American Civil War Flashcards

1
Q

Major causes of the American Civil War

A
  • Disagreement on if slavery should spread west.
  • State’s Rights (belief that state gov. should have more power than the federal gov.)
  • Slavery
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2
Q

Results of the war: (4)

A
  • Over 600,000 men lost their lives
  • The south was destroyed
  • Slavery was ended
  • Saved the Union
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3
Q

What is a Total War?

A

When a country devotes all of its resources toward the war effort

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4
Q

Fort Sumter:

A
  • Located in Charleston, SC
  • Where war began
  • By 1861 it was the only federal installation that Abe Lincoln refused to turn over to the South
  • Fort Sumter was fired upon for 34 hours
  • Gen. Robert Anderson surrendered to Gen PGT Beauregard
  • Not a single casualty
  • South win
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5
Q

Fort Sumter caused the South to face what dilemma?

A
  • If they allowed the North to keep the Fort it would make their government look weak
  • If they took the fort by force they would be blamed for starting the war
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6
Q

Results of the Attack on Fort Sumter: (2)

A
  • War had begun
  • Three more Southern States left the Union (Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee)
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7
Q

“Copperheads”

A

Northerner Democrats who sympathized with the South

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8
Q

Which 4 Border Slave States were the last to pick a side in the Civil War?

A
  • Delaware
  • Kentucky
  • Missouri
  • Maryland
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9
Q

Why are these last 4 states so particularly important to the South?

A

Half of the South’s white population lived in these states.

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10
Q

North Advantages:

A
  • Large population of men
  • Abundant industry (supplies)
  • Abundant food supply
  • Large Navy (blockade)
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11
Q

North Disadvantages:

A
  • Had to invade and conquer the South
  • Poor military leadership (officers)
  • Poorly trained soldiers
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12
Q

South Advantages:

A
  • United behind a cause (independence)
  • Well trained men
  • Superior military leadership
  • Only had to defend their territory (familiar)
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13
Q

South Disadvantages:

A
  • Lack of men, supplies, and food
  • State’s rights
  • Small navy
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14
Q

North’s main goal of the war:

A
  • To save the Union
  • Later it was to free the slaves
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15
Q

South’s main goals:

A
  • To win independence
  • Later it became to preserve slavery
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16
Q

North’s Strategies to win the war:

A
  • Capture Richmond (capital)
  • Capture the Mississippi River (main highway)
  • Blockade all Southern ports (Anaconda plan - squeeze the life out of the South)
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17
Q

South’s Strategies:

A
  • Get foreign assistance (they hoped to get assistance from Britain)
  • Wear the North down - get them to quit
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18
Q

Describe most soldiers

A

Most soldiers were young farmers who signed to 90 day enlistments

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19
Q

Why did most soldiers only sign 90 day enlistments?

A

Both sides thought that the war would be short and would win easily

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20
Q

Southern Soldiers were called

A

rebels

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21
Q

Northern Soldiers were called

A

Yankees

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22
Q

Who did Lincoln first ask to be the commander of the North?

A

Robert E. Lee

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23
Q

Why did Robert E. Lee deny Lincoln’s offer to be the overall commander of the North?

A

He turned it down because he couldn’t fight against his own people

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24
Q

What did the North name the battles after?

A

Nearby rivers/streams

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25
Q

What did the South name the battles after?

A

Nearby Towns

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26
Q

First major battle of the war:

A

First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)

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27
Q

Main Southern General during First Battle of Bull Run

A

PGT Beauregard

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28
Q

Main Northern General during First Battle of Bull Run

A

Irwin McDowell

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29
Q

The South win the First Battle of Bull Run because of what southern general?

A

Gen. Thomas Jackson (Stonewall Jackson)

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30
Q

Results of the First Battle of Bull Run

A
  • Realized the war was not going to be short or bloodless
  • Need for standard colored uniforms (Blue and Grey)
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31
Q

Why was the war at sea fought?

A

Because of the Anaconda Plan

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32
Q

Anaconda Plan:

A

North set up a naval blockade to caught off southern supplies

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33
Q

Who did the south hire to get supplies through the northern blockade?

A

Blockade Runners

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34
Q

What was the first battle with iron ships called?

A

Battle of the Ironclads

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35
Q

What iron ships fought in the Battle of the Ironclads?

