The Civil War, 1861-1865 PDF

# The Civil War, 1861-1865 ## Overview * The Civil War was the most destructive war in Western Hemisphere history, resulting in over 750,000 deaths. * Freed 4 million people from slavery. * Spurred industrialization and modernization in the North, but destroyed much of the South. * This chapter fo...

# The Civil War, 1861-1865 ## Overview * The Civil War was the most destructive war in Western Hemisphere history, resulting in over 750,000 deaths. * Freed 4 million people from slavery. * Spurred industrialization and modernization in the North, but destroyed much of the South. * This chapter focuses on the social, economic, and political changes that took place during the war. ## The War Begins * Lincoln was inaugurated as the first Republican president in March 1861. * Lincoln pledged not to interfere with slavery, but warned that no state could secede. * The attack on Fort Sumter by South Carolina on April 12, 1861, marked the beginning of the war. ## Lincoln's Use of Executive Power * Lincoln acted in unprecedented ways to preserve the Union, including: * Calling for volunteers, authorizing spending for war, and suspending the writ of habeas corpus. * He asserted that these actions were necessary to protect the public safety. ## Secession of the Upper South * After Fort Sumter, four more states (Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas) seceded and joined the Confederacy. * The Confederacy moved its capital to Richmond, Virginia. ## Keeping Border States in the Union * Four slaveholding states (Delaware, Maryland, Missouri, and Kentucky) remained in the Union. * Lincoln's policies and Union sentiment within these states were crucial in preventing their secession. ## Wartime Advantages * **Confederacy:** * Fought a defensive war on home turf. * Experienced military leaders and high troop morale. * **Union:** * Larger population and economic advantage. * Control of most of the nation's railroads, factories, and banking capital. * A loyal U.S. Navy. ## Political Goals * **Confederacy:** Independence * **Union:** Preservation of the Union ## Conflict in the First Years of the War * The First Battle of Bull Run (July 1861) ended the illusion of a quick war, with a Confederate victory. * **Union Strategy:** * Blockade Southern ports * Gain control of the Mississippi River * Capture Richmond * **Peninsula Campaign (1862):** McClellan was replaced by Pope after a Confederate victory at the Second Battle of Bull Run. * **Antietam (September 1862):** Lincoln used this battle, which resulted in a draw, to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. * **Fredericksburg (December 1862):** Burnside's attack on Lee suffered heavy Union casualties. ## Major Battles and Events * **Monitor vs. Merrimac (March 1862):** This naval battle marked a turning point in warfare, with the emergence of ironclad ships.. * **Grant in the West (1862):** Grant captured Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, marking a major Union success. * **Shiloh (April 1862):** A bloody battle in Tennessee, where a Confederate victory was halted by Union reinforcements. * **Capture of New Orleans (April 1862):** A major blow against Confederate control of the Mississippi River. * **Gettysburg (July 1863):** A key battle that turned the tide of the war in the East. * **Vicksburg (July 1863):** Grant's victory resulted in Union control of the entire Mississippi River. * **Sherman's March (1864-1865):** A campaign of deliberate destruction across Georgia and South Carolina aimed at breaking the Confederate will to fight. ## Political Developments * **The Election of 1864:** Lincoln won reelection, despite the support of many war-weary voters for McClellan. * **The Thirteenth Amendment (1865):** Abolished slavery, fulfilling the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation. * **The Draft:** Both sides used conscription to replenish their armies, which resulted in riots against the draft. * **Suspension of Habeas Corpus:** Used to arrest those suspected of aiding the Confederacy. * **Civil Liberties:** Lincoln prioritized prosecuting the war over protecting civil liberties. * **Republican Party's Dominance:** Republican control of the government was solidified during the war. ## Economic Changes * **Financing the War:** Union spending increased significantly, resorting to borrowing, tariffs, excise taxes, and the first federal income tax. * **Northern Modernization:** The war spurred economic growth, especially in manufacturing. * **Federal Government's Role:** The federal government played a larger role in economic development, with the creation of a national banking system and the passage of legislation to support western expansion. ## Social Changes * **Women's Roles:** Women took on jobs formerly held by men, and many played key roles in hospitals and humanitarian organizations. * **African Americans:** The war led to the end of slavery, bringing new challenges and opportunities for freed people. ## Why Did the Union Win? * **Advantages of the Union:** Population, wealth, and industry. * **Weaknesses of the Confederacy:** Overly-aggressive military strategies, weak political leadership, reliance on states' rights. * **Role of Slavery:** The Confederacy's dependence on slavery was a major contributing factor to its defeat. ## Key Names, Events, and Terms - The Break: Border states, Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis, Alexander H. Stephens, Second American Revolution. - The Fighting: Fort Sumter, Bull Run, Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson, Anaconda Plan, Monitor vs. Merrimac, Shiloh, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Sherman's March, Appomattox Court House. - Wartime Politics: Copperheads, election of 1864. - War Diplomacy: Trent Affair, Alabama, Laird rams. - Economic Growth: Greenbacks, Morrill Tariff Act, Morrill Land Grant Act, Pacific Railway Act. - Free Land: Homestead Act, Pacific Railway Act. - War and the Law: Executive power, habeas corpus, insurrection, Confiscation Acts, Emancipation Proclamation, 13th Amendment. - Social Impact: Segregated black troops, Massachusetts 54th Regiment, women in the workplace, women in nursing, war's long term effects, 4 million freedmen.