Download Civil War Sections 1 and 2

CIVIL WAR SECTION 1
CHOOSING SIDES
• After Robert E. Lee turns down an offer to command the Union
forces, he joins the Confederacy.
• Advantages for the South:
1. Strong military (army) tradition (7 out of 8 military
colleges are located in the South.)
2. large area to conquer
3. South was fighting for Independence vs. the North was
fighting to preserve the Union
• Disadvantages for the South
1. Lack of industry
2. Lack of natural and human resources
3. Lack of finances to win the war
CHOOSING SIDES
• Advantages for the North:
1. 90% of the Nation’s factories were in the
North.
2. Larger population (22 millions vs. 9 million)
3. ¾ of the Navy’s warships were under Union
control.
4. Twice as many railroad tracks as the South
5. Controlled the national treasury and many
Northern banks held huge cash reserves
PARTY POLITICS IN THE NORTH
• Lincoln’s goal at the beginning of the war was to preserve the
Union.
• Division within the Democratic Party:
1. War Democrats- They supported the war to restore the
Union but opposed ending slavery.
2. Peace Democrats-They opposed the war and called for
reuniting the states through negotiation. Many Republicans
referred to the Peach Democrats as the Copperheads
because they thought they were traitors.
• Conscription (It was opposed by the many Democrats.)
• President Lincoln suspended the writs of habeas corpus which
meant an individual could be imprisoned indefinitely without a
trial. This was a very controversial measure during the war.
WEAK SOUTHERN GOVERNMENT
• The Confederate constitution emphasized states’
rights and limited the central government’s power.
This interfered with Confederate President Jefferson
Davis’s ability to conduct the war.
• Jefferson Davis faced opposition over conscription
and martial law in the South.
THE DIPLOMATIC CHALLENGE
• The North wanted to keep the European Powers (Great Britain
and France) out of the war.
• The South’s goal was recognition by Great Britain and France.
• When a Union warship intercepted a British warship to seize two
Confederate diplomats, the British sent an ultimatum to the
United States. Lincoln freed the two diplomats after a few tense
weeks and the incident became known as the Trent Affair.
THE FIRST MODERN WAR AND THE SOUTH’S STRATEGY
• The development of the conoidal bullet (minie ball)
made the war very bloody and horrific. It forced both
armies to eventually change it tactics. It was the first
conflict where trenches and barricades were used in
warfare.
• Attrition played a critical role during the war.
• Confederate President Jefferson Davis wanted to fight
a defensive war of attrition. Many Southerners were
outraged at the idea of a defensive war because they
thought their armies were superior. This offensive
minded approach would lead to many casualties for
the Confederate armies.
THE UNION’S ANACONDA PLAN
• Anaconda Plan (Developed by Union General Winfield Scott)
1. Blockade Confederate Ports
2. Divide the Confederacy in two (take control of the
Mississippi River)
3. Take the Confederate Capital at Richmond.
• The Union strategy was referred as the Anaconda Plan (slowly
strangle the enemy) by Northern newspapers.