Download The Civil War - Social Circle City Schools

 As America moved closer and closer to the next
Presidential Election, the hostility between pro-slavery
and anti-slavery grew more and more intense.
 In 1859 you have John Browns raid on Harpers Ferry.
Hoping to start a slave uprising John Brown and his
men raided a federal arsenal and held captive 60
leading figures of the area. This was put down by
Colonel Robert E. Lee
 Then mobs in the south assaulted those who held antislavery views.
 Democrats- Stephen Douglas
 Wanted territories to decide for themselves whether or
not it would become a free or slave state
 Southern Democrats were not happy with this choice
so the party split and they chose John Breckinridge
 Slavery should be brought into Americas territory.
 Republicans – Abraham Lincoln
 Does not want slavery in territories but did not want to
erase slavery all together.
 Constitutional Union Party – John Bell
 Ignored the issue of slavery all together
 Lincoln won the
Presidential Election!
 Won 180 electoral votes
 Received 39% of the
popular vote
 Only received 1,926 votes
from the South
 15 Slave states were furious!
Even though Lincoln
promised not to erase the
institution of slavery they
did not believe him.
 With Lincoln winning the
election, the South felt like
they had lost their political
voice. Some called upon
their states to secede from
the Union. They wanted to
keep their culture and
lifestyle.
 December 20, 1860 South
Carolina became the first
state to secede.
 By March of 1861 Mississippi,
Florida, Alabama, Georgia,
Louisiana, and Texas had all
seceded.
 The states that had
seceded from the Union
joined together in
Montgomery, Alabama to
form a Confederacy.
 The constitution closely
resembled that of the
United States with some
small differences.
 President – Jefferson
Davis
They created a new flag known
as the Stars and Bars.
 Members of Congress,
those in various federal
departments, and even
those in the Presidents
cabinet started turning
in their resignations.
 Seemed like the federal
government was melting
away!
 All before Lincoln even
took office.
 On March 4th, Lincoln
gives his inaugural
address.
 Urged Confederate.
states to return
 Assures that it is not his
intention to abolish
slavery and would
uphold the fugitive slave
act
 Promised to protect
federal property even
though they left the
Union.
 Fort Sumter in South
Carolina was one of the
last few in Union hands
by the time Lincoln took
office. Confederate forces
were now demanding that
they either surrender or
face an attack.
 With supplies running
low Major Anderson
wrote to Lincoln for help.
 What should Lincoln do?
 Lincoln decided to send
provisions on unarmed
boats to Fort Sumter.
 Jefferson Davis’s reaction –
fire on the fort!
 April 12, 1861 Confederate
men began shelling Fort
Sumter. It lasted 36 hrs
before Anderson
surrendered.
 Not a single American
soldier was killed, but it
marked the start of the
Civil War
 On April 17th , Virginia was
unwilling to fight against
other Southern states and
therefore seceded.
 Virginia was a huge gain for
the Confederacy. It was the
most populated and the
most industrialized.
 However, counties in west
Virginia were anti-slavery
and they seceded from
Virginia, creating a new
state for the Union – West
Virginia in 1863.
 In May, Arkansas,
Tennessee, and North
Carolina join the
Confederacy.
 Slave states remaining in
the Union – Maryland,
Delaware, Kentucky, and
Missouri.
What do you think are some advantages of the North and of the South
for this upcoming war?
 Population – 21 million in
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the north vs. 9 million in
the south.
Industry – Almost all
industry was in the north.
South did not have a single
rifle works
Railroads were twice as
dense.
Navy
Lincoln proved to be a
good leader.
 First-rate generals
 Soldiers were better
horsemen and riflemen
 Most fighting on its own
territory (home-field
advantage)
 Objective– Fighting for
independence
 Confederate Plan: Fight a
defensive war.
 Encouraged to invade the
north if the opportunity
presents itself
 Main objective – to preserve
the Union
 Plan –
 Use navy to blockade the
southern ports
 Split the Confederacy in two
along the Mississippi River
 Capture the Confederate
capital at Richmond,
Virginia
 Known as the Anaconda
Plan
 An army of 30,000 Union troops marched towards
Richmond, Virginia. Only 100 miles from Washington
D.C.
 Along the way Union soldiers came upon a
Confederate army near a little creek of Bull Run.
Lincoln commanded General Irvin McDowell to
attack.
 The attack began on July 21st 1861
 The Union army had the upper hand until Confederate
reinforcements arrived. This turned the tide of battle
ending in the first victory for the South.
General Thomas Jackson
 April 25, 1862 Farragut took
control of New Orleans for
the Union, the most
important port city in the
Confederacy.
