* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Chapter 21
Battle of New Bern wikipedia , lookup
Battle of White Oak Road wikipedia , lookup
Red River Campaign wikipedia , lookup
Capture of New Orleans wikipedia , lookup
Second Battle of Corinth wikipedia , lookup
Gettysburg Address wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Appomattox Station wikipedia , lookup
East Tennessee bridge burnings wikipedia , lookup
Anaconda Plan wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Malvern Hill wikipedia , lookup
South Carolina in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Economy of the Confederate States of America wikipedia , lookup
Lost Cause of the Confederacy wikipedia , lookup
Ulysses S. Grant and the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Shiloh wikipedia , lookup
Baltimore riot of 1861 wikipedia , lookup
Tennessee in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
First Battle of Bull Run wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Fort Pillow wikipedia , lookup
Alabama in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Seven Pines wikipedia , lookup
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Confederate privateer wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Lewis's Farm wikipedia , lookup
Commemoration of the American Civil War on postage stamps wikipedia , lookup
Virginia in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Antietam wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Namozine Church wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Gaines's Mill wikipedia , lookup
Conclusion of the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Maryland Campaign wikipedia , lookup
Border states (American Civil War) wikipedia , lookup
Georgia in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Military history of African Americans in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
United States presidential election, 1860 wikipedia , lookup
Issues of the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Hampton Roads Conference wikipedia , lookup
Mississippi in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Opposition to the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Union (American Civil War) wikipedia , lookup
United Kingdom and the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Chapter 21 The Furnace of Civil War, 1861–1865 I. Bull Run Ends the “Ninety-Day War” • Bull Run (Manassas Junction) – Lincoln eventually concluded that an attack on a smaller Confederate force might be worth a try: • If successful it would demonstrate the superiority of Union arms • It might lead to the capture of the Confederate capital at Richmond, 100 miles to the south • If Richmond fell, secession would be thoroughly discredited and the Union could be restored without damage to the economic and social system of the South I. Bull Run Ends the “Ninety-Day War” (cont.) – Raw Yankee troops left Washington toward Bull Run on July 21, 1861: • At first the battle went well for the Yankees • But Thomas J. (“Stonewall”) Jackson and Confederate reinforcements arrived unexpectedly • The “military picnic” at Bull Run: – Though not decisive militarily, bore significant psychological and political consequences – Victory was worse than defeat for the South because it inflated an already dangerous overconfidence – Many Southern soldiers promptly deserted I. Bull Run Ends the “Ninety-Day War” (cont.) • Southern enlistment fell off sharply • Defeat was better than victory for the Union: – It dispelled all illusions of a one-punch war – Caused the Northerners to buckle down to the staggering task • It set the stage for a war that would be waged: – Not merely for the cause of the Union – Eventually for the abolitionist ideal of emancipation II. “Tardy George” McClellan and the Peninsula Campaign • In 1861 General George B. McClelland was given command of the Army of the Potomac – Embodied a curious mixture of virtues and defects: • Superb organizer and drillmaster • Injected splendid morale into the Army • Hating to sacrifice his troops, he was idolized by his men, who affectionately called him “Little Mac” • He was a perfectionist II. “Tardy George” McClellan and the Peninsula Campaign (cont.) • He consistently but erroneously believed that the enemy outnumbered him • He was overcautious – A reluctant McClellan decided to approach Richmond • Which lay west of a narrow peninsula formed by the James and York Rivers • Hence the name given to this historic campaign: the Peninsula Campaign (see Map 21.1) – He inched toward the Confederate capital, spring 1862, with 1000,000 men II. “Tardy George” McClelland and the Peninsula Campaign (cont.) • Took McClelland a month to take historic Yorktown; he finally came within sight of Richmond • Lincoln diverted McClelland to chase “Stonewall” Jackson, who was moving toward Washington, D.C • Stalled in Richmond, “Jeb” Stuart’s Confederate cavalry rode completely around his army on reconnaissance • General Lee