Unit 3:
The American Civil War:
A Nation Divided
Fifth Grade Social Studies
MERIT
In this unit, student will learn and understand the causes and
events of the Civil War. Students will use the theme of beliefs and
ideals to understand the issues surrounding slavery and states’
rights. By learning about individuals, groups, and institutions,
students will understand the roles of key leaders in the Civil War.
Finally, students will understand how location affected some of the
major battles of the war. To put this all together, students will
discuss how conflict and change affected the United States during
and following the Civil War.
Standards
SS5H1 The student will explain the causes, major events, and
consequences of the
Civil War.
a. Identify Uncle Tom’s Cabin and John Brown’s raid on Harper’s
Ferry and explain how each of these events was
related to the Civil War.
b. Discuss how the issues of states’ rights and slavery increased
tensions between the North and South
c. Identify major battles and campaigns: Fort Sumter, Gettysburg,
the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman’s March to the Sea, and
Appomattox Court House.
d. Describe the roles of Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses
S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.
e. Describe the effects of war on the North and South.
SS5G1 The student will locate important places in the United States.
b. Locate important man-made places; Gettysburg, PA
SS5E2 The student will describe the functions of four major sectors
in the U. S. economy.
c. Describe the government function in taxation and providing
certain goods and services.
Vocabulary
abolitionist
casualty
industry
sectionalism
agriculture
cavalry
Lost Cause
slavery
arsenal
company
North
South
artillery
Confederacy
parole
state’s rights
blockade
Confederate
popular
territory
sovereignty
border state
conscript
ratify
Union
brigade
Democratic Party Rebel
volunteer
campaign
emancipation
Republican Party Yankee (Yank)
cash crop
hardtack
secession
1
Vocabulary
Students should create a Frayer Model* on each term.
Abolitionist: Someone who wishes to abolish or get rid of slavery.
Agriculture: The science of growing crops or raising livestock;
farming.
Antebellum: (pronounced an-tee-bel-uhm) A term often used to describe
the United States of America before the outbreak of the Civil War.
Arsenal: A place where weapons and other military supplies are
stored.
Artillery: Cannon or other large caliber firearms; a branch of the
army armed with cannon.
Blockade: The effort by the North to keep ships from entering or
leaving Southern ports.
Border States: The states of Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and
Missouri. Although these states did not officially join the
Confederacy, many of their citizens supported the South.
Brigade: A large group of soldiers usually led by a brigadier
general. A brigade was made of four to six regiments. 1 company = 50
to 100 men, 10 companies = 1 regiment, about 4 regiments = 1 brigade,
2 to 5 brigades = 1 division, 2 or more divisions = 1 corps, 1 or
more corps = 1 army.
Campaign: A series of military operations that form a distinct phase
of the War (such as the Shenandoah Valley Campaign).
Cash Crop: A crop such as tobacco or cotton which was grown to be
sold for cash --not grown for food like corn or wheat.
Casualty: A soldier who was wounded, killed, or missing in action.
Cavalry: A branch of the military mounted on horseback. Cavalry units
in the Civil War could move quickly from place to place or go on
scouting expeditions on horseback, but usually fought on foot. Their
main job was to gather information about enemy movements. Until the
spring of 1863, the Confederate cavalry force was far superior to its
Federal counterpart
Company: A group of 50 to 100 soldiers led by a captain. 10 companies
= 1 regiment, about 4 regiments = 1 brigade, 2 to 5 brigades = 1
division, 2 or more divisions = 1 corps, 1 or more corps = 1 army.
Confederacy: Also called the South or the Confederate States of
America, the Confederacy incorporated the states that seceded from
the United States of America to form their own nation. Confederate
states were: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and
Virginia
Confederate: Loyal to the Confederacy. Also Southern or Rebel.
Conscript: A draftee. The military draft became a necessity on both
sides of the conflict. While many conscripts were excellent soldiers,
veterans often considered draftees to be inferior, unreliable
soldiers. Towns often posted pleas for volunteers in order to "avoid
the draft".
Democratic Party: The major political party in America most
sympathetic to states’ rights and willing to tolerate the spread of
slavery to the territories. Democrats opposed a strong Federal
2
government. Most Southern men were Democrats before the War.
Emancipation: Freedom from slavery
Hardtack: Hardtack is a term used to describe the hard crackers often
issued to soldiers of both sides during the Civil War. These crackers
consisted of nothing more than flour, water, and salt. They were
simple and inexpensive to make in very large quantities. However,
these crackers became almost rock solid once they went stale
Industry: Manufacturing goods from raw materials, such as cloth from
cotton or machine parts from iron.
"Lost Cause": Cultural movement in which Southern states attempted to
cope - mentally and emotionally - with devastating defeat and
Northern military occupation after the Civil War. The movement
idealized life in the antebellum South, loudly protested against
Reconstruction policies, and exalted Confederate figures such as
"Stonewall" Jackson and Robert E. Lee.
North: Also called the Union or the United States the North was the
part of the country that remained loyal to the Federal government
during the Civil War. Northern states were: Connecticut, Delaware,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. West Virginia became a Northern
state in 1863 and California and Oregon were also officially Northern
but they had little direct involvement in the War.
Parole: A pledge by a prisoner of war or a defeated soldier not to
bear arms. When prisoners were returned to their own side during the
War (in exchange for men their side had captured) the parole was no
longer in effect and they were allowed to pick up their weapons and
fight. When the South lost the War and the Confederate armies gave
their parole they promised never to bear weapons against the Union
again.
Popular Sovereignty: (pronounced sov-rin-tee) This doctrine was
prominent during the debate over slavery in the territories. Popular
sovereignty said that the people of each territory should be able to
decide for themselves if slavery should be allowed in their territory
when it became a state.
Ratify: To formally approve or sanction.
Rebel: Loyal to the Confederate States. Also Southern or Confederate.
Republican Party: A political party created in the 1850s to prevent
the spread of slavery to the territories. Eventually Republicans came
to oppose the entire existence of slavery. Abraham Lincoln was the
first Republican president. Very few Southerners were Republicans.
Secession: (pronounced si-sesh-uhn ) Withdrawal from the Federal
government of the United States. Southern states, feeling persecuted
by the North, seceded by voting to separate from the Union.
Southerners felt this was perfectly legal but Unionists saw it as
rebellion.
Sectionalism: Promoting the interests of a section or region (such as
the North or the South) instead of the entire country.
Slavery: A state of bondage in which African Americans (and some
Native Americans) were owned by other people, usually white, and
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forced to labor on their behalf.
South: Also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States of
America, or (by Northerners) the Rebel states, the South incorporated
the states that seceded from the United States of America to form
their own nation. Southern states were: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
States’ Rights: This doctrine held the powers of the individual
states as greater than the powers of the Federal government. States’
rights meant that the Federal government held its power only through
the consent of the states and that any powers not specifically given
to the Federal government remained in control of the states.
Territory: Land within the mainland boundaries of the country that
had not yet become a state by 1861. Nevada Territory, Utah Territory,
and Colorado Territory had basically the same boundaries they have
today as states; Washington Territory encompassed today's states of
Washington and Idaho; Dakota Territory is now the states of Montana,
North Dakota, South Dakota, and the northern part of Wyoming;
Nebraska Territory today is the southern part of Wyoming and the
state of Nebraska; New Mexico Territory included the states of
Arizona and New Mexico; and the remaining unorganized land, also
called the Indian Territory, filled the approximate boundaries of
Oklahoma.
Union: Also called the North or the United States, the Union was the
portion of the country that remained loyal to the Federal government
during the Civil War. Union states were: Connecticut, Delaware,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. West Virginia became a Northern
state in 1863 and California and Oregon were also officially Northern
but they had little direct involvement in the War.
Volunteer: Someone who does something because they want to, not
because they need to. Most Civil War soldiers, especially in the
beginning of the War, were volunteers. Men joined the armies on both
sides because they wanted to fight for their cause.
Yankee: A Northerner; someone loyal to the Federal government of the
United States. Also, Union, Federal, or Northern.
Complete a Frayer Model for each vocabulary term.
Definition
Someone who wishes to abolish or
get rid of
slavery.
Example
Harriet Beecher Stowe
John Brown
Nat Turner
Harriett Tubman
4
Characteristics
Thought slavery was
morally wrong
Wanted slavery ended
once and for all
Willing to fight to
end slavery
Some were willing to
die to end slavery
Illustration
abolitionist
Harriett Tubman
5
Definition
Characteristics
Example
abolitionist
Definition
Characteristics
Example
agriculture
Definition
Characteristics
Illustration
Illustration
Example
antebellum
Illustration
6
Definition
Characteristics
Example
arsenal
Definition
Characteristics
Example
artillery
Definition
Characteristics
Definition
Illustration
Illustration
Example
blockade
Illustration
Example
7
Characteristics
border state
Definition
Characteristics
Example
brigade
Definition
Characteristics
Illustration
Illustration
Example
campaign
Illustration
8
Definition
Characteristics
Example
cash crop
Definition
Characteristics
Example
casualty
Definition
Characteristics
Illustration
Illustration
Example
cavalry
Illustration
9
Definition
Characteristics
Example
company
Definition
Characteristics
Example
Confederacy
Definition
Characteristics
Illustration
Illustration
Example
Confederate
Illustration
10
Definition
Characteristics
Example
conscript
Definition
Characteristics
Example
Democratic Party
Definition
Characteristics
Illustration
Illustration
Example
hardtack
Illustration
11
Definition
Characteristics
Example
industry
Definition
Characteristics
Example
lost cause
Definition
Characteristics
Illustration
Illustration
Example
North
Illustration
12
Definition
Characteristics
Example
parole
Definition
Characteristics
Example
popular sovereignty
Definition
Characteristics
Illustration
Illustration
Example
ratify
Illustration
13
Definition
Characteristics
Example
Rebel
Definition
Characteristics
Example
Republican Party
Definition
Characteristics
Illustration
Illustration
Example
secession
Illustration
14
Definition
Characteristics
Example
sectionalism
Definition
Characteristics
Example
slavery
Definition
Characteristics
Illustration
Illustration
Example
South
Illustration
15
Definition
Characteristics
Example
states’ rights
Definition
Characteristics
Example
territory
Definition
Characteristics
Definition
Illustration
Illustration
Example
Union
Illustration
Example
16
Characteristics
volunteer
Definition
Characteristics
Illustration
Example
Yankee
Illustration
17
Date:
Essential Question
Standards
What are the three main causes of the Civil War?
 The economic differences between the North and South
With Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1793, cotton became
very profitable. This machine was able to reduce the time it took to
separate seeds from the cotton. However, at the same time the
increase in the number of plantations willing to move from other
crops to cotton meant the greater need for a large amount of cheap
labor, i.e. slaves. Thus, the southern economy became a one crop
economy, depending on cotton and therefore on slavery. On the other
hand, the northern economy was based more on industry than
agriculture. In fact, the northern industries were purchasing the raw
cotton and turning it into finished goods. This disparity between the
two set up a major difference in economic attitudes. The South was
based on the plantation system while the North was focused on city
life. This change in the North meant that society evolved as people
of different cultures and classes had to work together. On the other
hand, the South continued to hold onto an antiquated social order.
 The political issues of states’ rights verses federal
rights and slavery
Since the time of the Revolution, two camps emerged: those arguing
for greater states’ rights and those arguing that the federal
government needed to have more control. The first organized
government in the US after the American Revolution was under the
Articles of Confederation. The thirteen states formed a loose
confederation with a very weak federal government. However, when
problems arose, the weakness of this form of government caused the
leaders of the time to come together at the Constitutional Convention
and create, in secret, the US Constitution. Strong proponents of
state’ rights like Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry were not
present at this meeting. Many felt that the new constitution ignored
the rights of states to continue to act independently. They felt that
the states should still have the right to decide if they were willing
to accept certain federal acts. This resulted in the idea of
nullification, whereby the states would have the right to rule
federal acts unconstitutional. The federal government denied states
this right. However, proponents such as John C. Calhoun fought
vehemently for nullification. When nullification would not work and
states felt that they were no longer respected, they moved towards
secession.
As America began to expand, first with the lands gained from the
Louisiana Purchase and later with the Mexican War, the question of
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whether new states admitted to the union would be slave or free. The
Missouri Compromise passed in 1820 made a rule that prohibited
slavery in states from the former Louisiana Purchase the latitude 36
degrees 30 minutes north except in Missouri. During the Mexican War,
conflict started about what would happen with the new territories
that the US expected to gain upon victory. David Wilmot proposed the
Wilmot Proviso in 1846 which would ban slavery in the new lands.
However, this was shot down after much debate. The Compromise of 1850
was created by Henry Clay and others to deal with the balance between
slave and free states, northern and southern interests. One of the
provisions was the fugitive slave act that was discussed in number
one above. Another issue that further increased tensions was the
Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. It created two new territories that
would allow the states to use popular sovereignty to determine
whether they would be free or slave. The real issue occurred in
Kansas where proslavery Missourians began to pour into the state to
help force it to be slave. They were called "Border Ruffians."
Problems came to a head in violence at Lawrence Kansas. The fighting
that occurred caused it to be called "Bleeding Kansas." The fight
even erupted on the floor of the senate when antislavery proponent
Charles Sumner was beat over the head by South Carolina's Senator
Preston Brooks.
