The Civil War
Missouri Compromise
• Both the North and the South had a balance
in Congress with 11 free states and 11 slave
states
• Missouri wanted to be admitted into the
United States as a slave state which would
upset the balance
• Henry Clay suggested admitting Missouri as
slave state, but at the same time, admit the
territory of Maine as a free state
• This would keep the balance in Congress
and it became known as the Missouri
Compromise
• Congress drew a line across Missouri’s
southern border and prohibited slavery
above the border
Slavery in the Territories
• Northerners did not want slavery to extend
into any of the western territories and tried
to get the Wilmot Proviso passed through
Congress which would have banned slavery
in all the territories, but it did not pass the
Senate
• Bother Northerners and Southerners argued
over the issue of slavery in the west
• Some moderates suggested extending the
Missouri Compromise line all the way to the
Pacific Ocean
• Others suggested that people living in the
territories could vote for themselves
whether or not to allow slavery
• A new political party called the Free Soil
party was formed to keep slavery out of the
West
California
• When California applied for statehood, there
were 15 slave states and 15 free states.
• California wanted to be admitted as a free
state and this would upset the balance
• Southerners feared that if California were to
enter the United States as a free state, then
all of the western territories would be
admitted as free states and the South would
be hopelessly outnumbered in Congress
• Some extremists even hinted that the South
should consider secession as an option
The Great Compromiser
• Henry Clay had been nicknamed the Great
Compromiser for working out numerous
compromises to keep the North and the
South happy
• Clay wanted to find a permanent solution or
he feared the Nation could be torn apart
Clay vs. Calhoun
• John C Calhoun refused to compromise on
any issue.
• He insisted that slavery be allowed in the
West and furthermore, runaway slaves that
had escaped to the North should be returned
Compromise of 1850
• Henry Clay came up with the Compromise of
1850, but he had become ill and Stephen
Douglas of Illinois helped push it through
Congress
• The Compromise of 1850 had 5 parts
• 1. California would be admitted as a free
state
• 2. The rest of the western territories would
use popular sovereignty and decide for
themselves whether to have slavery
• 3. The slave trade was outlawed in
Washington D.C.
• 4. A strict fugitive slave law would be
enforced
• 5. A border dispute between Texas and New
Mexico was settled
Fugitive Slave Act
• The Fugitive Slave Act part of the
Compromise required that all runaway
slaves who had escaped to the North would
be returned to slavery in the South
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
• In 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe, a woman
from New England wrote the novel Uncle
Tom’s Cabin which told the story of a slave’s
brutal treatment at the hands of a slave
owner
• The book was extremely popular in the North
and helped to boost the Abolitionist
Movement
• Southerners felt the book was unfair
propaganda
• The book increased tension between
Northerners and Southerners
Kansas-Nebraska Act
• Stephen Douglas introduced a bill that would
divide the Kansas-Nebraska territory into
two territories : Kansas and Nebraska
• Stephen Douglas proposed that Popular
Sovereignty be used to decide the slavery
issue
• Both pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces
flooded the Kansas territory with settlers
hoping to cast their vote
Bleeding Kansas
• Both elected their own governments and
violence soon erupted
• Kansas Became known as “Bleeding
Kansas” as armed gangs from both camps
clashed in numerous attacks across the
Kansas territory
• John Brown led a gang of abolitionists. He
said it was God’s will that he punish all slave
holders. He murdered several pro-slavery
people resulting in retaliations and more
violence
Dred Scott vs. Sanford
• Dred Scott was enslaved to a slave owner
who had moved to the free territory of
Wisconsin
• After they moved back to Missouri, Scott’s
owner had died. Lawyers for Scott argued
that since Scott had lived in the free
territory, for several years, he should be
legally free
• In the case of Dred Scott vs. Sanford, the
U.S. Supreme Court ruled that since Scott
was a slave and therefore not a citizen, he
could not file a case
• The Court further ruled that Congress did not
have the power to outlaw slavery in any of
the territories
The Republican Party Emerges
• In 1854 in Michigan, a group of Free Soilers,
Whigs, and former Democrats met to form a
new political party that would take a
stronger stance against the spread of
slavery
• They formed the Republican Party
Lincoln/Douglas Debates
• Abraham Lincoln ran on the new Republican
ticket for the office seat of Senator from
Illinois
• Running for re-election for the same seat on
the Democrat ticket was Stephen Douglas
• Lincoln challenged the very popular Stephen
Douglas to a series of debates to be held
across the state of Illinois
• People and Newspapers from all over came
to these public debates
• Lincoln argued that slavery should not be
allowed at all in the Western territories
• Douglas said that the issue of slavery in the
Western territories should be decided by
Popular Sovereignty
• Stephen Douglas barely won his re-election
• Lincoln, however, became well known
across the country because he was very
good at speaking to large groups of people
and he delivered many memorable speeches
John Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry
• The radical abolitionist John Brown plotted
to raid a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry
Virginia for weapons to be used in a slave
revolt that he would lead
• Brown managed to capture the arsenal, but
he himself was later captured by the federal
army
John Brown’s Trial
• The trial of John Brown became a media
event.
