The Civil War
The Goals of the War
The Union
The Confederacy
At the onset of the War the Union was
fighting to reunite the Nation and bring the
southern states back to the Union.
They were fighting for state
rights. The right to own slaves.
After the Emancipation Proclamation the
goal of the War changed to that of one to
end slavery.
They believed if they outlasted
the North, and dragged out the
War, eventually the North would
grow tired and allow the
Confederacy to exist.
Lincoln initially did not support ending
slavery in the South, only limiting the
expansion of slavery into the West.
The North’s (Union) Advantages
The North’s
manufacturing
capabilities meant they
could mass produce the
weapons and tools
needed for war.
Manufacturing
Population
Advantages
Transportation
The North had better railroads, highways, canals, and
naval ports. They could more easily ship goods to the
battle field than the South.
The North was the
destination for many
European Immigrants.
They took jobs in
factories, this meant
that the workforce was
not depleted and could
continue to produce the
materials for war.
The South’s (Confederacy) Advantages
Much of the fighting was
done in the South.
Southerners had the
“home field advantage.”
They were much more
familiar with the
landscape.
Terrain
Generals
Advantages
Transportation
Robert E. Lee and
Stonewall Jackson were
some of the best
military minds in the
country, and both
supported the Southern
cause. They made the
South a formidable foe.
Leaders
Union
Confederacy
Jefferson DavisPresident
Abraham Lincoln President
Ulysses S. Grant–
Most effective
Union General
Robert E. LeeBest Confederate
General
“Stonewall” JacksonConfederacy’s 2nd best
General
The Battle of Fort Sumter
The first shots of the
Civil War were fired at
Ft. Sumter, South
Carolina.
Union forces would
not surrender the fort
to the Confederacy,
which then proceeded
to bombard the fort.
The Battle of Antietam
The single bloodiest day of
the Civil War.
First battle of the Civil War
to be fought on Union soil.
It was somewhat of a
tactical victory for the
Union, it led to Lincoln
issuing the Emancipation
Proclamation.
Emancipation Proclamation
• It freed slaves in the Confederacy
only!
• The Emancipation Proclamation did
not free many slaves in reality.
• Only runaway slaves from the south
that found their way to the North
were free.
• It did not free slaves in the Union
borders states.
• It changed the goal of the War for the
Union, they would now be fighting to
end slavery.
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Confederacy planned to
invade the North.
It was the 1st turning point
battle of the War.
The Union victory
prevented the Confederacy
from invading the North
ever again.
Battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi
The 2nd turning point
battle of the Civil War.
Union forces, led by
Ulysses S. Grant gained
control of the Mississippi
River with this victory.
This cut the Confederacy
in half.
Passing of the
th
13
The 13th Amendment
was ratified on January
31, 1865. This ended
Slavery in America.
It also meant that the
Southern states that
seceded would have to
abolish slavery if the
Union won.
Amendment
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse,
Virginia
Facing inevitable
defeat, Robert E. Lee
surrendered to
Ulysses S. Grant on
April 9, 1865.
This was the end of
the Civil War.
The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
• Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by
John Wilkes Booth, an actor and
supporter of the Confederacy on April
14th, 1865. Just a few days after Lee’s
surrender.
• Lincoln died the next day.
• The nation mourned his death, and the
consequences of his assassination
meant the nation would be without his
leadership during Reconstruction.