Download The Civil War

The Civil War
1848-1877: Crisis of Union
1861-1864: Civil War
Slavery and Western Expansion
• Following the Mexican-American War, the
United States faced more questions about
slavery.
->The Fugitive Slave Act was a point of issue.
– Most Southerners thought they should be able to
“retrieve property” that crossed state lines.
– Many Northerners, in contrast, assisted escaped
slaves in avoiding capture.
->Many people also wondered how slavery
would be addressed in the new California
and Oregon territory.
Slavery and Western Expansion
Two types of advertisements became
popular: In the South, “Wanted” posters
advertising rewards for escaped slaves.
In the North, “Warning” signs for free
African Americans.
Slavery and Western Expansion
-> President Polk refused to take
a side on the slavery issue.
– Polk was a slave owner himself
– He thought no one would bother
taking slaves to the Southwest,
because the area was not good
for farming
– He called it “an abstract question”
- something that would be a
non-issue
-> When a debate broke out in Congress on the topic,
Polk responded with concern:
-> He said, the issue of slavery, “cannot fail to destroy the
Democratic Party, if it does not ultimately threaten the
Union itself.”
Slavery and Western Expansion
-> The Wilmot Proviso
• In August, 1846, David Wilmot
proposed an addition to a war
appropriations bill.
-> Wilmot suggested that, in any
territory the United States had
gained from Mexico: “neither
slavery nor involuntary
servitude shall ever exist.”
– Wilmot and many Democrats like him disliked Polk
and Polk’s non-opinion on slavery.
– Many also thought Polk was “Pro-Southern”,
because Polk was from North Carolina.
Slavery and Western Expansion
-> The Wilmot Proviso: Reaction
• The Wilmot Proviso enraged Southerners.
– Many thought that it was the first step to outlawing
slavery everywhere.
->The Proviso passed in the House, but the Senate
refused to vote on it. It was never put into action.
-> During the debate, John C. Calhoun prepared a series
of resolutions to counteract the Wilmot Proviso. These
are called the Calhoun Resolutions.
- Calhoun argued that the states owned the land, and that
Congress had no right to ban slavery in all of the new
territory.
- Instead, a policy of popular sovereignty was developed
- each new state would vote whether or not to allow
slavery.
Slavery and Western Expansion
-> Popular Sovereignty
-> Popular sovereignty was suggested by Lewis
Cass, of Michigan.
-> Many member of Congress liked the idea of
popular sovereignty - it removed the issue of
slavery from national politics.
• It also seemed “democratic”,
because it was the settlers
who would make the decision.
• Abolitionists disagreed saying it still denied African
Americans their right to not be
enslaved.
Politics and New Parties
• 1848: A new election was coming up.
• Whigs nominated Zachary Taylor as their presidential
candidate. However, the Whig party was starting to split…
-> Conscience Whigs: North
– Opposed slavery
– Did not like Taylor (thought he
would expand slavery westward)
-> Cotton Whigs: North
– Supported Taylor
– Voted with the Southern Whigs
– Mostly merchants who need access
to southern cotton
-> Southern Whigs: South
– Support Taylor
– Pro-slavery
Politics and New Parties
• Because of this split, many Conscience Whigs quit
the Whig party.
• Meanwhile, the Democrats were also facing issues.
• Democrats had nominated Lewis Cass instead of
Martin Van Buren as President. Many anti-slavery
Democrats did not like this.
-> These two unhappy factions
joined together
– The Democrats who were
unhappy with their party’s
nomination
– The Whigs who opposed
slavery
-> Together they formed the
Free Soil Party
Politics and New Parties
-> The Free-Soil Party had several major goals
-> Members of the Free Soil Party were against slavery
in the “free soil” of the western
territories.
• Many were against slavery because
it was immoral
• However, some also were opposed
to slavery because they thought
slavery would make it more difficult
for free men to find work.
-> The Free-Soil Party’s slogan was:
“Free soil, free speech, free labor,
and free men.”
The 1848 Election
• Candidates from the three parties - Whig,
Democrat, and Free-Soil campaigned for the
presidency
-> Democrat: Lewis Cass supported popular
sovereignty, and, voters in the South believed,
would veto the Wilmot Proviso if it was passed.
-> Free-Soil: Martin Van Buren was anti-slavery in
the west, and supported the Wilmot Proviso.
