Civil War Study Guide
Themes:
I.
Slavery
a. How did abolitionists differ in their views?
b. Why was Frederick Douglass so effective?
c. How many slaves?
d. Explain how slavery connected to nearly every part of the country.
e. John Brown – terrorist or hero?
II.
Political-
1. Why did the Republican Party scare the South?
2. 1860 Election
a. Candidates?
i. Republican –
ii. Democrat (more than one!)
iii. Other?
b. Importance of the Cooper Union speech – how did it help Lincoln’s
chances?
c. Why did the Democrats split, and how did that help Lincoln?
d. Why did Lincoln scare Southerners if he was moderate?
3. How did secession hurt the Democrats?
4. Opposition during the war –
a. Peace Democrats aka Copperheads – how were they able to affect Lincoln’s
policies?
5. How did Lincoln explain his actions regarding habeas corpus and restricting
freedom of the press?
6. How did military outcomes affect political ones?
III.
Military stuff
a. Advantages/disadvantages:
i. Union (3 or 4):
ii. Confederate (3 or 4):
b. Battles:
i. Ft. Sumter – beginning of the conflict
ii. First Bull Run/Manassas – Confederate victory, proved war would
not last 90 days
iii. Peninsula Campaign aka McClellan messed up vs. what was going
on out west with Grant and Sherman:
iv. Antietam:
1. What was at stake for Lincoln?
2. What was at stake for the Confederacy?
3. How did McClellan miss another opportunity?
4. Relation to the Emancipation Proclamation?
v. Chancellorsville:
1. Lee’s greatest and costliest victory – lost Stonewall Jackson
2. Lee felt invincible, so that led to another invasion of the
North
vi. Gettysburg
1. Why there?
2. Why important?
vii. Vicksburg:
1. Strategic importance?
2. Importance for Grant?
viii. Sherman’s March to the Sea: how was it different?
ix. Appomattox
1. How did Grant taking command change things?
2. Why did Lee surrender?
IV.
Other things
a. Economic impact:
i. Union – not much, but led to an explosion of different industries and
innovations
ii. Confederacy: a lot of bad things like 9,000% inflation due to
overprinting of paper money, destruction of RRs, property
destroyed, etc.
b. Social impact – some places lose all war age male populations
i. What to do with freed slaves?
ii. How to treat former Confederates?
iii. Over 600K deaths!
Primary Sources (be able to at least summarize them and know their importance):
A. Cooper Union Speech
B. Lincoln’s First Inaugural
C. Stephens’ Cornerstone Speech
D. Second Confiscation Act
E. Emancipation Proclamation
F. Gettysburg Address:
G. 2nd Inaugural Address:
H. Various political cartoons gone over in class and in readings.