•Equality of all men in question
•Both sides fighting to preserve their traditions
•Brother vs brother---family vs family
•1 out of 4 soldiers would die in this conflict
•Confederate Flag controversial in our society
today.
•Slavery abolished, African Americans become
citizens with the right to vote
•Alternative Names of the War:
•War for Southern Independence
•War Against Northern Aggression.
DIFFERENT VIEWS ON THE WAR
Slavery war to blame
State’s rights vs. National
Government
Agricultural vs. industrial
societies
Sectionalism
Preserve the Union and
democracy
BLUE/USA
GRAY/CSA
•United States of America
or Union
•President Abraham Lincoln
•Capital: Washington, D.C.
•Union Yanks-Yankees Blue
coats
•Confederate States of America
•President Jefferson Davis
•Capital: Richmond, VA
•Rebs------Rebels---”Johnny Rebs”
•Secessh-------Seccession
•Graycoats
•Yellow bellies
• Fort Sumter
– the first battle of the American
Civil War.
– A southern fort that was still
under federal control.
– Confederate militias attacked the
fort and won the battle.
•
Union army gave up the fort
without any casualties
Picture: Fort Sumter 1
Fort Sumter 2
Lincoln wrote to the antislavery editor
Horace Greeley in August 1862, even
as he was about to announce the
Emancipation Proclamation:
“If I could save the Union
without freeing any slave, I
would do it;
and if I could save it by freeing
all the slaves, I would do it;
and if I could do it by freeing
some and leaving others alone,
I would also do that.”
 Aggressive
offensive to crush the rebellion.
– War of attrition: South has less manpower…
 Gen Winfield
Scott’s Anaconda Plan
– Control river systems: Ohio and Mississippi
– Blockade and seizure of ports
 War goal:
Preserve Union and later abolish slavery
 Capture Richmond
 Don’t allow Confederacy to rest.
 Napoleonic tactics at first----later “trench warfare”
 Defend
 Quick
and delay until Union gives up
victories to demoralize Union
 Alliance with Great Britain
 Capture Washington, D.C.
 Defend Capital of Richmond
 Sought decisive battle that would convince
the Union it wasn’t worth it
 Use better military leadership to its
advantage and outsmart Union generals.
Battle of Bull Run
st
(1 Manassas), July, 1861
Lincoln sent 30,000
inexperienced
soldiers to fight at
Bull Run.
 a stream about 25 miles from
Washington DC.
 The battle was an important victory
for the Confederate troops
 Proved that the Confederates could fight
with Union soldiers
 Confederate troops were better
organized and forced the Union army
to retreat
Battle of Bull Run
st
(1 Manassas), July, 1861
Northern troops were pushed back to D.C.
Confederate victor, failed to capture
Washington, D.C.
Would never again be so close to Washington, D.C.
 Professional development of officers.
 1802 West Point is formed
 55 of 60 largest battles, both sides were commanded by
West Pointers.
 Artillery and Infantry schools opened
 Professional staff begins in earnest
 Greater independence for military leaders.
 Politicians focus on strategy and are less involved in
operational and tactical decisions.
 Mexican War
 Many leaders on both sides gain valuable experience.
 First great post-Industrial Revolution war.

Outdated muskets replaced with rifle
– greatly changes tactics.
– more accurate, faster loading, fire more rounds than muskets
– Minié ball (more destructive bullet)
– Cold Harbor: 2k dead in 20 minutes, another 5k wounded.

Calvary used for reconnaissance
– Scouting and skirmishes

Artillery
– invention of shells, devices that exploded in the air.
– fired canisters, special shells filled with bullets.
– Grenades
– land mines are used