Increasingly, the northerners became more polarized against slavery.
Sympathies began to grow for abolitionists and against slavery and
slaveholders. This occurred especially after some major events
including: the publishing of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's
Cabin, the Dred Scott Case, John Brown's Raid, and the passage of the
fugitive slave act that held individuals responsible for harboring
fugitive slaves even if they were located in non-slave states.
 The election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the
United States.
Even though things were already coming to a head, when Lincoln was
elected in 1860, South Carolina issued its "Declaration of the Causes
of Secession." They believed that Lincoln was anti-slavery and in
favor of Northern interests. Before Lincoln was even president, seven
states had seceded from the Union: South Carolina, Mississippi,
Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas
19
Date:
Essential Question
Standards
Background Information
The transformation of America between the years of 1815-1848 took two
kinds of
decisions. Of individuals looking for a better future and public
policy where leaders had
to make conscious decisions about the direction of the country. The
changes took place
within a continental and global context.
America in 1815 was similar to a third world country today.
people lived on
isolated farms. Difficult transportation routes and modes along
limited ways to
communicate kept most Americans lives primitive. Most Americans
their own food
and made their own clothing. Difficulty of communication
transportation made their
life isolated. Only those that lived along waterways could
about. Information
from the outside world was limited and seen as a luxury.
invention of the telegraph
Most
with
grew
and
move
The
20
by Samuel Morse in 1844 transformed the ability to communicate by
long distances in a
shorter time than previous means of communication (horse or mail).
Americans believed
the telegraph would promote democracy, peace, and justice all over
the world. By 1848,
the United States had become transcontinental with improvements in
transportation. The
railroad, Erie Canal and steamboat provided Americans the opportunity
to integrate into a
global economy. At this time America was extending its territory
westward and
promoting Manifest Destiny. The ability to communicate long distances
and
improvements
in
transportation
revolutionized
American
life.
Improvements in
transportation and innovations in printing techniques allowed the
dissemination of books
and newspapers. The post office delivered news on politics making
nationwide mass
politics possible. Most Americans of this time period expected
changes in their country.
Some looked at geographic expansion across the Continent; others
wanted enrichment of
their lives which could be accomplished through industrialization,
increased educational
opportunities and better treatment of racial groups and women.
Religion played an
important role for Americans during this time period. Revivals were
common
occurrences in rural America. During the early 19th century almost
everybody believed
in intelligent design. Most Americans believed in progress and felt a
divine providence
would guide their progress.
Many Americans were looking for a way to get ahead and build a better
life. This was
accomplished by getting ahead in material terms. Technology
introduced
industrialization and a mass of migration of Americans from rural to
urban areas.
American life sped up and a promise through a better life with
material advances. The
ability to have power, the advances in communication and
transportation changed the
way of life in America. The power revolution included the first steam
engine, and then
the electric revolution. Communications improved with the invention
of the telegraph
21
and then the telephone. Transportation began with the steamboat and
then the railroad.
The use of power provided Americans the opportunity to compete on a
world market with
goods made by machine rather than by hand. The railroad opened the
ability to travel
transcontinental in seven days rather than six months. The telegraph
was important to the
Civil War. Wartime correspondences depended on the telegraph for both
sides. The
railroad also played a major role in the Civil War, providing fresh
troops, artillery, and
food for those on the front lines.
Americans believed democracy promoted the belief of diversity while
in fact it imposed a
conformity shaped by Protestant public opinion. They made a pretense
of tolerance, but
had minimal tolerance in matters of public behavior. Both religion
and liberty were
entwined to “unite” Americans. During the period of Jacksonian
Democracy Americans
became divided, poor against rich, white against black, Protestant
against Catholic, native
against immigrant. The Whig party was against the Democratic Party,
the abolitionist
against proslavery believers and the North was against both the South
and the West. One
source of anxiety came from not knowing the purpose or direction of
the nation; another
was that one faction might become more powerful than the other. Most
Americans
believed God’s plan for America’s destiny depended on the
preservation of the
constitution and the union. This made the idea of secession
unforgivable and sinful. By
1860 many Northerners became part of the Republican Party promoting
industry, tariffs,
and free soil in the west. Southerners were devoted to state’s
rights, free trade, and
slavery.
Most of the 10 million enslaved Africans brought to the New World
came to America
before 1807. In 1790 slaves comprised about one fifth of Americans.
Most slaves were
concentrated in slave states and due to the Missouri Compromise
slavery was eliminated
north of the Ohio and Missouri Compromise line. White superiority was
virtually
22
universal among whites and justified slavery. Many whites saw the
evils of slavery but
shrugged them off as a “necessary evil”. Legally, slaves could not
marry, own property,
or testify in courts against whites. By law slaves were defined as
property, and
economically, seen as valuable property. Frederick Douglas wrote
three autobiographies
and challenged the beliefs on the causes and consequences of slavery,
freedom, and
moral accountability in the Civil War era.
Information about the North & South:
When contrasting the North and South you must consider the
differences in climate, geography, population, cities, economy,
culture and transportation.
The South has a climate that is generally warm and sunny, with long,
hot, humid
summers, and mild winters, and heavy rainfall. It has a climate ideal
for agriculture and
the ability to grow many different crops in large amounts. The
Southeast is bordered by
the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico and had many broad, slow
moving, navigable
rivers. Cities developed along these rivers and as ports along the
Gulf and Atlantic
coasts. The Atlantic Coastal Plain is an area of fertile, rich soil
and swamps. To the west
of the Atlantic Coast Plain is the Piedmont, another area of good
farmland and forests.
Population of the South was made up of Europeans (mostly of English
and Scotch-Irish
descent) and enslaved Africans. By 1860 there were 4 million slaves
in America and the
United States was the largest slave holding republic. The total
population of the South
reached 12 million, one third of who were slaves. The south was an
overwhelmingly
agricultural region of mostly farmers. Most farmers lived in the
backcountry on medium
sized farms, while a small number of planters ran large farms, or
plantations. Only one
fourth of the Southern population owned slaves and most of these were
the planters. The
rest of the population was made up of white independent farmers,
tenant farmers (who
rented land and paid the landowners in crops or money), laborers, or
frontier families.
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Most Southerners lived on farms, scattered along the coastal plains
and the small farmers
in the backcountry. Since the economy was based on agriculture,
industries and towns
developed at a slower pace than in the North. There were many small
towns along the
banks of rivers and the coasts. Only a few large cities developed as
trading centers in the
South. Plantations were so large and so distant from each other that
they became almost
self-sufficient, like small towns.
The Southern economy was based on agriculture. Crops such as cotton,
tobacco, rice,
sugar cane and indigo were grown in great quantities. These crops
were known as cash
crops, ones that were raised to be sold or exported for a profit.
They were raised on large
farms, known as plantations, which were supported by slave labor.
After Eli Whitney
invented the cotton gin in 1793, cotton took over as “king” of the
southern economy. The
cotton gin was a machine that separated the seed from the cotton
fiber much faster than it
could be done by hand. The cotton industry began to develop rapidly,
spreading over
many parts of the South. In 1793 Southern farmers produced about
10,000 bales of
cotton. By 1835, they were growing over 1,000,000. Cotton exports
made up two thirds
of the total value of American exports. To clear land and grow cotton
Southerners started
using slave labor. Slavery was essential for the prosperity of the
Southern economy. The
South had little manufacturing, the Southerners wanted cheap imports.
Since they
exported most of their cotton and tobacco they believed that high
tariffs –taxes on
imported goods—would scare away the foreign markets that bought their
goods. For
these reasons the South was against tariffs.
Life in the South revolved around the small, wealthy class of planter
and the agricultural
system they controlled. Planters were the aristocracy—the upper
class—of the South.
They lived like country gentleman of England and ran the political
and economic life of
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the South. Plantations were far apart and developed their own
communities.
Recreational activities included such things as fox hunting, dancing,
horseracing, and
watching cockfights. There were few schools or churches in the South,
since neither
education nor religion were very organized. The best educated were
the sons of planters.
On plantations there were sometimes small schools, and often planters
hired private
tutors to teach their children until they were sent off to private
schools. Small farmers had
little or no education.
Methods of long-distance transports, such as steamships and
railroads, affected the South
because products could more easily be sold to more distant markets.
By 1860 about
10,000 miles of railroad spread across the Southern states. Still,
this was not nearly as
vast a railroad system as the North. Meanwhile, hundreds of
steamboats moved Southern
crops to the North and to European markets.
The North has a climate of warm summers and snowy cold winters. The
terrain is rocky,
hilly, and not good for farming. These conditions along with a short
growing season
made farming difficult. Most of the forest was made up of timber used
for shipbuilding.
There are many sheltered bays and inlets on the Atlantic coast.
Settlers found that ships
could sail along wide rivers into many of these bays. Most of the
rivers are fast, shallow,
and hard to navigate. At a certain point, called the Fall Line—a
plateau over which
eastward-flowing rivers fell onto the plain—the many waterfalls of
most rivers made
them no longer navigable. At the Fall Line many ships dropped their
cargo. Cities,
which served as trading centers, grew up at these points. Soon people
realized that the
waterfalls were a cheap source of energy, and the waterpower began to
be used to run
factories.
The period between 1800 and 1860 brought rapid population growth
throughout the
United States. In the North the overall population rose from about 5
million to 31 million
25
during this time. Part of this increase was due to massive
immigration. Between 1830
and 1850 along, over 2 million Irish, German and other northern
Europeans arrived in the
United States. Most of them settled in the North.
Cities in the North thrived as centers of commerce. They were set up
along the Atlantic
coast and served as centers of trade between the North and Europe.
They were hubs of
manufacturing of textiles (cloth goods) and other products. Many
people from rural New
England moved to the cities looking for employment opportunities. In
1800 about 5
percent of the population lived in cities, but by 1850 nearly 15
percent did. Increased
trade and manufacturing drew many laborers to town to work. Cities
were often crowded
and dirty. Not until after 1830’s were harbors and streets improved,
sanitation systems
were started, and police forces were created. Public services such as
education began to
take root. Cities were important centers of art, culture, and
education. Most cities
printed newspapers and books and provided many forms of recreation,
such as dancing,
card playing, and theater.
The Northern economy was based on many different industries. These
industries
included shipping, textiles, lumber, furs, and mining. The majority
of people lived on
small farms and found that much of the land was suited for
subsistence farming—raising
food crops and livestock for family use—rather than producing goods
to export, or send
to other countries. Northerners stated to use their “ingenuity” to
manufacture all kinds of
goods. With the use of waterpower and coal for steam plants,
manufacturing developed
quickly. Items such as textiles, iron, and ships were manufactured in
great quantities.
These goods were traded for foreign products, transported to and from
all continents by
trading ships. To protect its industries from foreign competition,
the North favored high
tariffs or taxes on goods coming in from other countries.
The growth of trade, manufacturing and transportation brought many
changes to cities in
26
the North. Cities took on an increasingly important role in
determining the culture of the
North. Merchants, manufacturers, wage earners, and new business
owners brought new
ideas to the North. Merchants, manufacturers, wage earners, and new
business owners
brought new ideas to the North. The majority of Northerners were
Protestant believers.
Villages became strong centers of community activities. Both religion
and education
were organized institutes. Most towns had both schools and churches.
Public education
grew in the north after the 1830’s. Although, a minimum of boys went
to secondary
school and college was reserved mostly for the wealthy.
During the first half of the 1800’s transportation vastly improved
and the size of the
United States more than doubled. By 1860 there were over 88,000 miles
of surfaced
roads. Canals, mostly built in the North, were a cheap source of
transportation. The Erie
Canal was clearly a success for New York commercial activities. Many
other cities
began to follow suit and within a decade a system of over 3,000
canals provided water
transportation between the Eastern seaboard and rivers in the West.
Not long after the
first railroad were laid, and by 1850, 30,000 miles of tracks
connected distant parts of the
United States. Most of the new rail lines were in the North.
Background to the Conflict
Differences in the North and South in the 1800s
North
South
Economy
Population
Slavery
27
The Slave Economy
1860
1860
1860
White
Free
Slave
Nonwhite
451,504
8,643
-
Connecticut
90,589
19,829
1,798
Delaware
591,550
3,538
462,198
Georgia
515,918
83,942
87,189
Maryland
1,221,432
9,634
-
Massachusetts
325,579
494
-
New Hampshire
646,699
25,318
-
New Jersey
3,831,590
49,145
-
New York
629,942
31,621
331,059
North Carolina
2,849,259
56,956
-
Pennsylvania
170,649
3,971
-
Rhode Island
291,300
10,002
402,406
South Carolina
1,047,299
58,154
490,865
Virginia
12,663,310
361,247
1,775,515
United States
28
NOTES:
29
Date:
Essential Question
Standards
Writing Assignment: Write a five paragraph essay to explain the
causes of the Civil War.
Date:
Essential Question
Standards
30
United States Railroads in 1860
31
Date:
Essential Question
Standards
Timeline of Important Events Associated with the Civil War
Before the War
The Missouri Compromise (March 3, 1820)
The Missouri Compromise was the first real attempt to find a solution
to the issue of slavery.
