sst civil war Flashcards
How did Lincoln get elected in 1860?
4 main candidates: Lincoln (R), Douglas (D), Breckenridge (D), Bell (CU)
Douglas lost support in both North & South (Freeport Doctrine haunts him)
Lincoln has virtually no support in the South…popular in North & West
Breckenridge & Bell cannot garner enough national support
Lincoln wins
When did the Southern states secede?
South Carolina votes to secede within days of Lincoln’s election
President Buchanan spoke out against secession in address to Congress…to no avail
South Carolina militia began to seize federal forts in the area…Fort Sumter last to fall
Buchanan to Lincoln: “My dear sir, if you are as happy in entering the White House as I shall feel on returning to Wheatland (PA), you are a happy man indeed.” Before Lincoln’s inauguration, 6 more states secede 7 states formed the initial Confederate States of America Initial 7: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, & Texas Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, is elected president Before the war begins the Confederacy grows to 11 states 4 added: Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, & Tennessee Richmond, VA is chosen as the capital Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861 He had to slip into D.C. to avoid an assassination plot Ironically, Chief Justice Roger Taney administered the oath
Why secession?
Feeling that the South was overpowered by northern political & economic interests
Fear of southern culture being destroyed by northern control of Congress
Race-baiting in the southern press…inflated stories of rape and inter-racial marriage
Southern preacher: “If you are tame enough to submit, abolition preachers will be at hand to consummate the marriage of your daughters to black husbands. Submit to have our wives and daughters choose between death and gratifying the hellish lust of the Negro!! Better ten thousand deaths than submission…”
When & where did the Civil War begin?
April 12, 1861 at Fort Sumter, S.C.
Union supply ships are fired upon by the South
Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, & Tennessee immediately secede
Lincoln seeks volunteers…thousands join the Union army
What about the “Border States?”
Maryland most important state for Union to hold on to…next to D.C.
Maryland, Delaware, Missouri, & Kentucky all remain loyal to the Union
Western Virginia also remains loyal…leads to the state of West Virginia
Which side has the pre-War advantage?
Union:
23 states & 7 territories
Population of 22 million (4 million men of combat age)
100,000 factories with 1.1 million workers
20,000 miles of railroad (70% of U.S. tracks and 96% of equipment)
$189 million in bank deposits (81% of U.S. bank deposits)
$56 million in gold
**Even out produced the South agriculturally and in terms of livestock
Confederacy: 11 states Population of 9 million (3.5 million slaves, 1.2 million men of combat age) 20,000 factories with 101,000 workers 9,000 miles of railroad $47 million in bank deposits $27 million in gold
How did the U.S. & Confederate constitutions differ?
The Confederate constitution was based, almost verbatim, on the U.S. Constitution
The main differences in the Confederate constitution were:
“each state acting in its sovereign and independent character”
“a permanent federal government”
The presence of the words “Almighty God”
Tariffs were permitted solely for revenue purposes
The President was limited to a single 6-year term
**Slavery is permitted with no limitations (except for importation from abroad)
What was the first “major” battle of the Civil War?
The Battle at Bull Run
South is led by Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and earns a decisive victory
Lincoln realizes this will not be a 90 day war (simply capture Richmond) but a long one
After Bull Run, what was the Union strategy for victory?
3 major goals:
Capture Richmond (Confederate capital)
Set up a naval blockade (from Virginia to Texas)
Gain control of the Mississippi River
Was the North successful in capturing Richmond?
No, this goal remained elusive for most of the war
The South wins most early land battles
Was the North successful in setting up a naval blockade?
Yes, southern exports dropped to 2% of previous levels, a virtual standstill
The South responds with “blockade runners”
The South introduces the Merrimack
(aka CSS Virginia = wooden ship covered with metal plates)
The North responds with the Monitor (ironclad ship)
Was the North successful in gaining control of the Mississippi?
Yes, it was able to divide the South, eventually controlling most of the river
February ’62 Gen. Grant captured Fort Henry & Fort Donelson
April ’62 Grant defeats Johnston and the Confederacy at Shiloh Shiloh = > casualties than the Am. Revolution, War of 1812, & Mexican War combined Over 23,000 casualties during the Battle of Shiloh By mid 1862 the Union controlled the upper Mississippi River & western Tennessee April ’62 Adm. David Farragut led an assault on New Orleans By May 1st Farragut controlled New Orleans and the lower Mississippi River By the end of ’62 most of the Mississippi River was under Union control
What about the failed attempts to capture Richmond?
In ’62 Gen. McClellan marched towards Richmond
He gets w/in a few miles but decides to wait for reinforcements
Reinforcements were kept occupied by Gen. Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley
McClellan’s hesitation allowed Lee to attack and drive McClellan away from Richmond
This was known as the Seven Days Battle
The Seven Days Battle was followed by the 2nd Battle of Bull Run (August of ’62) Gen. Lee and the Confederacy won another decisive battle
What was the bloodiest single day battle of the Civil War?
Battle of Antietam…over 22,000 casualties in this one day battle on September 17th ‘62
Antietam was one of two major battles fought in Union territory
No decisive winner…Union called it a victory because Confederacy withdrew first
Confederacy was more impacted by the massive loss of life
Did 1862 end well for the Union?
NO! The Union tried to use its momentum from Antietam to launch another campaign
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought from December 11-15, 1862
The Confederacy won a decisive battle