launched a devastating assault–the Seven Days’ Battles—June 26-July 2, 1862 • The Confederates slowly drove McClellan back to the sea II. “Tardy George” McClellan and the Peninsula Campaign (cont.) • The Peninsula Campaign – The Union forces abandoned the Peninsula Campaign as a costly failure – Lincoln temporarily abandoned McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac. • Lee: – Achieved a brilliant, if bloody, triumph – He ensured that the war would endure until slavery was uprooted and the Old South destroyed II. “Tardy George” McClellan and the Peninsula Campaign (cont.) – Union strategy now turned toward total war (see Map 21.2): • Finally developed the Northern military plan – Slowly suffocate the South by blockading its coasts – Liberate the slaves and hence undermine the very economic foundations of the Old South – Cut the Confederacy in half by seizing control of the Mississippi River backbone – Chop the Confederacy by sending troops to Georgia and the Carolinas – Decapitate it by capturing its capital at Richmond – Try everywhere to engage the enemy’s main strength and to grind it into submission Map 21-1 p437 III. The War at Sea – The blockade: • 3500 miles of coast was impossible to patrol for the Northern navy • Blockading was simplified by concentrating on the principal ports and inlets where docks were used to load bulky bales of cotton • Britain recognized it as binding and warned its shippers that they ignored it at their peril • Blockade-running was risky but profitable • The lush days of blockade-running passed as Union squadrons pinched off leading Southern ports. III. The War at Sea (cont.) • The Northern navy enforced the blockade with highhanded practices • They would seize British freighters on the high seas, if laden with war supplies • The justification was obviously these shipments were “ultimately” destined by devious routes for the Confederacy • London acquiesced in this disagreeable doctrine of “ultimate destination” or “continuous voyage” • Britain might need to use the same interpretation in a future war; in fact they did in WWI III. The War at Sea (cont.) – The most alarming Confederate threat to the blockade came in 1862 • Resourceful Southerners raised and reconditioned a former wooden U.S. warship, the Merrimack: – Plated its sides with old iron railroad rails – Renamed it the Virginia: » Easily destroyed two wooden ships of the Union navy in the Virginia waters of Chesapeake Bay » It threatened catastrophe to the entire Yankee blockading fleet III. The War at Sea (cont.) – The Monitor: • For four hours, March 9, 1862, the little ”Yankee cheesebox on a raft” fought the wheezy Merrimack to a standstill • A few months after the historic battle, the Confederates destroyed the Merrimack to keep it from the grasp of advancing Union troops Map 21-2 p439 IV. The Pivotal Point: Antietam • Second Battle of Bull Run (August 29-30, 1962): • Lee encountered a Federal force under General John Pope – Lee quickly attacked Pope’s troops and inflicted a crushing defeat – Lee daringly now thrust into Maryland – He hoped to strike a blow that would: » Encourage foreign intervention » Seduce the still-wavering Border State and its sisters from the Union • The Marylanders did not respond to the siren song IV. The Pivotal Point: Antietam (cont.) – Antietam Creek, Maryland, a critical battle • “Little Mac” McClellan was restored to active command: – Found copies of Lee’s battle plans – McClelland succeeded in halting Lee at Antietam on September 7, 1862, in one of the bloodiest and bitter days of the war • Antietam was more or less a draw militarily: – Lee withdrew across the Potomac – McClellan was released of duty for the second time – The landmark Battle of Antietam was one of the divisive engagements of world history; most decisive Civil War battle IV. The Pivotal Point: Antietam (cont.) – Antietam was the long-awaited “victory” that Lincoln needed for launching his Emancipation Proclamation • Midsummer of 1862 the Border States were safely in the fold and Lincoln was ready to move – However, Lincoln decided to wait for the outcome of Lee’s invasion – Antietam served as the needed emancipation springboard – Lincoln issued on September 23, 1862, the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation – It announced that on January 1, 1863, the President would issue a final proclamation IV. The Pivotal Point: Antietam (cont.) – On schedule, he fully redeemed his promise • The Civil War became more of a moral crusade for slavery • On January 1, 1863, Lincoln said, – “the character of the war will be changed. It will be one of subjugation . . . .The (Old) South is to be destroyed and replaced by new propositions and ideas.” V. A Proclamation Without Emancipation – Lincoln’s Proclamation of 1863 declared “forever free” the slaves in those Confederate areas still in rebellion: • Bondsmen in the loyal Border States were not affected • Nor were those in specific conquered areas in the South • The tone of the