The Civil War 19.1

By Yvonne Cermak

June 20, 2006

Lincoln Faces Crisis

• Republican party sharply divided

• Greater challenge was the breakup of the union

• Lincoln realized the importance of preserving the union

Choosing Sides

• Northerners rallied behind the Union

• Upper South stayed w/ the south (the Confederate States) “Blood is thicker than water”

• Border states – members of the same family often joined opposing sides

• Disagreements over succession deeply divided many friends & families

The Volunteer Spirit

• Union & confederate armies relied on volunteers to help them fight the war

• They raised $

• Provided aide for soldiers & their families

• Ran emergency hospitals

• In the field volunteers worked to prevent disease & improve the health of troops

Northern Resources

• Larger population enabled them to recruit more soldiers

• Most factories located there (get supplies)• Better railways allowed for efficient

transportation• More shipyards to produce naval vessels• Able to raise more $ to spend on the war effort• Had to conquer & occupy large amounts of

enemy territory

Southern Resources

• Military traditions ran in families

• Many talented officers

• Only needed to defend itself until the people & government of the North grew tired of war

War Strategies of the Union

• North used a naval blockade to cut off southern seaports & thereby strangle the south’s economy

• North wanted to gain control of the Mississippi River, dividing the confederacy & cutting its communications

• Less bloodshed• Leaders called for a direct strike on the

southern capital of Richmond

War Strategies of the Confederacy

• Defend itself against northern attacks

• Wear down Union’s will to fight

• Planned to seize Washington

• Tried to win foreign support (particularly from Britain) through cotton diplomacy

Fun Fact

• Women on both sides contributed to the war effort (i.e. made gun cartridges)

• Abraham Lincoln was an inventor, loved gadgets, & new technology

• Lincoln collected models of proposed weapons & personally tested them on the White House lawn

• He hoped the development & use of new weapons & technology would help speed the end of the war

Comprehension Questions

• Why did Lincoln want to preserve the Union?

• How did volunteers assist both the union & confederates?

• List 2 Union & Confederate war strategies.

• List 3 northern resources & 2 southern resources.

Works Cited

• Call to Freedom• Holt, Rinehart, & Winston• Copyright 2000

– www.lib.utexas.edu– www.cr.nps.gov– www.uscg.mil– www.chichester.gov.uk– www.memory.loc.gov– www.dydemos.com– www.civilwaruniforms.ne– www.civilwar.nett