-> Whig: Zachary Taylor avoided the whole issue,
and refused to take a side on slavery.
-> The Free-Soil party split the votes in important
states. Ultimately, Taylor won the election.
Taylor and Compromises
• Within a year of Taylor winning the Presidency, slavery
again became an issue
-> In 1848, Prospectors discovered gold in California
-> By 1849, more than 80,000 “Forty-Niners” had arrived
to look for gold.
-> California had enough settlers to
apply for statehood, and the
question was - would it be a slave
or a free state?
• Though Taylor was generally
pro-slavery (being a Southern
slaveholder himself), he
encouraged the Californians to vote.
-> Popular sovereignty meant that
Californians voted. California
became a free state.
Taylor and Compromises
• The California issue forced people to
compromise.
-> The Compromise of 1850 was spearheaded by
Henry Clay, now called “The Great Compromiser”
-> The Compromise of 1850 said…
• California is a free state - Victory, North
• Popular sovereignty to determine slavery in new
territories in Utah, New Mexico etc. - Compromise
• Texas/New Mexico border resolved - Victory, South
• Slave trade abolished in Washington D.C. - Victory,
North
• Strong federal enforcement of Fugitive Slave Act Victory, South
Taylor and Compromises
• Almost immediately after
the Compromise of 1850,
Taylor died in office.
-> VP Millard Fillmore
became President
-> Fillmore supported the
Compromise.
-> For a short time, the
Compromise seemed
like it solved the slavery
problem.
• However, in the next few years, all sides began to
realize that a compromise would not be a
permanent solution.
Mounting Violence
• During the 1850’s and ‘60s, there
was even more conflict surrounding
slavery.
-> Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a novel
written in parts and published in
an anti-slavery newspaper.
Published as a book in 1852,
it sold 300,000 copies in its first year.
-> Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written
by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
• It tells the story of Tom, an enslaved hero, trying to gain
respect and freedom. It shows the overseer, and most white
characters, in a very negative light.
• Stowe was revolutionary - she was on of the first writers to
show African Americans as “real people”
• Many people who read her book soon joined the
abolitionist cause.
Fugitive Slave Act
• The Fugitive Slave Act had been added to the
Constitution to appease Southerners
• It was one of Clay’s many compromises
• However, to actually hurt the Southern cause by
creating hostility toward slavery in the North
-> It made Northerners (who otherwise might not have an
opinion) aware of the issue of slavery.
-> Under the Fugitive Slave Act (1850), a slave owner
only had to describe or point out an African American,
and claim that person was an escaped slave.
-> African Americans who were accused of being
escaped slaves had no right to a trial, and were often
kidnapped and sent south - whether they were actually
an escaped slave or not.
Fugitive Slave Act
• The Fugitive Slave At also offered a financial incentive for
local commissioners to find in favor of the slave-holder.
• The commissioner (person who decided if the “escaped
slave” was really escaped or not) often made $10 for
deciding in favor of the slave owner, and only $5 if he
decided in favor of the “escaped slave”.
• Further - any Northerner could be forced to help capture
escaped slaves. A person could be sent to jail for refusing
to help capture someone.
Henry Long was a free African American living in NYC, working
as a waiter. However, someone claimed that he was an
escaped slave. Long was kidnapped and forced into slavery in
Virginia. A NYC newspaper printed the story saying: “almost no
colored man is safe in our streets.”
The same thing happened to Solomon Northup – kidnapped in
Washington D.C. and forced into slavery in Louisiana.
Fugitive Slave Act
-> Politically, the Fugitive Slave
Act backfired.
• By forcing anti-slavery
Northerners to help capture
slaves, it made Northerners
angry.
• Frederick Douglass - abolitionist, orator, and writer
would ask his audiences if they
would give up a fleeing African
American to the “pursuing
bloodhounds”. The crowd would respond with a
resounding, “NO!”
-> The Fugitive Slave Act actually increased
dissent/defiance; and made more people join the
abolitionist movement.
The Underground Railroad
-> Even though the Fugitive Slave Act meant that
anyone helping a slave escape would face huge
fines and jail time, this didn’t stop people.
-> Instead, they created the Underground Railroad.
• The Underground Railroad was informal, but well
organized.
• It helped thousands of slaves escape
• Members of the Railroad (conductors) transported
runaways north in secret.