A

Monitor (north) vs. Merrimac (South

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36
Q

What southern ship sunk over 60 Union ships?

A

CSA Alabama

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37
Q

First sub in naval history to sink a ship in combat

A

HL Hunley - Confederate

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38
Q

War in the West was fought over what?

A

fought to control the rivers

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39
Q

Who was the northern commander during the Battles of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson?

A

Ulysses S. Grant

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40
Q

What was the result of the Battles of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson?

A

North now controlled the upper Miss. River

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41
Q

Who was the northern general during the Battle of Shiloh

A

Ulysses S. Grant

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42
Q

Who was the southern general during the Battle of Shiloh

A

Gen. Albert Sydney Johnston

43
Q

Battle of Shiloh outcome

A

2 day battle, costly north victory, 20,000 casualties

44
Q

Who captured the Port of New Orleans

A

Northern Admiral David Farragut

45
Q

Battle of Vicksburg (What type of battle was it, how long did it last, and who won)

A

a major siege that lasted for 6 months.
Northern Gen. Grant wins eventually.

46
Q

What was the War in the East fought to do?

A

Fought to capture the capital cities

47
Q

How far apart was the capitol of the south and the capitol of the north?

A

only 90 miles apart

48
Q

What was the major Union army in the East called?

A

Army of the Potomac

49
Q

Who did Lincoln hire to be the overall commander of the Union army in the East?

A

Gen. George McClellan

50
Q

How long did McClellan train his Union troops before Lincoln urged him to attack?

A

8 months

51
Q

How did McClellan surprise the Confederates at the beginning of the Peninsula Campaign?

A

Instead of attacking by land, McClellan brought his troops by water to a peninsula near Yorktown

52
Q

How many battles made up the Peninsula Campaign?

A

7 bloody battles

53
Q

Who were the generals for each side in the Peninsula Campaign?

A

North: Gen George McClellan
South: Gen Robert E. Lee

54
Q

What characteristics did McClellan have that eventually made him lose the Peninsula Campaign?

A

He was too slow and cautious

55
Q

What characteristics did Robert E. Lee have that enabled him to win the Peninsula Campaign?

A

He was bold, creative, and took chances

56
Q

Because McClellan lost the Peninsula Campaign, Lincoln replaced him with what general?

A

Gen. John Pope

57
Q

What happened during the Second Battle of Bull Run? What did it lead to?

A

Robert E. Lee and the South destroyed John Pope and the North. This led to the reinstatement of Gen. George McClellan

58
Q

Why did the South decide to attack the North at the battle of Antietam (Sharpesburg)?

A

They thought that a victory on north’s soil would be enough to convince France and Britain to join them.

59
Q

Why did the South’s attack at the Battle of Antietam not work?

A

McClellan found Lee’s battle plan.

60
Q

The Battle of Antietam is known as

A

The single bloodiest day in American History

61
Q

Why was Lincoln’s decision to change the goal of the war to abolishing slavery so crucial?

A

It made it so that Britain and France would not join the South since they already abolished slavery.

62
Q

What was the Emancipation Proclamation?

A

A document proclaiming the freedom of the slaves in the South

63
Q

Where did the Emancipation Proclamation not include? Why?

A

Did not free the slaves in the Border States so that Lincoln would be able to keep their support.

64
Q

What caused Lincoln to emancipate the slaves? (3)

A
  • Slaves were helping the southern war effort (labor force)
  • To help justify the growing casualties of the war
  • To keep England and France out of the war
65
Q

Effects of the Emancipation Proclamation: (4)

A
  • Successfully kept England and France out of the war
  • Encouraged slaves to run away (disrupted south labor force)
  • Blacks now allowed to join up and fight as soldiers
  • Eventually led to the passing of the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery
66
Q

54th Mass. Regiment:

A

1st all black regimeny

67
Q

Who was the commander of the 54th Mass. Regiment?

A

White man named Robert Gould Shaw

68
Q

What two new weapons were created that had a heavy impact on the war?

A
  • New Rifled Muskets
  • Artillery with exploding shrapnel
69
Q

What were the hospitals like during the Civil War?

A

Very primitive and unsanitary, infection was the biggest killer

70
Q

What were the Prisoner of War camps like?

