Civil War and Reconstruction Flashcards
Where / How did the civil war start?
Battle of Fort Sumter, Charleston, South Carolina. After the Confederacy formed, Confederates started to seize Federal establishments, Fort Sumter being the most important.
What was Lincoln’s dilemma?
Lincoln had to decide if they should abandon it or reinforce it. Reinforcing it could lead to states seceding, and cause people both at home and abroad to sympathize with the South. However, he couldn’t let his troops starve or surrender and risk showing considerable weakness. He ended up doing neither, only sending food for “the hungry men”.
First battle of the war?
First Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Manassas. General Irvin McDowell led the Union troops, made up confident and naive soldiers who have never experienced war. The North believed that they could just end the war right then and there, but the Confederate troops, led by General “Stonewall” Thomas Jackson (and General P.T. Beauregard) , won. The battle gave a clue of the war to come.
North’s strategy for the war
The North had a 3-point strategy.
1. A blockade to stop southern cotton and supplies from reaching Confederate ports.
2. Gain control of the Mississippi River and effectively dividing the Confederacy. Isolating Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana from the rest. It would also clear a way for an attack on Georgia and the Carolinas’ from the west.
3. The North would construct a well-trained army (Army of the Potomac) to defend Washington D.C. Then stage an offensive against Confederate forces in their capital of Richmond, Virginia.
South’s strategy for the war
The Confederate strategy was essentially defensive. Jefferson Davis called the southern strategy an “offensive defensive,” taking advantage of opportunities to attack. The South did not need to conquer the North.
The fall of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson
Union commander, Ulysses S. Grant saw the strategic importance of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, the Confederate outposts guarding the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. If they could capture them, they would open two prime routes into the heartland of the Confederacy. He seized the forts in just ten days.
The Battle of Shiloh
On April 6, Confederate general Albert Sidney Johnston caught federal troops with their back to the water awaiting reinforcements. The Confederates attacked. Close to victory, Johnston was killed. The South almost won, but Northern reinforcements arrived. The Union won the battle. Neither side won a decisive victory.
The Peninsula Campaign
McClellan decided to move by a water route, sailing his troops down the Chesapeake, landing them on the peninsula between the York and James Rivers, and advancing on Richmond from the east. After a bloody battle, Federal troops moved to the Confederate capital.
The mistake General McClellan made at the Peninsula Campaign
After being attacked by Lee’s forces, McClellan retreated towards the James River. McClellan had a big flaw of always thinking he was outnumbered. He also didn’t use the navy properly. He can’t execute plans properly.
Where did inflation spread?
It spread all over the South. It raged out of control, fueled by the Confederate government’s heavy borrowing and inadequate taxes.
Both sides issued a draft. What did wealthy southerners do to get out of it?
The rich could simply run away, find someone to take their place, or pay the commutation fee.
The north had good factories and industry. What were greenbacks?
Paper money.
The north had an elaborate railroad system. How did they benefit Federal troops?
22,000 miles of railroads in the North, and 9,500 in the South. Many of the railroads in the south were less than 100 miles, and the south did not maintain them which caused many of the railroads to deteriorate over the course of the war.
Economically, what did the North believe that the South didn’t? It led the North to have a smoother economy.
The North believed in a National Bank. It helped finance the war.
What were the roles of women? How did they change? What was a new profession that emerged?
White women got new responsibilities now that the men were at war. Wives and mothers now headed households and performed men’s work, including raising crops and tending animals. Those in the city and excluded from labor work, found a limited number of respectable paying jobs. Female teachers also appeared for the first time. Some women worked as nurses and hospital workers. Some women pretended to be men to fight in the war, others acted as spies.
Who were the several women that made big contributions?
Dorothea Dix: Pushed for better care for the mentally ill, was the Superintendent of Army Nurses for the Union army.
Clara Barton: One of the most honored women, founded the Red Cross, brought medical supplies to battles.
What did people believe Lincoln’s goal was at the start of the war? What was really?
People believed his goal was to emancipate the slaves, but it was actually to try an keep the Union together.
The Battle of Antietam
It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Lee managed to escape, but McClellan didn’t bother to chase after him so Lincoln dismissed him. It was a draw.
After the Battle of Antietam, what did Lincoln issue?
After the battle, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Although he wanted to release it after a Northern victory, Lee retreated so Lincoln considered it a victory.
Whom did the Emancipation Proclamation apply to?
It applied to all slave states that were not part of the Union. This meant it exclude slaves states that were still part of the Union. Although, Lincoln had no way to enforce the act.
After the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, what did newly freed slaves want to do?
To join the military.
Hospital and camp life was bad. How were they terrible?
There was a lot of contamination, this led to disease and death.
What were the different weapons introduced in the civil war?
The “minie ball” and the rifle. Cutting groves in the barrel of a rifle let the bullets become more accurate.
The Battle of Chancellorsville
“Stonewall” Jackson to ambush oblivious Northern troops. They caused them to retreat, but when they were headed back, they were caught in a friendly fire, Jackson getting shot and he soon died.