-> The goal of the Railroad was to get the runaways
safely to free states, and, in many cases, to
Canada.
The Underground Railroad
-> The most well known of the conductors
was Harriet Tubman - also called
Moses
• Tubman was born as Araminta Ross, in
slavery in Maryland.
• At age 13, when she tried to save
another slave from being beaten, an
overseer cracked her skull. Tubman
recovered, but would experience
blackouts for the rest of her life.
• As a young woman, Harriet married
John Tubman, a free African American.
• However, law at the time said any
children they had would be slaves (as
Harriet was a slave). Tubman escaped
to freedom at age 29.
The Underground Railroad
• Tubman’s joy at being free inspired her to help others.
• After Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, Tubman
returned to the South 19 times to guide more people to
freedom
• Though there were huge rewards for her capture, Tubman
was never caught, and she never lost a passenger freeing 70 people herself, and helping another 60 to escape
with other conductors.
• Over her career, Tubman managed to free, among many
others - her parents, her brothers, and most of her nieces
and nephews.
• By the end of her conducting career, a $40,000 reward was
offered for her capture. (You could buy a farm for $400).
The Underground Railroad
• During the Civil War, Tubman joined
the Union side
• She worked to free Southern slaves
across enemy lines, and also as a
nurse
• She was also the first woman to lead
an armed assault during the Civil War
- destroying plantations and guiding
steamboats around Confederate mines.
• Despite her work during the Civil War,
Tubman was not paid until years after
the War. Her status as an African
American, and as a woman made her “ineligible” for pay.
• During the rest of her life, she worked for women’s suffrage
(the right to vote), and rights for African Americans.
• She died in 1913, at age 93.
The Underground Railroad
• Tubman was once asked what she thought
Abraham Lincoln should do about slavery.
-> Tubman responded by talking about slavery as a
snake…
• A person can continue to treat snake bites, and
heal, but the snake will continue to bite until it is
dead. In order to actually make a difference, the
snake must be killed.
• Thanks to Tubman and other conductors like her,
thousands of slaves were guided to freedom, first
in free states, and then in Canada.
The Transcontinental Railroad
• Even with people spreading
to the West to settle, there
were still regional issues.
• Settlers still thought of
themselves as Northerners
or Southerners - causing
sectionalism even in the
West.
• Adding California as a
state also made people
realize that the country
needed a way to travel Westward easier, and to
connect the East and West.
-> The transcontinental railroad was built to connect
the East Coast to the rest of the country.
The Transcontinental Railroad
• The Transcontinental Railroad was not
finished until after the Civil War.
• The finished Railroad was built on both
sides by recent immigrants. Working
east-to-west were Irish laborers.
Working from the west coast eastward
were immigrants from China.
• Though on both sides, the work
was hard and the pay very little,
many immigrants made enough
money to buy homes, and even
transport their families into the
United States.
The Transcontinental Railroad
• The transcontinental railroad had a broad appeal,
but the choice of its eastern starting point became
a new issue in the sectional conflict.
-> Southerners wanted the train to start in New
Orleans, but this would mean that it had to pass
through northern Mexico.
• Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis, sent James
Gadsden to buy this land from Mexico.
-> The Gadsden Purchase added a 30,000 square
mile strip of land to southern Arizona and New
Mexico.
The Transcontinental Railroad
->
Northerners wanted the train to start in
Chicago.
• However, this would mean organizing the territory
in the area into states.
• Stephen Douglas was the man in charge of
organizing this territory. He wanted to create
Nebraska.
-> Southern senators, however, prevented the bill
from being passed - saying that, if Douglas wanted
the Nebraska territory organized for the railroad, he
would need to allow slavery in the new territory.
Kansas-Nebraska Act
-> The Original Idea: The large Nebraska territory would be
allowed to exercise popular sovereignty when it came to
slavery. Because of the Missouri Compromise, it would
probably be a free state.
• The Problem: Southern senators saw though this, and
refused to vote.
-> The New Plan: Douglas suggested undoing the Missouri
compromise. He also suggested breaking the region into two
territories - Kansas and Nebraska.
• Kansas was intended for slavery. Nebraska would be free.
-> The Reaction: This outraged Northern Democrats and
Whigs. Free-Soilers called the act an “atrocious plot”. They
said removing the Missouri Compromise meant they were
approving slavery.
