Download Civil War

Civil War:
2010
Beginnings:


Secession
Creation of Confederacy: President: Jefferson Davis
Fort Sumter
 States choose sides:
S: South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida,
Tx, Louisiana
 Border states: S: Virginia, Arkansas, Tenn, NC
N: Missouri, W Virginia, Kentucky, MD, Del

Strategies:
North:
South:
Battle/war strategies for BOTH sides:
 Get a good position (the high ground) and defend it
 Retreat is a viable option
 Attack weak points in the lines – or the middle
 Tight formations
 Cavalry for reconnaissance and to reinforce weak lines
 Take key cities to impact
o Industry
o Supply lines
o Morale
THE FIGHTING:
Eastern Theater: Threats to and defense of capitals:
Washington DC and Richmond
Overview:
 South is victorious often, early
 North has trouble finding a good commander
 North doesn’t pursue Southern forces when they could
have
First Battle of Bull Run July 1861:
http://www.history.com/videos/first-battle-of-bull-run#first-battle-of-bull-run
http://www.history.com/shows/america-the-story-of-us/videos/abrahamlincoln#abraham-lincoln (Lincoln from “The story of us”)
 General McDowell (N) vs. S. Stonewall Jackson
who emerges as key leader
 Demonstrates S is a formidable opponent, war will
not be over quickly
 N retreats to DC
 McDowell is replaced by McClellan: good trainer,
organizer, but has “the slows”
Seven Days Battle: Summer of 1862 (June 25-July 1)
 McClellan advances
 Meets S in series of battles
 North withdraws again to DC after meeting South
 McClellan replaced by Pope
2nd Battle of Bull Run: Summer, 1862 (August 27-Sept 2)
 N loses again, Pope’s out
Antietam: Sept- Nov 1862
http://www.history.com/videos/the-battle-of-antietam#the-battle-of-antietam (Antietam)
 McClellan is back as commander
 Heavy losses on both sides – perceived as a N
victory because of Lee’s retreat
 McClellan fails to pursue Lee in weakened state
 McClellan is replaced by Ambrose Burnside
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sideburns
Fredericksburg Dec 1862: Union defeat
(Generals: Burnside replaced by Joe Hooker)
Chancellorsville: May 1863.
 Union loses again
 but S loses Stonewall Jackson
 On Jackson’s death
o Jackson: shot by “friendly fire.” Pneumonia?
http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2002/052002/05
062002/597774
Gettysburg, PA July 1863
http://www.history.com/videos/the-battle-of-gettysburg#the-battle-of-gettysburg
http://www.history.com/videos/chamberlain-at-gettysburg#chamberlain-at-gettysburg
 Turning point in North’s favor
 Pickett’s charge
 South loses 1/3: 28,000 casualties of 75,000
 23,000 of 88,000 for the N
 Gettysburg address
Grant named commanding General March 1864
Battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor:
 Grant keeps pressure up on Lee’s forces May of 1864
Petersburg: Confederates are besieged for 9 months
 Battle of the Crater
http://www.vw.vccs.edu/vwhansd/HIS269/Battles/Cra
ter.html
 Lee breaks out of Petersburg April 1865
 Richmond and Petersburg are evacuated
the fall of Richmond http://www.history.com/videos/lincoln-the-fall-ofrichmond#lincoln-the-fall-of-richmond
Appomattox, VA April 9, 1865: Lee Surrenders
http://www.history.com/videos/surrender-at-appomattox-courthouse#surrender-atappomattox-courthouse
Western Theater:
Control of the Mississippi
Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Feb 1862: Union successes
Shiloh (Tennessee April 1862).
 14,000 for North and 11,000 for South (more than all
US wars up to now combined)
 First very high casualties of the war
 Shows war will be a bloody one.
North takes New Orleans in April 1862
Vicksburg:
 Grant is named commander of West
 May 1863: Vicksburg put under siege, May 1863
 Taken in July 1863
 Same time as Gettysburg: turning point
Chickamauga (GA): Confed victory, Sept 1863
Chattanooga, Nov 1863: when the Union forces win.
Sherman’s March to Atlanta: March 1864.
 Atlanta captured by Sept 1864
Sherman’s March to the Sea:
 Scorched earth
 Savannah: taken Dec, 1864
War at Sea:
 North’s blockade
 South attempts to break
o Runners
o Merrimack (S) vs. Monitor (N)
o Submarines
Leaders:
Abraham Lincoln
Jefferson Davis
U.S. Grant
Robert E Lee:
http://www.historyplace.com/civilwar/cwar-pix/lee-1.jpg
Political Factors:
 Taxation, selling bonds abroad, printing more money
 Suspension of Habeus Corpus/ anti-free press: helped
Lincoln control anti-war factions.
 Emancipation Proclamation: Went into effect in Jan 1,
1863
 What did the EP do? Explain the reasons it was a
beneficial move for Lincoln and the Union.
 The Draft: Confed adopted a draft April, 1862; Union:
March, 1863. Favoritism for the wealthy. Riots in NYC.
 Abraham Lincoln: Re-elected in 1864: Who is his
opponent?
 Passing of the 13th Amendment: Abolition of slavery
Serving in military: 1.5 mil served in Union; 1 mil in
Confed. Both had 10% desertion rate; 150,000 blacks
served in Union.
Results:
1. HUGE deaths: 620,000 deaths (360,000 Union; 260,000
Confederacy) – or our book says 633,000



1 in 12 men who were eligible to fight were killed. Plus
severe injuries. (31 million population; ½ women, so 15
million men; ½ too young or old – so 7.5 million
eligible. 620,000/7.5 million = 8.25% or about 1/12.
Of 7.5 million eligible, 2.5 million served: 1/3 of eligible
served.
¼ died; 1/3 of men who served were killed, wounded or
imprisoned.
2. South’s: economy demolished; political weight was
lessened significantly, cities destroyed.
3. Political: Republican party, Northerners, Westerners
dominating national politics. Republican agenda enacted:
Homestead Act 1862 and RR building
4. Economy: Cotton economy suffered – national economy
is tied more to N industry, West Ag.
5. Abolition of Slavery: 13th Amendment
6. States rights theories curtailed
7. Increase in power of federal gov’t
Why death rate so high in the Civil War?
Good links:
http://www.historyplace.com/civilwar/
Myths and legends of the Civil War:
http://www.vw.vccs.edu/vwhansd/HIS269/myths.html
From an online Civil War History course: essays and
exhibits:
http://www.vw.vccs.edu/vwhansd/HIS269/Exhibits.html
from Instructor David C. Hanson, Virginia Western
Com. College (
Lincoln’s final days:
http://www.vw.vccs.edu/vwhansd/HIS269/Exhibits/Lincoln
_Death.html