The War to Antietam
Mr. White’s US 1 History Class
Objectives
After this lesson, we should be able to:
Explain how both sides of the Civil War
planned to win the war
Explain why Lincoln issued the Emancipation
Proclamation
Union Advantages
More people and men
More factories and production
Controlled the Atlantic Ocean – naval
power
Confederate Advantages
Only had to fight a
defensive war; didn’t
have to “win” the war,
had to not lose
Better generals in the
right positions, at the
start
Soldiers were more
accustomed to
campaigning
Union Strategy – Anaconda Plan
Capture Richmond, Virginia – capital of the
Confederacy
Control the Mississippi River and split
Confederacy into two parts
Control the oceans and ports so that South
couldn’t export cotton
Confederate Strategy
Mostly defensive in nature; defend territory
Attack when necessary
Sometimes they got a little too aggressive
and attacked when they shouldn’t have
The Blitz – Pop Question!
As we know from yesterday, the popular
opinion of many people on both sides was that
the war was going to be _____________.
A. Long – the first volunteers signed on for 3 years
B. Short – the first volunteers signed on for 30 days
C. Bloody – Lincoln called for 300,000 troops
immediately after Fort Sumter
Let’s see who was right.
First Manassas/First Bull Run
First major battle of the war
Union troops left Washington, D.C., and met
Confederate forces at Manassas
Many people came to the battle and tried to get a
good view, some picnicked, thought it would be
fun
Bloody battle; Confederate victory
Many knew the war would not be short, now
Union Victories in the Western
Theater
Ulysses S. Grant - captures Forts Henry and
Donelson along the Mississippi
Battle of Shiloh - bloody battle, again U.S.
Grant
David G. Farragut - captures Baton Rouge
and Natchez, closing in on New Orleans
George McClellan
Commander of the Union
forces in 1861 and 1862 is
George McClellan
Very good planner and
army-builder – trains the
men well
Reluctant to attack –
Lincoln has to threaten
him many times to get him
moving
Peninsula Campaign
McClellan finally gets moving in March of 1862
Attacks up the Virginia Peninsula, headed for
Richmond
McClellan is cautious; always thinks he is
outnumbered, and doesn’t attack
When Robert E. Lee takes command of
Confederates, he pushes McClellan back off the
Peninsula
Campaign is a failure – McClellan is fired
Confederate Invasion
Robert E. Lee is in command of the South; after
winning at Peninsula, Lee decides to invade the
North
Decides to go through Maryland
Thinks that Marylanders will rise up in support of
the South
Wants to live off the Northern soil for a while
A victory in the North could end the war
The Blitz – Pop Question!
Lee’s invasion of the north was different
from the overall Confederate strategy,
which was to:
A. Defend Confederate territory
B. Attack Union troops in forts along the coast
C. First defeat the Union navy
Before Antietam
As Lee invades the North, McClellan
actually captures a copy of Lee’s orders for
movement – McClellan knows exactly
where Lee’s men are
Still moves slowly!
McClellan at first thinks it might be a trick,
but finally starts moving
Antietam
Union corners Lee at
Antietam creek
McClellan still
cautious, but manages
to defeat Lee – doesn’t
take advantage of the
victory
Lee is forced to retreat
back into the south
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln issues
Emancipation
Proclamation after the
victory at Antietam
Frees slaves in any
areas in rebellion after
January 1st, 1863
Does not free slaves in
states not in rebellion
(why?)
Effects of Emancipation
Proclamation
War now takes on a moral tone for the
North – before it was simply to restore the
Union, now it will be to end slavery, as well
Other nations such as England and France
will not enter a war to defend slavery
If Union wins, slavery will be ended,
forever.
Question #1
The Union’s Anaconda Plan was a strategy
for defeating the Confederacy. Which of
the following was NOT a part of that plan?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Capture the Confederate capital at Richmond
Control the seas with the Union Navy
Conduct trench warfare
Control the Mississippi River
Question #2
Which of the following people would NOT
be eligible for freedom from slavery under
Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation?
A. A slave in Confederate-controlled Alabama in
1863
B. A slave in Union-controlled Maryland in 1863
C. A slave in Confederate-controlled Florida in
1863