-> The Result: Even though not everyone supported it, the
Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed in May, 1854
Bleeding Kansas
-> Kansas became the first battleground between
those favoring slavery and those opposing it.
• Eastern Kansas had territory that was good for
farming - Southern settlers moving there would be
likely to bring slaves.
• To prevent this, Northerners raced to occupy the
territory first - hoping to create an anti-slavery
majority before Southerners came in.
-> Pro-slavery settlers called “border ruffians”
formed a pro-slavery government in Lecompton
-> Anti-slavery settlers formed their own
government in Topeka.
• By March 1856, Kansas had two governments.
Bleeding Kansas
-> On May 21, 1856, border
ruffians attacked the antislavery town of Lawrence
• The ruffians wrecked
printing presses, robbed
and looted shops and
homes, and burned the
home of the free-state
governor.
-> Newspapers began calling
the area “Bleeding
Kansas”.
-> Within six months, 200
people had died in the
fighting as a miniature civil
war sprung up in Kansas.
This political cartoon shows Pres.
Millard Fillmore breaking up a fight
between a “rascally abolitionist” (left)
and a “border ruffian” (right)
The Republican Party
• Anger over the Kansas-Nebraska Act split many of
the political parties. Many members of the FreeSoil Party, and anti-slavery Whigs and Democrats
formed a new party.
-> In July 1854, the Republican Party was officially
organized.
- This was not the first Republican Party - they named
themselves after Jefferson’s party from nearly 100 years
before.
• Republicans did not agree on whether slavery
should be abolished in the South.
-> However, they DID agree that slavery should not
spread to new territories in the West.
The Know-Nothings
• At the same time, public anger against the
Northern Democrats meant a new party was
formed against them.
-> The Know-Nothings was an anti-Catholic, antiimmigration, and nativist party.
-> Know-Nothings feared that new immigrants
(especially the Irish) would steal American jobs.
• Because of anti-Catholic (anti-Irish) prejudice, the
Know-Nothing party was actually very popular.
-> Despite this popularity, the Know-Nothings
eventually split over the issue of slavery.
Eventually, the Know-Nothings in the North joined
the Republican Party.
The Election of 1856
• During the Election of 1856, there were three major
parties.
• Republicans nominated John C. Fremont famous Western explorer
• Know-Nothings chose former President Millard
Fillmore (hoping to get former Whigs to vote for
him)
-> Democrats nominated James Buchanan.
Buchanan had huge support in the South, but his
home state was Pennsylvania, so he also had
Northern supporters.
-> Buchanan won the election.
Dred Scott
• By this point, many Southern members of Congress were
pressuring the Supreme Court to come to a decision in
favor (or against) slavery.
-> Dred Scott v. Sandford became this landmark case.
-> Dred Scott was a slave, suing for his freedom.
-> Scott’s master (Sandford) had taken him into a free state,
and then back to Missouri. Scott argued that he had
become free when in the free state, and sued Sandford for
his freedom.
-> Chief Justice Taney decided in favor of Sandford. Taney’s
rationale: Dred Scott was an African American, and free or
not, African Americans were not citizens. Non-citizens
could not sue. He dismissed the case.
Kansas Cont.
• President Buchanan also needed to find a solution to
Bleeding Kansas.
• Buchanan urged Kansans on both sides (pro-slavery
and anti-slavery) to write a constitution, and make
Kansas officially a slave or free state.
-> Pro-slavery Kansans wrote the LeCompton
Constitution. This document was heavily in favor of
slavery, and would have made Kansas a slave state.
• Anti-slavery Kansans were furious.
-> They took a vote, and a compromise was reached.
-> Kansas would have to wait two years to become a
state, but it would be a free state when it was added.
John Brown’s Raid
• John Brown was an abolitionist, who, in 1859,
decided to take a more violent approach.
-> Brown and 18 followers seized an arsenal of
weapons in Virginia, and began a rebellion against
the slave owners in the area.
• His plan was to free the slaves in the town - using
force if necessary.
• Brown’s Raid only lasted 36 hours - it was put down
by a young Colonel - Robert E. Lee.
• Brown was sentenced to death…
-> Many Northerners saw Brown as a martyr for the
abolitionist cause.
-> Southerners saw this Northern support as an active
plot against them… more conflict was brewing.
