Jennifer C., Matt D., Liz A.
Written: April, 2006
Introduction
· Lincoln told Congress in 1862 that Americans would always remember him, the people of Congress and the administration, and the major players in the Civil War
· Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant were all very significant (see ID list)
· The war also influenced common Americans, such as 20-year-old Arthur Carpenter from Indianapolis who always longed to serve in the volunteer army, and eventually his parents let him and he fought in Kentucky and Tennessee (This shows a long-running theme in history: it affects everyone, including uncelebrated people; this was evident in the Boston Tea Party book we read over the summer where we saw how a common shoemaker was part of the chaos as well)
· Other examples: George and Ethie Eagleton; George: 30 years old, an abolitionist Presbyterian preacher who was insensitive to slavery and against succession until his native slave left the union and he joined the 44th Tennessee Infantry. His wife was upset and thought that Lincoln had divided the “once peaceful and happy United States”
Teaser
v The Civil war was a “profoundly personal and a major national event” that lasted beyond the four years of fighting (this is definitely correct: it still affects any kind of work today because people cannot be taken full advantage of like they were)
v Fought to change the ways of the South but ended in changing all familiar ways in politics, social issues, and economic life in both North and South
v Affected the structure and social classes of society and ordinary people
v Three basic stages: months of preparation, military stalemate between 1861 and 1865, and resolution
Organizing for War
· The beginning stages, after the attack on Fort Sumter, was a time of secession and indecision for the country. Many Americans, even after the attack, were entirely unenthusiastic about the coming conflict (that’s interesting, it definitely paints a defiant picture against all the “people united, no one dissented,” gibber-gabber that we learned in elementary school and middle school). Even Robert E. Lee (the confederate general, keep that in mind) was a hesitant to secede.
· In the north, large numbers were against, mainly due to political parties. (a theme that we’ll see throughout the chapter, I’m sure. It seems that political parties are almost always the defining factor for decisions back then, as they often are today. People were siding against Lincoln not for his views, but because he was a Republican. Sound familiar?)
· Both sides were enthusiastic to gain volunteers, hoping the crisis would end soon, and even expected it. (a far cry from what actually happened, wouldn’t one say?)
The Balance of Resources
ù Although statistics showed that the north was to win, time showed that the north and south were evenly matched. (Thus the longevity of the war. It could have been that the north was burdened with arrogance, and split with sectional differences such as political parties, but our book doesn’t go in to that. Of course, it can’t be forgotten that the south was fighting on their home turf, and that advantage is not one lightly put aside. Case in point, the Revolutionary War)
ù The Northern federal (watch out for this word. It DOESN’T mean the Federalists) army was badly undermanned because of secession. (A cause for the even-matched-ness of the two sides in the beginning)
ù The North had a HUGE population compared to the south. According to our book, in the early days, “the armies were not unevenly matched.”
ù Enjoying economic advantages, the North had 17 times more textiles, 32 times more firearms, and more than twice the amount of railroads than the South had. This would prove to be extremely advantageous in the later stages. (The reason that they weren’t effective earlier was because of the lack of mobility that the North had, being an attacker, and their beliefs of a short war).
ù Most of the Southern trade came from the North and Europe. Without this trade, they could barely function. (Considering that they raise mostly cotton and tobacco, they are not in a good position). England and France were pivotal as well, and the south believed that with there raw goods, they could win support. (Considering that at this point, Europe had its own problems, military intervention was unlikely, if not impossible. Trade however, would be a priority.)
The Border States
¥ The states that would matter the most to both sides would prove to be the border states, or states that had not chosen sides. (Obviously because whoever got those states would have a lower front line (for lack of a better term) and also would enjoy the benefits of a railroad out west.)
¥ Delaware chose the North instantaneously
¥ The other states were slower to decide. Maryland almost seceded. Mobs descended upon an army, were shot at, and railroads North and South of Washington were burned to the ground. (Symbolic? No, just me, then…)
¥ Lincoln, in a direct violation of civil rights, arrested and sent to prison without a trial 19 state legislatures. (Thus securing Maryland for the Union, mainly due to lack of opposition. This will prove, I believe, to be the first of many mentioned violations of civil rights by Lincoln)
¥ Roger BN. Taney challenged the legality of Lincoln’s actions, and issued a writ of habeas corpus. In yet another violations of the Constitution, Lincoln annulled it and declared that only Congress had the authority to issue such a writ. (See? I guess we didn’t have to wait too long!)