 On the eastern side,
Lincoln gets frustrated
with General George
McClellan for not
marching onto Richmond.
McClellan was known to be
slow and cautious.
 In the spring of 1862
McClellan finally decides
he is ready to march onto
Richmond.
 After a series of battles
against Robert E. Lee
and Jackson, McClellan
backed away from
Richmond even though
the south had fewer
soldiers and suffered
higher casualties.
 It was during these battles
that the personalities of
these Generals became
known.
 Jackson gains a reputation
as a brilliant general. He
was strong, tough, and
calm on the battlefield.
 Lee was known to be
determined and a bit
unorthodox. His tactics
unnerved McClellan to
retreat.
 After McClellan’s retreat,
Lee made plans to move
against Washington DC.
 Luckily for McClellan, a
corporal discovered that
Lee and Jackson’s armies
were separated for the time
being.
 McClellan decided to
attack and the two armies
fought on September 17
near a creek called
Antietam.
 The battle ended in a draw, but the Confederacy
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retreated the next day due to dwindling numbers.
Much to the chagrin of Lincoln, McClellan did not
pursue them. Many believed that if he did the war
could have ended then and there.
This battle proved to be the bloodiest single day battle
in American history.
Casualties totaled more than 26,000. As many as the
War of 1812 and the war with Mexico combined.
Lincoln ends up firing McClellan a couple months
later.
 A growing number of
Americans were wondering
why the Union was having a
hard time dealing with the
Confederacy.
 By the fall of 1862 the tide
seemed to be turning
against the Union.
 Many in the north said that
the war was futile. The cost
of lives and money was a
waist and to let the
Confederacy have their own
nation.
 These groups of people were
known as Copperheads.
 Some of these people would discourage men from enlisting
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in the army and would even try to convince soldiers to
desert.
In response Lincoln decided to suspend the writ of habeas
corpus in many states. This meant that people could be
placed in prison without proof as to why they are there.
As a result more than 13,000 suspected Confederate
sympathizers were arrested and held without trial.
Supreme Court Chief Justice declared that Lincoln had
gone beyond his constitutional powers.
Lincolns’ actions had set a precedent that expanded
presidential powers during war or for “national security”.
 Due to heavy casualties and
widespread desertions, both
the Confederacy and the
Union established
conscription.
 All men between the ages of
20-45 could be drafted.
 However you could avoid
conscription by either
paying $300 to the
government or hire a
substitute to go in your
place.
 “rich man’s war but a poor
man’s fight.”
 With the growing
number of dissent in the
north and Abolitionists
at his back about ending
slavery, Lincoln decided
that the Union needed
another motive to
continue fighting and
win the war.
 Gave the war a high moral purpose.
 Prevented other nations from joining or recognizing
the Confederacy as a nation.
 Allowed blacks into the military.
 Made the Confederacy more determined than ever to
fight to preserve its way of life.
 Ended the option of compromise with the Confederacy
– it was now a fight to the death.
Southern Shortages
 Loss of manpower (from
soldiers to slaves) to work
in the fields as well as the
blockade made food hard
to come by.
 Other needed items were
short in supply as well.
Clothes, ammunition,
rifles, etc. were hard to
come by and many women
did their best to make
many of these items by
hand.
Northern Growth
 The factories in the
north saw a boom in
demand due to the war.
 Unfortunately
corruption followed.
Prices rose but wages did
not. And they started
using shoddy material
but sold them at high
prices.
 In May of 1863, the South
defeated the North at
Chancellorsville, Virginia.
 It was a great victory but soon
after on May 2, a heavy blow
befell the Confederates.
 On his return from a patrol,
Confederate guards mistook
Stonewall Jackson for a Yankee
and shot him in the arm.
 A surgeon amputated his arm
but he caught pneumonia and
died on May 10.
 Before Jackson’s death, he
and Lee were a great team.
The two of them worked
very well together.
 However, Lee must continue
on. With the Confederates
holding the military
advantage, Lee wants to
invade the North.
 He hopes that a victory on
northern soil will help sway
politics in the north towards
pro-Southern Democrats.
 Thus he pushes forward into
Pennsylvania.
 The Battle of Gettysburg
was an unplanned one.
Many of the Confederate
soldiers led by A.P. Hill were
barefoot and heard of shoe
supplies in the town of
Gettysburg.
 Along the way they ran into
Union cavalry under Officer
John Buford.
 Buford quickly ordered his
men to take defensive
positions on the hills and
ridges surrounding the
town.
 Shooting soon attracted
reinforcement from both
sides.
 The North was soon under
the command of General
George Meade, and the
South under Lee.
 The Confederates took
control of the town. Lee
knew, however, that the
battle would not be won
until the North yield their
positions up on Cemetery
Ridge.