As new states entered the Union, the question of whether the new
states would be slave or free arose. And when Missouri sought to
enter the Union as a slave state, the issue became enormously
controversial. The Missouri Compromise, which was partly engineered
by Henry Clay, balanced the numbers of slave and free states, and for
three decades seemed to keep the slavery crisis from entirely
dominating the nation. Maine was allowed to enter the Union as a
free state while Missouri entered the Union as a slave state. That
made the balance 12 free states and 12 slave states.
The Compromise of 1850 (September 1850)
After the Mexican War, the United States gained territory in the
West, and the slavery issue ignited again over the question of
whether slavery would be allowed to exist in the new states and
territories.
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of bills in Congress which sought
to settle the issue, and it did postpone the Civil War by a decade.
But the compromise, which contained five major provisions, was
destined to be a temporary solution:
 California was admitted as a free state.
 Territories of New Mexico and Utah were given the option of
legalizing slavery.
 The border between Texas and New Mexico was fixed.
 A stronger fugitive slave law was enacted.
 The slave trade was abolished in the District of Columbia,
though slavery remained legal.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act (May 1854)
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was the last major compromise that sought to
hold the Union together, and it proved to be the most controversial.
Engineered by Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, the legislation
almost immediately had an incendiary effect. Instead of lessening
tensions over slavery, it inflamed them, and led to outbreaks of
32
violence that led the legendary newspaper editor Horace Greeley to
coin the term "Bleeding Kansas."
The Kansas-Nebraska Act also led to bloody attack in the Senate
chamber of the U.S. Capitol, and it prompted Abraham Lincoln, who had
given up on politics, to return to the political arena.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a classic case of legislation having
unintended consequences.
Open violence in Kansas reached a peak in 1856, when pro-slavery
forces burned the "free soil" settlement of Lawrence, Kansas. In
response, the fanatical abolitionist John Brown and his followers
murdered men who supported slavery.
The Missouri
The Compromise of 1850
The Kansas-Nebraska
Compromise (March 3,
(September 1850)
Act
1820)
(May 1854)
Write a description of each of the compromises in your own words.
You description must be at least five sentences for each compromise.
33
Harpers Ferry Raid (October 16, 1859) - Abolitionist John Brown
attempts to start a slave rebellion by taking over the Harpers Ferry
arsenal. The uprising is quickly put down and John Brown is hanged
for treason. Many people in the North, however, consider him a hero.
Abraham Lincoln Elected President (November 6, 1860) - Abraham
Lincoln was from the northern part of the country and wanted to put
an end to slavery. The southern states didn't want him president or
making laws that would affect them.
South Carolina Secedes (Dec. 20, 1860) - South Carolina became the
first state to secede, or leave, the United States. They decided to
make their own country rather than be part of the USA. Within a few
months several other states including Georgia, Mississippi, Texas,
Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana would also leave the Union.
The Confederation is formed (Feb. 9, 1861) - The southern states form
their own country called the Confederate States of America. Jefferson
Davis is their president.
Abraham Lincoln becomes President (March 4, 1861) - Now that
President Lincoln is in office, he wants to restore the Union. In
other words, get all the states back into the same country.
The Civil War Begins (April 12, 1861) - The South attacks Fort Sumter
South Carolina and starts the war.
More States leave the Union (April 1861) - within a short period of
time Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas all leave the
Union to join the Confederacy.
Union Blockade (April 19, 1861) - Abraham Lincoln announces the Union
Blockade where the Union Navy will attempt to keep supplies from
entering or leaving the Confederacy. This blockade will weaken the
Confederacy later in the war.
Many Battles of 1861 and 1862 - Throughout 1861 and 1862 there were
many battles where lots of soldiers from both sides were wounded and
killed. Some of the major battles include the First and Second
Battles of Bull Run, The Battle of Shiloh, The Battle of Antietam,
and the Battle of Fredericksburg. There was also the famous sea
34
battle between the two ironclad battleships the Monitor and the
Merrimac. These ships had iron or steel plates on their sides for
armor making them much stronger and changing war on the seas forever.
Emancipation Proclamation (Jan. 1, 1863) - President Lincoln issues
an executive order freeing many slaves and laying the groundwork for
the Thirteenth Amendment.
The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1, 1863) - A major battle where the
North not only wins the battle, but starts to win the Civil War.
Sherman Captures Atlanta (Sept. 2, 1864) - General Sherman captures
the city of Atlanta, Georgia. Later in the year he would march to the
sea and capture Savannah, Ga. On his way he would destroy and burn
much of the land his army passed through.
35
Civil War Timeline
1820
1830
1840
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866
Date:
Legend
blue
Union States
gray
Confederate
States
do not color
Territories
36
37
Date:
Essential Question
Standards
John Brown and the Harpers Ferry Raid
In 1859, around a year and a half before the start of the Civil War,
abolitionist John Brown tried to lead a slave uprising in Virginia.
His efforts cost him his life, but his cause lived on when the slaves
were set free six years later.
John Brown
Abolitionist John Brown
John Brown was an abolitionist. This means that he wanted to abolish
slavery. John tried to help black people who had escaped from slavery
in the South. He became passionate about ending slavery once and for
all. He also became frustrated with the peaceful nature of the
abolitionist movement. John felt that slavery was a horrible crime
and that he should use any means necessary to put an end to it,
including violence.
A War to End Slavery
After many years of protesting slavery, John Brown came up with a
radical plan to put an end to slavery in the South once and for all.
He believed that if he could organize and arm the slaves in the
South, they would revolt and gain their freedom. After all, there
were around 4 million slaves in the South. If all the slaves revolted
at once, they could easily gain their freedom.
Planning the War
In 1859, Brown began to plan his slave rebellion. He would first take
over the federal weapons arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. There
were thousands and thousands of muskets and other weapons being
stored at Harpers Ferry. If Brown could get control of these weapons,
38
he could arm the slaves and they could begin to fight back.
Raid on Harpers Ferry Arsenal
On October 16, 1859 Brown gathered his small force together for the
initial raid. There were 21 total men who participated in the raid:
16 white men, three free black men, one freed slave, and one fugitive
slave.
The initial part of the raid was successful. Brown and his men
captured the arsenal that night. However, Brown had planned on the
local slaves coming to his aid. He expected that, once he had control
of the weapons, hundreds of local slaves would join in the fight.
This never happened.
Brown and his men were soon surrounded by the local townspeople and
militia. Some of Brown's men were killed and they moved to a small
engine house that is today known as John Brown's Fort.
Captured
On October 18, two days after the start of the raid, a group of
marines led by Colonel Robert E. Lee arrived. They offered Brown and
his men the opportunity to surrender, but Brown refused. Then they
attacked. They quickly broke down the door and subdued the men inside
the building. Many of Brown's men were killed, but Brown survived and
was taken prisoner.
Hanging
Brown and four of his men were convicted of treason and were hanged
to death on December 2, 1859.
Results
Despite the quick failure of Brown's planned slave revolt, Brown
became a martyr for the abolitionists' cause. His story became famous
throughout the United States. Although many in the North didn't agree
with his violent actions, they did agree with his belief that slavery
should be abolished. It would be less than a year later that the
Civil War would begin.
Facts About Harpers Ferry and John Brown


Brown was involved in the "Bleeding Kansas" violence when he and
his sons killed five settlers in Kansas who were for legalizing
slavery in the state.
Brown tried to get abolitionist leader and former slave
Frederick Douglass to participate in the raid, but Douglass felt
the raid was a suicide mission and declined.
39



Harpers Ferry was in the state of Virginia at the time of the
raid, but today it is in the state of West Virginia.
Ten of Brown's men were killed during the raid. One US Marine
and 6 civilians were killed by Brown and his men.
Two of John Brown's sons were killed in the raid. A third son
was captured and was hanged to death.
40
Write a three paragraph essay to explain how the beliefs and
ideals of John Brown influenced his decisions at Harper’s
Ferry.
Date:
Essential Question
Standards
41
Harriett Beecher Stowe
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet
Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the
groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman.
Stowe, a Connecticut-born teacher at the Hartford Female Academy and
an active abolitionist, featured the character of Uncle Tom, a longsuffering black slave around whom the stories of other characters
revolve. The novel depicts the reality of slavery while also
asserting that Christian love can overcome something as destructive
as enslavement of fellow human beings. Uncle Tom's Cabin told the
story about a kind slave named Tom. Tom is sold a few times between
masters until he ends up being owned by plantation owner Simon
Legree. Simon Legree is an evil man who likes to beat his slaves.
Tom's kindness toward his fellow slaves only makes Simon angrier.
When two women slaves escape, Simon tries to force Tom to tell him
where they went. Tom refuses and is eventually beaten to death by
Simon.
Growing up in Connecticut, Harriet had little contact or knowledge
with the reality of slavery in the Southern part of the United
States. However, Cincinnati, Ohio was just across the river from
Kentucky where slavery was legal. Harriet began to see firsthand how
poorly slaves were treated. The more she learned, the more horrified
she became.
Uncle Tom's Cabin was the best-selling novel of the 19th century and
the second best-selling book of that century, following the Bible. It
is credited with helping fuel the abolitionist cause in the 1850s. In
the first year after it was published, 300,000 copies of the book
were sold in the United States; one million copies were sold in Great
Britain.
In 1855, three years after it was published, it was called
"the most popular novel of our day.”
The impact attributed to the
book is great, reinforced by a story that when Abraham Lincoln met
42
Stowe at the start of the Civil War, Lincoln declared, "So this is
the little lady who started this great war."
Write a three paragraph essay to explain how the actions of
Harriett Beecher Stowe lead to conflict and change.
43
Date:
Essential Question
Standards
Nathaniel "Nat" Turner (October 2, 1800 – November 11, 1831) was an
American slave who led a slave rebellion in Virginia on August 21,
1831 that resulted in 60 white deaths and at least 100 black deaths.
He gathered supporters in Southampton County, Virginia. Turner was
convicted, sentenced to death, and hanged. In the aftermath, the
state executed 56 blacks accused of being part of Turner's slave
rebellion. Two hundred blacks were also beaten and killed by white
militias and mobs reacting with violence. Across Virginia and other
southern states, state legislators passed new laws prohibiting
education of slaves and free blacks, restricting rights of assembly
and other civil rights for free blacks, and requiring white ministers
to be present at black worship services.
Turner started with a few trusted fellow slaves. The rebels traveled
from house to house, freeing slaves and killing the white people they
found. The rebels ultimately included more than 70 enslaved and free
blacks. Because the rebels did not want to alert anyone to their
presence as they carried out their attacks, they initially used
knives, hatchets, axes, and blunt instruments instead of firearms.
The rebellion did not discriminate by age or sex, until it was
determined that the rebellion had achieved sufficient numbers. Nat
Turner only confessed to killing one of the rebellion's victims,
Margret Whitehead, whom he killed with a blow from a fence post.
Before a white militia was able to respond, the rebels killed 60 men,
women, and children. They spared a few homes "because Turner
believed the poor white inhabitants 'thought no better of themselves
than they did of Negros." Turner also thought that revolutionary
violence would serve to awaken the attitudes of whites to the reality
of the inherent brutality.
The rebellion was suppressed within two days, but Turner eluded
capture until October 30, when he was discovered hiding in a hole
covered with fence rails. On November 5, 1831, he was tried for
"conspiring to rebel and making insurrection", convicted and
sentenced to death. Turner was hanged on November 11 in Jerusalem,
44
Virginia. His body was flayed, beheaded and quartered. In the
aftermath of the insurrection there were 45 slaves, including Turner,
and 5 free blacks tried for insurrection and related crimes in
Southampton. Of the 45 slaves tried, 15 were acquitted. Of the 30
convicted, 18 were hanged, while 12 received mercy and were sold out
of state. Of the 5 free blacks tried for participation in the
insurrection, one was hanged, while the others were acquitted. In
total, the state executed 56 blacks suspected of having been involved
in the uprising. In the aftermath, close to 200 blacks, many of whom
had nothing to do with the rebellion, were murdered
Write a three paragraph essay to explain how the actions of the
individual Nat Turner had an impact on groups and institutions
of the Civil War era.
45
Date:
Essential Question
Standards
Leaders of the Civil War
Abraham
Lincoln
Jefferson
Davis
U. S.
Grant
Robert
E. Lee
Stonewall
Jackson
William T.
Sherman
46
Leaders of the Civil War Notes
Abraham Lincoln
In 1854, Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which repealed the
Missouri Compromise, and allowed individual states and territories to
decide for themselves whether to allow slavery. The law provoked
violent opposition in Kansas and Illinois. And it gave rise to the
Republican Party. This awakened Abraham Lincoln’s political zeal once
again, and his views on slavery moved more toward moral indignation.
Lincoln joined the Republican Party in 1856.
In 1857, the Supreme Court issued its controversial decision in the
Dred Scott case, declaring African Americans were not citizens and
47
had no inherent rights. Though Abraham Lincoln felt African Americans
were not equal to whites, he believed the America’s founders intended
that all men were created with certain inalienable rights. Lincoln
decided to challenge sitting U.S. Senator Stephen Douglas for his
seat. In his nomination acceptance speech, he criticized Douglas, the
Supreme Court, and President Buchanan for promoting slavery and
declared “a house divided cannot stand.” The 1858 Senate campaign
featured seven debates held in different cities all over Illinois.