A

Filthy and unsanitary/little food/poor shelter

71
Q

Who was the main photographer of the Civil War?

A

Matthew Brady

72
Q

What were some of the prominent roles of women in the Civil War? (6)

A
  • Nurses
  • Copyists
  • Factory Sewers
  • Spies
  • Writers
  • Some dressed as men to be soldiers
73
Q

What became necessary for the first time in history because of very few men volunteering?

A

Conscription - Draft

74
Q

Why did giving men bounties to join the military not work?

A

because of “Bounty Jumpers”

75
Q

Ways to avoid the draft: (3)

A
  • Certain professions were exempt (teacher, preacher, mail worker)
  • Hire a substitute (pay)
  • Own more than 20 slaves
76
Q

Because of the draft, what did the Civil War become known as?

A

“A rich man’s war but a poor man’s fight”

77
Q

What happened at the Battle of Fredericksburg?

A

The North was Annihilated by Lee

78
Q

What happened at the Battle of Chancellorsville?

A

Lee destroyed Hooker - Lee’s greatest victory

79
Q

Why was the Battle of Chancellorsville both Lee’s greatest and most costly victory?

A

Stonewall Jackson, Lee’s best commander, was shot by his own men and died later in the hospital.

80
Q

How many days was the Battle of Gettysburg?

A

3

81
Q

What happened on day 1 of the Battle of Gettysburg?

A

North was driven to a high ground called Cemetery Ridge. South win day 1.

82
Q

Commander Lawrence Chamberlain

A
  • “Hero of Gettysburg”
  • Repulsed the rebel attacks 9 times and held the hill
83
Q

What happened on day 2 of the Battle of Gettysburg?

A

A bloody day of hard fighting, south attacks the hill but is repulsed 9 times.

84
Q

What happened on day 3 of the Battle of Gettysburg?

A

Lee tries to out flank the south in a last ditch effort.

85
Q

How did Lee attempt to outflank the North on day 3 of the Battle of Gettysburg?

A
  • Pickett’s Charge
86
Q

What was Pickett’s Charge?

A

Gen. George Pickett and 13,000 Virginians begin to break the line but are stopped after northern reinforcements arrive

87
Q

Who won the Battle of Gettysburg and how many casualties were there?

A
  • Union victory
  • 51,000 casualties
88
Q

Who gave the major address for the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery?

A

Edward Everitt

89
Q

What was Ulysses S Grant’s goal when he was made overall commander of all Union forces?

A

To take Richmond

90
Q

Who was made Ulysses S. Grant’s second in command over all Union forces?

A

William Tecumsah Sherman - Goal was to take Atlanta

91
Q

In June of 1864 what Three huge battles took place in Virginia?

A

Wilderness, Cold Harbor, and Spotsylvania

92
Q

What was Grant’s nickname in Northern Newspapers?

A

“The Butcher”

93
Q

Who did the democrats nominate for the Presidential Election of 1864?

A

George McClellan

94
Q

Who did the republicans nominate for the Presidential Election of 1864?

A

Abraham Lincoln

95
Q

What 2 key Northern victories turned the presidential election of 1864?

A
  • Atlanta fell to Sherman
  • Port of Mobile Alabama fell (last southern port)
96
Q

What happened during William T. Sherman’s “March to the Sea”?

A

After taking Atlanta, he marched his army to Savannah, Georgia destroying everything in his path for 200 miles long and 50 miles wide

97
Q

What was William T. Sherman’s goal when he did the “March to the Sea”? Why was this controversial?

A

Goal - Trying to demoralize the south’s population - destroy south’s will to fight
- This is controversial because for the first time in history civilians are targeted

98
Q

Where was Lee’s Army trapped?

A

at Appomattox Courthouse

99
Q

Where did Lee and Grant meet to discuss peace terms?

A

House of Wilmer McClean

100
Q

Why were the peace terms so generous for the south?

A

because Lincoln, Grant, and Lee wanted to heal the wounds of hatred between the two sides

101
Q

Where was Lincoln shot?

A

Ford’s Theater

102
Q

Who assassinated Lincoln?

A

John Wilkes Booth

103
Q

Who was the 1st woman executed in US history and why?

A
  • Mary Surrat
  • She was executed because she was a co conspirator in the assassination of Lincoln