Chapters 20 and 21 Flashcards
(33 cards)
Lincoln’s 1st inaugural address
Main idea: the Union will be preserved and there will be no conflict unless the South provokes it. He also refuses to view the Confederacy as valid as succession is illegal.
Date of Ft. Sumter (plus attack)
April 12, 1861
100 men; few provisions. Lincoln had to choose: surrender or reprovision the garrison
Lincoln sent the provision, reasoning that if the South attacked, the North would be the victim
The South saw this as an act of aggression and commenced a successful 34 hour bombardment of the fort on April 12, 1861
Major Andderson surrendered to the southern commander, PGT Beauregard (his former student a west Point) The only casualty was a horse
Lincoln called for 75k militiamen and a blockade of the South
Border States (list, importance?)
The Border states are Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware, and later West Virginia when it separates from VA.
They are slave states that didnt leave the Union. Lincoln felt he had to hold on to these states as they held a large white population (more than ½ the entire Confederacy) Significant manufacturing capacity, and vital rivers (Ohio, Cumberland, and Tennessee)
Too keep these states, Lincoln tried to stay away from the issue of slavery and insisted that the war was being fought to preserve the Union.
Southern advantages
- Fighting defensively (North forced to invade)
- High morale (self determination and preservation of southern way of life)
- Talented military officers (Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Longstreet)
- Ran Union blockades, seized federal arsenal, and developed an ironworks
Southern disadvantages
- Shortages of basic necessities: shoes, uniforms, blankets
- Problems in distribution and transportation of what goods they had
- Smaller population
Northern advantages
- Healthier economy
- Many more factories than the South
- 3/4 of the nation’s wealth
- 3/4 of the nation’s railroads
- Control of the sea, blockade of the South
- Trade with Europe for munitions and other supplies
- More men (immigrants added to the numbers). ⅕ of the Union force was foreign-born
Northern disadvantages
- Volunteers were less prepared for military life (many held white-collar jobs)
- Lincoln had difficulty finding competent military officers who would do what he wanted
- Most of the battles were fought in the South
The Trent Affair
Two Confederate diplomats were removed from a Brit mail streamer (the Trent) by a Union crew. The two men were released, but the incident nearly caused war between the US and GB
Davis vs. Lincoln (personalities, leadership)
(there’s literally no info on this in the slides so i tried my best)
Lincoln believed that succession was illegal, while Davis thought it was the South’s constitutional right to secede.
Lincoln wanted to preserve the Union and Davis wanted to preserve the economy of the South
Davis had more experience
Lincoln’s limitations on liberty
- Suspended the writ of habeas corpus so that anti-Unionists could be arrested (meaning individuals were denied the right to an order stating why they were being detained) (important one!)
- Proclaimed a blockade (congress was out of session)
- Increased the size of the Federal army without congressional assent
- Suspended certain newspapers and had their editors arrested
- Arranged for “supervised” voting in the Border States
Draft (conscription) laws
North: The North: although 90 percent of soldiers were volunteers, a conscription law was passed in 1863 (ages 20-45). For 300 dollars, one could pay for a substitute (20 year coverage) The average laborer made 1.50 a day.
NY Draft Riots (1863) were led by Irish-Americans. At least 120 were killed. Irish-Americans also led raids into Canada during the war
Bounties were offered for enlistment: 100 dollars for federal, 100 dollars for state (Maine) and 300 dollars for local (Deer Isle) Each town had to meet a quota. Towns paid pensions to family members for the dead)
Men who took the county and ran were called “bounty jumpers.”
“Bounty brokers” combed the poorhouses of Britain looking for men
South: Conscription law passed in 1862 (ages 17-50). A rich man could hire a substitute, and slaveholders with more than 20 enslaved laborers claimed exemption from service
NYC Draft Riots
NY Draft Riots (1863) were led by Irish-Americans. At least 120 were killed. Irish-Americans also led raids into Canada during the war
Morrill Tariff Act
Tariffs increased 5-10% under the Morrill Tariff Act. It raised revenue for the Civil War and protected manufacturers against internal taxes.