The two candidates didn’t disappoint the public, giving stirring
debates on issues ranging from states’ rights to western expansion,
but the central issue in all the debates was slavery. Newspapers
intensely covered the debates, often times with partisan editing and
interpretation. In the end, the state legislature elected Douglas,
but the exposure vaulted Lincoln into national politics.
In 1860, political operatives in Illinois organized a campaign to
support Lincoln for the presidency. On May 18th at the Republican
National Convention in Chicago, Abraham Lincoln surpassed better
known candidates such as William Seward of New York and Salmon P.
Chase of Ohio. Lincoln’s nomination was due in part to his moderate
views on slavery, his support for improving the national
infrastructure, and the protective tariff. In the general election,
Lincoln faced his friend and rival, Stephan Douglas, this time
besting him in a four-way race that included John C. Breckinridge of
the Northern Democrats and John Bell of the Constitution Party.
Lincoln received not quite 40 percent of the popular vote, but
carried 180 of 303 Electoral votes.
Abraham Lincoln selected a strong cabinet composed of many of his
political rivals, including William Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward
Bates and Edwin Stanton
Formed out the adage “Hold your friends close and your enemies
closer”, Lincoln’s Cabinet became one of his strongest assets in his
first term in office… and he would need them. Before his inauguration
in March, 1861, seven Southern states had seceded from the Union and
by April the U.S. military installation Fort Sumter, was under siege
in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. In the early morning hours of
April 12, 1861, the guns stationed to protect the harbor blazed
toward the fort signaling the start of America’s costliest and most
deadly conflict.
Civil War
Abraham Lincoln responded to the crisis wielding powers as no other
present before him. He distributed $2,000,000 from the Treasury for
war materiel without an appropriation from Congress; he called for
75,000 volunteers into military service without a declaration of war;
and he suspended the writ of habeas corpus, arresting and imprisoning
suspected Confederate sympathizers without a warrant. Crushing the
48
rebellion would be difficult under any circumstances, but the Civil
War, with its preceding decades of white-hot partisan politics, was
especially onerous. From all directions, Lincoln faced disparagement
and defiance. He was often at odds with his generals, his Cabinet,
his party, and a majority of the American people.
The Union Army’s first year and a half of battlefield defeats made it
especially difficult to keep morale up and support strong for a
reunification the nation. With the hopeful, but by no means
conclusive Union victory at Antietam on September 22, 1862, Abraham
felt confident enough to reshape the cause of the war from “union” to
abolishing slavery. Gradually, the war effort improved for the North,
though more by attrition then by brilliant military victories. But by
1864, the Confederacy had hunkered down to a guerilla war and Lincoln
was convinced he’d be a one-term president. His nemesis, George B.
McClellan, the former commander of the Army of the Potomac,
challenged him for the presidency, but the contest wasn’t even close.
Lincoln received 55 percent of the popular vote and 212 of 243
Electoral votes. On March 28, 1865, General Robert E. Lee, commander
of the Army of Virginia, surrendered his forces to Union General
Ulysses S. Grant and the war for all intents and purposes was over.
Assassination
Reconstruction began during the war as early as 1863 in areas firmly
under Union military control. Abraham Lincoln favored a policy of
quick reunification with a minimum of retribution. But he was
confronted by a radical group of Republicans in the Senate and House
that wanted complete allegiance and repentance from former
Confederates. Before a political battle had a chance to firmly
develop, Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, by well-known
actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater
in Washington, D.C. Lincoln was taken from the theater to a Petersen
House across the street and laid in a coma for nine hours before
dying the next morning. His body lay in state at the Capitol before a
funeral train took him back to his final resting place in
Springfield, Illinois.
49
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis was born in Christian County, Kentucky, on June 3,
1808. After a distinguished military career, Davis served as a U.S.
senator and as Secretary of War under Franklin Pierce before his
election as the president of the secessionist Confederate States of
America. He was later indicted for treason, though never tried, and
remained a symbol of Southern pride until his death in 1889.
Military leader and statesman Jefferson Finis Davis was born on June
3, 1808, in Christian County, Kentucky (now called Fairview). One of
10 children born into a military family, his birth took place just
100 miles from and eight months earlier than President Abraham
Lincoln’s. Davis's father and uncles were soldiers in the American
Revolutionary War, and all three of his older brothers fought in the
War of 1812. His grandfather was a public servant to the U.S.
southern colonies.
Though born in Kentucky, Davis primarily grew up on a plantation near
Woodville, Mississippi, eventually returning to Kentucky to attend
boarding school in Bardstown. After completing his boarding school
education, Davis enrolled at Jefferson College in Mississippi, later
transferring to Transylvania University in Kentucky.
In 1824, when Davis was 16 years old, President James Monroe
requested that Davis become a cadet at the United States Military
Academy at West Point (New York). One of Davis’s fellow cadets later
described the burgeoning young leader as "distinguished in his corps
for manly bearing and high-toned and lofty character." In 1828, Davis
graduated from West Point, 23rd in his class
Upon graduating from West Point, Jefferson Davis was assigned to the
post of second-lieutenant of the First Infantry. From 1828 to 1833,
he carried out his first active service with the U.S. Army. Davis
fought with his regiment in the Blackhawk War of 1831, during which
they captured Chief Blackhawk himself. The Indian chief was placed
under Davis’s care, with Davis winning Blackhawk over through his
kind treatment of the prisoner.
In March 1833, Davis was promoted to first lieutenant and transferred
to the First Dragoons, a newly formed regiment. He also served as the
unit’s staff officer. Until the summer of 1835, Davis continued his
service on the battlefield against Indian tribes, including the
Comanche and Pawnees. In June 1835, Davis married his commanding
50
officer’s daughter, Sarah Knox Taylor. Because his commanding
officer, none other than future president Zachary Taylor, was opposed
to the marriage, Davis abruptly resigned his military post to take up
civic duties prior to the wedding. Sadly, Sarah died of malaria just
a few months later, in September 1835.
After leaving the military, Davis became a cotton farmer while
preparing for a career in politics as a Democrat. In 1843, he
participated in the gubernatorial campaign and served as a delegate
at the Democratic National Convention. His powerful speeches there
placed him in high demand.
One year later, he became an elector for Pork and Dallas, taking the
stance of state protection against federal interference and
supporting Texas’ annexation in the process.
In December 1845, Davis won election to the U.S. House of
Representatives and claimed a seat in Congress, which caused him to
gain more public attention. Additionally, he remarried, this time to
a woman named Varina Howell. The marriage helped further forge his
connection with Mississippi planters, as Varina’s family was of that
class.
As a congressman, Davis was known for his passionate and charismatic
speeches, and he quickly became actively involved in debates about
Texas, Oregon and tariffs. Davis’s congressional accomplishments
include orchestrating the conversion of forts into military training
schools. Throughout his congressional term, his support of states’
right remained unwavering.
In June 1846, Jefferson Davis resigned from his position in Congress
to lead the First Regiment of the Mississippi Riflemen in the
Mexican-American War. He held the rank of colonel under his former
father-in-law, General Zachary Taylor. During the Mexican-American
War, Davis fought in the Battles of Monterrey and Buena Vista, in
1846 and 1847, respectively. At the Battle of Monterrey, he led his
men to victory in an assault at Fort Teneria. He was injured at the
Battle of Buena Vista when he blocked a charge of Mexican swords—an
incident that earned him nationwide acclaim. So impressed was General
Taylor that he admitted he had formerly misjudged Davis’s character.
"My daughter, sir, was a better judge of man than I was," Taylor
reportedly conceded.
In 1847, following Davis’s heroic feat, Zachary Taylor appointed him
U.S. senator from Mississippi—a seat that had opened as a result of
Senator Jesse Speight’s death. After serving the rest of Speight’s
term, from December to January of 1847, Davis was re-elected for an
additional term. As a senator, he advocated for slavery and states’
rights, and opposed the admission of California to the Union as a
free state—such a hot button issue at the time that members of the
51
House of Representatives sometimes broke into fistfights. Davis held
his Senate seat until 1851 and went on to run for the Mississippi
governorship, but lost the election.
Explaining the way his position on the Union had evolved during his
time in the Senate, David once stated, "My devotion to the Union of
our fathers had been so often and so publicly declared; I had on the
floor of the Senate so defiantly challenged any question of my
fidelity to it; my services, civil and military, had now extended
through so long a period and were so generally known, that I felt
quite assured that no whisperings of envy or ill-will could lead the
people of Mississippi to believe that I had dishonored their trust by
using the power they had conferred on me to destroy the government to
which I was accredited. Then, as afterward, I regarded the separation
of the states as a great, though not the greater evil."
In 1853, Davis was appointed secretary of war by President Franklin
Pierce. He served in that position until 1857, when he returned to
the Senate. Although opposed to session, while back in the Senate, he
continued to defend the rights of southern slave states. Davis
remained in the Senate until January 1861, resigning when Mississippi
left the Union. In conjunction with the formation of the Confederacy,
Davis became was named president of the Confederate States of America
on February 18, 1861. On May 10, 1865, he was captured by Union
forces near Irwinville, Virginia, and charged with treason. Davis was
imprisoned at Fort Monroe in Virginia from May 22, 1865, to May 13,
1867, before being released on bail paid partly by abolitionist
Horace Greely.
Following his term as president of the Confederacy, Davis traveled
overseas on business. He was offered a job as president of Texas A&M
University, but declined. He was also elected to the Senate a third
time, but was unable to serve due to restrictions included in the
14th Amendment. In 1881, he wrote The Rise and Fall of the
Confederate Government in an effort to defend his political stance.
Davis lived out his retirement years at an estate called Beauvoir in
Mississippi.
Around 1 a.m. on December 6, 1889, Jefferson Davis died of acute
bronchitis in New Orleans, Louisiana. His body was temporarily
interred at New Orleans’s Metairie Cemetery. It was later relocated
to a specially constructed memorial at Hollywood Cemetery in
Richmond, Virginia.
52
U. S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was born April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio.
During the Civil War, he relentlessly pursued the enemy and in 1864
was entrusted with command of all U.S. armies. In 1869, at age 46, he
became the youngest president theretofore. Though Grant was highly
scrupulous, his administration was tainted with scandal. He left the
presidency to write his best-selling memoirs.
Ulysses S. Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April, 27, 1822 in
Point Pleasant, Ohio, near the mouth of the Big Indian Creek at the
Ohio River. His famous moniker “U.S. Grant” came after he joined the
military. Hiram was the first son of Jesse Root Grant, a tanner and
businessman, and Hannah Simpson Grant. A year after Hiram was born,
the family moved to Georgetown, Ohio, where he grew up in what he
described as an “uneventful” childhood. He did, however, show great
aptitude as a horseman in his youth.
53
Hiram Ulysses Grant was not a standout as a boy. Shy and reserved, he
took after his mother rather than his outgoing father. He hated the
idea of working in his father’s tannery business, a fact that Jesse
begrudgingly had to acknowledge. When Hiram was 17, Jesse arranged
for him to enter West Point. A clerical error had listed him as
Ulysses S. Grant. Not wanting to be rejected, he changed his name on
the spot. Grant didn’t excel at West Point, earning average grades
and finding the academy “had no charms” for him. He received several
demerits for slovenly dress and tardiness. He did well in mathematics
and geology and excelled in horsemanship. In 1843, he graduated 21st
out of 39 and was glad to be out. He planned to resign from the
military after he served his mandatory four years of duty.
After graduation, Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant was stationed at St.
Louis, Missouri, where he met his future wife, Julia Dent. Grant
proposed marriage in 1844, and Julia accepted. But before the couple
could wed, he was shipped off for duty. During the Mexican-American
War, Grant served as quartermaster, efficiently overseeing the
movement of supplies. Serving under General Zachary Taylor and then
later General Winfield Scott, he closely observed their military
tactics and leadership skills. He got the opportunity to lead a
company into combat and was credited for his bravery under fire. He
also developed strong feelings that the war was wrong and was being
waged only to increase American’s territory for the spread of
slavery.
In 1844, Ulysses and Julia finally married. Over the next six years,
Grant was assigned to several posts, and the couple had four
children. In 1852, Grant was sent to Fort Vancouver, in what is now
Washington State. He missed Julia and his two sons, the second of
whom he had not even seen. Grant became involved in several failed
business ventures, trying to get his family to the coast so they
could be closer to him. He began to drink, and a reputation was
forged that dogged him all through his military career. In the summer
of 1853, he was promoted to captain and transferred to Fort Humboldt
on the Northern California coast, where he had a run-in with the
fort’s commanding officer, Lt.
Col. Robert C. Buchanan. On July, 31, 1854, Ulysses S. Grant resigned
from the Army amid allegations of heavy drinking and warnings of
disciplinary action.
In 1854, Ulysses S. Grant moved his family back to Missouri, but the
return to being a civilian led to a low point in his life. He tried
to farm land given to him by his father-in-law, but after a few years
it failed. Grant then failed in a real estate venture and was denied
employment as an engineer and clerk in St. Louis. To support his
family, he was reduced to selling firewood on a St. Louis street.
Finally, in 1860, he humbled himself and went to work in his father’s
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tannery business as a clerk, supervised by his two younger brothers.
