Henretta • Brody • Dumenil
America’s History
Sixth Edition
CHAPTER 14
Two Societies at War,
1861-1865
Copyright © 2008 by Bedford/St. Martin’s and
Matthew Ellington, Ruben S. Ayala High School
1.
Secession and Military Stalemate, 1861-1862
–
–
–
–
–
2.
Background to the Civil War
Advantages of the North and the South
The Secession Crisis
The Upper South Chooses Sides
Setting War Objectives and Devising Strategies
Toward Total War
–
–
–
3.
Mobilizing Armies and Civilians
Mobilizing Resources
Technology and the Civil War
The Turning Point: 1863
–
–
4.
Emancipation
Vicksburg and Gettysburg
The Union Victorious
–
–
Soldiers and Strategy
The Election of 1864 and Sherman’s March
1A: Background to the Civil War
• Southerners believed that the Republicans/North
would undermine their way of life
• Northerners believed secession would destroy the
idea of a republican form of government
• Causes of the Civil War:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Slavery was underlying cause
Election of Lincoln
Conflict over the expansion of slavery
Economic, social and cultural differences
Debate over states rights vs. federal rights
The rise of abolitionism
1B: The Advantages of North & South
• Northern advantages:
–
–
–
–
Population (22 million vs. 9 million)
Industrialized economy and efficient transportation
Better political leadership and established government
US Navy
• Southern Advantages:
– Better military leadership and soldiers, at first
– Fought to defend homes and way of life
– Defensive wars are easier to win
1C: The Secession Crisis
• 7 states seceded before Lincoln was inaugurated
• Crittenden Compromise rejected by Republicans
– would have protected slavery and extended 36°30' line
– was the last chance to avoid war
1D: The Upper South Chooses Sides
• Lincoln’s decision to “provision” Ft. Sumter led to open
hostilities and 4 more states seceded
• Lincoln used martial law, supervised voting, mass
arrests and other tactics to retain the 4 border states
1E: Setting War Objectives and Devising
Strategies
• Bull Run defeat showed Union war would not be quick
• Union Strategy: Take Richmond, blockade the South,
split the Confederacy; later: emancipation, total war
• Failure of Peninsula Campaign convinced Lincoln that
South would have to be punished by ending slavery
• Antietam was the South’s best chance to win the war
Battle of Antietam: Fight for Burnside’s Bridge
Eastern Campaigns of 1861-1862
Western Campaigns of 1861-1862
2A: Mobilizing Armies and Civilians
• Both sides were forced to eventually rely on a draft
– Exemptions: $300, substitution, or many slaves
– Led to rioting by Irish, Germans, and poor whites
• Women helped war effort; many became nurses
2B: Mobilizing Resources
• King Cotton failed to save the South
• North created beginnings of modern economy
• Union used taxes (20%), bonds (65%), greenbacks
(15%) to pay war; South relied on inflation (9,200%)
Engraving of a food riot in New Orleans in 1862
2C: Technology and the Civil War
• Industrialization and transportation changed warfare
• Monitor (North) vs. Merrimac (South), the first battle of
ironclads, was a draw
• Submarines, land mines, hot air balloons, gatling guns
3A: Emancipation
• Confiscation Acts allowed Union to seize Confederate
property including slaves (contrabands)
• Emancipation Proclamation (1863) freed slaves in
rebel states but not border states
3B: Vicksburg & Gettysburg (July 1863)
• Vicksburg cut South in two
and made Grant a hero
• Gettysburg was South’s last
best chance to win war and
defeat cut off British help
4A: Soldiers and Strategy
• 200,000 black troops fought for the Union by 1865
• Grant took control of all Union armies in 1864 and
attacked all Confederate armies at great human cost
4B: The Election of 1864 and
Sherman’s March
• Atlanta’s capture gave Lincoln reelection on National
Union ticket with Johnson (war Democrat) in 1864
• Sherman’s march to sea was beginning of “total war”
• Appomattox Courthouse surrender ended Civil War