Download Beginning of the Civil War Notes

Beginning of the Civil War Notes
I. The Union Breaks
a. Lincoln wins the election of 1860 without
winning a single southern state.
b. Dec. 20, 1860, South Carolina succeeds from
the Union
i.
Over the next few weeks 6 other southern states
followed
c. February 1861 the seven southern states meet in
Montgomery, AL and form the Confederate
States of America.
• Jefferson Davis is elected President
• Richmond, VA made capital
d.Despite last ditch efforts to save the Union,
Lincoln refused offers
• He was strongly against the expansion of slavery and
succession by Southern States
II.Initial military strategies
1. Both side adopt strategies that fit their
objectives and resources.
a.Northern advantages = manpower, production power,
factories, greater food production, railroads, strong
navy
b. Southern advantages = “King Cotton”, first-rate
generals, highly motivated troops, agriculture
2.Union = Anaconda Plan
a.Naval blockade of southern ports
b. Union moves down Mississippi River/cut Confederacy
in two
c.Capture Confederate capital = Richmond, VA
3.Confederacy = Fight a defensive war!
III. Initial battles
1. Fort Sumter kicks off war – Confederates attack Union
fort (April 12-13, 1861)
2. Battle of Bull Run (Manassas, VA) July 21, 1861 –
southern victory (Stonewall Jackson hero)
3. U.S. Grant fights on Miss. River in west (Fort Henry &
Fort Donaldson in TN) – Union victories. Gen.
Farragut seizes New Orleans
4. Battle of Shiloh (TN) – shows war would be a
bloody and long one (April 7, 1862)
- 24,000 casualties (Union 13,000 / Conf. 11,000)
5. Confederates defend Richmond move on D.C.
(Lee vs. McClellan) Spring 1862, Seven Days
Battle
6. Antietam (MD) – Sept. 17, 1862 – bloodiest
single day battle in American history – Union
victory
- 26,000 casualties (Union 12,000 / Conf. 14,000)
7. Early in Civil War North winning in the West,
Stalemate in East (South defending home).
IV. Emancipation Proclamation (9-22-1862)
1.Britain remains neutral
2.“My paramount objective in this struggle is to
save the union, & is not either to save or destroy
slavery”. – Abraham Lincoln
3.South used slaves to build forts, harvest food
4.On Jan.1, 1863 All Slaves in areas of rebellion are
free!
a.gives war a moral purpose
b. conscription – blacks join Union Army
V. Social & Economic effects of the war
1.Blacks enlist in North in 1862 (54th Mass.)
a.by end 180,000 blacks fought (10% of union army)
b.slaves in south start to resist
c.Part of a greater cause now (not just the white man’s
war)
2.Women work to improve conditions
a.U.S. Sanitary commission = 3,000 nurses serve in union
army
– (Clara Barton)
– Chance to gain more equality, rights
3.Heavy casualties & horrible living conditions for
soldiers shocks Americans.
- No glorious war
4.Economic effects
a.North expands economy – war industry
b. North 1st income tax to pay for war
c.South hurting – losing plantations – food shortages
The North Takes Charge
I. The war continues
1.Dec. ’62 Lee beats Union at Fredericksburg, VA
2.May ’63 south wins at Chancellorsville, VA
(Stonewall Jackson dies)
3.Lee goes on the offensive into Maryland and up
into PA – Gen. Meade (union) follows north, they
meet at Gettysburg, PA
II. Gettysburg (three days in July)
1.July 1, 1863 Battle begins in morning when
Confederates led by A.P. Hill attack North of town
& confront John Buford and Union troops.
a. Buford holds despite being outnumbered, but
by end of day Union pushed back into town.
b. At end of day reinforcements show up for
both sides
–90,000 Union troops under command of
Gen. Meade
–75,000 Confederate troops under Robert E.
Lee
2. July 2 1863 Confederates push Union out
of Gettysburg & take control of town.
a.Union sets up defense south of town at Cemetery Ridge
to Big Round Top (High Ground)
b. Union forms the “fish hook” defense (communication
& quick reinforcement
c.Attacks by south led by Gen. James Longstreet
• Little Round Top (extreme left flank of union army)
• Devil’s Den (slaughter pen/valley of death)
• The Wheatfield (heaviest fighting of civil war)
• The Peach Orchard (union army split in two, pushed
back to Culp’s Hill)
3. July 3, 1863 Union regains high ground at Culp’s Hill
a. Gen. Lee orders artillery barrage on center of Union lines
on Cemetery Ridge for 2 hours
b. Around 3 PM 12,500 Confederate troops charge out of tree
line at Seminary Ridge – Pickett’s Charge – All out frontal
assault on center of Union lines
• Union guns fire back & devastate Confederate lines = Union wins
Battle of Gettysburg
• Lee depressed, retreats to Virginia, never takes offensive again
• 3 day battle claims 23,000 union soldiers dead/wounded
• 28,000 confederates dead/wounded
• approx. 51,000 = almost as many as Vietnam (58,000)
III. U.S. Grant wins at Vicksburg, MS
1.surrounds city after Confederates refuse to
surrender and orders artillery barrages for several
hours a day
a.Confederate soldiers and towns people out of food and
supplies = Vicksburg falls on July 4, 1863 (one of last
Confed. Forts of Miss. R.)
2.Nov. ’63 Lincoln gives the Gettysburg Address @
cemetery in Gettysburg
a.2 minute speech = USA a single union
IV. The Confederacy Wears Down
1.Gettysburg & Vicksburg cost south a lot of
manpower.
• low on shoes, food, uniforms, guns, ammo = just want
to hold on now
• southern morale low = troops leave to go back to farms
2.Grant & Sherman wage “Total War” on south
a.fight not only armies and gov.’t, but civilians. Break
their will to fight!
b. May to June 1864 Grant fights with Lee in Virginia –
Grant nicknamed the “Butcher” cause he continuously
attacks despite heavy casulties
c.Gen. Shermans’s March – destroyed every city on path
through GA to Atlantic
• Burns Atlanta, Savannah – frees slaves, they join
• Turns North though SC into NC to help Grant finish Lee
in VA
d.election of 1864 Lincoln beats George McClellan &
John C. Fremont (He wins 55% of pop vote)
e.Grant pushes from NW, Sherman from S –
Jefferson Davis & Gov.’t flee Richmond and burn it
down
f. April 9, 1865 @ Appomattox Court House Lee &
Grant meet to arrange Confederate surrender =
Civil War over, ends without punishment to south
g.Lincoln assassinated April 14, 1865 by John Wilkes
Booth at Ford’s Theater in Wash, DC
h. Union and Reconstruction of South now in
hands of southerner and former slave owner
Andrew Johnson (VP)
V. Costs of War
1.Union = 360,000 men dead
2.Confederacy = 260,000 dead