Lincoln
-> Brown’s raid was a turning point for the south - many
Southerners were angry that a slave revolt would
have so much support form the North.
• Many Southerners blamed the Republican party.
• Meanwhile, the Democratic Party was again splitting
- Southern Democrats wanted to develop an official
slave code for new states. Northern Democrats
supported popular sovereignty.
• This Democratic split weakened the party.
Democrats selected John Breckinridge as their
Presidential candidate.
-> However, Republican newcomer Abraham Lincoln
won the election of 1860.
Lincoln
• Abraham Lincoln was born February
12, 1809.
• Lincoln’s parents, Thomas and
Nancy, had settled on the frontier
of Kentucky. By the time Abraham
was born, his parents owned 600
acres of land in the area.
• However, they soon lost it all
because of faulty paperwork.
The Lincolns were forced to
move to Ohio.
• Though slavery was not an immediate issue for the
Lincolns, the family was not in favor of it, and one of
the reasons for their moving to Ohio was because it
was a free state.
Lincoln
• Abraham’s mother died when he was only 9.
• The cause of death was milk sickness - caused by drinking milk
from a cow that had eaten white snakeroot. At the time, it was a
common cause of death on the frontier.
• Abraham’s father re-married, to a widow with three of
her own children. Abraham was close with his stepmother, Sarah, and called her “Mother”
• Abraham did not like hard work as a pre-teen, and
many in the community called him lazy.
• However, as he grew older, Abraham realized he
needed to contribute to the family, and willingly did
chores.
• Lincoln gained a reputation for strength and brawn. He
was once challenged to a wrestling match by the
leader of a local “gang of ruffians”. Lincoln won easily.
Lincoln
• Lincoln was close with his step-mother, but grew
apart from his father.
• Lincoln had very little formal education, but he was
an avid reader, and taught himself most subjects.
Because his father was uneducated, the two grew
apart.
• The Lincoln family left Ohio because of an
outbreak of milk sickness, and moved to Illinois. At
this point, Abraham (aged 22) decided to strike out
on his own, and left the family.
• Lincoln hiked and took a flatboat down to New
Orleans, Louisiana, to sell goods. In Louisiana,
however, Lincoln witnessed slavery for the first
time. Disgusted, he walked back to Illinois.
Lincoln - Family
• In 1840, Lincoln married a young woman named Mary Todd.
• This was not Lincoln’s first romance - he had been in other
relationships before, but never had advanced to marriage.
• Lincoln had cold feet. On the day of his
wedding, a friend asked “where are you
going?” Lincoln responded: “to hell, I
suppose…”
• The marriage was happy at first, however,
the Lincolns soon faced tragedy.
• Robert was born in 1843 - lived to adulthood
• Eddie: born 1846 - died 1850 (tuberculosis)
• Willie: born 1850 - died 1862
• Tad: born 1853 - died 1871 (heart failure)
• Both parents were devastated by the loss of their three sons.
Lincoln suffered melancholy (depression) throughout his life, and
Mary Todd had to be committed to a mental hospital later in hers.
Lincoln - Politics
• Lincoln tried many careers before settling on politics.
• He owned a general store, but sold it when it stopped making
money. Later, he ran for representative of the Illinois General
Assembly (Illinois State Government). Despite being popular,
and a good speaker, he lost.
• During one of his speeches, he noticed a man being attacked in the
crowd. Lincoln jumped down and grabbed the assailant by “the back of
his neck and the seat of his trousers” and threw him. Lincoln then
finished his speech.
• Later, Lincoln was a mailman, then decided to become a
lawyer. Lincoln taught himself law by studying books.
• Lincoln ran for the Assembly again, and won, and was also
admitted into the Bar (recognized as a lawyer)
• Lincoln served four years on the Illinois senate.
Lincoln - Slavery
• Throughout his life, Lincoln had different
opinions on slavery.
• As a young man, he was disgusted by it
- choosing to return home rather than
stay in Louisiana.
• As a statesman in Illinois, Lincoln said
the: "Institution of slavery is founded on
both injustice and bad policy, but the
promulgation of abolition doctrines
tends rather to increase than abate its
evils…”
• Essentially “slavery is bad, but the abolitionists are too extreme”.
• Later elected to the United States House of Representatives,
Lincoln helped draft a bill to abolish slavery (it was voted
down) and supported the Wilmot Proviso.