document was dull and legalistic: – Lincoln: the proclamation was “an act of justice” and calling for “the considering judgment of mankind and the gracious favor of Almighty God.” V. A Proclamation Without Emancipation (cont.) • The presidential pen did not formally strike the shackles from a single slave: – Where Lincoln could free the slaves—in the loyal Border States—he refused to do so, lest he spur disunion – Where he could not—in the Confederate states—he tried to – In short, where he could he would not, and where he would he could not V. A Proclamation Without Emancipation (cont.) • Thus the Emancipation Proclamation was stronger on proclamation than emancipation – There were thousands of do-it-yourself liberations – By issuing the Proclamation Lincoln: • Addressed the refugees’ plight • Strengthened the moral cause of the Union at home and abroad • Also clearly foreshadowed the ultimate doom of slavery (see Map 21.3) V. A Proclamation Without Emancipation (cont.) – The ultimate doom of slavery was • Thirteenth Amendment (see the Appendix): – Legally achieved by the ratification of the individual states – The Emancipation Proclamation fundamentally changed the nature of the war: • It effectively removed any chance of a negotiated settlement • Both sides knew that the war would be a fight to the finish V. A Proclamation Without Emancipation (cont.) – Public reactions to the long-awaited proclamation of 1863 were varied: • Many ardent abolitionists complained Lincoln had not gone far enough • Formidable number of Northerners felt that he had gone too far • Opposition mounted in the North against supporting an “abolition war” • Volunteers had fought for the Union, not against slavery V. A Proclamation Without Emancipation (cont.) • Desertions increased sharply • Critical congressional elections of 1862 went heavily against the administration—particularly New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio • Aristocrats of Europe were inclined to sympathize with Southern protests • The Old World working classes, especially in Britain, reacted otherwise • Gradually the diplomatic position of the Union improved V. A Proclamation Without Emancipation (cont.) • The North now had much the stronger moral cause: – In addition to preserving the Union, – It had committed itself to freeing the slaves. – The moral position of the South was correspondingly diminished. Map 21-3 p442 VI. Blacks Battle Bondage • Lincoln: – Moved to emancipate the slaves – He took steps to enlist blacks in the armed forces • Black enlistees were accepted • By war’s end some 180,000 blacks served in the Union army, most of them from the slave states, many more from the free-soil North • Blacks accounted for about 10% of the total enlistments in the Union forces on land and sea – Two Mass. Regiments were raised largely through the efforts of the ex-slave Frederick Douglas. VI. Blacks Battle Bondage (cont.) • Service offered them a chance to prove their manhood and strengthen their claim to full citizenship at war’s end • They received about 500 Congressional Medals of Honor • Their casualties were extremely heavy: – More than 30,000 died – Many were captured and put to death – Confederacy and slaves: • Could not bring itself to enlist slaves until a month before the war ended—it was too late VI. Blacks Battle Bondage (cont.) – Tens of thousands were forced into labor battalions: • The building of fortifications; the supplying of armies • Other war-connected activities • Slaves were “the stomach of the Confederacy”: – They kept the farms going while the white men fought. • Involuntary labor did not imply slave support for the Confederacy VI. Blacks Battle Bondage (cont.) – In many ways the actions of Southern slaves hamstrung the Confederate war efforts: • Fear of slave insurrection necessitated “home guards,” keeping many white men from the front • Every form of slave resistance diminished productivity and undermined discipline • When Union troops neared, slave assertiveness increased • They stopped short of violent uprising: – Slaves contributed powerfully to the collapse of slavery and the disintegration of the antebellum way of life Map 21-4 p444 VII. Lee’s Last Lunge at Gettysburg • Lincoln replaced McClellan with General A.B. Burnside: • He proved his unfitness when he launched a rash frontal attack on Lee’s strong position at Fredericksburg, Virginia on December 13, 1862 • Burnside yielded his command to Joseph (“Fighting Joe”) Hooker • At Chancellorsville, Virginia, on May 2-4, 1863, Lee divided his forces and sent Hooker to attach the Union flank. The victory was Lee’s most brilliant, but it was dearly bought. VII. Lee’s Last Lunge at Gettysburg (cont.) • Lee now prepared to invade the North again: – A decisive blow would add strength – And would encourage foreign intervention—still a Southern hope – Three days before the battle Union general George C. Meade was informed that he would replace Hooker • Meade took his stand near the quiet little Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (see Map 21.4): – There his 92,000 men locked in furious combat with Lee’s 76,000 – The battle seesawed across the rolling green slopes for three agonizing days—July 1-3, 1863. VII. Lee’s Last Lunge at Gettysburg (cont.) – Pickett’s charge: • The failure of General George Pickett’s magnificent but futile charge finally broke the back of the Confederate attack— – And broke the heart of the Confederate cause – Its has been called the “high tide of the Confederacy.” – It defined the northernmost point reached by any significant Southern force and the real last chance for the Confederates to win the war – At the Battle of Gettysburg raged, a Confederate peace delegation was moving under a flag of peace of truce toward the Union lines near Norfolk, Virginia VII. Lee’s Last Lunge at Gettysburg (cont.) – The victory at Gettysburg belonged to Lincoln • He refused the Confederate peace mission to pass though Union lines • From now on, the Southern cause was doomed, yet the men from Dixie fought for two more years • In autumn of 1863, while the graves were still fresh, Lincoln journeyed to Gettysburg to dedicate the ceremony. – He read a two minute address, followed by a two-hour speech by a former president of Harvard. – The Gettysburg Address attracted relatively little attention at the time, but the president was speaking for the ages. VIII. The War in the West – Ulysses S. Grant • Grant’s first signal success came in northern Tennessee theater (see Map 21.5) • He captured Fort Henry and Fort Donelson on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers in February 1862 – When the Confederate commander at Fort Donelson asked for terms, Grant bluntly demanded “an unconditional and immediate surrender” – Grant’s triumph in Tennessee was crucial: » It riveted Kentucky to the Union » It opened the gateway to the strategically important region of Tennessee, Georgia and the heart of Dixie. VIII. The War in the West (cont.) – Battle at Shiloh: • Just over the Tennessee border from Corinth on April 6-7, 1862 • Grant counterattacked—the impressive Confederate showing at Shiloh confirmed that there would be no quick end to the war in the West • Other western events: – 1862 David G. Farragut joined with a Northern unit to deal a striking blow by seizing New Orleans VIII. The War in the West (cont.) – Vicksburg, Mississippi: • Was the South’s sentinel protecting the lifeline to the western sources of supply • Grant was commander of the Union forces at Vicksburg: this was his best-fought campaign – The Union victory at Vicksburg came the day after the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg – Reopening the Mississippi helped quell the Northern peace – The twin victories tipped the diplomatic scale in favor of the North and Britain stopped delivery of the Laird rams to the Confederates (see p. 425) – Confederate hope for foreign help was irretrievably lost Map 21-5 p448 IX. Sherman Scorches Georgia – Grant transferred to east Tennessee: • Confederates won the battle of Chickamauga, near Chattanooga, to which they laid siege • Grant won a series of desperate engagements in November, 1863: – Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain (the “Battle Above the Clouds”) – Chattanooga was liberated, the state cleared of Confederates – Way opened for an invasion of Georgia – Grant was rewarded by being made general in chief IX. Sherman Scorches Georgia (cont.) – Georgia’s conquest: • It was entrusted to General William Tecumseh Sherman • He captured Atlanta in September 1864, burned the city in November 1864 • Sherman with 6000 troops cut a sixty-mile swath of destruction through Georgia • Major purposes of Sherman’s march: – destroy supplies destined for the Confederate army – weaken the morale of the men at the front by waging war on their homes (see Map 21.6) IX. Sherman Scorches Georgia (cont.) – Sherman was a pioneer practitioner of “total war”: • His success in “Shermanizing” the South was attested by increasing numbers of Confederate desertions • All his methods were brutal – He probably shortened the struggle and hence saved lives – The discipline of his army at times broke down • After seizing Savannah as a Christmas present for Lincoln, his army veered north into South Carolina, where the destruction was even worse: – Sherman’s conquering army rolled deep into North Carolina by the time the war ended Map 21-6 p450 X. The Politics of War • Presidential elections come by the calendar and not by the crisis: – Political infighting added to Lincoln’s cup of woe • Factions within his own party, distrusting his ability or doubting his commitment to abolition, sought to tie his hands or remove him from office • Conspicuous among his critics was the overambitious secretary of the Treasury, Salmon Chase X. The Politics of War (cont.) – Congressional Committee on the Conduct of War formed in late 1861: • Dominated by “radical” Republicans who – Resented the expansion of presidential