National Banking System
The National Banking System was established in 1863. (It functioned for 50 years until the creation of the Federal Reserve.)
Economic crisis (South) – examples?
- Customs duties were choked off by the Union blockade.
- Confederate bonds equaled 400 million
- No income tax, but other taxes increased sharply (10 percent on farm hoods)
- Blue-backed paper money was printed recklessly, leading to a runaway inflation of 9000 percent!! (compare this with the Union’s 80 percent inflation!)
- After Lee’s surrender in 1865, the Confederate paper dollar was worth only 1.6 cents in Union currency!
Economic boom (North) – examples?
- Taxes raised (excise duties on tobacco and alcohol)
- Income tax levied for the first time
- Tariffs increased 5-10 percent under the Morrill Tariff Act
- Citizens brought about 2.6 billion in bonds
- 450 million in greenback paper currency was issued, but without gold backing, its value fluctuate with the success (or failure) of the Union army
80 percent inflation rate - The National Banking System was established in 1863. (It functioned for 50 years until the creation of the Federal Reserve.)
Women’s contribution to the war
women took men’s jobs in government, industry, ran farms
Over 400 posed as male soldiers or spies
Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell (1st female doctor) organized the US Sanitary Commission
Clara Barton (Red Cross) and Dorothea Dix (Superintendent of Nurses) transformed nursing into a profession
Women on both sides organized fairs to raise money, gathered supplies to send to soldiers, etc
Sally Tompkins (South) ran the Richon infirmary
1st Bull Run – significance?
Bull Run ends the illusion of a “ninety-day war”
July 1861: civilians rode out to watch (which is why its known as a picnic battle sometimes)
The North lost: after a hard day’s fight, the South received reinforcements, which led to victory
The defeat motivated the North to prepare for a prolonged war
The south’s morale was boosted
“Tardy George” McClellan
McClellan was experienced and had superior organizational skills, yet he was a perfectionist who was afraid to take risks
McClellan did not act on Lincoln’s orders (like to attack Richmond, VA)
He made costly mistakes and gave the South time to escape and counterattack. He was fired twice by Lincoln.
Anaconda Plan
Blockade the South, seize the Mississippi River, send troops through GA and the Carolinas, and capture Richmond (it squeezes the South to death like a large snake)
Monitor vs. Merrimack
FIrst “ironclad” battle: Monitor vs Merrimack (renamed the Virginia by the South at the time) at the Battle of Hampton Roads (Mar. 1862)
The result was indecisive, but the era of wooden warships was over
The Union blockade of Richmond and Norfolk remained in place.
Antietam – significance?
Sept 1862: McClellan was back in charge following the northern loss at the Second Battle of Bull Run. His men discover a secret copy of Lee’s battle plans in a field
Result– McClellan failed to act on the intel, and the resulting battle was one of the bloodiest of the war (in a single day). McClellan allowed Lee to escape across the Potomac. Despite that, it was a Union victory.
22,720 killed or wounded
Lincoln fired McClellan for good.
Emancipation Proclamation – effect?
Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation shortly after the battle of Antietam.
As of Jan 1, 1863, the war became a moral crusade against slavery. The British and French decided not to recognize the Confederacy
Enslaved people were freed only in areas behind Confederate military lines
Thousands of enslaved people fled to the Union army
The EP meant that the war would be a fight to the finish and that the South’s way of life would change for good.
Border state enlistees deserted the Union army.
The only free slaves were the ones in Confederate states. Union and border states still kept slaves. ALL enslaved people were freed with the 13th Amendment (1865)
Gettysburg – significance?
Meade vs Lee (Juy 1-3, 1863) (IMPORTANT)
This three-day battle was the bloodiest of the entire Civil War, ended in a Union victory. This was the “high tide of the Confederacy.” It was the turning point of the war that made it clear the North would win. 50,000 people died, and the South lost its chance to invade the North.
Highlights are Little Round Top (day 2) and Pickett’s Charge (day 3)
