Causes of the Civil War

Causes of the Civil War

• Population shifts occurred due to the Irish Potato Famine, leading to a Northern population boom
• This increased Northern control in the House of Representatives
• States like Missouri and Massachusetts were admitted into the Union, sparking debates over slavery
• Economic disparities existed; the South had an agricultural economy dependent on crops like tobacco, rice, indigo, and cotton
• Cotton was a major political influence for Southern planters, with slave labor at its core
• The North was industrialized, with textile mills employing women, children, and immigrants
• The North had a more diversified economy
• Both regions relied on cotton for their economies

Territorial Impacts and Additions

• The Irish Potato Famine led to population jumps, causing Maine to enter as a free state, and Missouri as a slave state
• This balanced the number of free and slave states and established a boundary line at 36°30'
• Kansas and Nebraska were designated as open territories where residents would decide on free or slave status
• This angered Northerners, with abolitionists aiming to sway the vote in these territories
• Nebraska eventually entered as a free state
• The California Gold Rush prompted westward expansion
• California sought statehood, disrupting the balance between slave and free states
• Southern states threatened secession because of this imbalance
• Henry Clay proposed that California enter as a free state and ban the slave trade in Washington D.C.
• Utah and New Mexico were to decide on their status through popular sovereignty
• The Fugitive Slave Law was reinforced, compelling the return of runaway slaves nationwide

Dred Scott Decision

• The Supreme Court used Dred Scott vs. Sanford to assess the constitutionality of slavery
• Individuals of African heritage were not recognized as citizens, denying them the right to sue in federal court
• Enslaved individuals were considered property, allowing owners to move them across state lines
• Congress lacked the power to outlaw slavery in territories
• The Missouri Compromise was deemed unconstitutional, making slavery legal nationwide

Battles of the Civil War

• Fort Sumter occurred in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, on April 12, 1861
• Confederate forces, under P.G.T. Beauregard, initiated the war by firing on Union troops
• Manassas/Bull Run took place in July 1861, near Richmond and Washington D.C.
• It marked the first major battle, where the Union forces were defeated by the Confederacy
• Confederate soldiers, led by Stonewall Jackson, used the "rebel yell" during their charge
• Civilians from Washington, D.C., observed the battle, highlighting its immediate impact
• 25,000 were killed/wounded at Antietam
• Antietam was the bloodiest single day battle of the war with no clear winner

Turning Points of the Civil War

• Gettysburg took place from July 1-3, 1863, with fighting on McPhersons Ridge
• Union forces won the battle, with Pickett's Charge marking the Confederacy's farthest advance
• Gettysburg was a turning point in favor of the North
• Appomattox Courthouse signaled the end of the war with Lee's surrender to Grant
• Grant offered surrender terms, allowing Confederates to keep their horses for spring plowing
• Grant did not take Lee as a prisoner
• Grant allowed soldiers to return home peacefully with provided food and water

Key Figures of the Civil War

• Clara Barton was a battlefield nurse and Superintendent of Nurses for the Army of the James
• Barton founded the American Red Cross
• Jefferson Davis served as the President of the Confederacy
• Ulysses Grant, the General of the Army of James, led the Union to victory at Vicksburg
• Grant negotiated the end of the war at Appomattox
• Rose Greenhow was a Confederate spy who shared information with Confederate generals
• Andrew Johnson, a North Carolinian, became President after Lincoln's assassination
• Johnson's lenient Reconstruction policies clashed with the Republican Congress
• Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general, was a candidate to lead the union but sided with his state
• William T. Sherman, a Union general, led Sherman's March, devastating the South
• Harriet Tubman was a Union spy, conductor on the Underground Railroad, and abolitionist
• Zebulon Vance served as North Carolina's Wartime Governor and was jailed for his Confederate Leadership

North Carolina's Role

• Fort Fisher protected Wilmington and was known as the "lifeline of the Confederacy"
• North Carolina provided 1/6 of the Confederacy's army and suffered 1/4 of Confederate casualties
• North Carolinians participated in Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg
• 1/4 of those who surrendered at Appomattox were from North Carolina
• Confederate soldiers from North Carolina accidentally shot General Jackson
• This was a significant loss for Confederacy

Regions in the Civil War

• Outer Banks (OBX) was a favorite spot for blockade runners
• Bentonville was the site of the largest battle in North Carolina

Reconstruction

• Restoration of the Southern states began in North Carolina

Perspectives on the Civil War

• The phrase "Rich man's war, poor man's fight" reflected the perception that the wealthy started and benefitted from the war, while the poor suffered

Civil War Documents

• Anaconda Plan: A Union strategy to surround the Confederacy, illustrated by a cartoon of a snake constricting Southern ports
• Gettysburg Address: Lincoln's speech at Gettysburg, emphasizing freedom and honoring fallen soldiers
• Emancipation Proclamation: Issued in 1863, freeing slaves in Confederate states and motivating the Union cause

Civil War Events

• Union Blockade/Blockade Running: The tactic of Union ships blockading Southern ports, countered by Confederate ships evading the blockade at night
• Lincoln's Assassination: Lincoln's assassination on April 14, 1865, at Ford's Theatre, by John Wilkes Booth

Reconstruction

• Reconstruction Amendments:
  • 13th Amendment: Ratified in 1865, abolished slavery in the United States
  • 14th Amendment: Ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States
  • 15th Amendment: Ratified in 1870, prohibited denying the right to vote based on race or prior servitude
• Freedmen's Bureau: Established by Lincoln to aid former slaves and poor Southerners, offering education, healthcare, and resources

Civil War Sides

• The South, or Confederate States of America (CSA), had gray uniforms and were called "rebels" with 11 states
• The North, or United States of America (USA), had dark blue uniforms and were called "Yanks/Yankees," with 25 states and 4 border states

Advantages of the Civil War Sides

• The Union had superior resources, transportation, industry, and population
• The Confederacy had outstanding military leaders and fought on familiar territory

The Confederate States

• Texas
• South Carolina • Missisipi • Florida • Alabama • Georgia • Lousiana Virginia • Arkansas • Tennesse North Carolina

The Border States

• Kentucky • Maryland • West Virginia • Missouri