power in wartime – Pressed Lincoln zealously on emancipation – Most dangerous to the Union cause were the Northern Democrats: • Taint with the association with the seceders • Tragedy befell when their gifted leader Stephen A. Douglas died X. The Politics of War (cont.) • Lacking a leader, the Democrats divided – The “War Democrats” supported the Lincoln administration – Tens of thousands of “Peace Democrats” did not – Extreme were the Copperheads—openly obstructed the war through: » Attacks against the draft » Against Lincoln » Especially, after 1863, against emancipation » Denounced the president as the “Illinois Ape” » Condemned the “Nigger War” » Commanded considerable political strength in the southern parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois X. The Politics of War (cont.) – Notorious was congressman from Ohio, Clement L. Vallandigham: » He publicly demanded an end to the “wicked and cruel” war » He was convicted by a military tribunal in 1863 for treasonable utterance and was sentenced to prison » Lincoln thought he liked the Confederates so much, he ought to be banished to their lines. This was done. » Vallandigham inspired Edward Everett Hale to write his moving but fictional story of Philip Nolan, The Man Without a Country (1863) » Nolan was a young army officer found guilty of participation with Aaron Burr plot of 1806 (see p. 214). » He was condemned to a life of eternal exile on American warships. X. The Politics of War (cont.) – Lincoln’s renomination at first encountered surprisingly strong opposition: • Hostile factions wanted to shelve “Old Abe” in favor of Secretary of the Treasury Chase • The “ditch Lincoln” move collapsed, and he was nominated by the Union party without serious dissent • His running mate was Andrew Johnson, a loyal War Democrat from Tennessee: – A small slaveowner when the conflict began – Placed on the Union Party ticket to “sew up” the election » With no proper regard for the possibility that Lincoln would die in office X. The Politics of War (cont.) • Democrats: – Nominated the deposed and overcautious war hero General McClellan: • Their plank denounced the prosecution of the war as a failure • McClellan repudiated this defeatist declaration – Campaign: • Noisy and nasty campaign with numerous slogans • Lincoln’s reelection was at first gravely in doubt X. The Politics of War (cont.) • The anti-Lincoln Republicans started a movement to “dump” Lincoln in favor of someone else • Atmosphere changed by succession of Northern victories • The president pulled through, but nothing more than necessary was left to chance: – At election time many Northern soldiers were furloughed home to support Lincoln at the polls – Some Northern soldiers were permitted to cast their ballots at the front – Lincoln bolstered the “bayonet vote” with 212 electoral votes for Lincoln and 21 for McClellan XI. The Election of 1864 (cont.) • Election of 1864: – Lincoln’s precarious authority • depended on his retaining Republican support • while spiking the threat from the Peace Democrats and Copperheads – Fearing defeat, the Republican party executed a clever maneuver: • Joining the War Democrats, it proclaimed itself to be the Union party (see Figure 21.1) • Thus the Republican party was temporarily out of existence XI. The Election of 1864 (cont.) • Lincoln lost Kentucky, Delaware, and New Jersey (see Map 21.7) • “Little Mac” ran a closer race than the electoral count indicates • He netted a healthy 45% of the popular vote, 1,803,787 to Lincoln’s 2,206,938 • Crushing defeat for the Northern Democrats in 1864 • The removal of Lincoln was the last ghost of a hope for a Confederate victory • When Lincoln triumphed, desertions from the sinking Southern ship increased sharply Figure 21-1 p452 p453 XII. Grant Outlasts Lee • Wilderness Campaign: – Grant with 100,000 men struck toward Richmond – He engaged Lee in a series of furious battles in the Wilderness of Virginia, May and June 1864 – Grant suffered 50,000 lost (see Map 21.8) – On June 3 Grant ordered a frontal assault on Cold Harbor: • In about 5 minutes, 7 thousand men were killed or wounded XIII. Grant Outlasts Lee (cont.) • Public opinion in the North: – Critics cried “Grant the Butcher” had gone insane • Grant’s reputation was underserved • While Lee’s was overrated • Lee’s rate of loss was the highest of any general in the war • By contrast, Grant lost one of ten • Grant had intended to fight battles out in the open • Lee turned the eastern campaign into a war of attrition fought in the trenches XII. Grant Outlasts Lee (cont.) • Lee could no longer seize the offensive • His new defensive posture in turn forced Grant into some brutal arithmetic • Grant could trade two men for one and still beat the enemy to his knees • In February 1865 the Confederates tried desperately to negotiate for peace between the two “countries” – Lincoln met with Confederate representatives aboard a Union ship at Hampton Road, Virginia, to discuss peace – Lincoln could accept