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The Civil War
An Introduction
– A civil war is a war between different groups of
people of the same nation
– The American Civil War was fought between the
two sections of the country North and South.
Many soldiers on each side came from the
opposite
– This was in many instances pitted brother against
brother, father against son, etc.
– More Americans died (over 600,000) during the
Civil War than in all other American Wars
combined
– The Confederate defeat led to the end of slavery
in the U.S. and restored the Union, although much
of the South was destroyed
• Causes of the Civil War
– Slavery: Although most southerners did not
own slaves, and most northerners were not
abolitionists, slavery was at the heart of most
major issues dividing the North and South
– Ways of life: In both the North and South,
most people lived on small farms. But in the
North, there were also many large cities
where many people worked in factories. In
the south there were many plantations worked
by slaves.
• Causes of the Civil War cont.
– Free labor vs. Slave labor: Northern economy was
based on free laborers who could work where
they chose and received a wage. The southern
economy was based on slave laborers who were
not free to leave and received food and lodging
but no wages.
– States’ Rights: The Southern states believed in
the inherent right of the states to rule themselves
(state sovereignty), and believed that they could
leave the Union whenever they wished (secede).
The North thought that no state had the right to
leave the union and that the states gave up their
sovereignty under the Consitiution.
Advantages of the North and South
North
1. Population: The North
had 22 million compared
with 9 million free and
3.5 million slaves in the
South
2. Economy: The North
had more factories to
produce guns, uniforms,
and military supplies.
Farms in the Ohio Valley
produced 70% of the
nations food. Most of
the Nations banks were
in the north, therefore
most of the cash and
South
1. Leadership: The
South had better
military leaders, many
graduates of West
Point, VMI, and the
Citadel. The President
of the Confederacy was
also a West Point
graduate and a former
Secretary of War
Advantages of the North and South cont.
North
3. Military: The North had
an established navy and
merchant fleet to
blockade southern ports
and bring needed
supplies to northern
ports.
4. Transportation: The
North had an extensive
railroad system that was
twice as large as the
South’s. This allowed the
north to move troops and
supplies at a much faster
South
2. Terrain : Most of the War
was fought in the South
and on familiar terrain
3. Strategy: The South did
not have to win the war,
only not to lose it…they
could use a defensive
strategy
4. Cause: Many soldiers
fought not for slavery but
to defend their homes and
their families. The North
will not have a “cause”
until Lincoln calls for an
• Advantages of the North and South cont
South
5. Soldiers: The South
will have more skilled
horseman and rifleman.
This will have a dramatic
and deadly consequence
in the early battles of the
war.