Civil War Flashcards
The Union
President: Abraham Lincoln
General: Ulysses S. Grant
The Confederacy
President: Jefferson Davis
General: Robert E. Lee
North vs. South
Population
North: 22 million
South: 6 million
Resources
North: More factories and food
Transportation
North: More railroads, canals, and roads
Naval Power
North: More powerful navy
Anaconda Plan
Lincoln’s main strategy for winning the war was to surround the South and strangle it by blockading southern ports and controlling the Mississippi River.
Northern Early Campaigns
To quickly end the Civil War, the Union wanted to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. In 1861, an army of 30,000 Union troops began marching towards Richmond but were defeated by ~20,000 Confederate soldiers under the leadership of General “Stonewall” Jackson. Jackson was one of the best military leaders in the war and earned his nickname by holding his ground like a wall made of stone.
Southern Early Campaigns
Robert E. Lee felt that the best way to end the war was to invade the North. In 1862, Lee’s soldiers crossed into the North and were defeated at the Battle of Antietam. This was the single
bloodiest day of the war as over 6,000 soldiers were killed in one day.
The Anthem of the North
Julia Ward Howe heard a group of Union soldiers singing a song about John Brown. She re-wrote the words and called it “Battle Hymn of the Republic”. This became a popular song among the Northerners and Union soldiers to sing.
Emancipation Proclamation
In 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed slaves in the Confederacy.
Lincoln did this because:
The North now had a moral reason to fight, it became a war for freedom .
Britain and France would not get involved in a war against the North, who appeared to be winning.
Hoped former slaves would join the Union Army, which would hurt agriculture production in the South since the labor force was now free.
Draft Riots
In 1863, Lincoln ordered a conscription, which required men to fight in the Civil War. Many Northerners were against the conscription and rioted by attacking buildings and abolitionists in the North.
Minority Soldiers FIght
William Carney was an African American soldier in the 54th Massachusetts Regiment during the Civil War.
- He earned the congressional Medal of Honor for protecting the American flag during the Battle of Fort Wagner
Philip Bazaar, an immigrant from Chile, was a Union soldier in the United States Navy.
- He earned his Medal of Honor for valor in combat
1st Turning Point
In 1863, Robert E. Lee made another attempt to invade the North, but lost many men at a 3-day battle called the Battle of Gettysburg. Lincoln gave a speech after the battle which came to be called the Gettysburg Address; in it, he spoke about why the war was being fought.
2nd Turning Point
In 1863, General Grant captured Vicksburg which was located on the Mississippi River. With that victory, the Union controlled the
Mississippi River, cutting the Confederacy into 2 parts.
Total War
Union General Grant was willing to destroy the land and property of the South in order to win the war. A Union military
leader, William T. Sherman marched his troops across Georgia destroying everything in their path in what was called the “March to the Sea”.
Lincoln Re-Elected
With the North starting to win the war, Lincoln easily won re-election as U.S. president in 1864. In his Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln spoke about the immorality of slavery and how the Union should treat the South with respect after the war was over.
The End
In early 1865, the Confederate capital was captured, and half
of Lee’s soldiers had deserted. General Lee met and surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, officially ending the war.