nothing short of Union and emancipation – Southerners could accept nothing less than independence XII. Grant Outlasts Lee (cont.) – The tribulation wore on to its terrible climax • Appomattox Courthouse: – The end came with dramatic suddenness: • Advancing Northern troops captured Richmond and cornered Lee at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, April 1865 • Grant met with Lee April 9th, Palm Sunday – Granted generous terms of surrender – The hungry Confederates were allowed to keep their horses for spring plowing XII. Grant Outlasts Lee (cont.) – Tattered Southern veterans wept as they took leave of their beloved commander – The elated Union soldiers cheered – Lincoln traveled to conquered Richmond and sat in Jefferson Davis’s evacuated office just forty hours after the Confederate president had left it • Sadly, as many freed slaves were to discover, the hereafter of their full liberty was a long time coming Map 21-7 p454 Map 21-8 p455 XIII. The Martyrdom of Lincoln • Lincoln’s death: • On April 14, 1865 (Good Friday) only five days after Lee’s surrender, Fort’s Theater in Washington witnessed its most sensational drama • Pro-Southern actor, John Wilkes Booth, slipped behind Lincoln and shot him in the head • The Great Emancipator died the following morning – Lincoln expired in the arms of victory, at the very pinnacle of his fame – His dramatic death erased the memory of his shortcomings and caused his nobler qualities to stand out in clearer relief XIII. The Martyrdom of Lincoln (cont.) – The full impact of Lincoln’s death was not at once apparent to the South • As time wore on, increasingly Lincoln’s death was perceived as a calamity for the South • Belatedly they recognized his kindliness and moderation • The assassination increased bitterness in the North, partly because of the rumor that Jefferson Davis had plotted it • Some historians argued that Andrew Johnson was crucified in Lincoln’s stead—doesn’t really stand up! XIII. The Martyrdom of Lincoln (cont.) • Lincoln: – Lincoln no doubt would have had clashes with Congress – Lincoln was a victorious president, and there is no arguing with victory – His powers of leadership were refined in the war crucible – Lincoln possessed in full measure tact, sweet reasonableness and an uncommon amount of common sense XIV. The Aftermath of the Nightmare – The Civil War’s grisly toll: • 600,000 men died in action or of disease • Over a million were killed or seriously wounded • The amount of dead amounted to 2% of the entire nation’s population • To its lasting hurt, the nation lost the cream of its young manhood and potential leadership • Tens of thousands of babies went unborn because potential fathers were at the front XIII. The Aftermath of the Nightmare (cont.) – Direct monetary costs of the conflict: • Total cost of the conflict—$15 billion • Does not include continuing expenses—pensions, and interest on the national debt • Intangible costs—dislocations, disunities, wasted energies, lowered ethics, blasted lives, bitter memories, and burning hats—cannot be calculated. – Greatest Constitutional decision was written in blood and handed down at Appomattox Courthouse XIII. The Aftermath of the Nightmare (cont.) • The extreme states’ righters were crushed • The national government, tested in the fiery furnace of war, emerged unbroken • Nullification and secessions were laid to rest • The Civil War was the supreme test of American democracy • The preservation of democratic ideals was subconsciously one of the major objectives of the North XIV. The Aftermath of the Nightmare (cont.) • Victory for Union arms provided inspiration to the champions of democracy and liberalism (pp. 458-459) • The great English Reform Bill of 1867, under which England became a true political democracy, was passed two years after the Civil War ended – American democracy proved itself – Its success was an additional argument used by disfranchised British masses in securing similar blessings for themselves XVI. The Aftermath of the Nightmare (cont.) – The “Lost Cause” of the South was lost • The shameful cancer of slavery was sliced away by the sword • African Americans were last in a position to claim their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness • The nation was once again united politically • Great dangers were adverted by a Union victory: – The indefinite prolongation of the “peculiar institution” – The unleashing of the slave power on weak Caribbean neighbors XVI. The Aftermath of the Nightmare (cont.) – The transformation of the area from Panama to Hudson Bay into an armed camp: » With several heavily armed and hostile states constantly snarling and sniping at one another • American still had a long way to go to make the promises of freedom a reality for all its citizens, black and white • Emancipation laid the necessary groundwork: – a united and democratic United States was free to fulfill its destiny as the dominant republic of the hemisphere—and eventually of the world. p463