“It is well that war is so terrible… for we should grow too fond of it”--General Robert E. Lee

BELLRINGER

“What technologies were developed during the Civil War that we still use in some way today?”

BELLRINGER: ANSWERS

• Submarines

• Aerial recognizance (hot air balloons)

• Railroads

• Army ambulance core

• Naval mines and torpedos

• Artillery• Ironclads

• Rifled Muskets• Telegraph

TECHNOLOGY OF THE CIVIL

WAR

ARTILLERYNAPOLEON CANNON SIEGE MORTAR

• Fired ball, grapeshot, and canister• Used to “soften” up enemy positions• Shells ranged from 6 pounds to 300 pounds for siege mortars

ANACONDA PLANWinfield Scott’s strategy

Suggested a blockade of all ports and sending gunboats down the Mississippi to divide the Confederacy

“Slowly strangle” the South to “death” and surrender

IRONCLADSUSS MONITOR CSS VIRGINIA

• Wooden ships became obsolete when the CSS Virginia set sail in 1862

• The Virginia destroyed two sail-driven wooden warships within hours of being on the water

• The entire Union fleet was in danger until the Virginia met its match at Hampton Roads, VA where the USS Monitor was waiting.

• The two ironclads slugged it out for hours — neither could punch through each other’s armor.

BLOCKADE RUNNERS

In April 1861, Lincoln set up a blockade of all Confederate ports

The blockade cut off all trade to the South

Until blockade runners – small, fast ships used to smuggle goods at night

Notice the impacts from cannon fire upon the Monitor

RIFLED MUSKETS

• Rifling in a musket increased its range to 300 yards• Single shot weapons loaded from the muzzle• .58 caliber Springfield rifle = Union • Enfield rifle = Confederate• Rifles fired a lead bullet called a “minie’ ball” which flattened and

splintered on contact

TELEGRAPH DISPATCHES

• Morse Code• Electronic communication• Messages sent over many miles

using copper wire• Allowed for instant communication

with the battlefield• Over 15,000 miles of telegraph line

Morse-Vail Telegraph Key, 1844-1845

Write down which technological development you found the most interesting and why.

Please turn in before you leave class.

EXIT SLIP