On April 13, 1861, Confederate troops attacked Fort Sumter in
Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. This act of rebellion sparked
Ulysses S. Grant’s patriotism, and he volunteered his military
services. Again he was initially rejected for appointments, but with
the aid of an Illinois congressman, he was appointed to command an
unruly Twenty-first Illinois volunteer regiment. Applying lessons he
learned from his commanders during the Mexican-American War, Grant
got the regiment combat-ready by September 1861.
When Kentucky’s fragile neutrality fell apart in the fall of 1861,
Ulysses S. Grant and his volunteers took the small town of Paducah,
Kentucky, at the mouth of the Tennessee River. In February 1862, in a
joint operation with the U.S. Navy, Grant’s ground forces applied
pressure on Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, taking them both. In the
assault on Fort Donelson, he earned the moniker “Unconditional
Surrender” Grant and he was promoted to major general of volunteers.
In April 1862, Ulysses S. Grant moved his men cautiously into enemy
territory in what would prove to be one of the bloodiest battles of
the Civil War. Confederate commanders Albert Sidney Johnston and
P.G.T. Beauregard led a surprise attack against Grant’s forces
bivouacked nine miles south at Pittsburgh Landing. During the first
wave of assault, fierce fighting occurred at an area known as the
“Hornets’ Nest.” Confederate General Johnston was mortally wounded,
and his second-in-command, General Beauregard, decided against a
night assault on Grant’s forces. Reinforcement finally arrived and
Grant was able to defeat the Confederates in the second day of
battle. The Battle of Shiloh proved to be a watershed for the
American military and a near disaster for Ulysses S. Grant. Though he
was supported by President Abraham Lincoln, Grant faced heavy
criticism from members of Congress and the military brass for the
high casualties and for a time was demoted. A War Department
investigation had him reinstated.
Union war strategy called for taking control of the Mississippi River
and cutting the Confederacy in half. In December 1862, Ulysses S.
Grant moved overland to take Vicksburg, a key fortress city of the
Confederacy, but his attack was stalled by Confederate cavalry raider
Nathan Bedford Forest and by getting bogged down in the bayous north
of Vicksburg
In his second attempt Grant cut some, but not all, of his supply
lines, moved his army down the western bank of the Mississippi River
and crossed south of Vicksburg. Failing to take the city after
several assaults, he settled into a long siege, and Vicksburg
eventually surrendered on July 4, 1863.
Although Vicksburg was Ulysses S. Grant’s greatest achievement up to
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then and a moral boost for the Union, rumors of Grant’s drinking and
being drunk followed him through the rest of the Western Campaign.
Grant suffered from intense migraine headaches due to stress, which
nearly disabled him and did much to spread the rumors he had been
drinking and was suffering from a hangover. However, his closest
associates said he was sober, polite and displayed deep
concentration, even in the midst of a battle.
After Grant’s victory at Vicksburg and Chattanooga, Ulysses S. Grant
was given command of all the Union armies. Grant saw the military
objectives of the Civil War differently than most of his
predecessors, who believed that capturing territory was most
important to winning the war. Grant, however, believed that the
Confederate armies were most important. To that end he set out to
track down General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia and
destroy it. From March 1864 until April 1865, Grant doggedly tracked
Lee in the forests of Virginia, inflicting unsustainable casualties
on Lee’s army. On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered his army and the war
was over. The two generals met at a farm near the village of
Appomattox Court House and agreed to peace terms. In a magnanimous
gesture, Grant allowed Lee’s men to keep their horses and return to
their homes; none would be prisoners of war.
During the post-war reorganization, Ulysses S. Grant was promoted to
full general and oversaw the military portion of Reconstruction.
Grant was put in an awkward position during President Andrew
Johnson’s fight with the Radical Republicans and his impeachment, and
was eventually elected as the 18th president of the United States in
1868. When he entered the White House the following year, he was
politically inexperienced and at age 46 was the youngest man
theretofore elected president. Although scrupulously honest, Grant
appointed people who were not of good character. Though he had some
success pushing through ratification of the 15th Amendment and
establishing the National Parks Service, his administration’s
scandals rocked both his presidential terms and he lost his
opportunity for a third term.
After he left the White House, Ulysses S. Grant’s poor luck at
civilian life continued. He became a partner in the financial firm of
Grant and Ward only to have his partner, Ferdinand Ward, embezzle
investors’ money. The firm went bankrupt in 1884, as did Grant. That
same year, he learned he was suffering from throat cancer, and
although his military pension was reinstated, he was strapped for
cash. He started selling short magazine articles about his life and
then negotiated a contract with a friend, the novelist Mark Twain, to
publish his memoirs. The two-volume set sold some 300,000 copies and
became a classic work of American literature. Ultimately, this earned
his family nearly $450,000. Grant died on July 23, 1885, just as his
memoirs were being published, and is buried in New York City.
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Robert E. Lee
Born on January 19, 1807 in Stratford, Virginia, Robert E. Lee came
to military prominence during the U.S. Civil War, commanding his home
state's armed forces and becoming general-in-chief of the Confederate
forces towards the end of the conflict. Though the Union won the war,
Lee has been revered by many while others debate his tactics. He went
on to become president of Washington College.
Confederate General who led southern forces against the Union Army in
the American Civil War, Robert Edward Lee was born January 19, 1807,
in Stratford Hall, Virginia.
Lee was cut from Virginia aristocracy. His extended family members
included a president, a chief justice of the United States, and
signers of the Declaration of Independence. His father, Colonel Henry
Lee, also known as "Light-Horse Harry," had served as a cavalry
leader during the Revolutionary War and gone on to become one of the
war's heroes, winning praise from General George Washington.
Lee saw himself as an extension of his family's greatness. At 18, he
enrolled at West Point Military Academy, where he put his drive and
serious mind to work. He was one of just six cadets in his graduating
class who finished without a single demerit, and wrapped up his
studies with perfect scores in artillery, infantry and cavalry.
After graduating from West Point, Lee met and married Mary Custis,
the great-granddaughter of George and Martha Washington. Together,
they had seven children: three sons (Custis, Rooney and Rob) and four
daughters (Mary, Annie, Agnes and Mildred).
But while Mary and the children spent their lives on Mary's father's
plantation, Lee stayed committed to his military obligations. His
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Army loyalties moved him around the country, from Savannah to
Baltimore, St. Louis to New York.
In 1846, Lee got the chance he'd been waiting his whole military
career for when the United States went to war with Mexico. Serving
under General Winfield Scott, Lee distinguished himself as a brave
battle commander and brilliant tactician. In the aftermath of the
U.S. victory over its neighbor, Lee was held up as a hero. Scott
showered Lee with particular praise, saying that in the event the
U.S. went into another war, the government should consider taking out
a life insurance policy on the commander.
But life away from the battlefield proved difficult for Lee to
handle. He struggled with the mundane tasks associated with his work
and life. For a time, he returned to his wife's family's plantation
to manage the estate, following the death of his father-in-law. The
property had fallen under hard times, and for two long years, he
tried to make it profitable again.
In 1859 Lee returned to the Army, accepting a thankless position at a
lonely cavalry outpost in Texas. In October of that year, Lee got a
break when he was summoned to put an end to a slave insurrection led
by John Brown at Harper's Ferry. Lee's orchestrated attack took just
a single hour to end the revolt, and his success put him on a short
list of names to lead the Union Army should the nation go to war.
But Lee's commitment to the Army was superseded by his commitment to
Virginia. After turning down an offer from President Abraham Lincoln
to command the Union forces, Lee resigned from the military and
returned home. While Lee had misgivings about centering a war on the
slavery issue, when Virginia voted to secede from the nation on April
18, 1861, Lee agreed to help lead the Confederate forces.
Over the next year, Lee again distinguished himself on the
battlefield. In May 1862, he took control of the Army of Northern
Virginia and drove back the Union Army in Richmond in the Seven Days
Battle. In August of that year, he gave the Confederacy a crucial
victory at Second Manassas.
But not all went well. He courted disaster when he tried to cross the
Potomac, just barely escaping at the bloody battle known as Antietam.
In it, nearly 14,000 of his men were captured, wounded or killed.
From July 1 to July 3, 1863, Lee's forces suffered another round of
heavy casualties in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The three-day standoff, known as the Battle of Gettysburg, almost destroyed his army,
ending Lee's invasion of the North and helping to turn the war around
for the Union.
By the summer of 1864 Ulysses S. Grant had gained the upper hand,
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decimating much of Richmond, the Confederate's capital, and
Petersburg. By early 1865 the fate of the war was clear, a fact
driven home on April 2 when Lee was forced to abandon Richmond. A
week later, a reluctant and despondent Lee surrendered to Grant at a
private home in Appomattox, Virginia.
"I suppose there is nothing for me to do but go and see General
Grant," he told an aide. "And I would rather die a thousand deaths."
Saved from being hanged as a traitor by a forgiving Lincoln and
Grant, Lee returned to his family in April 1865. He eventually
accepted a job as president of a small college in western Virginia,
and kept quiet about the nation's politics following the war.
In October of 1870, he suffered a massive stroke. He died at his
home, surrounded by family, on October 12, 1870.
Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson was born in Clarksburg (then Virginia), West
Virginia, on January 21, 1824. A skilled military tactician, he
served as a Confederate general under Robert E. Lee in the American
Civil War, leading troops at Manassas, Antietam and Fredericksburg.
Jackson lost an arm and died after he was accidentally shot by
Confederate troops at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
Stonewall Jackson was born Thomas Jonathan Jackson on January 21,
1824, in Clarksburg (then Virginia), West Virginia. His father, a
lawyer named Jonathan Jackson, and his mother, Julia Beckwith Neale,
had four children. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was the third born.
When Jackson was just 2 years old, his father and his older sister,
Elizabeth, were killed by typhoid fever. As a young widow, Stonewall
Jackson’s mother struggled to make ends meet. In 1830 Julia remarried
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to Blake Woodson. When the young Jackson and his siblings butted
heads with their new stepfather, they were sent to live with
relatives in Jackson’s Mill, Virginia (now West Virginia). In 1831,
Jackson lost his mother to complications during childbirth. The
infant, Jackson’s half-brother William Wirt Woodson, survived, but
would later die of tuberculosis in 1841. Jackson spent the rest of
his childhood living with his father’s brothers.
After attending local schools, in 1842 Jackson enrolled in the U.S.
Military Academy at West Point, New York. He was admitted only after
his congressional district’s first choice withdrew his application a
day after school started. Although he was older than most of his
classmates, Jackson at first struggled terribly with his course load.
To make matters worse, his fellow students often teased him about his
poor family and modest education. Fortunately, the adversity fueled
Jackson’s determination to succeed. In 1846, he graduated from West
Point, 17th in a class of 59 students.
Jackson graduated from West Point in the nick of time to fight in the
Mexican-American War. In Mexico he joined the 1st U.S. Artillery as a
2nd lieutenant. Jackson quickly proved his bravery and resilience on
the field, serving with distinction under General Winfield Scott.
Jackson participated in the Siege of Veracruz, and the battles of
Contreras, Chapultepec and Mexico City. It was during the war in
Mexico that Jackson met Robert E. Lee, with whom he would one day
join military forces during the American Civil War. By the time the
Mexican-American War ended in 1846, Jackson had been promoted to the
rank of brevet major and was considered a war hero. After the war, he
continued to serve in the military in New York and Florida.
Jackson retired from the military and returned to civilian life in
1851, when he was offered a professorship at the Virginia Military
Institute in Lexington, Virginia. At VMI, Jackson served as professor
of natural and experimental philosophy as well as of artillery
tactics. Jackson’s philosophy syllabus was composed of topics akin to
those covered in today’s college physics courses.
His classes also covered astronomy, acoustics and other science
subjects.
As a professor, Jackson’s cold demeanor and strange quirks made him
unpopular among his students. Grappling with hypochondria, the false
belief that something was physically wrong with him, Jackson kept one
arm raised while teaching, thinking it would hide a nonexistent
unevenness in the length of his extremities. Although his students
made fun of his eccentricities, Jackson was generally acknowledged as
an effective professor of artillery tactics.
In 1853, during his years as a civilian, Jackson met and married
Elinor Junkin, daughter of Presbyterian minister Dr. George Junkin.
In October of 1854, Elinor died during childbirth, after giving birth
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to a stillborn son. In July 1857, Jackson remarried to Mary Anna
Morrison. In April 1859, Jackson and his second wife had a daughter.
Tragically, the infant died within less than a month of her birth. In
November of that year, Jackson reengaged in military life when he
served as a VMI officer at abolitionist John Brown’s execution
following his revolt at Harper’s Ferry. In 1862 Jackson’s wife had
another daughter, whom they named Julia, after Jackson’s mother.
Between late 1860 and early 1861, several Southern U.S. states
declared their independence and seceded from the Union. At first it
was Jackson’s desire that Virginia, then his home state, would stay
in the Union. But when Virginia seceded in the spring of 1861,
Jackson showed his support of the Confederacy, choosing to side with
his state over the national government.
On April 21, 1861, Jackson was ordered to VMI, where he was placed in
command of the VMI Corps of Cadets. At the time, the cadets were
acting as drillmasters, training new recruits to fight in the Civil
War. Soon after, Jackson was commissioned a colonel by the state
government and relocated to Harper’s Ferry. After preparing the
troops for what would later be called the "Stonewall Brigade,"
Jackson was promoted to the roles of brigadier commander and
brigadier general under the command of General Joseph E. Johnston.
