Download 1. Define: Secession: leaving the Union Secede: to leave

Unit 7: The Civil War (1861-1865)
Notes
Target 1: I can explain the reasons why Southern states seceded and the
differences in the timing of secession in the Upper and Lower South.
These include;
political: election of Lincoln , Fort Sumter
economic: slavery
social: sectionalism
1. Define:
Secession: leaving the Union
Secede: to leave the Union
2. Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860. Explain how this was linked
to the secession of the southern states.
Lincoln had run for president as a Republican, promising to keep slavery out of
the western territories.
3. Explain how economics was linked to the secession of the southern states.
The southern economy was dependent on cash crops and slavery. Any threat to
slavery was a threat to their economy.
4. What event caused the first seven southern states to secede and form the
Confederate States of America?
The election of Lincoln in 1860.
5. Sectionalism played a big role in the secession of the southern states and the
formation of the Confederate States of America because
Even though many southerners did not agree with the idea of secession, they
were more loyal to their states and as a result, supported it.
6. What event marked the beginning of the Civil War and caused four more
states to secede?
The firing on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina
Target 2: I can develop arguments to explain why the North won the Civil War. This
includes:
Critical events and battles:
• First Battle of Bull Run
• Battle of Antietam
• Gettysburg
• Appomattox Courthouse
Political and military leadership:
• Lincoln and Jefferson Davis
• Ulysses Grant and Robert E.Lee
7. The northern states were called the Union. List Union strengths as the war
began:
• Large armies
• Better equipped soldiers (factories to make supplies)
• More railroads
• Larger navy
• More money to finance the war
8. List Union weaknesses:
•
•
•
Fewer good officers
Not familiar with land they would be fighting on
Soldiers not well trained
9. The southern states that seceded were called the Confederacy. List Confederate
strengths as the war began:
•
•
•
•
Better officers
More experienced soldiers
Familiar with the land (fighting a defensive war
High morale
10. List Confederate weaknesses:
•
•
•
Fewer soldiers
Soldiers not as well equipped
Difficulty getting supplies
11. In which region of the country were most Civil War battles fought? The South
12. The Battle of Bull Run was fought in July of 1861 and was the first major battle of
the war. It was a Confederate victory. Why was this battle important?
The battle was a Confederate victory. It showed both sides that the war would
be long and the casualties high.
13. The Battle of Antietam was fought in September, 1862. Why was this battle
important?
Antietam was the first time that the Confederates under Robert E. Lee tried to
invade the North. They lost the battle and were forced back into Virginia.
14. The Battle of Gettysburg was fought in July, 1863. It was the turning point of the
war. Why was this battle important?
Gettysburg was fought in Pennsylvania. It was the second time the
Confederates invaded the North. The battle lasted for three day over 50,000
casualties. The Confederates lost and were again forced back into Virginia.
They would never invade the North again.
15. The Civil War ended in April, 1865, at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia. Explain
this event.
By the spring of 1865, the Union army was close to capturing the Confederate
capital at Richmond, Virginia. The Confederate armies could no longer
reinforce their ranks. Soldiers lacked supplies and rations. Many areas of the
Confederacy were already occupied by Union troops. Robert E. Lee was forced
with no other choice but to surrender his army to Union General Ulysses S.
Grant. The terms of surrender were generous. The war was over.