Download The American Civil War

The American Civil War
Acquisition of Federal Forts…
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter Map
Lincoln’s Plan
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Can’t abandon the fort
Lincoln showed political and tactical brilliance
Lincoln maneuvered the situation so that if fighting ensued,
the Confederates would have to fire the first shot.
Confederate Reaction
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Push to surrender
On April 12 at 4:30am,
Confederate leader PT
Beauregard opened
fire
Southern Secession
 The
remaining Southern states seceded
shortly after this
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Virginia – April 1861
Arkansas & North Carolina – May 1861
Tennessee – June 1861
Stars and Bars: First Flag
of the Confederacy
Southern Reaction to War
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Choosing Sides
Volunteers
Southern War-Time Production
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Tredegar Iron Works, Richmond, Va
Lincoln’s Reaction to Ft. Sumter
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Called for 75,000 troops ***
Anaconda Plan - naval blockade
Made efforts to secure the border states
Suspended the Writ of Habeas Corpus ***
Mobilized the army
His goal is to preserve the Union
*** considered unconstitutional
by some
Constitutionality – How did Lincoln
pull this off?
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Both increasing the size of the army (Article I,
Sec 8, Pgh 14-15) and suspension of Habeas
Corpus (Article I, Sec 9, Pgh 2) are powers
granted to Congress, not the President
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Congress would not return to session until July
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Lincoln cited gravity of situation
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He had to make a call
When Congress returned they supported Lincoln
Military Action – Summer 1861
 Newspapers
called for an attack
 Lincoln put some heat on his
commanding general
Bull Run I – July 61
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Picnic at the battlefield
 The Union had early
success
 Thomas “Stonewall”
Jackson
 Reinforcements
 Rebel Yell
 The Great Skedaddle
 5,000 casualties
Limited War
McClellan Makes an Impact
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Aug 1861 –
McClellan takes over
and found the army
in shambles
McClellan turning
them into an
organized army
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Newspapers
called him “Young
Napoleon”.
Lincoln was pleased
with his initial results
He would prove to be
a timid and
ineffective leader
=
West in Early 1862
 Union
Victory at Shiloh
(Apr)
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cuts Tenn in half
1st of the bloody battles –
23,000 casualties
Grant just wins, baby!
 Admiral
David Farragut
captured New Orleans
 Union success in West
Road to Emancipation
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Lincoln’s take
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legitimate war power
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military necessity for preservation
of Union
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Europe will turn on South
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Border states were secure
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Lincoln drafted the Emancipation
Proclamation on July 13, 1862.
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William Seward - wait for a
Union victory
Antietam – Sept 1862
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Lee advances into Union
territory - Maryland
Bloodiest day in American
history
Photojournalism
Lee retreated, but both sides
suffered
McClellan did not pursue
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Lincoln ordered him to
Lincoln relieved McClellan
Preliminary Emancipation
Proclamation
 Antietam
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was a Union victory
Announced the Emancipation Proclamation
on September 22
Any slave in a state still in rebellion would be
free effective January 1, 1863
 Who
did it effect?
 African
American soldiers
Gettysburg, Pa – July 1863
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Day 1 – Union holds the high ground
Day 2 – Lee fails to dislodge Union – Round Tops
Day 3 – Pickett’s Charge
51,000 men were lost
 23,000 Union
 28,000 Confederate
Lee retreated the next day and would never go north
again
Meade did not pursue
Vicksburg
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Every day since late May, Grant pounded the city with artillery as did
Adm. David Porter on his gunboats on the Mississippi
Civilians dug caves into the hillside
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People ate dogs and horses
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On July 4, after 48 days under siege, the Confederates surrendered
the city
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31,000 rebels were captured
Mississippi was in the Union’s control
Texas and Arkansas were cut off from the Confederacy
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Gettysburg and Vicksburg were decided within a day of eachother.
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Turning Point Battles
Southern Economic Issues
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Blockade
Foreign Governments – little assistance
Terrible inflation
• South printed $1 billion in Confederate
currency
• Less than 1 million in specie to back it up
• Bread Riots
Production issues
• Government asked Southerners to provide
slaves to help grow food – many refused
First Federal Draft
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In July 1863, Lincoln issued the first federal draft
20-45 yr olds
Lincoln claimed it was within Congresses power to institute a draft
Some judges allowed drafted men to avoid service, but Lincoln threatened
to arrest any judge that interfered with the draft
How to avoid getting drafted
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Pay $300 or
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Find a sub
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It was a rich man’s bill.
In the end, 164,000 men were drafted – less than 10% of the army
Grant Takes Over in 1864
 Total
War is engaged
 Grant forces Lee toward Richmond
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Grant takes tremendous losses
Petersburg
 Sherman
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Held at Atlanta until Sept 1864
Election of 1864
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Abe Lincoln is reelected by almost all states crushing McClellan and
confirming that the Union is behind the idea of victory.
Sherman’s and Sheridan’s victories changed the odds.
Lincoln won 55% of the popular vote.
Electoral college - 212-21
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He carried all but 3 states, Del, NJ, Ky.
Virtually all of the Army of the Potomac (McClellan’s old command)
voted for Lincoln
This election was the last, best hope for the South
Death Blows
 Sherman’s
March to the Sea – late 64 –
early 65
 Siege at Petersburg broken – Grant hunts
Lee down
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Appomattox – Apr 65
 Lincoln
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shot a week later
John Wilkes Booth