The Civil War (1861-1865)

Part 1: The Civil War Starts

A. What event started the Civil War?

April 1861: the southern attack on the federal (Union) fort at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina

B. When did the Upper South secede?

When they realized Lincoln would use force Upper South: Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee,

Arkansas Confederate capital moves to Richmond, Virginia Western Virginia remains loyal to the Union

West Virginia becomes a state in 1863

Part 2: Advantages and Disadvantages of the North & the

South

A. Advantages for the North

Military 22 million from which to draw from (5.5 million in the

South) 800,000 immigrants from which to draw from 180,000 free slaves who served during the war

A. Advantages for the North

Economic Controlled most of the banking in the United States Controlled 85% of the factories Controlled 70% of the railroads Controlled 65% of the farmlands

Political Well established central government Experienced political leaders with popular support

B. Advantages for the South

Military Only had to fight a defensive war (North had to

conquer) Short distances to move supplies Difficult coastline to blockade Great military leaders and troop morale (Lee and

Jackson)

B. Advantages for the South

Economic “King Cotton” diplomacy

Political Desire for independence provided strong motivation

to fight

Part 3: Military Strategy

A. Union Strategy

Blockade southern ports to prevent supplies from reaching the South

Divide the Confederacy in two by taking control of the Mississippi River

Raise an army of 500,000 to take RichmondLater…war of attrition (Grant)

wear the South down with constant pressure and casualties

B. Confederate Strategy

Gain foreign recognition and aid “King Cotton” diplomacy

Utilize advantage in military leadershipPrevent the Union from conquering the South

Check Point

Confederate batteries fired on Fort Sumter when it was learned that

A.Lincoln had ordered the fort reinforced with federal troopsB.Lincoln had ordered supplies sent to the fortC.the fort’s commander was planning to evacuate his troops secretly from the fortD.Lincoln had call for 75,000 militia troops to form a voluntary Union armyE.southern support for secession was weakening

When Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election, people in South Carolina

A.waited to see how other southern states would actB.were very upset because they would have to secede from the UnionC.vowed to give their loyalty to Stephen DouglasD.rejoiced because it gave them an excuse to secedeE.accepted the democratic process and vowed to support Lincoln

The Border states offered all of the following advantages EXCEPT

A.a large populationB.a good supply of horses and mulesC.valuable manufacturing capacityD.shipbuilding facilitiesE.large navigable rivers

Lincoln’s declaration that the North sought to preserve the Union with or without slavery

A.came as a disappointment to most Northerners and demoralized the UnionB.revealed the influence of the Border states on his policiesC.caused some seceded states to rejoin the UnionD.contradicted the campaign promises of the Republican partyE.cost him support in the Butternut region of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois

To achieve its independence, the Confederacy had to

A.invade the UnionB.win a decisive military victory on its own soilC.fight the invading Union army to a drawD.attract more talented military commandersE.capture Washington, DC

As the Civil War began, the South seemed to have the advantage of

A.greater ability to wage offensive warfareB.more talented military leadersC.superior industrial capabilitiesD.superior transportation facilities E.a more united public opinion

The South believed that the British would come to its aid because

A.the people in Britain would demand such actionB.British Canada was strongly hostile to the UnionC.Britain still had slavery in its empireD.the government had refused to allow Uncle Tom’s Cabin to be sold in the empireE.Britain was dependent on Southern cotton

Part 4: Foreign Affairs and

Diplomacy

A. “King Cotton” Diplomacy

The South’s idea that because cotton was so important to the British and French, it (the South) could gain official recognition from those countries and receive direct aid for the Southern war effort

B. Did the British side with the South?

Britain came extremely close to siding with the South Trent Affair of 1861

Confederate diplomats traveling on the British steamer the Trent were seized by the Union Navy, removed from the Trent and taken as POWs

British threatened war on the Union unless diplomats were released

President Lincoln releases them Diplomats failed to gain British recognition of the

Confederacy

C. Why did “King Cotton” diplomacy fail?

Because the British could get cotton from Egypt and India to offset shortages of Southern cotton

Because Lee lost a major battle at Antietam Because the Emancipation Proclamation

appealed to the British masses (who hated slavery)

Part 5: Emancipation and African-Americans

A. Why was Lincoln hesitant to end slavery?

He wanted to keep support of the border states

He had always said slavery in the South was protected by the Constitution

He knew that many Northerners were racistHe fared if he acted too fast he’d lose the re-

election of 1864 and emancipation would be overturned

B. Early Northern policy about slavery

Considered contraband (enemy property that could be “seized”) Confiscation Act of 1861 Confiscation Act of 1862

C. What was the Emancipation Proclamation?

Lincoln’s declaration that freed all slaves in those states that were in rebellion (encouraged border states to free slaves and compensate slave owners)