¥ Through more cautious approaches, such as the recalling of an emancipation declaration in Kentucky, which would have lost the state, he managed to gain the rest of the Border States except West Virginia. (Ironically enough, he recalled a document of emancipation in order to get another state. It just proves that this war was not just about slavery.)
Challenges of War
Ø Both North and South, at the outset of the war, faced huge organizational problems.
Ø The South especially, for it had to create a whole country anew.
Ø Jefferson Davis (not related to the Matthew Davis of the same surname) was the provincial President, who had to face the daunting task of creating a country from scratch. His cabinet was designed to be a balanced one geographically and politically, but it had few friends, and proved to be unstable. (With 14 people holding 6 positions in 4 years, unstable is a mild word)
Ø The South lacked things such as money (needed, if you just seceded from your mother country, with nothing but a cause), and a postal service.
Ø The North faced different problems. Lincoln, just inheriting the government, lacked some administrative and organizational experience. He could not select a cabinet, and his was almost as unruly as Davis’s. The treasury was, almost empty. (Considering the poor state that the administration was in, it is surprising that the Union won at all! With so much political bickering, it would be impossible to wage a war.)
Lincoln and Davis
o Lincoln was stalwart, sturdy, and tough. He was also extremely decisive, to the point of violating the Constitution (as we’ve seen already…). He ordered a naval blockade and approved expenditure of funds without congressional approval. He had little in the way of formal education (perhaps the beginnings of his defiance?)
o Davis was a different story. Growing up in wealth to a cotton planter, he attended West Point, and fought in the Mexican – American War before his election to US Senate. (He was thus, much more a military man than Lincoln). He was hard working to the point of obsession.
Clashing on the Battlefield, 1861-1862
¨ War in the 1860s was much more brutal. Because of new munitions from France, the range of a rifle was increased to 500 yards. This made infantry charges suicidal. This changed tactics to entrenchments and ditches. (Much like World War I, only at a shorter range and 50 years earlier.)
¨ General Robert E. Lee became the “King of Spades” for his use of this tactic. (Just a little trivia, I doubt that that is important to the test)
War in the East
v At first, the Union’s commanding General was the 70 – year old Winfield Scott, who pressed for a slow, long- term strategy that proposed to weaken the South gradually through blockades on land and at sea, and then delivers the kill. Needless to say, just about everyone including the President was against that plan. (Keeping in mind of course, the mindset that this would be a very short war…)
v The Union sent 35,000 partially trained soldiers with spectators and sightseers marched to Richmond, hoping for an easy win. (With spectators? Talk about foolish ideas!)
v They were met by an army of 25,000 Confederate recruits at Bull Run, and the battle swayed back and forth until 2,300 more Confederates reinforcements came, and routed the Union men. However, they were too inexperienced to capitalize on the rout, failing to turn it in to a quick and decisive victory. (So both sides lost. This will prove to foreshadow how long the war will actually be. It’ll be neither quick nor easy.)
v Lincoln replaced McDowell, the commander of the Union forces in Bull Run, with General George McClellan. Eventually, McClellan would replace Scott in the fall of 1861. Although McClellan had good organizational skills, but had no desire to be daring, and suggested a more cautious path that would combine military might with efforts to persuade the South to return.
v However, he was pushed by Lincoln to send an army of 130,000 towards Richmond, now the capitol of the Confederacy. Lee was able to send him back, and McClellan eventually gave up the campaign. (Yet another sign that this war would not be quick nor easy for the Union. Also, for a country with 32 times the firearms, and more than 10 times the civilians, the Union is losing a lot of battles. Why? Mainly due to tactical errors and inept chains of command)
v The south took an offensive and invaded Maryland, but was turned back at the Battle of Antietam. Victory eluded both sides. (It would require a major change of tactics to win this war.)
