Chapter 16- The Civil War Flashcards
How did the blockade help the North?
The North’s naval blockade helped the North because the South could not make any money from selling their cotton over-seas.
Why was it important to keep England neutral?
It was important to keep England neutral because they had built a connection with the South’s cotton, and if they recognized the South as an independent country or sent support to the South, the North would have lost the civil war.
Why was Stanton a controversial choice for Secretary of War? Why was he a good choice?
Stanton was a controversial choice for Secretary of War because he was Lincoln’s bitterest enemy. Lincoln wanted to win the war, so he chose the best man, Stanton, who was an outstanding war minister and always had the Northern Armies in supply.
What were the overall strategies for the North and the South?
North: Planned to have two armies, one to capture Richmond and the other to catch the Mississippi and Tennessee Rivers, then they would meet together to defeat the South. The North waged an offensive war.
South: waged a defensive war only.
What was the result of the Seven Days Battle?
The Seven Days Battle happened on June 26-July 2, 1862 which was Lee’s army, from the South, and and McClellan’s army, from the North. Lee defeated and outwitted McClellan on most fronts, but McClellan’s army settled in a fortified camp on the James River. The result was that the Union army’s strike towards Richmond was halted. Also, McClellan tried to convince Washington that Lincoln was deliberately not giving him enough men to defeat Lee’s army, which was completely false information. Lincoln then put General John Pope in command instead of McClellan.
Why did Lincoln issue the Emancipation Proclamation? What were its results?
Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation because he realized that it would help the North’s efforts in the war, and hinder the South’s effort, along with the fact that he became more intensely convicted that slavery was a moral evil that had to be abolished. It’s results were the complaining of both extremes, radicals for and against slavery, that Lincoln did too much, or not enough. It had no great immediate effect, though.
Show how the Battle of Chancellorsville was an Absolute Masterpiece.
The Battle of Chancellorsville was an absolute masterpiece because it defeated Lee. General Hooker planned to crush Lee with his plan, which was brilliant. He planned to take his army up the Potomac river, and cross 20 miles north of Fredericksburg, VA, then come down and attack Lee’s flank. While Hooker was marching the 120,000 army, two decoys would swing down and cross lower to distract Lee. All of the pieces fell into place, and Lee was outflanked, but Stonewall Jackson led a secret march to attack Hooker’s right. Hooker was attacked, and Jackson’s army devastated the line. During the night, Hooker retreated because his perfect plan failed, even though it was a total masterpiece.
Summarize the Battle of Gettysburg. Why did the South lose? What were the results of the battle?
The battle of Gettysburg, which started on June 30 1863, was fought by General George Meade against Lee’s army, which was marching North. They met in Gettysburg, and Lee decided to strike against Meade before his army could regroup. Lee directed his general Ewell to take Culp’s hill, then move onto Cemetery Ridge if practical. Ewell was not used to making his own decisions, and stayed on Culp’s Hill. By July 2, the North’s reinforcements still hadn’t come. Lee was waiting for General Longstreet to take Cemetery Ridge, but it didn’t happen, and the North ended up taking the ridge. While this happened, the Confederates started to take Little Round Top, but Meade sent his Chief of Engineers to take it. The Union troops barely won the race to get to Little Round Top, and they held the line. The battle continued, but Longstreet failed to ensure a steady ammunition supply, and did a terrible job directing his men. The Northerners beat the Southerners because of the lack of good generals except for Lee at the battle. The result was the North afraid of the courage of the South, but the Southerner’s army had heavy losses.
Why was Vicksburg important? How did the north finally capture it?
Vicksburg was important because it was on the Mississippi, and whoever controlled it controlled the Mississippi. The North finally captured it because Grant ordered his army to cut off the supply lines to Vicksburg, while his men lived off the land. The Northerners out-lived the Southerners, and on July 4, the Confederate flag came down from Vicksburg.
What was the significance of the Battle of Chickamauga?
The Battle of Chickamauga happened on September 19, 1863 and it is significant because the Confederate army broke through the Union line, and was only a quarter of a mile from cutting off the road that prevented a Union retreat, but the Union line reformed with terrific losses from both sides. The next day, Major Bond of the Union confused General Rosecrans’ orders, and told General Wood to take control of Reynolds as fast as possible, which was a quarter of a mile away. Longstreet immediately hurled 30,000 men at the gap, and the Union retreated. General George Thomas was ordered to cover the retreat, and he rallied his men and held off the Confederates. The Confederates won the battle, but they lost thousands of men, and this was the last battle for them to have a chance to win the war.
Why did Lincoln appoint Grant commander-in-chief? What was his strategy?
Lincoln appointed Grant as Commander-in-Chief because he developed a strategy to harry Lee’s army and wear it down.
Describe the battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania. What was their significance?
The battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania occurred under General Grant. They were major losses for Grant, but it also inflicted a lot of damage on Lee’s army as well. They were significant because the men that Lee lost could not be replaced, while the men Grant lost could be replaced.
What role did Sherman play in ending the war?
Sherman helped end the war by dividing the South into two. His conquest ended on December 26, 1863 in Savannah, Ga, after he burnt and pillaged Atlanta to almost nothing.
Why did Lee surrender?
Lee surrendered on April 9, 1864 at the Appomattox Station to grant at 3:45 pm because his army had no supplies left, and his men dwindled with none replacing the fallen.
Summarize Lee’s achievements.
Lee fought from 1862-1864, and repulsed four major offensives against Richmond and, by the invasion of Pennsylvania, delayed another offensive attack by four or five months. He fought ten major battles and only lost one, Gettysburg, while all other Southern generals were losing. He did all of this with not enough men or supplies.
