The American Civil War
1861–1865
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Causes
There were many causes for the outbreak of the Civil War. Many people agree
slavery was the main cause for the war. In addition, sectional differences led to
conflicts. Northern and Southern states were developing different lifestyles and
cultures. Differences in the economic life of the North and the South also
contributed to the conflict. The North’s economy focused on finance and
manufacturing, and the South specialized in crops and agricultural trade. Southern
states also began to question the extent of the federal government’s power.
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How does this painting, Tragic Prelude, represent the debate over
slavery prior to the Civil War?
Abolitionist Movement
The Abolitionist Movement was active
in Northern and Western states before
the Civil War. Abolitionists wanted
slaves to be freed. Some abolitionists
favored relocating them in Africa.
Many, but not all, abolitionists believed
African-American slaves should have
the same freedoms as their owners.
Southern states opposed the abolition of
slavery; it was a financial necessity and
part of their social structure. The
South’s agricultural trade depended on
crops produced with slave labor.
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A Divided Nation
Comparing Northern and Southern Societies
The North’s population was three
times that of the South. Most other
countries recognized the Union as
the government in America.
However, Britain and France had
friendly relations with the
Confederacy and considered aiding
the South. The North also was more
affluent.
The South had about nine million
people, including about three million
slaves. The average Southerner was not
as wealthy as the average person living
in the North. About 90 percent of
American industry and railroads were
in the North. Reliance on slave labor
discouraged the creation of new jobs in
the South. This discouraged
immigration, and most immigrants
settled in the North.
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The Leaders
Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth
President of the United States. He
opposed the expansion of slavery. A
Republican, Lincoln led the Union
during the Civil War. John Wilkes Booth
assassinated Lincoln in Washington,
D.C., on April 14, 1865.
Jefferson Davis was President of the
Confederate States of America. During the
Mexican War, he had been an officer in
the United States Army. Davis also had
served as the United States Secretary of
War. When the South surrendered, he was
charged with treason and prohibited from
running for public office again.
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The Generals
Ulysses S. Grant
Robert E. Lee
William T. Sherman
Thomas Jackson
George Meade
James Longstreet
George B. McClellan
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James E.B. Stuart
Strategies
Anaconda Plan
Union General Winfield Scott suggested the Anaconda
Plan to halt Southern trade. The plan would impose a
blockade. This would eventually enable the North to
control the Mississippi River. Meanwhile, the army
would divide and isolate sections of the South and
capture its vital cities and the capital in Richmond,
Virginia. Under General Ulysses S. Grant, the North’s
strategy kept pressure on General Robert E. Lee’s army
and constantly weakened their numbers. The larger
population of the North made this possible.
King Cotton
The Confederacy adopted a defensive strategy and
attempted to secure alliances with more powerful
countries such as Britain and France. To do that, the
South needed to show it could win the war. As a
result, the Confederate army attacked Union territory
to draw Union troops away from the South and to
impress potential allies. As the war continued, the
Southern strategy became one of evading the Union
army, prolonging the war, and inflicting casualties to
demoralize the North.
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Weapons of the Civil War
canister shot
artillery projectile
rifled barrel
officer’s sword
Springfield rifle, 1861
(Union)
Although the Union used many types of rifles, this was the most common.
British Enfield rifle, 1853
(Confederacy)
minié ball
Although the Confederacy used many types of rifles, this was the most common.
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Uniforms
At the beginning of the Civil War, states provided uniforms to soldiers; and the
uniforms were in a variety of colors. This led to massive confusion on the battlefield,
and often soldiers fired on their own men. As the war continued, both sides chose a
single color for their uniforms. The United States of America chose blue, and the
Confederate States of America chose gray.
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Major Battles of the Civil War
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Fort Sumter
April 12, 1861
The first shots of the Civil War were fired
at Fort Sumter. Major Robert Anderson of
the United States Army had moved his
troops to the base because he feared a
Confederate attack. In the early morning
of April 12, 1861, the Confederates
launched an attack. Northern troops under
Anderson’s command returned fire, but
were ineffective. The Confederacy
continued its attack with prolonged
gunfire, and the Union troops in the fort
surrendered a day later. One Confederate
soldier and four Union soldiers were
killed in the battle.