Lincoln - Lawyer
• Lincoln returned to Illinois after only one term in the U.S.
Congress. He practiced law.
• Mostly, Lincoln was hired in cases of property disputes and
transportation issues - with new railroads and river lines
becoming more and more popular.
• Lincoln also developed a patent for a flotation device - he is
the only president to hold a patent.
• Lincoln often used science/reasoning to help him win his
cases.
• In one case, he was defending a man accused of committing murder.
• A witness said they had seen the murder happen “by moonlight”
• Lincoln whipped out a farmer’s almanac to prove that, in the night in
question, the moon was not out.
• Lincoln won the case.
Lincoln - Politician
• Lincoln began campaigning for Illinois
senator - against Stephen Douglas
(creator of the Kansas-Nebraska Act).
• Douglas and Lincoln had a series of
debates that became so popular that
they drew crowds.
• Lincoln argued that slavery should be
abolished, that “all men are created
equal”, and that “The Slave Power”
was threatening the nation.
• Douglas argued for popular sovereignty,
allowing the people to vote
democratically for or against slavery, saying that Lincoln was
trying to stop progress.
• The vote was very close, but Lincoln lost the race.
Lincoln - Politician
• In May, 1860, Lincoln started to run for President.
• His campaign team emphasized Lincoln’s humble roots being born in a log cabin, on the frontier.
• He became known
as “the rail
candidate” - both
because he split
wooden rails as
a young man,
and because he
would bring
“balance” to the
country - splitting
the difference
between politics
and abolitionism.
Lincoln - President
• Though Lincoln was famous for his speeches, he gave none
during his campaign for President.
• Instead, he relied on the work of the Republican party.
• Most of the Republicans focused on Lincoln’s childhood on
the frontier - emphasizing the positives of “free labor”.
• Lincoln gained support from Republicans, former Whigs, Free
Soil people, and some anti-slavery Democrats.
-> November 6, 1860, Lincoln was elected President.
-> Though Lincoln won the popular vote - this support was only
from the North and West. In most slave states, he received no
votes at all.
-> By the time Lincoln was elected, secessionists made it clear
that they were going to leave the Union.
Lincoln - Crisis of Union
• South Carolina was the first
state to secede - followed
by Florida, Mississippi,
Georgia, Louisiana and
Texas.
-> These states adopted a
Constitution, calling
themselves “The
Confederate States of America”
• The Confederacy elected Jefferson
Davis as its President in 1861.
Lincoln - Crisis of Union
• Even before Lincoln was officially inaugurated, he was facing
a huge crisis.
• At first, Lincoln considered compromises to appease the
southern states, but ultimately rejected them - saying that he
did not want to “buy” their support.
• Lincoln directed his inaugural address at the South:
“…I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with
the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe
I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do
so… Those who nominated and elected me did so with full
knowledge that I had made this and many similar declarations
and had never recanted them…”
• What does Lincoln mean by this? 3 minute response (Use a
separate piece of paper – it will be collected!)
Lincoln - Civil War
• Despite Lincoln’s appeal for unity, war could not be avoided.
-> The first battle was at Fort Sumter.
• Fort Sumter was in Georgia.
• The commander of the Fort asked Lincoln to send supplies to
the fort.
• This was seen by the Confederacy as an act of war.
-> April 12, 1861 - Confederate troops opened fire at Fort Sumter.
Officially beginning the war.
-> April 15, 1861: Lincoln called for troops to go to the South to
reclaim forts and to “preserve the Union”.
• This forced states to officially choose sides - were they for secession,
or for the Union?
-> Lincoln believed that, though the South had declared itself to
be a separate country, it was still part of the United States.
• Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas all joined
the Confederacy.
Lincoln - Civil War
Lincoln - Civil War
• Lincoln saw that the Civil War
was progressing quickly.
• He responded by acting as
commander in chief of the
army - taking control during
a military crisis in a way that
no President had done
before.
-> Lincoln expanded his war
powers.
-> Imposed a blockade on Southern ports
-> Disbursed funds without consulting with Congress
-> Suspended habeas corpus (right to a fair trial)
-> Arrested thousands of suspected Confed. sympathizers
Lincoln - Civil War
• Lincoln was commended in the North for these
actions. However, he faced issues politically.
• Lincoln needed to make sure that all political parties in the
North supported him, and his
decisions.
