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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.