It was at the First Battle of Bull Run in July of 1861, otherwise
known as the First Battle of Manassas, that Jackson earned his famous
nickname, Stonewall. When Jackson charged his army ahead to bridge a
gap in the defensive line against a Union attack, General Barnard E.
Bee, impressed, exclaimed, "There is Jackson standing like a stone
wall." Afterward, the nickname stuck, and Jackson was promoted to
major general for his courage and quick thinking on the battlefield.
In the spring of the next year, Jackson launched the Valley of
Virginia, or Shenandoah Valley, Campaign. He began the campaign by
defending western Virginia against the Union Army’s invasion. After
leading the Confederate Army to several victories, Jackson was
ordered to join General Robert E. Lee’s army in 1862. Joining Lee in
the Peninsula, Jackson continued to fight in defense of Virginia.
From June 15 to July 1, 1862, Jackson exhibited uncharacteristically
poor leadership while trying to defend Virginia’s capital city of
Richmond against General George McClellan’s Union troops.
During this period, dubbed the Seven Days Battles, Jackson did,
however, manage to redeem himself with his quick-moving "foot
cavalry" maneuvers at the battle of Cedar Mountain.
At the Second Battle of Bull Run in August of 1862, John Pope and his
Army of Virginia were convinced that Jackson and his soldiers had
begun to retreat. This afforded Confederate General James Longstreet
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the opportunity to launch a missile assault against the Union Army,
ultimately forcing Pope’s forces to retreat.
Against terrible odds, Jackson also managed to hold his Confederate
troops in defensive position during the bloody battle of Antietam,
until Lee ordered his Army of Northern Virginia to withdraw back
across the Potomac River.
In October of 1862, General Lee reorganized his Army of Virginia into
two corps. After being promoted to lieutenant general, Jackson took
command of the second corps, leading them to decisive victory at the
Battle of Fredericksburg.
Jackson achieved a whole new level of success at the Battle of
Chancellorsville in May of 1863, when he struck General John Hooker’s
Army of the Potomac from the rear. The attack created so many
casualties that, within a few days, Hooker had no choice but to
withdraw his troops.
On May 2, 1863, Jackson was accidentally shot by friendly fire from
the 18th North Carolina Infantry Regiment. At a nearby field
hospital, Jackson’s arm was amputated. On May 4, Jackson was
transported to a second field hospital, in Guinea Station, Virginia.
He died there of complications on May 10, 1863, at the age of 39,
after uttering the last words, "Let us cross over the river and rest
under the shade of trees."
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63
William T. Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman, although not a career military commander
before the war, would become one of "the most widely renowned of the
Union’s military leaders next to U. S. Grant.”
Sherman, one of eleven children, was born into a distinguished
family. His father had served on the Supreme Court of Ohio until his
sudden death in 1829, leaving Sherman and his family to stay with
several friends and relatives. During this period, Sherman found
himself living with Senator Thomas Ewing, who obtained an appointment
for Sherman to the United States Military Academy, and he graduated
sixth in the class of 1840. His early military career proved to be
anything but spectacular. He saw some combat during the Second
Seminole War in Florida, but unlike many of his colleagues, did not
fight in the Mexican-American War, serving instead in California. As
a result, he resigned his commission in 1853. He took work in the
fields of banking and law briefly before becoming the superintendent
of the Louisiana Military Academy in 1859. At the outbreak of the
Civil War, however, Sherman resigned from the academy and headed
north, where he was made a colonel of the 13th United States
Infantry.
Sherman first saw combat at the Battle of First Manassas, where he
commanded a brigade of Tyler’s Division. Although the Union army was
defeated during the battle, President Abraham Lincoln was impressed
by Sherman’s performance and he was promoted to brigadier general on
August 7, 1861, ranking seventh among other officers at that grade.
He was sent to Kentucky to begin the Union task of keeping the state
from seceding. While in the state, Sherman expressed his views that
the war would not end quickly, and he was replaced by Don Carlos
Buell. Sherman was moved to St. Louis, where he served under Henry W.
Halleck and completed logistical missions during the Union capture of
Fort Donelson. During the battle of Shiloh, Sherman commanded a
division, but was overrun during the battle by Confederates under
Albert Sydney Johnston. Despite the incident, Sherman was promoted to
major general of volunteers on May 1, 1862.
After the battle of Shiloh, Sherman led troops during the battles of
Chickasaw Bluffs and Arkansas Post, and commanded XV Corps during the
campaign to capture Vicksburg. At the battle of Chattanooga Sherman
faced off against Confederates under Patrick Cleburne in the fierce
contest at Missionary Ridge. After Ulysses S. Grant was promoted to
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commander of all the United States armies, Sherman was made commander
of all troops in the Western Theatre, and began to wage warfare that
would bring him great notoriety in the annals of history.
By 1864 Sherman had become convinced that preservation of the Union
was contingent not only on defeating the Southern armies in the field
but, more importantly, on destroying the Confederacy's material and
psychological will to wage war. To achieve that end, he launched a
campaign in Georgia that was defined as “modern warfare”, and brought
“total destruction…upon the civilian population in the path of the
advancing columns [of his armies].” Commanding three armies, under
George Henry Thomas, James B. McPherson, and John M. Schofield, he
used his superior numbers to consistently outflank Confederate troops
under Joseph E. Johnston, and captured Atlanta on September 2, 1864.
The success of the campaign ultimately helped Lincoln win reelection.
After the fall of Atlanta, Sherman left the forces under Thomas and
Schofield to continue to harass the Confederate Army of Tennessee
under John Bell Hood. Meanwhile, Sherman cut off all communications
to his army and commenced his now-famous “March to the Sea," leaving
in his wake a forty to sixty mile-wide path of destruction through
the heartland of Georgia. On December 21, 1864 Sherman wired Lincoln
to offer him an early Christmas present: the city of Savannah.
I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only
those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans
of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for
desolation. War is hell.
- William Tecumseh Sherman
Following his successful campaign through Georgia, Sherman turned his
attentions northward and began marching through the Carolinas,
chasing the Confederates under the command of Joseph E. Johnston. He
continued his campaign of destruction, in particular targeting South
Carolina for their role in seceding from the Union first. He captured
Columbia, South Carolina, on February 17, 1865, setting many fires
which would consume large portions of the city. He went on to defeat
the forces of Johnston in North Carolina during the Battle of
Bentonville, and eventually accepted the surrender of Johnston and
all troops in Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas on April 26, 1865,
becoming the largest surrender of Confederate troops during the war.
After the war, Sherman remained in the military and eventually rose
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to the rank of full general, serving as general-in-chief of the army
from 1869 to 1883. Praised for his revolutionary ideas on "total
warfare," William T. Sherman died in 1891.
Write a one paragraph summary of each of the six men discussed and
explain why these men are remembered when we study the Civil War.
66
67
Date:
Essential Question
Standards
Important Battles of the Civil War
Fort Sumter
Gettysburg
Atlanta
Campaign
Appomattox
Courthouse
When
Sherman’s
March to the
Sea
When
When
When
Where
Where
Where
Where
Where
Who
Who
Who
Who
Who
When
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What
What
What
What
What
Important Battles of the Civil War Notes
Fort Sumter
When South Carolina seceded from the Union on December 20, 1860,
United States Maj. Robert Anderson and his force of 85 soldiers were
positioned at Fort Moultrie near the mouth of Charleston Harbor. On
December 26, fearing for the safety of his men, Anderson moved his
command to Fort Sumter, an imposing fortification in the middle of
the harbor. While politicians and military commanders wrote and
screamed about the legality and appropriateness of this provocative
move, Anderson’s position became perilous. Just after the
inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln on March 4, 1861, Anderson
reported that he had only a six week supply of food left in the fort
and Confederate patience for a foreign force in its territory was
wearing thin.
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On Thursday, April 11, 1861, Confederate Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard
dispatched aides to Maj. Anderson to demand the fort’s surrender.
Anderson refused. The next morning, at 4:30 a.m., Confederate
batteries opened fire on Fort Sumter and continued for 34 hours. The
Civil War had begun! Anderson did not return the fire for the first
two hours. The fort's supply of ammunition was not suited for an
equal fight and Anderson lacked fuses for his exploding shells--only
solid shot could be used against the Rebel batteries. At about 7:00
A.M., Union Capt. Abner Doubleday, the fort's second in command, was
afforded the honor of firing the first shot in defense of the fort.
The firing continued all day, although much less rapidly since the
Union fired aimed to conserve ammunition. "The crashing of the shot,
the bursting of the shells, the falling of the walls, and the roar of
the flames, made a pandemonium of the fort," wrote Doubleday. The
fort's large flag staff was struck and the colors fell to the ground
and a brave lieutenant, Norman J. Hall, bravely exposed himself to
enemy fire as he put the Stars and Stripes back up. That evening, the
firing was sporadic with but an occasional round landing on or in
Fort Sumter.
On Saturday, April 13, Anderson surrendered the fort. Incredibly, no
soldiers were killed in battle. The generous terms of surrender,
however, allowed Anderson to perform a 100-gun salute before he and
his men evacuated the fort the next day. The salute began at 2:00
P.M. on April 14, but was cut short to 50 guns after an accidental
explosion killed one of the gunners and mortally wounded another.
Carrying their tattered banner, the men marched out of the fort and
boarded a boat that ferried them to the Union ships outside the
harbor. They were greeted as heroes on their return to the North.
Write a one paragraph summary of the battle at Fort Sumter.
70
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order given on January
1, 1863 by Abraham Lincoln to free the slaves.
Were all the slaves immediately free?
No. Only about 50,000 of the
4 million slaves were immediately set free. The Emancipation
Proclamation had some limitations. First, it only freed the slaves in
the Confederate States that were not under Union control. There were
some areas and border states where slavery was still legal, but were
part of the Union. The slaves in these states were not immediately
freed. For the rest of the Southern states, the slaves would not be
free until the Union was able to defeat the Confederacy.
However, the Emancipation Proclamation did eventually set millions
of slaves free. It also made clear that in the near future all slaves
should and would be set free.
The Emancipation also allowed for Black men to fight in the Union
Army. Around 200,000 black soldiers fought on the side of the Union
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Army helping the North win the war and also helping to expand the
area of freedom as they marched through the South.
Lincoln felt like he needed a major victory in order to have the full
support behind the Emancipation. If he issued the order without
public support, it might fail and he wanted to be sure that it was
successful and seen as a major moral victory for the North. When the
Union Army turned back Robert E. Lee and the Confederates in the
Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862 Lincoln knew it was time.
The initial announcement that the Emancipation Proclamation order was
coming was given a few days later on September 22, 1862.
The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order. It wasn't fully
law per the Constitution yet. However, it did pave the way for the
Thirteenth Amendment. The advantage of the Proclamation was that it
could happen quickly. The Thirteenth Amendment took a few more years
to get passed by congress and implemented, but on December 6, 1865
the Thirteenth Amendment was adopted and became part of the United
States Constitution.
Here is the wording of the Thirteenth Amendment:
 Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as
a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly
convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place
subject to their jurisdiction.
 Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation
Facts
 The proclamation gained the Union the support of international
countries such as Great Britain and France, where slavery had
already been abolished.
 It did not free the slaves in the loyal border states. They
would have to wait until the war was over.
 The order declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the
rebel states "are, and henceforward shall be free."
Gettysburg
Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee concentrated his army around
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, upon the approach of Union Gen. George G.
Meade’s forces. On July 1, Confederates drove Union defenders through
Gettysburg to Cemetery Hill. The next day Lee struck the flanks of
the Union line resulting in severe fighting at Devil's Den, Little
Round Top, the Wheatfield, Peach Orchard, Culp’s Hill and East
Cemetery Hill. Southerners gained ground but failed to dislodge the
Union host. On the morning of July 3rd, fighting raged at Culp’s Hill
with the Union regaining its lost ground. That afternoon, after a
massive artillery bombardment, Lee attacked the Union center on
Cemetery Ridge and was repulsed with heavy losses in what is known as
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Pickett’s Charge. Lee's second invasion of the North had failed.
Elements of the two armies collided west and north of the town on
July 1, 1863. Union cavalry under Brig. Gen. John Buford slowed the
Confederate advance until Union infantry, the Union 1st and 11th
Corps, arrived. More Confederate reinforcements under generals A.P.
Hill and Richard Ewell reached the scene, however, and 30,000
Confederates ultimately defeated 20,000 Yankees, who fell back
through Gettysburg to the hills south of town--Cemetery Hill and
Culp's Hill.
On the second day of battle, the Union defended a fishhook-shaped
range of hills and ridges south of Gettysburg with around 90,000
soldiers. Confederates essentially wrapped around the Union position
with 70,000 soldiers. On the afternoon of July 2, Lee launched a
heavy assault on the Union left flank, and fierce fighting raged at
Devil's Den, Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard and
Cemetery Ridge. On the Union right, demonstrations escalated into
full-scale assaults on Culp's Hill and East Cemetery Hill. Although
the Confederates gained ground, the Union defenders still held strong
positions by the end of the day.
On July 3, fighting resumed on Culp's Hill, and cavalry battles raged
to the east and south, but the main event was a dramatic infantry
assault by 12,000 Confederates against the center of the Union line
on Cemetery Ridge--Pickett's Charge. The charge was repulsed by Union
rifle and artillery fire, at great losses to the Confederate army.