War in the West
q The Union had two strategic advantages in the Mississippi/Alabama/Tennessee area. First, The dominations of Kentucky and eastern Tennessee, avenues to the South and West, and control of the Mississippi to split the South in two.
q Grant was the dominant General here. He was able to see beyond individual battles to the whole war. (Something that the Union command in the east lacked.)
q Realizing that the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers were of huge strategic importance, he was largely responsible for the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson. He fought a costly battle, however at Shiloh Church in Tennessee, where he lost 13,000 men (next to 10,000 Confederates, even though Grant won this battle).
q Western plans were never coordinated with eastern ones, so no one was ever able to capitalize on victories. (This, due to the inherent organizational problems with both sides, and their belief that the war would end quickly with a capture of eastern territories.)
q In the Trans-Mississippi, war was sporadic. California was one prize that lured both sides, and Confederate troops held Albuquerque and Santa Fe before being ousted by Colorado miners with Mexican Americans. The Union force arrived too late, so instead decided to slaughter the Navajo and Apache tribes. (Yet another example of American disposition against the Indians.)
q The Missouri river was another prize. The Confederates controlled this region in the outset, but were repelled by a Union force including Native Americans. (Ironically enough, while soldiers in Santa Fe were slaughtering Indians, they were fighting on our side in other places!)
Naval Warfare
J In the outset, Lincoln wanted to blockade the South. With 33 ships guarding 89 ports with a 3,500-mile coastline, this proved to be a moot point. In the short run, this did little damage.
J The North also had successful operations such as the capture of Port Royal Sound, and the victory against Confederate forces in Roanoke Island, North Carolina. There it gained more fuel and munitions to make the blockade more effective. (Although it was still mediocre)
J The Union took New Orleans in 1892, one of the most important cities because of its position at the delta of the Mississippi and economic influence. (Without the Mississippi, the South was almost effectively cut in two)
J The South concentrated on developing new weapons, like torpedoes and ironclad vessels. The first was the modified ship the Virginia (formally the Merrimac), which after it was completed, destroyed the largest Union ships at Norfolk, and ran aground a third of the fleet. The next day, the Monitor, a new ironclad from the North, faced it. The battle was indecisive. (These new ironclads would be influential in later design, and would innovate the world’s military and naval strategies, up to the outset of World War I.)
J The Southern strategy turned to harming Northern commerce, which, although many ships were destroyed, proved mostly ineffectual. (So thus, the navel supremacy remains in the North.)
Cotton Diplomacy
◊ Attitudes from Europe were important to both sides. (With most of the capitol and military might in the world residing there, that was no surprise)
◊ The Confederacy wanted credibility, and assistance. They were sure that cotton would be their trump. However, because of a glut in 1860 and 1861, this proved ineffectual. England and France used other sources, such as India, for their cotton. The North took a bolder stance, threatening war, and demanded neutrality. One by one, the European powers adopted stances of neutrality. (With the balance of power so delicate in Europe, this was the only choice they had, lest another World War break out.)
Common Problems, Novel Solutions
◙ Monetary Problems: The North and the South both didn’t want to use direct taxes. Small taxes were used in the beginning, funding the North 21 percent and the South only 1 percent (probably due to the larger and richer population, with more people with wages, thus an easier collecting of income tax). Bonds were also used. Northerners bought $2 billion, and Southerners only reluctantly. (Again, due to the larger population, and dissatisfaction in the South, discussed in the next section). Paper money was printed, causing huge inflation. Union “greenbacks” caused 80 percent inflation.
◙ Manpower dwindled. Soldiering wasn’t what it was made out to be. As solutions, both Union and Confederacy issued bounties to outsiders who would join.
◙ Uniforms were cold in the winter and stifling in the summer, and often, soldiers would march with 60 pounds of equipment. The South had much fewer supplies. (They often went without shoes, uniforms, and desertion was common)
◙ Both suffered from disease.
◙ Both governments eventually resorted to a draft. 30 % of Confederates and 6 % of Union soldiers were draftees. (Considering the huge population of the north, this is very surprising. It’s probably due to more excitement in the beginning of the war, and people attracted by bounties)
◙ Needless to say, the draft was very unpopular in North and South, and there were many exceptions on either side’s laws. (Thus it became a “rich man’s war, but a poor man’s fight”)
Political Dissension, 1862
Ω Rumblings against Davis in the South were loud, but lacked focus, because of the lack of a party system. No solutions were offered.
Ω Lincoln (believe it or not) was largely unpopular in the Union for his handling of the war. Democrats everywhere were looking forward to 1864, and the new election. Democrats were against abolition, fearing jobs. (Much like illegal aliens today)
Ω The Republicans split into two factions; one favoring a cautious approach, the other urged Lincoln to make emancipation a wartime objective. In the election of 1862, Republicans lost the majority in Congress.
