The American Civil War

Abraham Lincoln

• Early in his career, Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer, a member of the Illinois state legislature, member of the U.S. House of Representatives

• He supported the Republican Party and the party’s efforts to stop slavery

• He was nominated for a U.S. Senate seat, going against Democrat Stephen Douglas– Well known for the Kansas Nebraska Act

Lincoln-Douglas Debates• 1858, Douglas and Lincoln competed for a Senate seat• Lincoln tried to take advantage of his opponent’s fame,

and challenged Douglas to a series of debates throughout the state

• Thousands of people attended the seven debates• Lincoln focused on slavery and the future in the West

– Said Democrats wanted to spread slavery across the continent

– Lincoln, a Republican, felt slavery was wrong– Felt African Americans were “entitled to all the natural

rights” listed in the Declaration of Independence– He did not feel AA’s were political or social equals, but– “in the right to eat the bread…which his own hand earns, he

is my equal”

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

VS.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

• Douglas used Lincoln’s stance on equality against Lincoln

• “Those of you who believe that the Negro is your equal…of course will vote for Mr. Lincoln”

• Douglas criticized Lincoln for believing the country could not remain half slave and half free

• Accused him of wanting to make all states free, which would lead to “warfare between the North and the South”

Lincoln-Douglas Results

• Douglas’ response to the Dred Scott decision helped him win the Seat.– He said the people of each area have the power to

vote for or against slavery. • Even though he lost, Lincoln gained national

attention and media coverage• This helped him to gain the Republican

nomination for President in the 1860 election

Election of 1860• Northern Democrats chose Senator Stephen Douglas• Republicans chose Abraham Lincoln

– He was against slavery, but said he would not try to abolish slavery wherever it existed, making him appeal to a large audience

• John Breckinridge and John Bell also campaigned. • The three other candidate split many of the votes among

themselves– Lincoln won 180/183 northern electoral votes– Breckinridge and Bell split the southern electoral votes– Douglas won only 12 electoral votes

• Lincoln won the presidency, even though he did not win a single southern state

• This was a reminder of the lack of political power in the South

• Also on page 573

Secession

• Many southern whites believed Lincoln would abolish slavery once in power– This would destroy the South’s economy and

lifestyle• Four days after Lincoln’s election, South

Carolina’s legislature called for a special convention to consider secession.

• After three days of discussion, all delegates voted to secede.

• Since secession was not directly discussed in the Constitution, some southern states believed they could get out of the Union just as they got in, by holding a state convention and voting.

• Lincoln disagreed, saying no state can lawfully get out of the Union, without revolution, which was against the law.

Confederate States of America

• By 2/1/1861, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas seceded from the Union

• The seceding states formed The Confederate States of America, aka the Confederacy.

• Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was elected President of the CSA.

First Shots of the War

• Lincoln called for unity at his inaugural address• Confederate officials were already taking over federal

storehouses and forts• Fort Sumter, near Charleston, South Carolina was a Union

fort located in the South• Lincoln ordered the troops to be resupplied, but South

Carolina troops demanded the Union troops leave the fort. • Confederate guns opened fire, beginning the Civil War.• 34 hours of Confederate bombardment forced the North to

surrender

Border States

• The free Northern states were solidly for the Union• Slave states that did not join the confederacy had to

choose sides• N.C., Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas

– Joined confederacy• Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri bordered the

North– The position of these states made them important to both

the North and the South– While some soldiers fought for both sides, the border states

eventually joined the Union

Union vs. Confederates

North Vs. South

• Northern Advantages– Larger Population = More soldiers– More factories and shipyards– Better Railroads = easier transportation– More money

• Confederate Advantages– Many skilled officers– Didn’t have to “win” anything, just not give up

Northern Strategy

• Union general Winfield Scott developed the Union’s two-part strategy, the “Anaconda Plan”– Destroy the south’s economy with a naval

blockade of seaports– Gain control of the Mississippi River to divide the

Confederacy and cut its communication lines• Felt this would result in the least bloodshed;

but would take time

Overviewof

the North’s

Civil WarStrategy

:

“Anaconda”

Plan

The “Anaconda” Plan

Southern Strategy

• Defend its territory and wear down the Union’s will to fight

• Take Washington D.C.• Cotton Diplomacy- the belief that the British

gov’t would support the South because of their reliance on cotton– British had large stockpiles of cotton and also

acquired it from India and Egypt

Main Leaders

• Ulysses S. Grant – Union General• George McClellan – Union General

• Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson – Confederate General– “There is Jackson standing like a stone wall”

• Robert E. Lee – Confederate General

Main Battles/Events

• Ft. Sumter-First Shots of the Civil War; located in Charlestown, South Carolina

• First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)• Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)• Battle of Antietam: Bloodiest single day of the

civil war; 23,000 casualties. First battle fought on northern soil.

• Battle of Hampton Roads (Monitor vs. Merrimack/Virginia)

Main Battles/Events

• Battle of Shiloh• Vicksburg• Gettysburg: Turning point of the war• Sherman’s March to the Sea: Used scorched

earth policy.• Appomattox Courthouse: General Lee

surrendered to General Grant, ending the Civil War.