D. Why did Lincoln issue the Emancipation Proclamation ?

Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation for military reasons (war wasn’t going well for the North during 1862-1863)

E. What were the consequences of the Proclamation?

Committed the government to abolish slaveryEnlarged the purpose of the war (not only to

save the Union now it was to end slavery)Motivated slaves to revoltMotivated blacks to join the Northern Army

F. Did the Proclamation actually motivate slaves and free blacks to fight?

YES 25% of slaves in the South fled behind advancing

Northern army lines Placed increased burden on Southern society

200,000 African-Americans served in the Union Army Segregated into all black units Most famous: Massachusetts 54th Regiment

G. What fully emancipated EVERY slave in the US?

Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution Some phrases in the Constitution legitimize slavery To free ALL slaves (in the South and in border states),

Constitution had to be amended (changed) Thirteenth Amendment passed in December 1865

Part 6: The Effects of the Civil War on Civilian Life

A. Political Changes

Restriction of civil liberties President Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas

corpus (could be arrested without being informed of charges; held without trial)

A. Political Changes

Implementation of the draft Conscription Act of 1863 (North): all men 20-45 eligible

for draft; could avoid if you found a sub or paid $300 New York City Draft Riots of 1863: poor, mostly Irish-

Americans; attacked blacks and rich whites; 117 killed

New definitions of “union” and “democracy” Union: supremacy of federal government over states

FINALLY accepted as fact Democracy: US truly seen as leader in democracy in the

world with emancipation of slaves

B. Economic Changes

Economic Hardships North sold bonds, raised tariffs, implemented excise

taxes, instituted first income tax, printed Greenbacks (no gold to back it) that caused inflation

B. Economic Changes

Accelerated industrial growth of the North Concentrated wealth in the hands of new millionaires

who would finance industrialization after the war Made manufacturers more efficient (mass production) New laws promoted growth

Morrill Tariff Act Homestead Act Morrill Land Grant Pacific Railway Act

C. Social Changes

Women Filled vacuum left by men on plantations and in

factories Opened field of nursing to women Momentum given to suffrage movement because of

important role women played in the war

African-Americans 13th Amendment: officially abolished slavery Created tension between freed slaves and poor whites

Check Point

When it was issued in 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation declared free only those slaves in

A.the Border statesB.slave states that remained loyal to the UnionC.United States territories D.states still in rebellion against the United StatesE.areas controlled by the Union army

In 1861, the North went to war with the South primarily to

A.liberate the slavesB.prevent European powers from meddling in American affairsC.preserve the UnionD.avenge political defeats and insults inflicted by the SouthE.forestall a Southern invasion of the North

When the Emancipation Proclamation was issued at the beginning of 1863, its immediate effect was to

A.end the Civil WarB.abolish slaveryC.free slaves held in the border statesD.alienate Britain and FranceE.strengthen the moral cause of the Union

During the Civil War, the Republican Party passed legislation promoting economic development concerning all of the following EXCEPT the

A.granting of government subsidies to encourage the export of manufactured goodsB.establishment of a high tariff to protect American industry from foreign competitionC.organization of a national banking system to provide a uniform national currencyD.provision of government loans and land grants to private companies to construct a transcontinental railroadE.passage of the Homestead Act

The greatest weakness of the South during the Civil War was its

A.military leadershipB.navyC.slave populationD.economy

The North’s greatest strength in the Civil War was its

A.ethnic unityB.military leadershipC.navy D.high moraleE.economy

A supposed asset for the South at the beginning of the Civil War that never materialized to its real advantage was

A.effective military leadershipB.intervention from Britain and FranceC.the fighting skill of Southern malesD.its ability to fight on its own soilE.its belief that it was defending its way of life

During the Civil War, Britain and the United States were nearly provoked into war by

A.the incompetence of Charles Francis Adams, the United States ambassador to LondonB.Britain’s refusal to observe the Union’s blockade of Southern portsC.the Trent affair, involving the removal of Southern diplomats from a British shipD.Napoleon III’s effort to place Maximilian on the Mexican throneE.British working-class support for the South

A victory at Antietam probably would have won Confederate independence because

A.the Union armies were already heavily demoralizedB.France and Britain were on the verge of recognizing the Confederate governmentC.the Republicans would have lost the subsequent congressional electionsD.Lincoln would have been unable to issue the Emancipation ProclamationE.the Border states would have joined the Confederacy

The North’s victory at Antietam allowed President Lincoln to

A.issue the Emancipation ProclamationB.seek military assistance from Great BritainC.force the Border states to remain in the UnionD.keep General McClellan as commander of the Union forcesE.suppress Copperhead opposition in the North

Part 7: Lincoln’s Assassination

A. Assassination of President Lincoln

April 1865 (one week after Lee surrenders at Appomattox)

John Wilkes Booth kills Lincoln at Ford’s TheaterBooth was a disgruntled southernerOthers aided in the conspiracy