The Civil War Years: 1861-1865

• The Civil War took place in 1861.

Causes of The Civil War

• Seven Southern states seceded from the Union over slavery and states' rights issues in 1861.
• These states formed the Confederacy, raising an army.
• Confederate army attacked and seized Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina in March.
• President Lincoln responded by calling for Union army volunteers.

Use of Force

• The central question was whether force could preserve the nation.
• Issues included: diplomacy preventing war, differences between civil and foreign wars, and the war's impact on society.

1864

• The Confederate vessel Hunley made the first successful submarine attack in history.
• Abraham Lincoln was reelected.
• Leo Tolstoy wrote War and Peace.

1865

• Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox.
• Andrew Johnson became president after Lincoln's assassination.
• Joseph Lister pioneered antiseptic surgery.

The Civil War Begins

• The secession of Southern states forced the North and South to arm themselves.
• The nation's identity was shaped, in part, by the Civil War.

Fort Sumter

• Major Robert Anderson defended it for 34 hours.
• Confederate attack on Fort Sumter initiated the Civil War.

Confederate States

• These states were formed on February 4, 1861.
• They began seizing federal installations like courthouses, post offices, and forts.

Lincoln's Dilemma

• He faced a dilemma on whether to reinforce or evacuate Fort Sumter.
• Reinforcing could start hostilities and push more slave states to secede.
• Evacuating would recognize the Confederacy as a legitimate nation, angering Republicans and endangering the Union.

Lincoln's Decision

• He decided not to abandon Fort Sumter but would send in "food for hungry men" without reinforcement.

Jefferson Davis's Decision

• He faced a dilemma of damaging the Confederacy's image by doing nothing, or turning secession into war by attacking Fort Sumter.
• Davis chose war, ordering the attack on April 12.
• Confederate batteries bombarded Fort Sumter, leading to its surrender.

Virginia Secession

• News of Fort Sumter united the North, causing Lincoln to call for 75,000 volunteers.
• Virginia seceded due to being unwilling to fight Southern states on April 17, heavily impacting the Union.
• Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina followed Virginia in May, bringing the total to 11 Confederate states.
• Western counties in Virginia, being antislavery, seceded and joined the Union as West Virginia in 1863.
• Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri remained in the Union, though many citizens fought for the Confederacy.

Resources in 1861

• The North had advantages in naval tonnage (25 to 1), iron production (15 to 1), and firearms production (32 to 1).
• The North also had a larger total population, more men eligible for military service, and more industrial workers.

American Expectation

• Both sides expected a short war.

Union and Confederate Strategies

• The Union had more resources, factories, food production, and railroads.
• Lincoln was a decisive leader.
• The Confederacy had advantages of "King Cotton," first-rate generals, a strong military tradition, and motivated soldiers defending their homeland.
• The South had resistance to centralization due to a tradition of local government.
• The Union's three-part plan involved blockading Southern ports, splitting the Confederacy via the Mississippi River, and capturing Richmond.
• The Confederacy's strategy was mostly defensive, but they would attack the North at times

Bull Run

• The first major bloodshed occurred on July 21.
• Union soldiers marched toward Richmond but met a Confederate army near Bull Run.
• The Union army initially gained ground, but the Confederates stood firm, inspired by General Thomas J. Jackson.
• Confederate reinforcements arrived in the afternoon and won the first victory for the South.
• Union troops retreated in panic to the capital.

Union Armies in the West

• Lincoln called for 500,000 men to enlist for three years after the defeat at Bull Run.
• This new Union army was led by General George McClellan near Washington.
• Ulysses S. Grant invaded western Tennessee in February 1862.
• In 11 days, Grant's forces captured Fort Henry and Fort Donelson which were strategic for the Union.
• Grant informed the Southern commander "no terms except unconditional and immediate surrender".

Shiloh

• Confederate forces surprised the Union forces near Shiloh in late March 1862.
• Grant reorganized his troops and counterattacked the following day, leading to a Confederate retreat.
• Nearly one-fourth of the 100,000 troops were killed, wounded, or captured.
• The Union had long-range impact when the drive to take the Mississippi might succeed.

