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Name:____________________________________________ By the time Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as president in March of 1861, South Carolina and six other states had seceded from the Union; they formed their own country called the Confederate States of America (CSA). A constitution had been adopted which protected slavery, guaranteed states’ rights, and abolished the protective tariff (a tax on imports that was a major bone of contention between north and south). Lincoln was faced with a major crisis. In his First Inaugural Address, he spoke directly to the rebellious South, reminding them that his oath of office required him to “preserve, protect and defend the Union.” But his appeal fell on deaf ears. The Confederate government had already seized most of the forts, post offices and arsenals located in the seven states that had seceded. Only two forts located in these rebellious states were in Union hands. One was Fort Sumter, located in the harbor in Charleston, South Carolina. Confederate President Jefferson Davis demanded that federal troops evacuate Sumter. Major Robert Anderson, the fort’s Union commander, refused to leave. In response, the Confederates ringed the harbor with cannon. Fort Sumter’s supply of food was running low, and President Lincoln, acting against the advice of his Cabinet, ordered a US ship to take in yum yums and other supplies. Confederate President Jefferson Davis regarded Lincoln’s supply ship as an act of war. The Union was told to surrender the fort or be fired upon. They didn’t surrender. At 4:30am, April 12th 1861, the war began. Game on. As news of the attack reached the North, it brought determined reaction. Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to enlist in the Union Army. The entire North was united in its support for Lincoln. But the call to arms prompted four more Southern states to secede from the Union (that makes 11)! Comparing Strengths and Weaknesses: When the Civil War began, people in the Union states expected a quick victory. Lincoln himself asked for volunteers to serve just 3 months. A close look at strengths and weaknesses of the two sides makes it easy to see why the odds favored the Union for a quick victory (not a 4 year struggle!) Your Job: For each of the areas on the back of this page, decide whether the Union and Confederacy were strong or weak in that particular category. For a super strong rating, give a 3. For a super weak rating, give a 0 (scale is 0-3). After you have awarded points to each side in all ten areas of comparison, look again at the categories and decide which THREE might have the greatest effect on the outcome of the war. Circle your choices. Now change your scoring on just those three by multiplying the points you gave to each side by 3. Example: if you gave Union 3 for “size of navy,” and the Confederates 1, you’d change your #s to 9 and 3. Tactics, comrades, tactics!). Finally, after changing the points in those three chosen categories, add up ALL the points for both sides. Your total will predict which side will win the war! Area of Comparison 1. Population Union 22,000,000, including 4,000,000 between ideal fighting age of 15 and 40 U. Score Confederacy 9,000,000 including 3,500,000 slaves; only about 1,140,000 white men between 15 and 40 Jefferson Davis did not have Lincoln’s energy or certainty; he had trouble getting the 11 Confederate states to support his decisions; he failed to get the support of Great Britain or France in money or supplies 2. Presidential Leadership Abraham Lincoln had a talent for managing men; he acted with confidence and was determined to keep the Union intact. He used troops to put down draft riots and jailed those in border states who favored secession. 3. Railroad Mileage Extensive-- had almost 70% of railroad—could move men and supplies wherever needed 65% (mostly in food) 93% About 30% of railroads were in South Had most of the country’s factories; they could make weapons, ammo, clothing, shoes etc— could produce 5,000 rifles a day! Strong banking system; controlled 70% of nation’s wealth; the protective tariff on imports and income tax on citizens gave them money to spend Few factories or skilled workers-- could produce 300 rifles a day 4. Farm Acreage 5. Iron and Steel Production 6. Factories 7. Finances 8. Size of Navy 9. Officers and Soldiers Union navy already established; it had warships and merchant vessels. They blockaded Southern ports to choke off trade. Few experienced officers-- many city + factory workers who needed a lot of training! 10. Familiarity with Land Lacked familiarity-- most battles fought down South Union Total Here: 35% (cotton, tobacco, indigo…) 7% Had 30% of nations wealth (their $ was tied up in cotton and slaves!); foreign banks refused to give large loans needed; they printed their own $, but it was worthless by the end of the war Few warships or merchant vessels- couldn’t break the Union blockade to get muchneeded supplies Many of South’s best officers joined the Confederate Army- Southern boys/men grew up with guns, horses, and outdoors Knew land well and were fighting to protect it Confed. Total Here: C. Score