Ironclads
– replaces wooden ships

Trench warfare replaces Napoleonic tactics
– at Antietam Creek in Sharpsburg, MD
– Bloodiest day of the war
Confederate suffered over 11,000
casualties
– Union Victory
General Lee was forced to retreat in
VA
– Union victory enabled Lincoln to
produce the Emancipation Proclamation
He was waiting for a convincing Union victory before he would
announce EP.
http://www.history.com/topics/americancivil-war/battle-of-antietam
Ulysses S Grant
Robert E Lee
•Graduate from West Point, 1843
•Graduate from West Point, 1829
•Served in the Mexican War
•Served in the Mexican War
•Shoe salesman before the War
•Arrested John Brown
•Successful in Western Theater
•Lincoln asked Lee to head up the Union Army
•Appointed by Lincoln in 1864 to
command all Union forces
•Refused because of loyalty to Virginia.
•The Butcher
•Defeated Union in battles from 1861 to 1863
in the Eastern theater
•Goal: Unconditional Surrender
•Excellent in military strategy
•Supported “total war” concept
Grant vs Lee
On July 4, 1863
Turning point of the war
–Battles of Gettysburg and
Vicksburg
both huge Union victories
•Grant
captures
Vicksburg,
splits the CSA
in half.
•USA controls
the Mississippi
River.
Vicksburg/Gettysburg
On July 4, 1863
30,000 Confederate troops
defending
Vicksburg surrendered their arms.
Grant captured 260
cannons, 60,000 standof-arms, and more than 2 million rounds of
ammunition.
Former
slaves celebrated Independence Day
for the first time.
4
days later, the Mississippi River was in the
hands of the Union army
Effectively cutting the
Confederacy in two.
•General Lee
invades the North
South’s last
chance to capture
Washington, D.C.
Vicksburg/Gettysburg
General George
Pickett
General Lee orders a frontal assault
on Union lines to break through,
surround and destroy the North.
Gettysburg Casualties
•The defeat of Lee at Gettysburg would be the last time Lee would
invade the North and try to take Washington, D.C.
•Lee’s retreat at Gettysburg on July 3rd and Grant’s defeat of the
South at Vicksburg on July 4th would lead to the eventual surrender
of the South by 1865.
http://www.history.com/topics/americancivil-war/battle-of-gettysburg
http://www.history.com/topics/americancivil-war/battle-of-gettysburg/videos/thebattle-of-gettysburg
Gettysburg Address
On November 19, 1863, some 15,000 people gathered
at Gettysburg to honor the Union soldiers who had died
there just four months before.
President Lincoln delivered a two-minute speech
which became known as the Gettysburg Address.
He reminded people that the Civil War was being
fought to preserve a country that upheld the principles of
freedom, equality, and self-government.
The Gettysburg Address has become one of the best-
loved and most-quoted speeches in the English language.
It expresses grief at the terrible cost of war and the
importance of preserving the Union.
After Union victories at
Vicksburg and Gettysburg,
President Lincoln appointed
General Grant as the
Commanding General of all Union
troops.
Grant commanded the Army of
the Potomac in the East and was
instructed by Lincoln to force
General Lee to surrender.
Grant appointed his 2nd in command General William
T. Sherman to head up the Army of the West.
It is here that Lincoln, Grant and Sherman devise a new
strategy of “total war”
Tactic
of war Union marched through the South
and destroyed all resources the civilian
population needed to survive.
Goal:
To make war as horrible and destructive
as possible to force your enemy to surrender.
William T. Sherman
Grant’s
Fought
Most
right hand general
with Grant in the West
noted for this saying:
“War is hell and the worse you
make it the sooner it will be
over.”
William T. Sherman
Put
in charge of the Army of the
West
Responsible
for the March to the
Sea and using “total war” in
destroying the South.
William T. Sherman
Sherman’s
March
through
Georgia
to the
Sea, 1864
Total War 1
Total War 3
Total War 2
• Appomattox Court House,
Virginia
–Confederate General Robert E. Lee
surrenders to Union General
Ulysses S. Grant
–Ends the Civil War
John Wilkes Booth
A fanatical confederate
sympathizer
A professional and extremely
popular stage actor of his day.
Assassinated Abraham Lincoln
• April 14, 1865
• Ford’s Theater in
Washington D.C.
• escaped after the
assassination
• would be found in
a barn 21 days
later
• Fatality wounded when captured
Lincoln’s death
Lasting Impressions of the Civil
War