The Civil War

1. The Civil War 1861-1865

2. President Lincoln • Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861 • Read his First Inaugural Address & determine the following how the following groups might have reacted: • Secessionists • Non-secessionists • Compromise proponents • Unionists • Abolitionists

3. President Lincoln

4. President Lincoln • Lincoln was morally opposed to slavery & did not support its spread (Crittenden Amendments) • However, he said that he would not interfere with the institution where it was already legal (1st Inaugural Address) • He also asserted his authority over all US territory in states that had seceded from the Union (1st Inaugural Address)

5. Fort Sumter • South Carolina’s Fort Sumter needed food & supplies • Lincoln informed SC’s governor that he was sending provisions in an unarmed ship • Confederate forces attacked the fort before the ship could reach it • The American commander surrendered the next day • While no one was killed, it did mark the beginning of the war • Lincoln requested 75,000 volunteers to help suppress the rebellion • Four more states seceded

6. Map of Secession

7. Responses to Secession • Some in Virginia were opposed to secession • People in the western counties of VA chose a new governor & applied for statehood in the Union (WV – 1863) • Debate was also strong in Tennessee

8. Confederate States of America • States – SC, MS, FL, AL, GA, LA, TX, VA, NC, TN, AR • Constitution – Emphasized states’ rights & the protection of slavery in any newly acquired territories • President – Jefferson Davis • Capital – Richmond, VA

9. Border States • Refers to slave states that remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War • Included DE, MD, KY, MO, & eventually WV • Following a confrontation in Baltimore, the area was occupied & habeas corpus was suspended • Confederates could be arrested & jailed without charges indefinitely

10. Resources for War

11. Union Startegies • The initial Union strategy was developed by General Winfield Scott • Known as the Anaconda Plan • Called for a blockade of southern ports & the capture of the Mississippi River • Lincoln did attempt to establish a blockade, but did not have the manpower to capture & control the Mississippi River

12. The Anaconda Plan

13. Southern Advantages • “Home Court” Advantage • Most of the fighting took place in the South, forcing North to travel & maintain long supply lines • Concrete War Aims • The South was fighting to preserve their way of life • The North was fighting to preserve the Union • Leadership • Many of the best officers in the US army fought with the Confederacy

14. Southern Society • Southern society in 1861 was very stratified • Great Planters – 1% of the population: 20+ slaves • Small Farmers – 35-45% of the population: 0-5 slaves • Landless Whites – 20-25% of the population • Slaves – 35% of the population

15. King Cotton • Southern cotton was traded to European nations • 75% of all cotton used in British textile mills came from the American South • Southerners hoped that Britain & others would intervene • Why did King Cotton fail? • By 1861, British factories had a surplus of cotton • During the war, they were able to depend upon Egyptian & Indian cotton • The Emancipation Proclamation redefined the war

16. The Battle of Bull Run • The first major battle of the Civil War was fought on July 21, 1861 • Union – Irvin McDowall • Confederate – P.G.T. Beauregard • Union forces were initially successful until Confederate reinforcements arrived under the command of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson • Union troops retreated in chaos

17. The Battle of Bull Run • Casualties at Bull Run totaled 4,878 men • Union – 460 killed • Confederate – 387 killed • Union forces & civilians feared that an attack on Washington, DC was imminent • Both sides realized that the war was going to be longer & deadlier than anticipated

18. The Battle of Bull Run • As a result of his loss at Bull Run, Lincoln replaced McDowell with George McClellan who was named general-in-chief of all the Union armies • Able to transform the troops into a disciplined army • Remained cautious as fighting continued in the East

19. The Battle of Shiloh • Took place on April 6-7, 1862 • Union forces were led by Ulysses S. Grant who planned an attack on a railroad junction near the Mississippi / Tennessee border • Confederate forces then staged a surprise attack on Grant’s army

20. The Battle of Shiloh • Confederate forces were successful until Union reinforcements arrived the next day • The battle was the bloodiest in American history up to that time • Casualties totaled 23,4746 • Union – 1,754 killed • Confederate – 1,728 killed