Lee led his army on a torturous retreat back to Virginia. As many as
51,000 soldiers from both armies were killed, wounded, captured or
missing in the three-day battle. Four months after the battle,
President Lincoln used the dedication ceremony for Gettysburg's
Soldiers National Cemetery to honor the fallen Union soldiers and
redefine the purpose of the war in his historic Gettysburg Address.
Fact 1: The battle was fought at Gettysburg because of the area road system—
it had nothing to do with shoes. The Town of Gettysburg, population 2,000,
was a town on the rise. It boasted three newspapers, two institutes of higher
learning, several churches and banks, but no shoe factory or warehouse. The
ten roads that led into town are what brought the armies to Gettysburg. The
shoe myth can be traced to a late-1870s statement by Confederate general
Henry Heth.
Fact 2: The First Day’s battle was a much larger engagement than is generally
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portrayed. The first day’s fighting (at McPherson’s Ridge, Oak Hill, Oak
Ridge, Seminary Ridge, Barlow’s Knoll and in and around the town) involved
some 50,000 soldiers of which roughly 15,500 were killed, wounded, captured
or missing. The first day in itself ranks as the 12th bloodiest battle of the
Civil War—with more casualties than the battles of Bull Run and Franklin
combined.
Fact 3: The Second Day’s Battle was the largest and costliest of the three
days.
The second day’s fighting (at Devil’s Den, Little Round Top, the
Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard, Cemetery Ridge, Trostle’s Farm, Culp’s Hill
and Cemetery Hill) involved at least 100,000 soldiers of which roughly 20,000
were killed, wounded, captured or missing. The second day in itself ranks as
the 10th bloodiest battle of the Civil War—with far more casualties than the
much larger Battle of Fredericksburg
Fact 4: Of 120 generals present at Gettysburg, nine were killed or mortally
wounded during the battle.
On the Confederate side, generals Semmes, Barksdale, Armistead, Garnett, and
Pender (plus Pettigrew during the retreat). On the Union side, generals
Reynolds, Zook, Weed, and Farnsworth (and Vincent, promoted posthumously). No
other battle claimed as many general officers.
Fact 5: Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill were far more important than Little
Round Top.
While Little Round Top is far more popular today, its importance to the Union
army is at least debatable. The same cannot be said for Culp’s Hill and
Cemetery Hill. The two latter hills formed the center and right of the
Union’s main position and also protected the Union army’s only real lifeline
on July 2 and 3—the Baltimore Pike. Had Confederates captured and controlled
either of these two hills, the Union army would have had to leave the
Gettysburg area. It is as simple as that. Even with its sweeping views and
commanding height, the same cannot be said for Little Round Top.
Fact 6: Pickett’s Charge was large and grand but by no means the largest
charge of the Civil War. Not even close.
Pickett’s Charge involved some 12,000 Confederate soldiers, but the
Confederate charge at Franklin had roughly 20,000. Even that pales in
comparison to the grand Confederate charge at Gaines’ Mill which involved
more than 50,000 Confederate troops. Even the well-known 260-gun bombardment
that preceded Pickett’s Charge was not the largest of the war. There was at
least one bombardment at Petersburg with more than 400 cannons involved.
Fact 7: The Battle of Gettysburg is by far the costliest battle of the Civil
War but not necessarily the largest.
While each of the three days of the Battle of Gettysburg rank in the top 15
bloodiest battles of the Civil War—the 160,000 troops present at Gettysburg
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are eclipsed by the more than 185,000 at Fredericksburg.
Fact 8: 63 Medals of Honor awarded to Union soldiers for their actions at
Gettysburg
The deeds spanned the battlefield and were awarded from wartime into the 20th
century. Eight were awarded for actions on July 1, and 28 each for actions on
July 2 and July 3.
Fact 9: The Gettysburg Address essentially said the same thing as the famous
orator Edward Everett’s speech but in 1/60th the time.
When Lincoln uttered these two sentences, “We have come to dedicate a portion
of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives
that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we
should do this,” he was essentially repeating an idea that had already been
stated—only more succinctly. Everett used more than 5,500 words to make the
same point. Most every part of the corresponding speeches can be examined
this way and leaves no doubt as to why Everett wrote to Lincoln: "I should be
glad, if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of
the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes."
Fact 10: While the Gettysburg Battlefield is well-preserved, there are still
numerous parcels to be saved.
The Civil War Trust and the National Park Service have identified several
unpreserved parcels which are important to the story of America’s greatest
battle. The battlefield itself is among the best resources for historians and
others to learn about the battle. The unique terrain, when used in
conjunction with the words of those who fought here, images created on the
ground, and monuments placed by the veterans, provides an unparalleled
learning opportunity. We must continue to work to preserve this hallowed
ground.
Gettysburg Address:
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this
continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the
proposition that "all men are created equal."
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation,
or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are
met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a
portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that
the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a
larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot
hallow, this ground—The brave men, living and dead, who struggled
here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract.
The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while
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it can never forget what they did here.
It is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great
task remaining before us —that, from these honored dead we take
increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last
full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve these dead shall
not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of
freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the
people, shall not perish from the earth.
Location of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: 39.8308° N, 77.2314° W
Relative Location: Pennsylvania is positioned in both the northern
and western hemispheres. As a part of North America, Pennsylvania is
located in the Middle Atlantic region of the United States. It's
bordered by the states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland,
West Virginia and Ohio, and by Lake Erie and the Delaware River.
Gettysburg is located in southeast Pennsylvania, west of
Philadelphia, east of Pittsburg, and south of Harrisburg. Gettysburg
is north of the state of Maryland border.
Write a one paragraph summary on each of following: Battle of
Gettysburg. Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address.
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The Atlanta Campaign
In the spring of 1864 William Tecumseh Sherman was placed in charge
of the Military Division of the Mississippi comprised of George H.
Thomas' Army of the Cumberland, James B. McPherson's Army of the
Tennessee, and John Schofield's Army of the Ohio, a total of about
100,000 men. Sherman's superior numbers, well fed and equipped, faced
a Confederate force of 65,000 men whose biggest problems were getting
blankets, shoes and small arms. In December, 1863, Joseph E. Johnston
assumed command of the Army of Tennessee when Braxton Bragg resigned
following the defeat of his forces at Chattanooga. The stage was set
for what is known as the Atlanta Campaign.
During the winter of 1863-64 operations in the west had not ceased.
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In late February Sherman marched on Meridian, Alabama to attack
Leonidas Polk. Thomas feinted against the Rebel fortifications in
Dalton from his base at Ringgold to prevent Johnston from reinforcing
Polk. He was easily repulsed. All during the winter, preparations
continued for the campaign coming in the spring. "Uncle Billy"
ordered his soldiers trained not only in military tactics but rail
work as well, since he realized the Western and Atlantic would be his
lifeline, and any Rebel damage would have to be quickly repaired.
General Ulysses S. Grant told Sherman that his mission was
"...inflicting all the damage you can against their War resources."
The destruction of the Southern war machine played a key role in
Lincoln's "divide and conquer" strategy. Atlanta lay as Sherman's
prize with the Appalachian Mountains and the Confederate Army as its
protector.
General George Thomas moved to attack Johnston's entrenchments around
the city of Dalton. The frontal assault from Ringgold would be
supported by Major General John Schofield moving south through
Varnell and the Crow Valley from the Tennessee-Georgia border. James
B. McPherson began to move from his position at Lee and Gordon Mill
towards Ship's Gap and cross the valley through Villanow to Snake
Creek Gap. From here he would move on Resaca, strategically important
because of two bridges the railroad used. Both Thomas and Schofield
had been ordered to advance slowly to give McPherson time to get to
Snake Gap. After a brief encounter with Confederates stationed at
Tunnel Hill on May 7, Thomas began the Battle of Rocky Face with
attacks at Dug and Mill Creek Gaps on May 8.
Sherman, realizing the challenge that faced his men in taking Rocky
Face, ordered his men to move south from Dalton on May 10 in support
of the Army of the Tennessee. McPherson had his men to dig in after
finding stronger than expected Rebel resistance in Resaca. Faced with
a larger force in his rear, Johnston hastily moved south, forming a
line east of Snake Creek Gap. During the Battle of Resaca (May 1415), Johnston held his position in spite of a numerically superior
enemy. However, after the battle Johnston again withdraws because of
enemy troops in his rear.
After deciding not to fight near Adairsville because the Oothcaloga
Valley was too wide, Johnston decides to set a trap for Sherman on
May 18-19. With the Union Army spread out across twenty miles of
difficult terrain west of Cassville, Johnston ordered his men to
attack the eastern column. Prior to the attack, Hood received word of
Federals to his rear and withdrew.
By the end of the day Hood and Polk were concerned about their
positions. Despite strong objections from Hardee, Johnston withdraws.
Sherman paused. His occupation of the city of Kingston gave him a
base from which he could move one of two ways. He could continue
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along the Western and Atlantic Railroad, his all-weather lifeline, or
move south towards Dallas, a small town west of Marietta.
East of Kingston, Georgia, General William Tecumseh Sherman saw the
Allatoona Mountains. As a young officer he had marveled at a pass
through these mountains, while traveling to visit the Etowah Indian
Mounds in Cartersville. Easily defended, the high ridge on either
side of the railroad tracks would be expensive to take. Instead, the
Union general decided to move south, into the rugged hills of
present-day Paulding County.
Dallas, Georgia was a small farming community at a crossroads.
Although no railroad serviced the community, the crossroads offered
many strategic possibilities. While the move from Chattanooga to
Kingston had taken 10 days, as Sherman crossed "The Rubicon of
Georgia" (his somewhat egotistical name for Georgia's Etowah River),
his advance slowed to a crawl.
Johnston, who had disappeared into the Allatoona Mountains with his
entire army quickly discovered Sherman's action and moved troops west
along an arc of ridges that stretch from Kennasaw Mountain to Dallas.
Sherman's XX Corps, under the command of "Fighting Joe" Hooker, ran
headlong into Hood's Rebels at New Hope Church during a driving
rainstorm. Hood and his men stubbornly held their ground. Sherman
decided to flank the Rebel Army to the east with an attack near a
small farm settlement (now a state park) known as Pickett's Mill.
Unknown to Sherman, his men came up against Patrick Cleburne, the
tough Arkansasan who had held off Sherman himself during the fighting
at Missionary Ridge. Cleburne repulsed the Federal attack. Sherman
was in desperate need of a railroad to feed his men. In the middle of
"a hell hole," supply lines extended and vulnerable and facing stiff
rebel resistance, Sherman ordered his men to withdraw. Realizing the
movement, Johnston ordered Hardee to advance in force on a
reconnaissance at the western end of Sherman's line. Heavy
Confederate losses resulted in the battle of Dallas. As Sherman moved
northeast from Dallas to the Western and Atlantic Railroad, General
George Stoneman captured Allatoona Pass on June 1.
From his base in Acworth, Sherman slowly pushed the Rebel Army back
towards Marietta. On June 14, General Leonidas Polk was killed by an
artillery shell fired under the personal direction of Sherman.
Although Polk was not a great military leader he was beloved by his
men and respected by both Johnston and Hood, whom he had baptized
during the campaign.
On June 18 the Confederate line ran north to south from Kennesaw
Mountain to Peter Kolb's farm. The Union line was less than a mile
west.
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A frontal assault on Johnston's entrenched position would be
expensive in terms of lives. Sherman decided to try the flanking
movement that had worked so well further north. Sensing the movement,
Hood attacked Hooker's XX Corps in the vicinity of Kolb's (or Culp's)
Farm without orders on June 22 (Battle of Kolb's Farm). The move
prevented Sherman from turning the Rebel flank, but the 1,000
Confederate dead was an exceeding high cost.
For 5 days the Union Army organized under the watchful eyes of the
Confederates. Supply wagons and men stretched as far the eye could
see. On Monday, June 27, 1864, Sherman launched The Battle of
Kennesaw Mountain, a full frontal attack on the entrenched Rebel
line. It would be the worst defeat of the Federal forces during the
Atlanta campaign.
Further Union Army movement after the battle finally exposed
Johnston's flank. During the night of July 1-2 the Confederate
commander withdrew to fortified positions between Marietta and
Atlanta. The battles for Kennesaw were over. Now Sherman turned his
attention to Atlanta.
With Kennesaw Mountain secure, Sherman began his move on Atlanta.
Vining's Station fell on July 4, 1864. On July 7, in response to
multiple requests from Joe Johnston for more men, President Jefferson
Davis informed Johnston of his decision not to send any additional
troops. Skirmishing continued across a wide front, mostly to the
north and west of Atlanta over the next few days. Braxton Bragg
arrived to "investigate" Johnston's "failure to stop" General
Sherman. Davis had already asked Robert E. Lee who should be
Johnston's replacement. On July 17, Davis relieved Johnston of
command, giving it to John Bell Hood.
Hood's first action was an attack against the Army of the Cumberland
at Peachtree Creek (July 20). Although successful at first, the
battle turned into a bloodbath of Confederate soldiers with losses
totaling 5,000 men. Union losses were well under 2,000. During the
battle the first artillery shells fell directly on the city of
Atlanta.