The Tide Turns, 1863-1865 and the Emancipation Proclamation, 1863
í Political realities and the mood of the people were the reason for the Emancipation Proclamation’s delay—Though Democrats and many northerners supported a war for the Union, they did not support one for emancipation and they saw blacks as inferior people who, if set free, would steal white men’s jobs and political rights ( connects to today where some people believe that the bad economy is a result of immigrants and other people stealing American jobs; in a sense these people thought a bad economy would result)
í Race riots in New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Buffalo strengthened white ideas and in Cincinnati Irish dockworkers attacked blacks working for lower pay.
í Lincoln hoped that pro-Union sentiment would emerge in the South so they would abandon their rebellion; despite being scared of losing people’s allegiance, offending the border states, and increasing Democrat popularity, he had to move on the emancipation or abolitionists would be drawn away and radical Republicans would discontinue their support (Lincoln faced a tough decision that had the ability of upsetting a lot of people. However, he stood up for what he believed in and slowly took action; hence an “excellent president”)
í In spring 1862 Lincoln urged Congress to pass a joint resolution that offered federal compensation to states beginning a “gradual abolishment of slavery”—abolitionists and northern blacks agreed, border states opposed (note the word “gradual”—this was not decided all at once)
í Lincoln had to wait again until the North won a definite military victory—in that time he promoted schemes for setting up free black colonies in Haiti and Panama
í Slavery would end because it would save white lives, preserve the democratic process, and win the conflict fort the union (he wanted to free the Slaves because it “helps to save this Union”, which seems rather selfish. He was in it to save the country rather than to save the actual people who were being abused)
í In September 1862- Union victory at Antietam caused Lincoln to issue the preliminary emancipation proclamation stating that unless rebellious states returned to the Union by January 1st 1863, the president would declare their slaves “ever free” (a threat!)
í The election of 1862 weakened Republicans, but Lincoln refused to give up on abolishing slavery and on New Year’s Day 1863 Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation and “what had started as a war to save the Union now also became a struggle that, if victorious, would free the slaves”
í The proclamation only affected slaves living in unconquered portions of the Confederacy, not slaves in the border states or in parts of the South controlled by Northern men so Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony established the woman’s Loyal National League to persuade Congress to free all southern slaves
í On New Year’s Day, blacks gathered outside the White House to celebrate what the President had done for them; proclamation also sanctioned accepting blacks as soldiers in the American military and northern blacks hoped southern blacks would flee to Union lines or refuse to work for their masters (real progress has been made, but the job wasn’t done. After the Emancipation Proclamation, remember that there were still some slaves)
í Lincoln thought abolishing slavery would impress other countries but England called the proclamation “trash” and thought the war should have been to free the slaves, not to save the Union (the other countries saw the “hidden agenda” of America (as there usually is one with most issues) as well)
í The Emancipation Proclamation is a symbol of human freedom in the North
Unanticipated Consequences of War
~ Experiments were necessary for victory in the war; Union—used black troops for combat duty and served as cooks, laborers, teamsters, and carpenters in the army and were about ¼ of the navy but now black enlistees were used for service on the battlefield
~ One black leader, Frederick Douglass, believed that black men in the army have earned the right to citizenship—an overwhelming 186,000 blacks had served for the Union by the end of the war, 134,111 had escaped from slave states (the blacks were protecting America and therefore deserved protection from the country. The slaves were still serving the country in some way, only now they were not forced to)
~ However, in the army black soldiers were second-class citizens and received lower pay, poorer food, more menial work, and fewer benefits than whites (even out of slavery the white people discovered ways to make blacks inferior)
~ Results: went against demeaning white racial stereotypes of blacks, the black soldiers welt pride and dignity, especially the ones who had escaped slavery
~ The war touched everyone; officers had to protect civilians and their property from being stolen, etc.
Changing Military Strategies, 1863-1865
In the beginning of the war, South’s strategy was to combine defense with a few special maneuvers, but they could not gain victories in the North so in the summer of 1863 General Lee led the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia across the Potomac River into Maryland and Southern Pennsylvania for a victory that would threaten Philadelphia and Washington (the South would not give up)
July 1st at Gettysburg, General Lee faced a Union army led by General George Meade. Lee ordered costly assaults (money spent on expensive infantry) and on July 3rd he sent 15,000 men against the Union center—assault known as “Pickett’s Charge”—the fighting in the east continued for another year and a half but his losses in Gettysburg could not be overcome so the Confederacy focused on their defensive—Gettysburg marked the turn of the military struggle in the East
Lincoln was dissatisfied with northern General Meade because he didn’t finish off the south army, he just let them retreat, but soon there was a great victory at Vicksburg in the western theater on July 4th under Commander Ulysses S. Grant. This battle completed the Union’s goal to gain control of the Mississippi River and to divide the south.
