Download Civil War Begins Notes - Mr. Kash`s History Page

The American
Civil War –
Beginnings
Presidential election of 1860
 In 1860, Stephan Douglas and Abraham
Lincoln ran against each other again, this
time for president.
 Lincoln had become well known from their
debates about slavery.
 This time, Lincoln won, becoming the 16th
president.
Southern States secede
 As soon as Lincoln won the election, the South
started to secede. This means the South split from
the Union. They no longer wanted to be part of
the United States.
 Supporters of secession based their arguments on
the idea of states’ rights. They said they had
voluntarily joined the union, so they could leave
when they wanted.
Confederate States of America
 On December 20, 1860, South
Carolina became the first state
to secede.
 A total of eleven states seceded
and formed the Confederate
States of America.
 They named Jefferson Davis as
president.
 They wrote a new Constitution
which made slavery legal.
Civil War
 A civil war is a war between people of the
same country.
 The American Civil War was fought to
keep the South from leaving the Union.
 Slavery was the major issue that separated
the North from the South.
The Civil War began at Fort
Sumter.
 Fort Sumter was in the South, and the
Union had a hard time defending the fort.
 There were 23 states in the Union (North)
at the beginning of the war.
 There were 11 states in the Confederacy
(South) at the beginning of the war.
North’s Advantages
 Many more people
 More factories, which could be used to
make weapons
 Many more miles of railroad tracks
South’s Advantages
 They were fighting at home.
 This would mean that they would be closer
to their supplies.
 They also would fight harder because they
were protecting their homes.
 The Confederacy also had superior
generals and better trained soldiers.
Battle of Bull Run
 One of the first battles of the war was the Battle
of Bull Run.
 The North realized after this battle that the war
would not be easy and would not be over soon.
New Weapons
 Many new weapons were used during the
Civil War.
 Ironclad ship - ship with iron plates on it to
protect it from cannon fire.
Other new weapons
 Deadlier cannons and
bullets
 More accurate rifles
Battle of Antietam
 First time the Confederacy invaded
Northern territory
 Bloodiest battle day in United States
history. 23,000 men lost their lives that
day.
 The Union army stopped the Confederate
army. This “victory” by the Union gave
President Lincoln the chance to announce
the abolition of slavery in the South.
Emancipation Proclamation
 Declared that all slaves
should be set free in the
Confederacy.
 It also allowed blacks to
serve in the Union army
and navy.
 South ignored the
Emancipation
Proclamation, but it did
change to focus of the
war to the issue of
slavery.
Women in the Civil War
 Women on both sides
worked during the
war. Many became
nurses. The most
famous nurse from
the Union was Clara
Barton.
 She also helped
organize the
American Red Cross.
Battle of Gettysburg
 The Confederate army
invaded the North once
again in the Battle of
Gettysburg.
 One of the bloodiest
battles of the war.
 90,000 Union soldiers
fought 75,000
Confederate soldiers.
 More than 50,000 men
were killed or wounded in
the battle.
 The Union won the Battle of Gettysburg.
 The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point of
the war. The Confederacy would never invade
Union territory again.
Gettysburg Address
 After the Battle of Gettysburg, President
Lincoln went to the battlefield to dedicate a
cemetery in honor of all those who had
died.
 Lincoln spoke for two minutes, but his
speech became very famous.
 It is called the Gettysburg Address.