Download Ch. 11

Section 1 The Opposing Sides
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Robert E. Lee:
One of the best senior officers in the US Army
 Offered from Winfield Scott to command the
Union’s troops
 Resigned from the Army and joined the Confederacy
(originally from the South)
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1860 the US had 8 military colleges- 7 were in
the south
North had strong naval traditions and all but
one shipyard was under Union control
SOUTH
NORTH
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Economic Advantages
Population- 22 million
80% of factories
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Produced 90% of countries
clothing, boots, and shoes
93 % of unrefined iron
Firearms manufactured in
north
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Experienced officers
Population- 9 million
Tredegar Iron Works,
Richmond: the only factory
capable of producing
cannons
No major facilities for
producing gun powder
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Confederacy Ordinance
Bureau: gun powder mill
1862: all caught up
(weapons, gun powder and
ammunition)
Produced its own food
Only ½ as many rr tracks
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NORTH
Advantages:
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Controlled the national
treasury
Had revenue from tariffs
Northern banks had huge
reserves of cash
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Legal Tender Act 1862
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People were concerned about
northern ability to win the
war so they withdrew their
gold and silver
Created a national currency
and allowed the government
to issue paper money (green
backs)
SOUTH
Financial situation not
good
Best hope was to raise
money was to tax trade
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Banks small with few reserves
Problem: Union navy
blockaded southern ports
Result: direct taxation
Lack of money caused
south to print = inflation
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Confederate became almost
worthless
By the end it had experienced
9000% inflation
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Lincoln wanted to preserve the Union even if it
meant slavery would continue
Democrats were divided
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War Democrats: supported conflict, wanted to restore the
Union to the way it was before, opposed ending slavery
Peace Democrats: opposed war, reuniting through
negotiations
 Viewed by republicans as treason (anyone against the war)
 Called Copperheads
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Disagreements between republicans and democrats
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Civil liberties
1862 Congress Militia Law- conscription
Democrats strongly oppose

To enforce conscription Lincoln suspends writs of
habeas corpus (a person’s right to not be
imprisoned unless charged with a crime and given
trial)
Suspending means imprisoning indefinitely with no
charge or trial
 Lincoln did this to anyone supporting rebels or resisting
the draft
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Jefferson Davis: states rights interfered with
ability to conduct the war
1862 he met opposition
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He supported conscription and martial law, draft
and new taxes
Alexander Stephens (VP) opposed him
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US didn’t want European interference
Confederacy wanted European recognition (British)-to
declare blockade illegal- use British navy to assist south
To pressure they refused to sell Europe cotton
 Confederacy met with British and French May 1861
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 French promised to recognize
 British not ready
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Fall of 1861 Britain and US came close to war
 Trent Affair: south slipped pass blockades, went to Havana Cuba and
boarded the Trent (British Ship)
 Union intercepted and arrested two confederates
 North applauded, British mad for interference
 Demanded release of confederates
 British sent troops to Canada to strengthen Atlantic Fleet
 After a few weeks Lincoln freed the prisoners
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Huge armies of mostly volunteers-required huge
amounts of supplies and equipment
Military Technology and Tactics
Officers were well trained and experienced
 Fired in mass volleys
 At close range-charged with bayonets
 Developed Conoidal bullets- much more accurate
 Used trenches, barricades=high casualties
 War of attrition
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 North able to replace
 South not as many
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The South’s Strategy
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Passive approach-picked battles, attacked and retreated
as necessary, avoid large battles
 Defensive war of attrition
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Southerners angry-saw themselves as superior fighters
The Union’s Anaconda Plan
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Winfield Scott-idea Union blockade of Confederate ports
 Send gunboats down the Mississippi to divide the
Confederacy=Separate the south
 This would run them out of resources and surrender
 North rejected because it was too slow