By summer 1863, the Union controlled much of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Tennessee and Grant took control of the armies. He would use the North’s superior resources of men and supplies to wear down and defeat the South in his plan for annihilation—included large casualties on both sides though (is this really the best way to take over the South? They would lose a lot of their own men in the process and completely destroy the southern part of the country!)
Grant also considered cutting the South off from its needed supplies which would cause economic or “total” warfare. The Union army went after Lee’s army in Virginia where General William Tecumseh Sherman further refined the plan. Sherman wanted to make the southerners “fear and dread” them and he planned to seize Atlanta and march to Savannah to spread destruction and terror (remember: this is a CIVIL war, they are fighting against their own people. Therefore this plan is quite harsh to do to their fellow citizens but the country has completely split, as if it was two countries)
The war, which the nation had hoped would be quick and somewhat painless, is ending after four years with bitterness that threatened reconciliation and had high costs for both sides.
Photography
? It was invented in 1839 and expanded American’s visual and imaginative world in the 19th century. Photographs could record events in peoples’ lives, allow them to see people/images from different places, and collect information about the 19th century for historians—we know what they wore, their celebrations, and what everything in their day looked like (this is very important to understand the culture and history of that time—for instance the pictures in our history book help us to see and really feel what it was like; connects to the discussion we had about just saying “slavery is bad” and putting yourself in their shoes and feeling it)
? Photographs also show attitudes, norms, the way things are arranged, and relationships
? The earliest type of photograph, the daguerreotype, was a negative on a sheet of silver-plated copper—required 15 to 30 minutes for exposure and came out stiff and formal; other types are glass ambrotypes- negatives on glass and tintypes- negatives on gray iron bases~~~ however, both only produced 1 picture and needed a nonspecific time frame to develop
? In the 1850s, the wet-plate process was developed -a glass negative was coated with a sensitive solution, then the picture was taken, and it was quickly developed. It required 5 seconds outdoors and 1 minute indoors and could produce many paper prints but needed a dark room and couldn’t do action shots
? A fashionable Washington photographer asked Lincoln if he could record the war with his camera—they left 8,000 glass negatives now in the Library of Congress and the National Archives
? One of his pictures is of three Confederate soldiers who were captured at Gettysburg who are exhausted, rugged, tired and had very poor uniforms. They are angry and alone, surrounded by destruction (this shows the poorness that the Confederate soldiers had to deal with; they had no money for fancy uniforms or shoes and are fighting the best that they can ~ contrary to usual feelings against the southern states…it kind of makes you feel sympathetic towards them, doesn’t it?)
? The second picture was of the battlefield of Cold Harbor in Virginia 1865. Two black Union soldiers are digging graves and dead skeletons of soldiers remain. (The black soldiers had to do all the dirty work in the army and civil warfare was tough and provided losses for both sides. The people are being buried a year after the war and were probably forgotten about)
A New South
² In the last years of the war, a strong central government was needed to give the South a hope for victory—the Confederate Congress cooperated with Davis (considered a tyrant by many southerners for his belief in the need for a more centralized force) and established many important precedents (i.e. the Impressment Act)
² By 1864, the Southern army was one-third the size of the Union Army (despite attempts by the Confederacy to draft more men)—in 1865, they were forced to arm slaves as soldiers, but the war soon ended and no African Americans actually fought for the Confederates.(How ironic that the South would eventually be forced to turn to their slaves to win the war! This really stresses the Southern dependence on slavery)
² The idea of arming slaves posed a problem for the Confederates—should a slave be allowed his freedom after serving the Confederacy, or should they continue to be enslaved?
² Whereas before the war, the South had relied mainly on Northern farms for their food-supply, they now needed grow their own—although new laws restricted the amount of land that could be used for cotton and tobacco, Southerners were unable to produce enough food to adequately feed themselves.
² The South was also forced to establish manufacturing companies to make supplies for the Confederate army (this was another product of the newly centralized Confederate government)
A Victorious North
í During the war, Lincoln was considered by many to be a dictator for “extending” his presidential power—he justified these “extensions” as attempts to protect the Constitution.(Despite this, Lincoln is considered one of the greatest presidents in American history!)