Battle on Lower Mississippi

• In 1862, Grant pushed to the Mississippi River while David G. Farragut approached the river's mouth in Louisiana.
• The Navy was assigned to seize New Orleans, the Confederacy's largest city and busiest port.
• He ran his fleet in spite of two Confederate forts.
• The Confederate was able to take total control of Baton Rouge and Natchez in the next two months.

Warfare Revolution

• New war machines which were the ironclad ship changed military strategy and contributed to the war's high casualty rate.

Ironclads

• Instrumental in the successes of Grant and Farragut in the West.
• Ironclad ships could splinter wooden ships, withstand cannon fire, and resist burning.
• The Monitor and the Merrimack (Virginia) battled on March 9, 1862, ending the era of wooden fighting ships.

New Weapons

• Development occurred due to the rifles and the Minié ball which were more accurate
• The Civil War used hand grenades and land mines

War for the Capitals

• An issue for the civil war, was General McClellan
• McClellan was very cautions and he complained about the lack of the numbers for the Union.
• McClellan was finally underway in the Spring of 1862 and he encountered General Johnston.
• After Johnston was wounded Robert E. Lee took over and the Confederates won.
• The Confederates had less troops but saved Maryland
• Lincoln fired McClellan

Antietam

• McClellan acted aggressively and the armies fought.
• The Union gained victory.
• Lincoln fired McClellan

Section 2: The Politics of War

Emancipation Proclamation

• Focus of the war shifted due to President Lincolns decisions.

Britain Neutrality

• Britain decided that neutrality was the best policy.

British Merchant Ship, The Trent

• Captain Charles Wilkes of the American warship San Jacinto brought the two back.
• Britain then threatened war and dispatched 8,000 troops to Canada.
• Lincoln freed the two.

Proclaiming Emancipation

• Abolitionist feeling grew in the North.

Lincoln's view of Slavery

• Wanted to save the Union, if not save of destroy Slavery.
• Lincoln found a way to use his constitutional war powers to end slavery.

Emancipation Proclamation

• Lincoln issued on January 1, 1863.

Reactions to the Proclamation

• Despite the lack of practical effect, there was immense symbolic importnace.
• It had become to fight and free the slaves.
• Free blacks also welcomed the section of the Proclamation that allowed them to enlist in the Union army.
• Not everyone in the North approved with the many Union soldiers.
• Confederates reacted to the Proclamation with outrage.

Lincolns Actions

• Dealt with Copperheads.

Conscription

• The process to which the Union Army had a constant flow of soldiers.

The Riott Continue

• As the draft lists started it caused violence and pillage in many areas.

Section 3: Life During Wartime

Civil War Brought

• Dramatic social and economic changes to American society.

American Americans Fought

• Americans played an important role to end slavery.

Confederate

• The Confederate money was in shambles.

The War Region

• The Civil war helped the North, there was no cotton
• Army needed supply and western wheat farmers had reapers and other resources that helped other companies.

Solders Suffered

• They were quick to be disillusioned, both Union and Confederate.
• There was a poor and unhygienic situation due to conditions.

Civial War Medicine

• The hygienic conditions of army camps were bad, also to support the United States Sanitary Commission

What the the Prison's Like?

• Improvments could not reach the war prisons, conditions were worse than Army camp

Section 4 - The North Takes Charge

Key Victories

• These took place at Vicksburg and Gettysburg.

First Speech

• Lincoln took little more than 2 minutes to speaks, but it is a renowned moment in American speaking.

Military Strateegy

• On April first, at long range what will give all troops an equal chance?

Grant Apponted Sherman

• The hero, commander of all Union.
• Aims is to fight government and its will to make certain that it does not fall apart

End of Confederate

• After a lot of fighting and chaos, the Civil came to a hault with some victories leading to the next.

The Final Battle

• The union troops destroyed many buildings and damaged other.

Sherman Instructed Troops

• Heating and bending the metal rails, destroying Atlanta.

Section 5-The Legacy of the War

• The Federal Governemtn established supreme authority.

One American's Story

• Garrison H. White was returning the the state where once in bondage.

The War Changed the Nation

• It caused tremendous political, economic, technological, and social change.

Political Changes

• In effect the power of the Federal Government.
• Congress the to keep the economy at large.