• Throughout the trial, John Brown carried
himself with a calm demeanor and behaved
with dignity even after he was sentenced to
death
• John Brown quickly gained many admirers in
the North and after his execution, he
became a martyr
Lincoln is Elected
• Lincoln was chosen by the Republican Party
to run for President in the election of 1860
• The Democrats were split between Northern
Democrats and Southern Democrats
• Stephen Douglas ran on the ticket for the
Northern Democrats while John Breckinridge
ran on the ticket for the Southern Democrats
• Southerners knew that if a Republican won,
slavery would be finished in the West
• Lincoln’s name was even kept off the ballot
in 10 Southern states
• The Northerners outnumbered the
Southerners, however, and Lincoln won the
Presidency
• Many Southerners now felt that the new
President and Congress were against the
interests of the South
• They felt that an abolitionist was now in the
White House
Secession
• Southern states felt they had no choice left
but to secede from the Union. On Dec. 20,
1860, South Carolina became the first state
to secede. By February, Alabama, Georgia,
Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi
also seceded
• Lincoln faced a very dangerous situation
when he took office. He warned that no
state had the right to leave the Union. He
stated that there would be NO civil war,
however, unless the South started one
• …..“In YOUR hands my dissatisfied fellow
countrymen and not in MINE is the
momentous issue of civil war”……..
Fort Sumter
• Fort Sumter was a federal fort located within
the borders of South Carolina.
• Since South Carolina was no longer a part of
the United States, they felt the fort now
belonged to them.
• They demanded that Fort Sumter surrender
• When Major Robert Anderson refused to
surrender Ft. Sumter to South Carolina, the
confederates fired upon the fort
• These were the first shots of the Civil War
Differences between the North and
South
• North=UNION
• 91% Factory
production
• 71% Total
population
• 71% Railroads
• 75% Farmland
• 4% Cotton
production
• 189 million in bank
deposits
• 56 million in gold
• Large navy and
trading fleet
• Poor military leaders
•
South=CONFEDERACY
• 9% Factory
production
• 29% Total
population
• 29% Railroads
• 25% Farmland
• 96% Cotton
production
• 47 million in bank
deposits
• 27 million in gold
• Small navy and
trading fleet
• Strong military
leaders
Civil War Leaders
• Jefferson Davis became the President of the
Confederacy. Davis was widely respected as
a leader, however, he often worried about
small matters and spent much time arguing
with advisors
• Lincoln at first had people worrying about
his inexperience and abilities to be an
effective leader, but he very quickly proved
to be a strong leader and a good war
planner. He gained the respect of his
advisors
• Lincoln knew that the obvious choice for
commander of the Union Army was Robert E.
Lee
• Lee was considered by many to be the
greatest military generals ever
• When Lincoln asked Lee to take command of
the army of the Potomac (The main army of
the United States), Lee declined
• Lee stated that he could not go against his
home state of Virginia
Battle of Bull Run
• Many Northerners expected a quick and
easy victory for the Union because they
knew that the Union army greatly
outnumbered the Confederate army
• Union troops strolled with confidence to
meet the Confederate army at the small
stream in Virginia known as Bull Run Creek.
Many northern civilians accompanied the
army hoping to see a great show.
• Commanding the Confederate army was
General Thomas Jackson
• At first the sheer number of the Union troops
appearing caused the Confederate army to
panic and break up
• Spectators began cheering saying “The war
is already over!”
• But Thomas Jackson did not move. He stood
his ground like a stone wall earning him the
nickname Stonewall Jackson
• The Confederate army rallied behind
Jackson
• A bloody battle ensued and in the end, the
Union army panicked and fled the field of
battle
• Many spectators who had not been killed
also fled alongside Union soldiers
• The Battle of Bull Run showed that the Civil
War should be taken seriously
• It showed that the War would be long, costly
and it indicated that there would be many
casualties on both sides both military and
civilian
Early Years of the War
• Lincoln placed George McClellan to be Union
commander after the disaster at Bull Run
• Because the Union had invaded Virginia,
Robert E Lee offered his services to the
Confederacy who promptly made him
commander of the Confederate army
• The Union Army continued to meet defeat
after defeat at the hands of the Confederate
army.