í In 1863-64, the National Bank was reinstated in place of the chaotic state bank system. Additionally, a national currency was created during this time.
í An expansion in northern farming was needed in order feed civilians and soldiers—this need was met with the purchase of McCormick reapers (which could do the work of 4-6 men!) During the war, enough grain was produced to feed all of the soldiers and civilians and still export for profit.(Notice: the North was able to rise to the challenge of the Civil War while the South was not—this was a major contributor to the Northern victory)
í In reality, the northern economy was damaged by the war—it was “selectively stimulated”. Industries that could be changed to benefit the war effort were expanded the most during this time.
On the Home Front, 1861-1865
O The war helped Americans to see that there was more to life than their small towns(Wars always seem to stimulate interest in the “bigger picture”)
O For some fortunate Americans (such as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller), army contracts brought unanticipated wealth and happiness(It is ironic that while the war devastated the lives of so many American citizens, it furthered the wealth of a few lucky men)
O The majority of Americans suffered as the result of the war—men lost resources and jobs and some women and African American slaves were forced into the workforce to make up for lost money
O Inflation was a destructive force in the wartime economy (especially in the South)(Just as unemployment is peaking and wages are at an all time low, inflation kicks up—how can Americans be expected to live under these conditions?)
O Employers both in the North and the South slashed wages just as inflation was peaking—it was nearly impossible for families to survive on men’s and women’s wages
O Because of the above listed economic hardships, the standard of living was reduced for civilians both in the North and the South—food riots broke out, Southerners who fled the Union army were left homeless
O Although the intentions of the Union Army were honorable, their means were sometimes objectionable (We are often tempted to view the Union as the “valiant hero” of the Civil War, but we forget the havoc that it wrought upon the South in order to reach its goal. This poses the question: do the ends justify the means?)
Wartime Race Relations
Two main themes persisted in the mind of the Southern belle—how her husband would survive the war, and how she would cope with her own hardships
Master-slave relations changed drastically during the war—slaves took more unaccustomed liberties (It seems as though there was mass chaos in the South—slaves were leaving their plantations and the women had no way to stop them!)
Women and the War
The conservative idea of women stressed their domestic role and downplayed their economic value, but the changing times forced women into the workforce (both in the North and South)
Women often took war-related government and volunteer positions (i.e. army nurses)
Most of the above listed changes ended after the war, but in attempting to take up their old lives, women found it impossible to forget their wartime responsibilities
The Election of 1864
I The Democrats attempted to use the Election of 1864 as a way to regain power in the North—they claimed that if Lincoln’s plan were continued, a fusion of blacks and whites would ensue.(Although the Civil War is often considered a war of ethics, it is, in reality, another political battle. Also, it is ironic that the Northerners who were fighting to free the slaves were so afraid to be integrated with the freed slaves)
I Although Lincoln easily took the Republican nomination for candidacy, not all Republicans were behind his stretches of presidential power
I Lincoln took 55% of the popular vote and dominated the electoral college
Why the North Won
% The war was finally over when, in 1865, Grant accepted Lee’s surrender
% Grant’s military plan survived because his superior resources and manpower could sustain the losses of war, while Lee’s could not
% In the south, inferior resources and manpower, poorly prepared industries, and an inability to survive the harsh winters in the North contributed to the South’s demise(This is reminiscent of the Revolutionary War—those who are accustomed to the terrain and climate have the upper hand in battle)
% Southern transportation (roads and railroads) was inferior to Northern systems, also contributing to a Northern victory
% Southern attempts for centralization raised contempt and were eventually a major contributor to the downfall of the South (It is ironic that attempts to unify the Southerners only drove them further apart!)
% Lincoln’s caring nature and awareness of the costs of war made him a great president and leader, but it was the support of a political party which, in the end, led him to be a “better” wartime leader than Davis
% Northerners, on a whole, were more cooperative, disciplined, and aggressive in their attempts to meet the needs of war
% Southerners began to feel as though the war was a “lost cause” and abandoned the war effort (Winners never quit, and quitters never win!)
The Costs of War
ï The death rate of the Civil war was five times greater than the death rate of WWII—360,000 Union and 258,000 Confederate men died, many because their wounds were improperly cared for.(When a country is divided against itself, it is obviously going to lose more men than if it was fighting against another country—the casualties on both sides were added to the American death toll!)