-> Some criticized him for moving
slowly to abolish slavery, or for
not taking a hard line against
the South.
-> In response to this, Lincoln
signed the Confiscation Act
-> This allowed Union soldiers to
confiscate and free slaves in the
Confederacy.
Lincoln - Civil War
• The Trent Affair: Showing Lincoln’s foreign policy
-> Union ships intercepted a British ship, the USS
Trent and confiscated goods
• They also arrested two Confederate diplomats
found on the ship.
-> Lincoln had to
move fast to
avoid
international
conflict.
-> He ordered
the men
released.
Lincoln - Civil War
-> Lincoln learned war strategy and technical terms
from a book: Elements of Military Art and Science.
• He took an active role in leading the war effort meeting with his cabinet twice a week.
-> Lincoln had two major goals during the early Civil
War:
->Ensuring that Washington D.C. was well-defended
-> Conducting an aggressive war effort that would quickly
ensure victory for the North.
• Lincoln also understood the importance of holding
strategic points - such as controlling the Mississippi
River - and of defeating the enemy army (not just
taking territory).
Lincoln - Civil War
-> The First Battle of Bull Run: Confederate Victory
• Lincoln appointed General McClellan as Generalin-chief of the whole Union Army - a decision he
would regret later.
• McClellan took too long to get organized, and
failed in his campaigns. Lincoln fired him.
• Lincoln wanted to take Richmond, Virginia, from the
North.
• He was supported by Gen. Halleck and John
Pope
• This was also unsuccessful.
-> Second Battle of Bull Run: Confederate Victory
Lincoln - Civil War
-> TURNING POINT: Battle of Antietam:
September 1862: Union Victory
• Confederate troops under Gen. Lee attempt
to invade Maryland, hoping to gain a victory
on Northern soil.
• Union General McClellan led Union troops to
pursue Lee’s army
• The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest
one day battle in American history.
• 6,000 men killed, 16,000 wounded
-> Ultimately, Lee’s army suffered so many
casualties that they had to retreat to Virginia
Lincoln - Civil War
-> Battle of Antietam:
September 1862: Union
Victory
• Confed. General
Robert E. Lee is
defeated for the
first time.
-> Lincoln issues his
Emancipation
Proclamation - he
had been waiting
for a Union Victory
to issue it.
Civil War - Final Battles
-> By Spring, 1864 the Union army was controlled by
General Ulysses S. Grant
•Grant had a mediocre career before the Civil War.
– He was a mediocre student, a
failed businessman, and an
undistinguished officer.
– However, it was his strategic
decisions that won the war for
the Union.
-> Grant insisted on “unconditional
surrender” after winning battles
– He gained a reputation for never
compromising with the enemy.
Civil War - Final Battles
• Lincoln placed Grant in command of all the Union
troops.
• Grant won battle after battle
– He pushed the Union army relentlessly - chasing Robert E.
Lee’s Confederate army out of Union territory and back South.
– However, Grant’s tactics also meant that some called him a
“butcher” - accusing him of continuing to fight despite
mounting casualties.
-> Grant captured Vicksburg, giving the Union control of
the Mississippi River.
-> A victory at Chattanooga allowed the Union army to
invade Georgia.
• Lincoln gave Grant the title of Lieutenant General
Lincoln - Civil War
-> Battle of Gettysburg:
Union Victory.
• Largest number of
casualties during the
war. Combined
casualties between
46,000 and 51,000
lost.
• However, turning
point for the war - Union begins winning.
• This forced the Confederate army to begin to retreat.
-> After the Battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln gave his nowfamous Gettysburg Address. He said that…
• “ …a government of the people, by the people, for the
people, shall not perish from the earth!”
Civil War - Final Battles
• The Wilderness Campaign
- Grant and Lee’s armies faced off in the forests of Virginia.
- Battle lasted two days - even in the choking smoke of the burning
forest.
- Grant didn’t allow his troops to rest, forcing them to march until
they reached Spotsylvania.
• Cold Harbor
- Grant couldn’t defeat the Confederates at Spotsylvania, and moved
on to Cold Harbor instead.
- Grant lost 7,000 troops.
- Lee’s army lost 1,500.
- Grant: “I regret this assault more than any one I have ever ordered.”
Civil War - Final Battles
• The Siege of Petersburg
- Grant realized that fighting through the lines at Petersburg
would cost a lot of lives.