• This was due largely to the fact that the
Confederate army had excellent military
leaders such as Stonewall Jackson, James
Longstreet, George Picket, Jeb Stuart and of
course Robert E. Lee
• Union Generals such as McClellan preferred
to use caution when dealing with the
Confederate Army. They wanted to get
better trained
• Most Union generals were scared of the
Confederate generals especially Robert E
Lee
The Virginia and the Monitor
• With a superior navy, the Union was able to
set up a naval blockade of all the Southern
ports preventing the Confederacy from
trading with anyone.
• The Confederacy needed a ship that could
break through the naval blockade
• Confederates too a Union ironclad named
the Merrimack and renamed it the Virginia
• Iron plates were fitted all around the ship
making it practically impervious to cannon
fire.
• It was successful at breaking through the
blockade and tore through traditional
wooden war ships
• The Union responded with another ironclad
ship named the Monitor
• It rested low in the water and had a unique
rotating turret with twin cannons
• Both ships eventually clashed in battle off
the coast of Virginia
• Neither ship was able to damage the other
• Eventually both ships withdrew from the
battle ending in a draw
• This battle proved the effectiveness of the
new metal steam powered war ships and it
ushered in the age of the ironclads
Battles of the Civil War
• The Confederates still managed to defeat
the Union forces time and time again at
many battles including Chancellorsville and
the worst Union defeat of the war:
Fredericksburg. Plus many more
• Union generals were proving to be weak
leaders
• Lincoln replaced McClellan with Ambrose
Burnside
• Burnside was replaced later by Joseph
Hooker…who was also later replaced
• There were a few Union victories such as
the battle of Shiloh and Antietam, but these
victories came at a heavy cost of thousands
of lives
Emancipation Proclamation
• In the middle of the war, Lincoln decided to
issue the Emancipation Proclamation which
freed all the slaves in the Confederate
states.
• Slaves in the Union states would remain
slaves
• Although Lincoln felt that slavery was
wrong, he did not want to anger slave
holding Union states that had remained loyal
to the United States
• Lincoln did not want the Emancipation
Proclamation to seem like a desperate act,
so he waited until the Union had a few big
victories before issuing it. (like Antietam)
African American Contributions
• The Union army decided to form an all black
regiment called the 54th Massachusetts. At
first they were used only as labor, but the
commander, Colonel Shaw worked to get
them into battle
• The regiment proved their courage in battle
and won many engagements
• On the attack at the Confederate Ft. Wagner,
the 54th led the charge. They lost over half
their number, but opened the doors for
African American soldiers
• Ft. Wagner was never taken
• In the South, as the Union army pushed into
the South, slaves were liberated and left the
plantations to freedom
Women’s Contributions
• Women on both sides played large roles in
aiding the war effort. As men left for the
battlefield, Women took over factories an
businesses, plantations, etc.
• On both sides women acted as nurses
tending to the wounded and the sick
• Like in wars from the past, such as the
Revolution, some women also disguised
themselves as men so that they could take
part in battles
Battlefield Conditions
• On both sides MOST soldiers were under the
age of 21. Many were mere teenagers
• These young boys became hardened by their
experiences, sleeping on hard ground in all
weather conditions and learning to face
enemy fire and stand their ground
• New weaponry made the battlefield even
more horrific.
• Cone shaped bullets replaced musket balls.
These mini balls, as they were called, were
far more accurate and deadly
• Rifled muskets fired shots that could go
much farther and were much more accurate
• Cannon accuracy was significantly improved
as well during the Civil War.
• Explosive shells were more deadly and
precise than ever before
• During the Civil War, the Gatling Gun was
invented and deployed to the battlefield.
• It was the worlds first machine gun and
increased casualty rates immensely
• In most all the battles, one fourth to half of
all the soldiers engaged perished
Medical Care
• Medical care was very crude and many
wounded soldiers faced unheard of horrors
in the hospital tents.
• Minor wounds often became infected and
limbs usually were amputated
Disease
• Diseases such as malaria, dysentery,
cholera, and influenza killed just as many
soldiers as did bullets and cannons
Prisoners Of War
• Prisoners of War on both sides were treated
inhumanly
• They experienced the worst the Civil war
had to offer
• Many were neglected and starved to death
Draft Laws
• As the war dragged on, public support
dwindled. Many young men stopped
volunteering for the army.