 The day started with 90,000
Yankees and 75,000 Rebels.
 Under Lee’s orders,
Confederate men under
Longstreet attacked those on
Cemetery Ridge.
 Union Colonel Chamberlain
and his men defended the
ridge at all costs. Once his
men ran out of ammunition
he ordered a bayonet charge.
 Rebels exhausted from
fighting uphill and the 25
mile march the previous day
surrendered in droves.
 Lee ordered an artillery
barrage on the middle of
Union lines. For 2hrs the
exchange occurred from
both sides.
 Once it became silent Lee
insisted General Pickett
and his men press forward.
 Northern artillery soon fell
upon them as they
attacked uphill. Devastated
the Confederacy staggered
back.
 This is known as Pickett’s
charge.
 Lee then ordered a cavalry
attack circling around the
right flank of Meade’s
forces.
 Instead of surprising
Meade they came upon
more Union troops.
 The South lost the battle
and Lee gave up hopes of
invading the North.
 This battle was considered
the turning point in the
war. The Confederacy never
recovered from the losses of
Gettysburg.
 Vicksburg, Mississippi was
one of only two
Confederate holdouts
remaining on the
Mississippi River. If Union
forces take them they
control the river.
 To prepare for an attack,
Grant sends men out to
destroy rail lines in the
center of the state.
 Thus drawing attention
and soldiers away from
Vicksburg.
 Grant was now able to land
infantry south of the port
and in 18 days they sacked
the states capital city,
Jackson.
 Grant and his troops then
rush to Vicksburg.
 Grant realized he could not
quickly take the city so he
set up for a siege.
 The Union began a steady
barrage of artillery shelling
from both the river and
land.
 The siege had been going
on for about a month when
food supplies starting
running so low that people
began eating dogs.
 Confederate soldiers finally
told their commanding
officer, “If you can’t feed us,
you’d better surrender.”
 On July 3rd the Confederates
surrendered and the city
fell on the 4th.
 5 days later the last holdout
on the Mississippi fell, thus
cutting the Confederacy in
two.
 In March of 1864, Lincoln
appoints Ulysses S. Grant
the hero of Vicksburg and
commander of all Union
armies.
 Grant then moves on to
face Lee in the East. His
plan is to immobilize Lee’s
army. He fought battle after
battle losing twice as many
men as Lee. However the
North could afford it and
the South could not.
 While Grant faces Lee in
Virginia, William T.
Sherman would march
south and raid Georgia.
 The goal is to keep the
Confederacy from
reinforcing Lee in
Virginia.
 Also, Lincoln needs a
major victory if he is to
be re-elected to a second
term.
 As Sherman and his men
moved closer to Atlanta, it’s
citizens could hear war waging
at Kennesaw. They soon started
to evacuate the city.
 On July 22, 1864, Atlanta fell to
Sherman and his men, thus
neutralizing the rail lines and
supply hub.
 After the evacuation of the city,
Sherman burned most of the
buildings, military or not.
 He was a big believer in total
war.
 Sherman then marches
from Atlanta to Savannah.
 Sherman’s goal is to scare
it’s citizens so bad that they
would abandon the
Confederate cause and not
want war for years to come.
 He creates a swath of
destruction 300 miles long
and 20-60 miles wide.
 Houses and fields are
burned, railroads torn up,
and carcasses of cattle
lined the road.
 http://www.history.com/
 On December 20 1864,
topics/shermansmarch/videos#shermans
-terrifying-tactics
Savannah fell to
Sherman and his men.
 Sherman then moves
north to aid Grant.
 He brings with him
25,000 former slaves
eager for freedom.
 By late March of 1865, Grant began approaching
Richmond from the west while Sherman came from
the south.
 On April 2, Lee was overcome by Grant at the battle of
Petersburg. Upon hearing this news President Davis
and his government abandoned Richmond and
burned it to the ground.
 On April 9, 1865, the Confederates surrendered at the
Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
 Five days after Lee
surrendered, Lincoln and
his wife went to Ford’s
Theatre. While there John
Wilkes Booth comes up
behind the president
shooting him in the back of
the head.
 Lincoln died the following
morning on April 15.
 His body was carried from
Washington to Springfield,
Illinois on a funeral train.
 7 million Americans came to
mourn the president.
 The southern states were forced to rejoin the Union as
conquered territories not as states.
 By the end of the year the 13th Amendment was
ratified; abolishing the institution of slavery.
 About 625,000 Americans died in the Civil War. More
than World War I, World War II, the Korean War and
the Vietnam war combined.
 Questions remained: How to restore the southern
states to the Union and how to integrate 4 million
newly freed African Americans into national life?