Southern-less Congress...

Morrill Land Grant Act (1862): 30,000 acres of public land → higher educationPacific Railway Act (1862): Authorized construction of transcontinental RRHomestead Act (1862): 160 acres / settlers / 5yrsNational Banking Act (1863)

- Created a uniform currency: Greenbacks- Paper currency issued in the US during the war; since it was

inadequately supported by gold, its value was determined by the nation’s credit

***All stimulated the economy

“Anaconda” Plan

North’s war strategy:Winfield Scott, ancient hero of both War of 1812 and Mexican-American War…

1. Coastal blockade2. Occupy Mississippi River3. Divide & Conquer

The Confederate States of America

The Confederacy

Had to create an administration (under pressure of war) while limited by states’ rights philosophy

- Constitution had no authorization for laws to advance general welfare

1862: Congress → Conscription Act- “Rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight”

Jefferson Davis

Inefficient leader:- Failed to bring Confederacy to quick action

- Paid attention to the details too often

- Failed to Delegate authority- Poor military strategist

Public Perception in the SouthMany doubted that Northern public would support Lincoln’s use of force

Believed Northern manufactures depended too much on South’s raw materials and markets

- Re: “Cotton is King” … Britain-Egypt/India for cotton

- England also had wheat famine ... Britain-North (Britain favored North anyhow)

Militarily, only had to hold their own (defend) → less $$$

Many farmers refused to fight; would not let their slaves fight

War of Attrition

South’s war strategy:- Drag fighting out --- war of attrition

will end North’s resolve and, over time, European pressure will grow

- Do not invade the North

The Civil War1861-1865

Battles

Important BattlesFort Sumter

First action between United States and Confederate forcesFirst Bull Run (First Manassas)

First significant The battle falsely buoyed the South's hopes of negotiating an end to the war Shiloh

America's introduction to the "total warfare" of the rest of the Civil War. Bloodiest battle of the warAntietam

Bloodiest single day of the Civil War; this battle gave Abraham Lincoln the perceived victory he desired to release the Emancipation Proclamation

Gettysburg Largest and most costly battle in American history; Union victory

VicksburgLincoln realized early in the war that control of the Mississippi was a major goal of the Western forces. Ulysses S. Grant

victorious Chattanooga

Grant led Union to victory, drove the Confederate Army into Georgia, and began preparing for the Spring campaigns

Battle of Bull Run (July, 1861)July 21st: on a branch of the Potomac

- 30k v 30k- Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson leads the

South to victory- Effect: morale boost

- This falsely led the South to believe they could win or at least negotiate an end to the war

Families were picnic-ing(?) and watching!

THE CIVIL WAR WOULD NOT BE SHORT OR BLOODLESS.

A SINKING REALIZATION

CONCLUSION: HOW DO EVENTS OF 1861 REVEAL THE WAR WILL NOT GO AS EXPECTED??

◼ What we will see:▪ 1862—Uniqueness of Eastern/Western theatre shows through

▪ Western Theatre:▪ Costly Union victories▪ Decisive Confederate losses

▪ Eastern Theatre:▪ Bloody slaughter▪ Continual stalemate

1862 CAMPAIGN

Battle of ShilohAmerica’s introduction to the “total warfare” of the rest of the Civil War

Bloodiest battle of the Civil War- More Americans fell in 2 days here than in

all the battles of the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Mexican-American War combined

- Union: 13k +- Confederacy: 10k +

War is no longer romanticized...

Battle of Antietam (Sept 17, 1862)

“Bloodiest single day of the War”- 23,000 casualties

Lincoln & the Emancipation Proclamation (Jan 1, 1863)

Initially: Lincoln did not talk abolition for fear of alienating border states - and possibly riots

- He prefered abolishment by state law

Then, Lincoln eventually made abolition an aim of war- Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863

- Freed all slaves in areas of rebellion against the Union

Lincoln & the Emancipation Proclamation (Jan 1, 1863)1862: In response to Horace Greeley’s open letter to Lincoln asking about emancipation…

“If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.”

Lincoln & the Emancipation Proclamation (Jan 1, 1863)1863: In response to Cincinnati Enquirer...

“You say you will not fight to free negroes. Some of them seem willing to fight for you; but, no matter. Fight you, then, exclusively to save the Union. I issued the proclamation on purpose to aid you in saving the Union.”

Lincoln & the Emancipation Proclamation (Jan 1, 1863)

Reactions:- South: to incite rebellion (re: Haiti)- Europe: a ruse, but better than nothing- Abolitionists: late

Impact:- Purpose of the war changed- Many African Americans enlisted- Kept European powers from siding with the South

Battle at Gettysburg

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Gettysburg AddressTHE NEXT DAY…

⬜  Chicago Times observed, "The cheek of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the silly, flat and dishwatery utterances of the man who has to be pointed out to intelligent foreigners as the President of the United States."

⬜ Springfield Republican printed the entire speech, calling it "a perfect gem" that was "deep in feeling, compact in thought and expression, and tasteful and elegant in every word and comma."

African-American Soldiers

Enlistment was not just effort to end war, but to see through a revolution

40% higher casualty rate than white counterparts- Continually sent to the front lines in the toughest areas- Confederate soldiers tended to kill black soldiers on the spot-

Originally considered contraband:- Escaped slaves were forced to work in the camps

and fight in the war

Sherman’s “March on Georgia” (1864)

Sherman led Union troops W → E through Georgia, destroying not only military targets, but infrastructure, industry, transportation networks, and civilian property

- Re: “Total warfare”- Purpose → to annihilate the enemy’s

morale

"Until we can repopulate Georgia, it is useless to occupy it: but the utter destruction of its roads, houses and people will cripple their military resources. By attempting to hold the roads we will lose a thousand men monthly, and will gain no result. I can make the march and make Georgia howl.”

WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN

Surrender at Appomattox (April 9, 1865)

Lincoln wins 1864 election, inaugurated on March 4th; Richmond, VA fell 1 month later

Gen. Robert E. Lee surrenders- Soldiers lay down arms, permitted to return to

their homes in peace

“Then there is nothing left for me to do but to go and see General Grant and I would rather die a thousand deaths.”

--Robert E. Lee

“The Confederates were now our countrymen, and we did not want to exult over their downfall”

--Ulysses S. Grant

The Civil War1861-1865

Economic warfare

Financing the War

Union: borrowed $2.2b, collected $667m

Confederacy: borrowed $712m, printed $1.5b paper money

Financing the War

Northern economy flourished:- RRs operate at capacity, taxes stimulate

manufacturing

Southern woes:- Blockade limited economic strength, leading to

shortages of money (inflation rises)- Manufacturing decimated due to RR’s cut off,

lack of manpower, capital, or tech. knowledge

The Civil War1861-1865

Aftermath

Winners, Losers, & the Future

Winners:- Slavery died- U.S. now viewed as a nation, not a union

of states (nationalism)

Losers:- Total casualties = +600,000- Enormous property losses (esp. in the

South)- Hatred, bitterness, corruption grew

Soldiers’ Occupations: N/S Combined

Reasons Union Won1) Greater manpower10x more workers, 50% more soldiers

2) Industrial ResourcesInfrastructure + production

3) LeadershipGrant, Sherman, total warfare

4) Emancipation ProclamationKey victory at Antietam