The Battle of Bull Run
The First Major Battle of the War
Pgs. 162-163
The Battle of Bull Run
• Three months after the attack on Ft.
Sumter, (July 1861) two armies of eager
young men met at a stream near the town
of Manassas Junction, Virginia.
• The Northern army consisted of about
35,000 soldiers compared to the South’s
army of 22,000.
A Union Defeat
• After hours of fighting, the South won the
battle.
• The defeat shocked the Union!
• Northerners had entered the war feeling
very strong.
• The North had a larger population, more
factories to make weapons, and more
railroads to get supplies to their troops.
A Wake Up Call for the North
• Many in the North, thought the war would
end in just a few weeks.
• They were now faced with a Southern
army that was more powerful and more
determined than expected.
• Southerners had a very strong will to win.
• Lincoln called for more soldiers and began
looking for new officers to lead his army.
A New Plan for the North
• The North decided to cut-off southern
trade with the North and with other
countries.
• They cut-off trade by setting up a blockade
of Southern ports stopping ships from
entering or leaving the harbor.
• The North believed that without trade, the
South would become weaker.
The “Anaconda” Plan
• Many Northerners thought the blockade
plan would take too long to be effective.
• They thought Lincoln should send soldiers
into the South and invade Richmond,
Virginia, the Southern capital.
• Many in the South, wanted to see
Confederate soldiers enter and invade
Washington, D.C.
The Southern View
• Southerners compared their predicament to that
of George Washington during the Revolutionary
War.
• They wanted to protect their homes and defeat
their enemy just as the Patriots beat the British.
• Southerners also hoped countries in Europe
would help them win the war.
• England and France depended on Southern
cotton to keep their textile mills running, and
they hoped these two countries would join forces
with the South.