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The Civil War Causes of the Civil War Unfair taxation: The history and economy of the North were very different from those of the South. Factories developed in the North, while large cotton plantations developed in the South. The Southern plantation owners relied on slave labor for economic success. Their crops were sold to cotton mills in England, and the ships returned with cheap manufactured goods produced in Europe. By the early 1800s, Northern factories were producing many of those same goods, and Northern politicians were able to pass heavy taxes on imported goods from Europe so that Southerners would have to buy goods from the North. These taxes angered Southerners. Causes of the Civil War States’ Rights: Southerners felt that the Federal government was passing laws such as import taxes, that treated them unfairly. They believed that individual states had the right to "nullify," or overturn, any law the Federal government passed. They also believed that individual states had the right to leave the United States and form their own independent country. Most people in the North believed that the concepts of "nullification" and "states' rights" would make the United States a weaker country and were against these ideas. Causes of the Civil War Slavery: In the North, many religious groups worked hard to end slavery in the United States. They were morally opposed to the idea that one person could "own" another. Abolitionists in the North wrote books, published newspapers spreading their ideas about slavery, and often assisted slaves to freedom when they ran away from their masters. Southerners believed that abolitionists were attacking their way of life and that the Federal government was not doing enough to protect their "property" from running away. Southerners were also concerned that new states were entering the Union that did not permit citizens to own slaves, because the more "free" states that entered the Union, the weaker Southerners' influence in the Federal government would become. Strengths of the North Population of about 22 million Newly elected president, Abraham Lincoln The North was both richer and more technologically advanced than the South. About 90% of the nation’s manufacturing, and most of its banks, were in the North. Geographical advantages: More farms to provide troops with food. *It’s land contained most of the country’s iron, coal, copper, and gold. *The North controlled the seas and its 21,000 miles of railroad track allowed and supplies to be transported wherever they were needed. Weaknesses of the North The North’s greatest weakness was its military leadership. At the start of the war, about one third of the nation’s military officers resigned and returned to their homes in the South. During much of the war, Lincoln searched for effective generals who could lead the Union to victory. Strengths of the South The size of the South would make it difficult for the North. Confederate president Jefferson Davis The North would also need a much larger navy to seal off the long southern coastline and prevent the South from importing weapons and supplies from Europe. The South’s great strength was its military leadership. Most of America’s best military officers were southerners who chose to fight for the Confederacy. Weaknesses of the South If the Union could control the Mississippi River, it could split the Confederacy in two. The South’s main weakness was an economy that could not support a long war. It had few factories to produce guns and other military supplies. The South also faced serious transportation problems. The South lacked the railroad network needed to haul goods over long distances. Most rail lines were short and went only to seaport towns. Supplies had to be carried by wagon from the railroad to the troops. And as the war continued, horses and mules to draw these wagons were in short supply. Most wealth in the South was invested in land and slaves. The Confederate government printed paper money to finance the war effort, but as these paper dollars flooded the South, their value quickly dropped. Bull Run: A Great Awakening In the spring of 1861: President Lincoln and General Winfield Scott planned the Union’s war strategy. Step 1: surround the South by land and sea to cut off its trade. Step 2: divide the Confederacy into sections so that one rebel region could not help another. Step 3: capture Richmond, Virginia (the capital of the Confederacy) and destroy the rebel government. Journalists called this strategy “the Anaconda Plan.” Bull Run Rose Greenhow was a strong supporter of the southern cause. She used her friendship with government officials to learn just when and how the Union planned to attack Richmond. While Union soldiers were marching towards Richmond and Greenhow had already sent word to the southern military leaders of the Union plans by smuggling a coded note to them in the curls of a young girl. Southern troops were waiting for the Union forces as they approached Manassas. The two armies met at a creek known as Bull Run. Bull Run The two militias met and either side refused to give way. South Carolina’s general Bernard Bee shouted to his men, “there is Jackson with his Virginians, standing like a stone wall.” Jackson urged his men to “yell like furies” as they charged the Union “green” forces who fled in panic back to Washington. The Battle of Bull Run was a smashing victory for the South. Women Support the War As the men of the North and the South went off to war, the women took their places at home. Wives and mothers supported their families by running farms and businesses. Many women went to work for the first time in factories, and others found jobs as nurses, teachers, or government workers. Women also served as messengers, guides, scouts, smugglers, soldiers, and spies for both sides (Greenhow: arrested and moved to South where Jackson welcomed her as a hero). Women also volunteers to help tend to sick and wounded soldiers (Dorthea Dix and Clara Barton). Antietam: A Bloody Affair In 1861, the Union navy launched its blockade of southern ports. By the end of the year, most southern ports were closed to foreign ships and the Confederacy asked Britain for help. Britain denied this request which caused all exportation of cotton to Europe to cease. In 1862, Union forces moved to divide the Confederacy by gaining control of the Mississippi River. Union admiral David Farragut led 46 Union ships up the Mississippi River to New Orleans. This was the largest American fleet ever assembled-the city surrendered without firing a shot. Ulysses S. Grant and his Union forces won a series of victories that put Kentucky and much of Tennessee under Union control. Attacking Richmond Union general George McClellan sent 100,000 men by ship to capture Richmond. Though a Union victory seemed certain, the outnumbered Confederate forces stopped the Union attack and saved Richmond. The Battle of Antietam: General Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate forces, met McClellan and his Union troops along the Antietam Creek. All day long McClellan’s troops pounded Lee’s outnumbered troops. The next day, Lee retreated back to Virginia. The Battle of Antietam McClellan claimed Antietam as a Union victory. Many who fought saw the battle as a defeat for both sides. Of the 75,000 Union troops who fought, about 2,100 were killed. Another 10,300 were wounded or missing. Of the 52,000 Confederates, about 2,770 lost their lives, while 11,000 were wounded or missing. In that single day of fighting, more Americans were killed than in the War of 1812 and the Mexican War combined. The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest day of the war. The New Realities of War In past wars, bayonets were the weapons of choice. During the Civil War, improved weapons made killing at a distance much easier. Rifles with grooved barrels replaced muskets which were more accurate over long distances. Improved cannons and artillery made it easier to rain down death on forces some distance away. Medical care was not as advanced as weaponry. Civil War doctors had no knowledge of what caused infections, surgeons operated in dirty hospital tents with basic tools, and few bothered to wash their hands between patients. As a result, infections spread rapidly and wounded soldiers began refusing hospital care. More soldiers died of diseases than wounds. Unclean conditions in camps were so bad that about 3 men died of typhoid, pneumonia, and other diseases for every one who died in battle. Gettysburg: A Turning Point The Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln had not intended to use slavery as a reason to fight the south. As the war raged on, he changed his mind. Declaring an end to slavery, would discourage Europeans who opposed slavery from assisting the Confederacy, and freeing slaves could also deprive the Confederacy of a large part of its workforce. On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the proclamation that declared slaves in all Confederate sates to be free. This announcement had little immediate effect on slavery. The Confederate states simply ignored the document. Slaves living in states loyal to the Union were not affected by the proclamation. For many in the North, the proclamation changed the war into a crusade for freedom. The Battle of Gettysburg July 1, 1863: Union and Confederate troops met west of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Union troops (90,000) led by General George C. Meade, occupied four miles of high ground along Cemetery Ridge. A mile to the west, the 75,000 confederates gathered behind Seminary Ridge. George Pickett led a charge making advances to the Union lines. Men who reached the lines alive were killed in hand to hand combat. More than 17, 500 Union soldiers and 23,000 Confederate troops were killed or wounded in three days of battle. Draft Riots