THE CIVIL WAR

The South secedes The South wanted to secede (break

away) from the US.

South Carolina broke away first, followed by Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.

These states formed their own government called the Confederacy, separate from the US.

The new Confederate government wrote a constitution that supported states rights and slavery

Jefferson Davis was elected the Confederacy president

The Confederate government took control of most forts and military property of the US that was in the South

The Union

The states that remained loyal and part of the US government were called the Union

The Union was able to keep control of

Fort Sumter, South Carolina

How it begins The Confederates called for the

Union to surrender Fort Sumter.

The Confederates fired on the fort on April 12, 1861 when they did not surrender.

With little food and water for the troops, the Union surrendered.

Lincoln asked Union states to supply soldiers to stop the Confederates

The rest of the Southern states, angry with Lincoln for calling for troops, decided to break away also.

Why fight the war?

The North was fighting to keep the Union together

The South was fighting to preserve their way of life, state’s rights, and slavery.

War StrategiesThe Union

Blockade – block the South from shipping cotton to Europe. This is their main way of getting money for the war

Cut southern states in two by capturing land along the Mississippi River

Anaconda Plan – attack the South from the east and west and squeeze it like a snake

The Confederates

War StrategiesThe Union

Blockade – block the South from shipping cotton to Europe. This is their main way of getting money for the war

Cut southern states in two by capturing land along the Mississippi River

Anaconda Plan – attack the South from the east and west and squeeze it like a snake

The ConfederatesWait for the North to

get tired and give up

The South will fight more fiercely

Get help from the British who needed Southern cotton

The Early Battles First Battle of Bull Run – Manassas

Junction, Virginia. Confederate General Jackson tells troops to hold their place “like a stone wall”.

Confederates win!

Battle of Antietam – Sharpsburg, Maryland.Union Wins! Important victory for the North because Great Britain ended its support of the South leaving the South to fight on its own.

Many new technologies affected the war

Rifles could shoot farther and better

Railroads moved supplies quickly

Confederate submarines moved around Union blockades

Hand grenades were new Iron clad ships could not be destroyed

New technology made the war more deadly

War Life• Life was hard for soldiers

Marched up to 25 miles a day carrying supplies

Thirsty in the summer and freezing in the winter

Confederate soldiers wore out shoes and fought bare foot

Disliked the food supplies Many died of disease because Dr.’s

didn’t know about germs and infections

Lincoln changes goal

Lincoln decides to make the abolition of slavery a goal for the war

He issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed all slaves in the confederate states at war with the Union

Did not end slavery in areas not at war with the Union

African Americans in the war Free African Americans , like

Frederick Douglass, called African Americans to join the Union’s fight

In the beginning of the war African Americans could only be cooks, servants, and other workers

They received less pay and had to pay for their own uniforms, unlike white soldiers

The 54th Colored Regiment was one of the first black troops. After a tough battle at Fort Wagner that was fought bravely, Northerners changed their minds about blacks in the war

Congress finally voted to give African American soldiers equal pay

The role of women in the war Women ran farms and businesses while

men were gone fighting Became teachers and office workers Many became spies Became nurses Gathered supplies for troops Clara Barton organized the American

Association of the Red Cross that still helps people in times of need

They sewed clothing Rolled bandages Sent extra food to the troops

The war goes on

The Battle of Gettysburg – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. A 3 day battle in which the Union held strong. The Union wins! It was after this battle that

Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address. In this speech he spoke of the need to be a united nation and to end slavery

The Battle of Vicksburg – Union general Ulysses S. Grant implemented a blockade bringing Confederates to near starvation. The South surrendered. The Union Wins!

Sherman’s “March to the Sea” – General William Sherman joins Grant in taking Atlanta from the Confederates, and burned most of the city.

Sherman moved toward Savannah, Georgia destroying houses, railroads, barns, and fields

Sherman continued to move to South Carolina destroying much of the state.

Sherman continued to move north.

Appomattox Court House – Virginia. April 9, 1865. Generals Robert E. Lee (Confederate) and Ulysses S. Grant (Union) meet at the court house to discuss the South’s surrender.

The US most destructive war in history was over. THE UNION WINS THE WAR!

Lincoln wants the country to be rebuilt.