Emancipation Proclamation

• Lincoln supported freeing the Slaves if it would help the North win the war– He was hesitant because he feared it might weaken

support for the war– Constitution did not give the President the right to

end slavery; some saw slaves as property of the Southerners

• After the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln called for all slaves in Confederate controlled areas to be freed

• News of this encouraged southern slaves to escape when Union troops were nearby

• Some opposed the Proclamation, as they simply wanted to restore the Union, not to end slavery

Emancipation in 1863

TheEmancipati

onProclamatio

n

Weapons• Most soldiers were issued smoothbore muskets

that were difficult to load and could be fired at an accurate range of only about 100 yards, only three times in one minute. Rifled muskets were much more accurate and deadly with a range of up to 500 yards.

Destruction from Artillery• In the Civil War, some Cannons were rifled for

better accuracy and more power.• Rifled cannons could accurately lob shells for

almost 2000 yards; that is almost one mile!. • Smoothbore cannons were not as accurate and

could be lobbed 500 yards.

The Confederate Seal

MOTTO “With God As Our Vindicator”

Inflation in the South

McClellan: I Can Do It All!

Major Battles of the Civil War:

Manassas, Virginia Bull Run

The Confederate Generals

Jeb Stuart

James Longstreet

George Pickett

“Stonewall” Jackson Nathan Bedford Forrest

Robert E. Lee

Lincoln’s Generals

Irwin McDowell

Winfield Scott

George McClellan,Again!

George McClellan

Ambrose Burnside

Joseph Hooker

George MeadeUlysses S. Grant

Civil War Casualtiesin Comparison to Other

Wars

Manassas Junction, Va.

• This was the first major land battle of the Civil War

• Around Union 28,500 troops are going to battle 32,000 Confederate troops for control of an important rail road junction in Northern Virginia.

• Many people from both sides thought this battle would determine the outcome of the war.

Bull Run, Manassas, Virginia

• The first battle was an important Confederate victory. Manassas shows that the war was going to be very long and difficult for both sides.

Results• Confederate Victory• This battle convinced both sides that the

war would be a long and costly affair.• Manassas National Battlefield Park: Home

Page

Battle of Bull Run (1st Manassas)

July, 1861

The Battle of the Ironclads,

March, 1862The Monitor

vs.the Merrimac

Battle of Antietam “Bloodiest Single Day of the

War”

23,000 casualties

September 17, 1862

The Bloodiest Day of the Civil War" The Battle of Antietam

Confederate Losses Union Losses

Killed-1,512 Killed--2,108

Wounded--7,816 Wounded--9,549

Captured/Missing--1,844 Captured/Missing--753

Antietam: Sharpsburg, Maryland

• Bloody battle in Maryland resulted in a tie and Robert E. Lee’s army has to retreat back into Virginia. Lee attacked the north because he needed a victory on northern soil.

Vicksburg, Mississippi

• This important battle gave the Union Army control of trade and he Mississippi River, which cut the Confederacy in half and allowed General Grant to control trade and communication on the river.

Vicksburg-Dec. 1862-July 1863

• Constant bombardment• Porter kept up a continual bombardment

and cannonade for forty days, during which time he fired 7,000 mortar shells, and the gunboats 4,500 shells. Grant drew his lines closer and closer. He kept up a bombardment day and night

• Mule meat was a rare meal

• Banks of the Mississippi• Grant surrounds the city• Starves the people• Last stronghold of the

South on the river

                                                             

                                                                                    

Chancellorsville, Virginia

• Stonewall Jackson loses his life after achieving one of the greatest military maneuvers of the Civil War at Chancellorsville, in Virginia.

ChancellorsvilleMay 63

Hooker in commandof Union Troops

• Hooker had 125,000-lost 17,000; Lee had 58,000, lost 13,000

• Confederate success• Hooker flank was

taken• JACKSON IS KILLED by

his own troops

The War in

the West, 1863:

Vicksburg

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania• Gettysburg was an important Northern victory.

The confederate Army was cut down by almost 25%.

The Road to Gettysburg: 1863

Gettysburg Casualties

Sherman’s

“Marchto theSea”

throughGeorgia,

1864

1864

• Sept-Dec. 1864- March through Georgia• General Sherman takes Atlanta Burns it-then marches to

Savannah-a present to Lincoln on Christmas.• Troops live off land-denuded a strip of land 60 miles wide 120

miles long• Military objective-conquer territory; Economic objective-destroy resources Psychological objective-break the will of the people as the

Union marches through the Confederacy

The Final Virginia Campaign:1864-1865

Surrender at Appomattox

April 9, 1865

Union Prison Campat Andersonville, GA

Original Andersonville Plan

Planned to hold 10,000 men.

Had over 32,000 at one time.

Distributing “Rations”

Union “Survivors”

Ford’s Theater (April 14, 1865)

WANTED~~!!

The Execution