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South Carolina
Virginia
First Bull Run/Manassas
July 21, 1861
The First Battle of Bull Run took place on
July 21, 1861. General Irvin McDowell led
the Union army toward Richmond,
Virginia. General P.G.T. Beauregard’s
Confederate troops intercepted them. The
battle lasted about five hours. Confederate
forces began to retreat due to losses, except
General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson who
continued to fight until reinforcements
arrived. The reenergized Confederates
pushed McDowell’s forces out of the area.
Union casualties were high, almost three
thousand; and the Confederates suffered
two thousand casualties.
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Shiloh
Tennessee
April 6-7, 1862
The Battle of Shiloh raged from April 6
until April 7, 1862. Union troops had
found Confederate General Albert
Johnston’s forces near Corinth Road,
but they were not prepared for an
attack. The Southern troops forced them
to retreat toward the river. Although the
Confederate soldiers had gained ground,
they suffered many losses. On the
second day the Union army claimed
ground in the early morning, throwing
off Beauregard’s troops. The
Confederacy, however, had an
exceptional defense and stopped the
Union soldiers before the Confederates
retreated.
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The War at Sea
The Battle of the Ironclads also is known
as the Battle of Hampton Roads and the
Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack.
This battle was fought off Sewell’s Point near
Hampton Roads, Virginia. It was the first
naval battle between two ironclad ships, the
Union’s USS Monitor and the Confederacy’s
CSS Virginia, which was rebuilt from the
USS Merrimack.
The battle took place over two days, and
the Virginia destroyed many of the Union’s
wooden ships. The next day, the two ironclads
clashed at sea, and the Virginia was damaged.
Neither side claimed victory in this battle, but
the battle revealed the future of naval warfare.
Ironclad, steam-driven ships were at a
decisive advantage against wooden sailing
vessels.
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Antietam
Maryland
September 17, 1862
The Battle of Antietam, also known as
the Battle of Sharpsburg, was fought
on September 16–18, 1862. It was a
confrontation between Union and
Confederate forces under Generals
George McClellan and Robert E. Lee.
Federal armies brutalized the
Confederacy; the combined casualties
were more than twenty-three thousand.
The Union pushed Lee and his troops
back to Antietam Creek, but the
stubborn Confederate general
counterattacked with all his troops. The
two sides fought to a standstill, and
both armies withdrew.
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Fredericksburg
December 13, 1862
Fredericksburg was the site of a battle
in December 1862. Union General
Ambrose Burnside led a march on
Richmond, but was delayed for more
than two weeks because of latearriving supplies. General Lee
positioned his army, deploying snipers
to pick off Federal troops. Confederate
artillery decimated Union forces in
their attempts to capture Marye’s
Heights. Many Union soldiers were left
in the open after crossing military
pontoon bridges, and they became easy
prey for Confederate troops. Burnside
had no choice but to retreat with the
remnants of his army.
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Virginia
The Emancipation Proclamation
January 1, 1863
President Abraham Lincoln issued the
Emancipation Proclamation. It was part
of a two-part plan that guaranteed
freedom to slaves in the Union and some
Confederate states. The Confederate
government claimed Lincoln could not
issue laws over states in which he had no
political control. The first plan, enacted
on September 22, 1862, freed slaves in
Confederate states that had not yet
rejoined the Union. The second part took
effect on January 1, 1863, applying to
specific states, but not to the border
states such as Maryland and West
Virginia.
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Vicksburg
Mississippi
May 2-July 9, 1863
The lengthy Battle of Vicksburg began
in Warren County on May 13, 1863.
The North and the South considered
Vicksburg an important stronghold.
Union General Ulysses S. Grant
launched massive assaults on
Vicksburg and terrorized the
inhabitants. Confederates achieved a
minimal victory at Milliken’s Bend
against untrained black troops. Federal
troops pushed Confederate forces
back as the size of the Union forces
continued to increase. Confederate
General John Pemberton surrendered
to Grant on July 3, 1863.
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Gettysburg
Pennsylvania
July 1-3, 1863
The Battle of Gettysburg began as the
Battle of Vicksburg was ending.
Confederate General Lee forced federal
troops, under General George C. Meade’s
command, to lose ground as the
Confederate forces attempted to take the
city. Lee planned several attacks,
including attacks at Peach Orchard and
Devil’s Den. The Union army fought
back, repelling Confederate attacks and
sending them back to Culp’s Hill. Lee
was relentless and sent his army back into
battle, but to no avail. He eventually
began a retreat toward Williamsport.
