Download Unit 6-Civil War

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Unit 6-Civil War
Secession & The Confederate States of America
Secession is when part of a
country withdraws or leaves
the country. Before Lincoln
was sworn in as president,
seven states seceded from the
Union: South Carolina,
Mississippi, Alabama,
Georgia, Florida, Louisiana,
and Texas. After the Civil War
began, North Carolina,
Virginia, Tennessee, and
Arkansas joined the
Confederate States of
America.
After they seceded from the
US, Southern delegates
created a new country called the Confederate States of America. They elected Jefferson Davis the president of the new
country. The capital of the CS of America became Richmond, Virginia.
The US pledge of allegiance: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which
it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
1) What is the definition of secession? What trick can you use to remember this word?
2) According to the map, which section of the country won the bloody conflict over Kansas? (remember Bleeding Kansas)
Flag of the Confederate States of America
Border States and Martial Law
All the states that chose to secede from the United States of America and join the Confederate States of America were slave
states. At the same time, however, not all the states that remained in the Union (USA) were free states. These slave states
which stayed in the United States were called border states, and they included Missouri (MO), Kentucky (KY), Maryland
(MD), and Delaware (DE). But why didn’t these slave states join the pro-slavery Confederate States of America?
The reason is because Abraham Lincoln and the federal government took control of the border states to prevent
Confederate supporters from gaining power. When the federal government takes complete control over a city or state, it is
called martial law. Lincoln jailed Confederate supporters in the border states, and he denied the prisoners the writ of
habeas corpus, which is when the court decides if a prisoner has been illegally imprisoned.
4) What was a border state?
5) Outline the Border States on the map above in pen:
6) Do you support Lincoln’s decision to use martial law and to deny prisoners the writ of habeas corpus? Why or why not?
In your response be sure to explain martial law and the writ of habeas corpus (at least 5 sentences)
The Draft, Riots, and Copperheads
A draft is when the government selects people for military service rather than waiting for them to enlist. Lincoln’s draft
was unpopular among the poor and immigrants who resented the fact that wealthy citizens could avoid military service in
exchange for paying $300. In July 1863, draft riots broke out in New York City, killing more than 100 people and resulting
in the lynching (hanging) of at least 11 African Americans by immigrants and poorer whites who blamed them for the war.
Northern opponents of Lincoln who criticized the President’s draft were called Copperheads. They argued that if Lincoln
freed the slaves they would move to the North and steal jobs from the white men.
7) What is happening to the African American in the cartoon? What are the people so angry about? Who are the attackers?
8) What message do you think the cartoonist is making about Abraham Lincoln (the man on the far left side)?
9) What is a copperhead?
The Civil War
A civil war is a war fought between people of the same nation. The Civil War (capitalized) refers to the US war between
the North and the South between 1861 and 1865. The conflict over the extension of slavery caused the war. Lincoln’s first
goal in the war was to preserve the Union. Although the South had better trained generals, the North had more soldiers,
as well as factories which produced more guns, ammunition, and supplies for the war, which gave them the advantage to
win the war.
Fort Sumter: The war began at Fort Sumter, a US military fort in
Charleston, South Carolina. The Confederate States of America
demanded that this US fort surrender because it no longer existed in US
territory. President Lincoln refused and sent ships to the fort to resupply
the troops with food. On April 12, 1861, Confederate soldiers opened fire
on the fort before the ships could arrive, forcing the Union troops to
surrender.
First Battle of Bull Run: The first major battle of the war happened just 30 miles
from Washington, D.C., the capital of the US. In the First Battle of Bull Run, the
Confederate army humiliated the Union by easily defeating them. After the defeat,
Lincoln adopted the Anaconda Plan. Like the anaconda snake wrapping around its
victim, the Union restricted the movement of the Confederates by seizing control of
the Mississippi River and blocking them from using the ocean to transport troops
and supplies.
Battle of Antietam: The Union caught a lucky break when they captured
Confederate military plans wrapped around a box of cigars. The plans
described how the Confederates planned to invade the North in Maryland.
The Union used those plans to surprise the Confederates and defeat them in
the Battle of Antietam. 23,000 soldiers died in one day of fighting. Until
this battle, the French and British had considered supporting the
Confederate States of America.
Emancipation Proclamation: At the end of 1862, Lincoln issued the
Emancipation Proclamation. Emancipation means the freeing of people. This
executive order freed the slaves in the Confederate States of America. However,
Lincoln and the US government did not have control over these states, so they
had no power to free these slaves. At the same time, the Emancipation
Proclamation did not apply to the Border States. This meant that Lincoln
maintained slavery in the states that were still part of the US. The Emancipation
Proclamation was part of a military strategy because Lincoln hoped to
undermine the South’s reliance on slave labor. Importantly, Lincoln used the
proclamation to make it clear that the war was not only about preserving the
Union, but it was also now about ending slavery.
African American soldiers: Over 200,000 free African Americans served
in the US army in segregated (racially separated) groups. Seeing their battle as
one to free their own people from the bonds of slavery, African Americans
served notably during the war. Lincoln believed that the African American
units were a major reason why the Union army defeated the Confederates.
Battle of Gettysburg: In 1863, the Confederates again tried to
invade the North. The two sides fought one another at the Battle of
Gettysburg. This Pennsylvania battle was a turning point in the war.
The Confederate Army failed to gain the high ground early in the
battle. The Union defeated the Confederate Army in the bloodiest
battle of the war where 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or
missing. As a result, the Confederates failed to invade the North.
After the battle, Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, a speech
about his desire to see the union survive and the nation reunited.
Siege of Vicksburg: A siege is a military strategy where an army surrounds its enemy, cuts off their supplies, and starves
them into surrendering. In 1863, the Union army used a siege strategy
in Vicksburg, Mississippi to defeat the Confederates. After 2 months of
the siege, Vicksburg residents had been reduced to eating horses, dogs,
and rats. Sherman’s March: In 1864, Union soldiers led by General
William Tecumseh Sherman destroyed 300 miles of land in Georgia
from Atlanta to Savannah. They destroyed farms, factories, railroads,
bridges, towns, and cities.
Appomattox Courthouse & Lincoln’s Assassination: In
early April 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General
Ulysses S. Grant in a courthouse in Virginia rather than see more
soldiers die. On April 14, 1865, just five days after the surrender
at Appomattox, a Confederate supporter named John Wilkes
Booth assassinated Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in Washington,
D.C. Andrew Johnson (Lincoln’s VP) became president after
Lincoln was assassinated.
10) Directions: Choose 8 of the most important events from The Civil War. Illustrate each event to create a cartoon below:
11) War Letter Assignment: April 14th, 1865. You are President Abraham Lincoln. The Civil War has just ended five
days ago at Appomattox Courthouse, and you are so relieved that the bloodshed is over. You will finally have a chance to
rest and enjoy a play later tonight with your wife. But before you leave, you must complete a heartbreaking daily ritual.
You must write a condolence letter to one of the 30,000 African American families whose son died fighting for the Union.
Your letter must include each of the following:
_______ Explain why the soldier did not die in vain (he died for a reason)
_______ In which battle did the soldier die? Who won the battle?
_______ Be honest about how the purpose of the war evolved (changed over time)
_______ Explain the benefits (what is good) and the shortcomings (what is bad) of the Emancipation Proclamation
_______ Explain the significance of African American soldiers in the Civil War
Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States