21. The Battle of Antietam • Took place on September 17, 1862 • Confederate forces were led by Robert E. Lee who invaded Maryland in hopes of gaining needed supplies & European recognition of the Confederacy • It was the first major battle to take place on Northern soil

22. The Battle of Antietam • Tactically, the battle was a draw • Strategically, it was a Union victory as it stopped Lee’s invasion • The battle was the bloodiest single day of fighting in the war • Casualties totaled 24,000 • Union – 2,108 killed • Confederate – 1,546 killed

23. The Battle of Antietam • Antietam was also an important diplomatic victory • Lincoln reconsidered his views concerning the war & slavery • As the war continued & the death tolls rose, Lincoln drafted a proclamation to free the slaves

24. The Emancipation Proclamation • Five days after the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation • Freed the slaves residing in states in rebellion against the Union • Allowed Lincoln to maintain the support of the border states while pushing them closer to emancipation • Transformed the Union war aims • Further divided the Northern Democrats • Copperhead Democrats – Wanted an immediate end to the war & saw Lincoln as a tyrant • War Democrats – Demanded an aggressive policy towards the Confederacy & supported Lincoln

25. Enrollment Act (1863) • Made all men, aged 20-45, eligible for the draft • Established a quota of new troops due from each congressional district • Draftees could hire someone else to serve in his place – substitution • Draftees could also pay $300 to avoid service – commutation • Rich man’s war, poor man’s fight

26. Draft Riots • The largest draft riots took place over three nights in NYC in July 1863 • Working class white men targeted: • Wealthy white men • African Americans • Supporters of the war • At least 120 civilians were killed & about 2,000 more were injured

27. The War Continues • Early in 1863, Union prospects seemed dim • May – Confederacy defeated a much larger Union force at Chancellorsville, VA • Confederates did suffer a setback when Stonewall Jackson was mistakenly shot by his own troops

28. The Battle of Gettysburg • Summer of 1863 – Lee proposed an invasion of the North • Were able to seize much needed food & supplies as they moved through Union territory • July – Engaged with Union troops led by George Meade at Gettysburg, PA

29. The Battle of Gettysburg • The fighting at Gettysburg took place over three days • Union troops took up a defensive position along what was called Cemetery Ridge • Confederate troops attacked both flanks of the Union line • The largest attack came on July 3 when troops under the command of George Pickett moved to the center • Pickett’s famous “Last Charge” proved to be a tremendous defeat for the Confederates

30. The Battle of Gettysburg • The three days at Gettysburg were the bloodiest engagement of the Civil War • Total casualties – 50,000+ • Union – 3,155 killed • Confederate – 4,708 killed • Nearly 1/3 of the Confederacy’s general officers were killed, wounded, or captured

31. The Siege of Vicksburg • Took place from May-July 1863 • After a 4 month siege, Union forces were finally able to capture the city • Soon after, they took control of the entire Mississippi River • Together, the Union victories at Gettysburg & Vicksburg are considered to be turning points in the war

32. The Atlanta Campaign • Atlanta fell to Union troops led by William Tecumseh Sherman in September 1864 • Ordered that all military & government building be burned • The victory helped Lincoln win re-election that same year • Challenged by Democratic candidate George McClellan as well as radicals in his own Republican party

33. The Election of 1864

34. Sherman’s March • Following Lincoln’s victory, Sherman began his march to Savannah, GA • Moved at a rate of 10 miles per day, cutting a path of destruction 10 miles wide • Sherman’s ‘March to the Sea’ is often credited with breaking the South of its will to fight

35. Surrender at Appomattox • The battles involving Grant & Lee continued into 1865 • As Lee retreated from Petersburg in March 1865, he had few supplies & only 35,000 men • Grant’s troops pressed on, finally forcing Lee to surrender at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865

36. The Death of a President • Five days after Lee’s surrender, President Lincoln was shot while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC • He died the next day