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The Gettysburg Address
November 19, 1863
Abraham Lincoln delivered this famous
speech on November 19, 1863, to a crowd
gathered at the dedication of Soldier’s
National Cemetery in Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania. The speech contains only two
hundred seventy-two words, but it is
considered one of the greatest speeches in
American history.
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Wilderness
May 5-7, 1864
Union General Grant continued his march
to Richmond, Virginia, planning to use
three armies to lay siege to the city. He
wanted to cut Lee’s food and artillery
supply lines and to block a Southern
retreat. Grant’s troops encountered
Confederate General Richard Ewell’s
soldiers. The Union forces outnumbered
the Confederate. Because of gunfire and
the Wilderness’ dry land, forest fires were
sparked. Confederates achieved some
success and inflicted Union casualties.
Grant refused to retreat and continued his
march to Richmond.
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Virginia
Cold Harbor
May 31-June 12, 1864
The Battle of Cold Harbor lasted from
May 31 to June 12, 1864, in Hanover
County, Virginia. Union General Philip
Sheridan led a successful attack against
Confederate troops, which lasted until
the Confederacy called reinforcements
to the area. Sheridan followed in similar
fashion, enlisting the help of General
Grant. As in the Battle of Wilderness,
Grant battled on, launching his soldiers
at the Confederacy. The Grant-led army
suffered almost five thousand losses.
Grant’s march to Richmond had been
thrown off, so now he attempted to
regain footing in Petersburg.
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Virginia
Sherman’s March to the Sea
November 15-December 20, 1864
As the Union army moved through
the South, they destroyed train tracks
by heating the rails and bending them
into a bow. This became known as
“Sherman’s Neckties”
Union General William T. Sherman
already had captured Atlanta, but he
wanted to leave sixty thousand troops
there while he marched the rest of his
army to the Atlantic Ocean through
Savannah, Georgia. During this time,
Confederate General John Hood had led
troops in a raid on Tennessee, leaving
Sherman’s soldiers to face fewer than
five thousand Confederate soldiers.
Sherman’s troops burned buildings and
infrastructures along the way,
destroying many towns and cities.
Sherman’s troops defeated the depleted
Confederate army and took Savannah
on December 22, 1864.
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Surrender at Appomattox
Virginia
April 9, 1865
General Lee surrendered his
Confederate army at Appomattox
Court House, Virginia, on April 9,
1865. Lee’s army had diminished,
which contributed to Union General
Grant’s many victories near the end of
the war. In a sign of respect, Grant
allowed Lee to keep his saber and
horse.
General Joseph Johnston was the last
Confederate general who continued to
fight. He still believed that the South
could win the war. Johnston’s troops
eventually fell to federal troops, and he
surrendered to General Sherman on
April 26, 1865.
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Assassination of Lincoln
April 14, 1865
President Abraham Lincoln was
assassinated at the end of the Civil
War. He was killed on April 14, 1865,
while attending a play at Ford’s
Theatre in Washington, D.C., with his
wife and two other people. Lincoln
was watching Our American Cousin
when John Wilkes Booth shot him in
the back of the head.
Booth was a loyal Confederate, and
he thought the Confederacy could
triumph if Lincoln were dead. Booth
jumped off the balcony and broke his
ankle, but managed to escape the
theater. Lincoln died of his fatal
wound the next morning.
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The Trial and Execution of the Conspirators
The conspirators in the assassination of
President Lincoln were Mary Surratt,
Lewis Powell, David Herold, George
Atzerdot, Michael O’Laughlen, Samuel
Arnold, Edman Spangler, and Dr. Samuel
Mudd. They were tried in a military
tribunal court because the government
deemed the nature of the case required the
use of this court. A majority vote would
result in a guilty verdict, while a two-thirds
majority would result in a death sentence.
All eight were found guilty. Surratt,
Powell, Herold, and Atzerdot were
sentenced to death by hanging. O’Laughlen
died in prison. President Andrew Johnson
pardoned Arnold, Spangler, and Mudd.
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Legacy of the War
The Civil War was the bloodiest war in American history. It has been referred to as
“The War Between the States,” “The Brother’s War,” and the “War of Northern
Aggression.” More than 600,000 Americans lost their lives, and countless others
were wounded severely. The Civil War led to passage of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth ,
and Fifteen Amendments to the United States Constitution. These amendments
outlawed slavery, granted African Americans United States citizenship, and granted
African-American males the right to vote. Although equal treatment under the law
for African Americans would not be enforced until almost a hundred years later, the
Civil War abolished slavery and established the supremacy of the federal
government.
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