• Congress decided to enlist a draft which
would require all able bodied males between
the ages of 20 and 45 to serve in the army
• However if one could pay $300, then he
could avoid the draft
• Many felt this was not fair, because only the
wealthy could afford the $300 pay off
• As a result draft riots broke out in many
cities across the North to protest the draft
The Tide Turns
• As the war stretched on, the South was
beginning to suffer economically
• The South could not keep up with the North
in factory production, which produced badly
needed supplies
• The Northern naval blockade of Southern
ports prevented the South from selling
cotton, or trading with anyone
• Wile both sides were losing thousands of
young boys every month, the Union had the
population to replace its losses
• The south could not replace its losses so the
Confederate army continued to shrink
• After years of bad leadership, the Union was
finally getting strong military leaders such
as Generals George Meade, William T.
Sherman, Winfield Hancock, and Ulysses S.
Grant
Gettysburg
• Lee came up with a plan to invade the North,
lure the Union army out in the open and
destroy it, thus bringing an end to the war
• He invaded Pennsylvania and began a march
toward Washington D.C.
• A small detachment of the Confederate Army
went into the town of Gettysburg looking for
shoes when they encountered a Union
detachment also in Gettysburg. They
immediately began fighting and
reinforcements gradually arrived until it was
a full engagement between the Union Army
(George Meade commanding )and the
Confederate Army (Robert E Lee
Commanding)
• The Confederate Army was able to drive the
Union Army from the town, but the Union
Army took a defensive position on excellent
ground along Cemetery Ridge outside of the
town
• Three days of savage fighting resulted as the
Confederate army tried to dislodge the Union
army from its position.
• The first attempt was at the southern flank
at the battle of Little Round Top.
• The Union miraculously held off the
Confederate attack
• Each attempt by the Confederate army failed
to dislodge the Union position
• Lee decided on one last charge straight up
the center of the Union lines. General
Pickett was chosen to coordinate the attack
• Pickett coordinated a 15,000 strong attack
force for over a mile straight at the Union
Center. As Pickett’s charge advanced, they
were under such intense cannon and gunfire
that only a few thousand made it halfway
• The charge ended in absolute Confederate
failure.
• This battle broke the invincible back of the
Confederate army
• The Confederate Army was forced to retreat
from Gettysburg
• More than 50,000 were killed or wounded at
Gettysburg
• It was the turning point of the Civil War
Gettysburg Address
• A ceremony was given to commemorate the
Union soldiers who had died at Gettysburg.
Lincoln attended the ceremony and
delivered his speech now famously known as
the Gettysburg Address. In his speech he
reminded Americans that this country in a
struggle
• He reminded Americans that this country
was based on the principle that all men are
created equal. He said that the Civil War was
a test to see if a democratic nation could
survive.
• He stated that … “A government of the
people, by the people, and for the people
shall not perish from the earth”
Total War
• After Gettysburg, things went badly for the
Confederacy
• Generals Grant and Sherman adopted a
policy of “Total War”. This meant that
nothing would be spared as their armies
invaded the South
• Death and destruction followed them as they
burned their way through the South
eastward toward Richmond.
• This was Sherman’s March to the Sea
Last Months
• As the Union Army pressed on through the
South, they continued to meet heavy
resistance and fight bloody battles with the
remainders of the Confederate army
• Thousands upon thousands of Union soldiers
were killed in these assaults, but they were
continually replaced with new recruits.
• The Confederate army did not get
replacements as their army continued to
shrink
The Fall of Richmond
• The capital of the Confederacy, Richmond
Virginia, was under siege and being
bombarded.
• Lee’s army was forced to abandon the city,
and the Union took the Confederate capital
(after its near destruction)
Appomattox Court House
• Finally, faced with overwhelming odds,
General Robert E. Lee decided to surrender
the Confederate army to Ulysses S. Grant at
Appomattox Court House.
• Lee met Grant for the first time to discuss
terms of surrender
• Grants terms for surrender were considered
to be quite generous and very simple
• All confederate soldiers were required to
turn over their weapons, renounce loyalty to
the Confederacy, and go home and be
citizens of the United States once again
• On April 9, 1865, the Civil War came to an
end
Civil War Ends
The costs of the war were tremendous.
Over 360,000 Union casualties
Over 250,000 Confederate casualties
No other war in history resulted in as many
Americans dead
• The war resulted in freedom for all men
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