Two days later, on July 22, Hood once again attacked. The Battle of
Atlanta was a devastating blow to the Confederate Army, with
estimated casualties as high as to one-quarter of the 40,000 men
engaged, although official numbers are lower (8,499). While Federal
losses were significantly less (3,641), one of them was General James
McPherson.
Ezra Church (July 28) would be the same story, with the aggressive
Hood losing more men than his opponents. For the next month Sherman
and Hood would use cavalry to fight skirmishes around the city. One
exception was heavy fighting in the vicinity of Utoy Creek on Aug. 580
7.
Sherman had been successful in cutting Rebel lines of supply for
short periods of time, but Hood's men quickly repaired any damage
done to the railroad tracks. Late in August, 1864, Sherman decided to
completely sever the lines by massing his forces south of Atlanta.
Moving six of his seven divisions west of the city, Sherman was
massed to the west and below Hood's extended line. On August 31, Hood
dispatched William Hardee to hold the supply lines south of the city,
unaware that most of the Union Army was now advancing on his rear.
The last communication with Hardee took place just after 2 p.m. that
day.
Unable to reestablish communication with Hardee and with a
significant Union force at his rear, Hood had no options but to
abandon the city. Since Sherman had cut off his line of
transportation Hood had to blow up the munitions that could not be
carried. Sherman felt the explosion in Jonesboro, 15 miles south of
Atlanta. General Henry Slocum's XX Corps received the surrender from
Atlanta mayor James Calhoun on September 2, 1864.
With the defeat of the Rebels in Atlanta, Sherman had effectively
broken the back of the Confederate war machine. The loss of Atlanta
had far more devastating effects on the South than anyone had
expected. Democrats that aligned with the peace movement withdrew
their support after the fall of Atlanta when George B. McClellan
called for union as "the one condition of peace." Within 6 months the
Confederacy would surrender and begin the painful process of
"reconstruction" forced upon them by their brethren in blue.
Write a one paragraph summary of the Atlanta Campaign.
81
Sherman’s March to the Sea
The March to the Sea, the most destructive campaign against a
civilian population during the Civil War (1861-65), began in Atlanta
on November 15, 1864, and concluded in Savannah on December 21, 1864.
Union general William T. Sherman abandoned his supply line and
marched across Georgia to the Atlantic Ocean to prove to the
Confederate population that its government could not protect the
people from invaders. He practiced psychological warfare; he believed
that by marching an army across the state he would demonstrate to the
world that the Union had a power the Confederacy could not resist.
"This may not be war," he said, "but rather statesmanship."
After Sherman's forces captured Atlanta on September 2, 1864, Sherman
spent several weeks making preparations for a change of base to the
coast. He rejected the Union plan to move through Alabama to Mobile,
pointing out that after Rear Admiral David G. Farragut closed Mobile
Bay in August 1864, the Alabama port no longer held any military
significance. Rather, he decided to proceed southeast toward Savannah
or Charleston. He carefully studied census records to determine which
route could provide food for his men and forage for his animals.
Although U.S. president Abraham Lincoln was skeptical and did not
want Sherman to move into enemy territory before the presidential
election in November, Sherman persuaded his friend Lieutenant General
Ulysses S. Grant that the campaign was possible in winter. Through
Grant's intervention Sherman finally gained permission, although he
had to delay until after election day.
After General John Bell Hood abandoned Atlanta, he moved the
Confederate Army of Tennessee outside the city to recuperate from the
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previous campaign. In early October he began a raid toward
Chattanooga, Tennessee, in an effort to draw Sherman back over ground
the two sides had fought for since May. But instead of tempting
Sherman to battle, Hood turned his army west and marched into
Alabama, abandoning Georgia to Union forces. Apparently, Hood hoped
that if he invaded Tennessee, Sherman would be forced to follow.
Sherman, however, had anticipated this strategy and had sent Major
General George H. Thomas to Nashville to deal with Hood. With Georgia
cleared of the Confederate army, Sherman, facing only scattered
cavalry, was free to move south.
Sherman divided his approximately 60,000 troops into two roughly
equal wings. The right wing was under Oliver O. Howard. Peter J.
Osterhaus commanded the Fifteenth Corps, and Francis P. Blair Jr.
commanded the Seventeenth Corps. The left wing was commanded by Henry
W. Slocum, with the Fourteenth Corps under Jefferson C. Davis and the
Twentieth Corps under Alpheus S. Williams. Judson Kilpatrick led the
cavalry. Sherman had about 2,500 supply wagons and 600 ambulances.
Before the army left Atlanta, the general issued an order outlining
the rules of the march, but soldiers often ignored the restrictions
on foraging.
The two wings advanced by separate routes, generally staying twenty
miles to forty miles apart. The right wing headed for Macon, the left
wing in the direction of Augusta, before the two commands turned and
bypassed both cities. They now headed for the state capital at
Milledgeville. Opposing Sherman's advance was Confederate cavalry,
about 8,000 strong, under Major General Joseph Wheeler and various
units of Georgia militia under Gustavus W. Smith. Although William J.
Hardee had overall command in Georgia, with his headquarters at
Savannah, neither he nor Governor Joseph E. Brown could do anything
to stop Sherman's advance. Sherman's foragers quickly became known as
"bummers" as they raided farms and plantations. On November 23 the
state capital peacefully surrendered, and Sherman occupied the vacant
governor's mansion and capitol building.
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There were a number of skirmishes between Wheeler's cavalry and Union
troopers, but only two battles of any significance. The first came
east of Macon at the factory town of Griswoldville on November 22,
when Georgia militia faced Union infantry with disastrous results.
The Confederates suffered 650 men killed or wounded in a one-sided
battle that left about 62 casualties on the Union side. The second
battle occurred on the Ogeechee River twelve miles below Savannah.
Union infantry under William B. Hazen assaulted and captured Fort
McAllister on December 13, thus opening the back door to the port
city. The most controversial event involved contrabands (escaped
slaves) who followed the liberating armies. At Ebenezer Creek on
December 9, Jefferson C. Davis removed the pontoon bridge before the
slaves crossed. Frightened men, women, and children plunged into the
deep water, and many drowned in an attempt to reach safety. After the
march Davis was soundly criticized by the Northern press, but Sherman
backed his commander by pointing out that Davis had done what was
militarily necessary.
Confederate lieutenant general Hardee, realizing his small army could
not hold out long and not wanting the city leveled by artillery as
had happened at Atlanta, ordered his men to abandon the trenches and
retreat to South Carolina. Sherman, who was not with the Union army
when Mayor Richard Arnold surrendered Savannah (he had gone to Hilton
Head, South Carolina, to make preparations for a siege and was on his
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way back to Georgia), telegraphed President Lincoln on December 22
that the city had fallen. He offered Savannah and its 25,000 bales of
cotton to the president as a Christmas present.
Sherman's march frightened and appalled Southerners. It hurt morale,
for civilians had believed the Confederacy could protect the home
front.
Sherman had terrorized the countryside; his men had destroyed all
sources of food and forage and had left behind a hungry and
demoralized people. Although he did not level any towns, he did
destroy buildings in places where there was resistance. His men had
shown little sympathy for Millen, the site of Camp Lawton, where
Union prisoners of war were held. Physical attacks on white civilians
were few, although it is not known how slave women fared at the hands
of the invaders. Often male slaves posted guards outside the cabins
of their women.
Confederate president Jefferson Davis had urged Georgians to
undertake a scorched-earth policy of poisoning wells and burning
fields, but civilians in the army's path had not done so. Sherman,
however, burned or captured all the food stores that Georgians had
saved for the winter months. As a result of the hardships on women
and children, desertions increased in Robert E. Lee's army in
Virginia. Sherman believed his campaign against civilians would
shorten the war by breaking the Confederate will to fight, and he
eventually received permission to carry this psychological warfare
into South Carolina in early 1865. By marching through Georgia and
South Carolina he became an arch villain in the South and a hero in
the North.
Interesting Facts about Sherman's March to the Sea •The tactic of
destroying much in an army's path is called "scorched earth".
•
The Union soldiers would heat up rail road ties and then
bend them around tree trunks. They
were nicknamed "Sherman's neckties".
•
Sherman's decisive victories are thought to have assured
Abraham Lincoln's reelection as
president.
•
The soldiers who went out to forage for food for the army
were called "bummers".
•
Sherman estimated that his army did $100m in damage and
that's in 1864 dollars. In 2013
dollars that would be 1.9 billion dollars!
 Sherman’s path of destruction was 300 mile long and 100 mile
wide marching from Atlanta to Savannah and destroying
everything in the path.
Write a one paragraph summary of Sherman’s March to the Sea.
85
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
On April 9, 1865 General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General
Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, Virginia. This signaled the start of
the end of the American Civil War.
In early 1865, the Union Army began marching through the state of
Virginia, pushing back the Confederate forces. In hopes of uniting
with more Confederate troops in North Carolina, General Robert E. Lee
and the Confederate Army abandoned the capital of Richmond and
retreated. However, the Union Army soon cut off their retreat and
they were forced to stop at Appomattox, Virginia.
General Grant and the Union Army had the Confederates surrounded.
The Confederates were low on supplies, many soldiers were deserting,
and they were greatly outnumbered. Upon looking at the conditions and
the odds, General Lee felt he had no choice but to surrender.
The two Generals, Lee and Grant, met on April 9, 1865 to discuss the
surrender of Lee's army. General Grant came and met Lee at the McLean
house in Appomattox. Grant had great respect for Lee and, before they
got down to surrender terms, he actually made some small talk with
Lee.
General Grant had already discussed terms with President Lincoln.
President Lincoln wanted peace to come to the Union and felt he
needed to treat the Confederate soldiers such that they would not
rebel again. The terms of the surrender were generous: Confederate
soldiers would have to turn in their rifles, but they could return
home immediately and keep their horses or mules. They were also given
food as many of them were very hungry.
These terms were more than Lee and the Confederate Army could ask
for. Although they were crushed to have to surrender, they could not
dispute the fairness with which they were treated by the North.
There were many more soldiers and armies throughout the south that
86
had not yet surrendered. However, when they heard of Lee's surrender
at Appomattox, many of them knew the war was over. General Joseph
Johnston surrendered his army to General Sherman on April 26, 1865.
Many other officers followed in surrendering. The last Confederate
general to surrender was General Stand Watie who surrendered on June
23, 1865.
On May 5, 1865 Confederate President Jefferson Davis held the last
meeting of his cabinet. They officially dissolved, or ended, the
Confederate government. Davis tried to escape, but was soon captured.
He spent the next two years in prison.
On August 20, 1866 President Andrew Johnson signed a document stating
that the American Civil War was over and all of America was at peace.
Write a one paragraph summary of the surrender at Appomattox
Courthouse.
87
Date:
Essential Question
Standards
Effects of the War
North
South
88
89
Write a four paragraph essay to explain how the Civil War impacted
the North and the South.
90
Date:
Essential Question
Standards
Households
p. 132
U. S. Economy
The Four Sectors
Private Business
Banking
p. 133
p.134
Function
Function
Function
Terms
Terms
resources
resources
consumer goods
consume
Terms
Checking account
Government
p. 136
Function
Terms
national defense
transportation
Savings Account
consumer service
labor
goods
people
education
Loan
services
income security
Veterans’ benefits
Taxes make it happen
Write a six paragraph essay to explain the four sectors of the
economy.
91
Unit 2-3 Review:
Students should complete a notecard for each question.
They should
print the question on the front and print the answer on the back of
the card
FRONT of NOTECARD (blank side)
BACK of NOTECARD (lined side)
The three causes of the Civil War are:
 economic differences between the
North and South
92

political issues of states’
rights verses federal rights and
slavery

election of Abraham Lincoln as
President of the United States.
What are the three causes of the
Civil War?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
Name three causes of the Civil War.
What does the concept of states’ rights mean?
What does the term tariff mean?
Amendment I
Amendment II
Amendment III
Amendment IV
Amendment V
Amendment VI
Amendment VII
Amendment VIII
Amendment IX
Amendment X
What does the term migration mean?
What does the term immigration mean?
What is a republic?
What is a democracy?
What does the term scarcity mean?
What does the term opportunity cost mean?
Who was Harriet Beecher Stowe?
Define plantation
What is a cash crop?
Who was Abraham Lincoln?
Who was Jefferson Davis?
Who was Ulysses S. Grant?
Who was Robert E. Lee?
Who was William Tecumseh Sherman?
Who was Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson?
What was the Missouri Compromise?
What was the Compromise of 1850?
What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act?
What was the Fugitive Slave Act?
The Northern economy was based upon __________________________.
The Southern economy was based upon __________________________.
What was an abolitionist?
What ruling did the Dred Scott case make?
What is a push factor?
What is a pull factor?
What is sectionalism?
Who was Nat Turner?
Why is Gettysburg considered a turning point in the Union
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42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
victory over the Confederacy?
Why was Fort Sumter important to the Confederacy?
What does the term scorched earth mean?
What is important about Appomattox Courthouse, Va.?
Why did the Emancipation Proclamation not produce the results
Lincoln had hoped it would produce?
What are the four sectors of the economy?
What is the role of a household in the economy?
What are the roles of privates businesses in the economy?
How do banks function in the economy?
How does the government function in the economy?
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