CIVIL WAR STUDY GUIDE
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Trace the outbreak of war—what were the origins (remote causes) and proximate causes
of war (i.e. roots, pretexts, occasions, triggers, etc.)
What happened at Fort Sumter; why was this event significant?
What motivated both sides—what were they fighting for?
Advantages vs Disadvantages; Strengths vs Weaknesses (Did the Union “win” or the
Confederacy “lose”)
o North vs. South
What were Northern and Southern perceptions prior to the outbreak of war?
o e.g. War of Northern Aggression/War of Southern Independence vs. War of
Southern Secession/Civil War, etc.
o Was either side prepared for this “new kind” of war (e.g. short war illusion; total
war; modern war, etc.)?
Battle of Bull Run
o Rebel Yell
What were the grand strategies of both sides?
o Active vs. Passive Defensive strategy of the Confederacy (Lee vs. Davis)
o Anaconda Plan (features and flaws)
George McClellan
o Too Cautious or ahead of the curve?
Peninsula Campaign
o Yorktown
o Seven Day’s Battle
Ironclad ships
o Merrimack vs Monitor
2nd Battle of Bull Run
Antietam
o Importance?
Lincoln as CinC
o Ex Parte Merryman
o Ex Parte Milligan
o Suspension Habeas Corpus and establishment of military tribunals
o Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln’s policy/grand strategy, national strategy, military strategy, operational tactics
African Americans in the army (how impactful/effective was the recruitment of African
Americans)
o 54th of Mass.
Fredericksburg
Chancellorsville
o Stonewall Jackson?
Gettysburg
o Lee’s goal?
o George Meade
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o “Pickett’s Charge”
o Importance of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
o Effects/outcome/significance
Performance in action and command style of Ulysses S. Grant
o background
o Fort Henry
o Fort Donelson
 Signifigance?
o Shiloh
 Signifigance?
o Siege at Vicksburg
o In Tennessee
o Promotion
o Grant vs. Lee!!!!
 Wilderness Campaign
 Cold Harbor
 Petersburg
 Appomattox
Battle of New Orleans
Importance of the Mississippi River (“the Father of Waters”)
William Tecumseh Sherman (his belief in total warfare; his military strategy)
o Atlanta
o March to the Sea
o Total War
Election of 1864 (candidates, issues, outcome, importance)
o War Democrats vs. Peace Democrats
o Union Party
o Copperheads
o Dem. Candidate – McClellan
o Results
 Factors
End of the War
o What happened on April 9th, 1865
o What were Grant’s terms of surrender at Appomattox?