ï Many men were also maimed—missing limbs and other physical disabilities were common of Civil War veterans
ï The cruelties of war left a lasting mark on the minds of soldiers on both sides, and many found it difficult to readjust to civilian life
Unanswered Questions
? What had the war accomplished?—on one hand, there was death and destruction—in the south especially, the war had devastated the land and the civilians who lived on it
? On the other hand, the war had solved many political questions—the question of the Union, and of the relationship between the state and federal governments were now resolved
? The war had resolved the issue of slavery—but, it raised NEW questions (i.e. would freed slaves have the same civil liberties as white men?)(Racism and discrimination are still problems in America today!)
? What would be the role of the South in the Union—should they be punished for their secession and rebellion against the North?
? Lincoln “graciously” announced a plan of reconciliation for the South—he would recognize Confederate governments as 10 percent of the voters in 1860 (if and only if they agreed to abide by the abolition of slavery)
? The United States was now ready to begin the long road of rebuilding a nation
Conclusion: An Uncertain Future
§ At the end of the war, many Americans remembered the losses and the courageous men who were part of the war
§ The war had drastically altered their lives, their futures, and their nation—they realized after time (how did it change? How does it affect our lives right now? Could you imagine if the South had won?)
§ Left many problems unsolved which leads to the years of reconstruction to come
ID LIST:
Abraham Lincoln –President of the United States for two terms who led the Union through the Civil War—although some of the actions that he took during this time were “unconstitutional”, he is considered one of the greatest presidents in our nation’s history
Jefferson Davis – president of the Confederacy who was a revolutionary idealist in the South and first proposed the idea of a unified Confederacy
Robert E. Lee – General of the Confederate troops whose surrender to General Grant marked the end of the Civil War
Roger B. Taney – the chief justice of the United States, who challenged the legality of President Lincoln’s arrest of 19 secessionists
Winfield Scott – the 70 year old Commanding General of the Union (for the first year)
Irwin McDowell – general in the Battle of Bull Run
George McClellan – general who replaced McDowell, and was then the second commanding general of the Union
Ulysses S. Grant – general of the western Union forces in the outset of the war; a “bold and flexible” commander who won at Vicksburg and was appointed general in chief of the Union armies by Lincoln; credited with accepting Lee’s surrender and ending the Civil War
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony- established the woman’s Loyal National League to persuade Congress to free all southern slaves
Frederick Douglass- a black leader who strove for black citizenship in America
General George Meade- a northern general that faced General Lee’s army at Gettysburg, led army at “Pickett’s Charge”; didn’t finish off the south, let them retreat
Lincoln was dissatisfied with northern General Meade because he didn’t finish off the south army, he just let them retreat
General William Tecumseh Sherman- Northern general that wanted the southerners to “fear and dread” the north; planned to seize Atlanta and march to Savannah to create destruction
Confederacy—The southern states that had seceded from the Union in order to preserve their lifestyle
Union—The northern states which remained unified against the Confederacy to abolish slavery
GEOGRAPHY:
ê Bull Run (Manassas Creek) – the site of the first battle of the Civil War
ê FortSumter – the fort which the confederates attacked to begin the war
ê Richmond– capitol of the Confederacy
ê FortHenry and FortDonelson – forts taken by Grant
ê Shiloh Church, Tennessee – costly battle of the war, won by Grant
ê Norfolk, Virginia – site of first ironclad battle
ê New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Cincinnati- locations of race riots that supported whites and sometimes attacked blacks
ê Gettysburg- location of “Pickett’s Charge” and many losses; the place of the turn of military struggle in the East
ê Western theater- location of the battle of Vicksburg—ending the war
VOCAB LIST:
{ Insurrection – rebellion
{ Civil [conflict] – relating to citizens, or citizen’s activities
{ Border States – states undecided in the outset of the war
{ Writ of Habeas Corpus – a writ to send a person to a jury
{ Minié bullets – bullets produced in France responsible for the 500 yard range
{ Daguerreotype- the first type of photograph; a negative on a sheet of silver-plated copper
{ Glass ambrotypes- negatives on glass
{ Tintypes- negatives on gray iron bases
{ Emancipation- freedom
{ Sanction- authorize
{ Menial- tedious
{ Annihilation- total destruction
{ Secession - the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or political entity
{ Abolition - the act of formally destroying something through legal means
{ Reconciliation- compromise
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