- He decided to put the city under siege.
- What is a siege?
A siege is when an army surrounds a stronghold held
by their enemy. They prevent supplies from getting
into the stronghold, and wait the enemy out.
- After 9 months, Lee couldn’t hold out any longer.
- Lee and his army tried to escape Petersburg, but were met by
Grant’s troops.
Civil War - Final Battles
-> Mobile, Alabama
– David Farragut took
the Union fleet
(ships) into Mobile
Bay.
– > Farragut closed off
the bay
– This meant the South
could not get any
supplies shipped in.
-> Atlanta, Georgia
– General William T.
Sherman has his army
cut supply routes and
ruin railroad tracks.
– Sherman necktie: a
bent railroad tie
Civil War - Final Battles
• Sherman’s March to the Sea
– Sherman’s next step was to divide the Confederacy
– If he marched his army to the sea, he would greatly
weaken the Confederate states.
– Sherman’s army marched through Atlanta and
destroyed everything in their path. Sherman’s army
burned down more than 1/3rd of the city.
– From Georgia, the army moved through South Carolina.
– There, Sherman’s army wreaked havoc on the state burning, pillaging, and taking supplies.
Why did the Union Army focus much of its anger at South Carolina?
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union. Many
blamed it for starting the war.
Civil War - Surrender
• The Union Army surrounds Richmond, VA (the
Confederate Capital)
• Robert E. Lee is forced to surrender to Ulysses S.
Grant on April 9, 1865.
• Grant - famous for only allowing unconditional
surrender in battle - gave generous terms
• What were the terms
Termsof
ofsurrender?
Surrender
- The United States would not prosecute Confederate soldiers for
treason
- Confederate soldiers could return home with their horses to “put
in a crop”
- All “arms and supplies” would be given to the Union army
Why were these terms so generous?
Civil War - Reelection
• Lincoln was reelected in 1864.
• He worried that the unpopular war would make him
lose the election, but Union victories helped gain
support for Lincoln.
• As the first act of his second term, Lincoln passed
the Thirteenth Amendment.
The Thirteenth Amendment
- Outlawed slavery in the United States
- Freed all slaves
HOWEVER: African Americans were still not officially citizens,
and could not vote.
Lincoln - Second Term
• Lincoln won re-election in 1864.
• The focus of his second term was on
Reconstruction
• He wanted to repair the
damage done to the war,
and to smooth relations
with the whole country.
• However, Lincoln did not
get the chance to see all
of this to completion.
Lincoln - Assassination
• John Wilkes Booth was a well-known actor
and Confederate sympathizer - though he
never joined the Confederate army.
• By April 1865, Booth had decided to
assassinate the President.
• Booth learned that the President was
going to be attending a play at Ford’s
theatre.
-> The plan was to assassinate Lincoln,
Vice President Johnson, Secretary of State Seward and
General Grant all on the same night.
• Booth did not act alone. Lewis Powell and David Herold
were supposed to kill Seward, and Georged Atzerodt was
supposed to kill VP Johnson. Mary Surratt was later
included in the conspiracy for helping to hide the injured
Booth.
Lincoln - Assassination
• Lincoln, his wife, and a few others were seated in a private
balcony to watch the play Our American Cousin.
• At intermission, Lincoln’s bodyguard left to join the
coachman for drinks.
• At 10:13 PM, Booth crept up behind Lincoln, aimed, and shot
him at point blank range. Lincoln suffered a mortal injury.
• Another man in the booth - Henry Rathbone - grappled with
Booth, but Booth escaped by leaping from the balcony.
• Booth landed on the stage
and said, “Sic semper
tyrannis!” or “Thus always
to tyrants”.
• Most people thought this was
part of the show - Booth was
a famous actor. They thought
it was a cameo appearance.
Lincoln - Death
• Lincoln was not killed immediately doctors attended to him in the theatre, and
realized that the wound was mortal.
• Lincoln was moved to a nearby boarding
house, and died a few minutes after
midnight.
• Booth fled the city - encountering little
resistance. However, he was caught 10
days later.
• Booth refused to go quietly.
• A soldier named Boston Corbett shot
Booth in the back of the neck, severing his
spinal cord.
• None of the other planned assassinations
were successful.
• Andrew Johnson became President, and
now had to face the reconstruction of the
Union.