APUSH I Final Exam Chapter14

Abraham Lincoln

• Republican president elected in 1860, whose victory triggered the Secession Crisis because many Southerners believed he would threaten slavery

• In his inaugural address, he declared that no state had the legal right to leave the Union and that attempts to support secession with force were acts of treason

• Promised the federal government would hold and defend federal property in seceded states, including Fort Sumter

• Faced the challenge of building a Union army almost from scratch, relying heavily on volunteers from state militias

• Expanded presidential authority during the war, sometimes stretching constitutional limits to respond quickly to rebellion

• Worked to build popular support for the war through persuasion and publicity, including allowing photographers like Mathew Brady to document the war

Secession 

• The act of a state formally withdrawing from the United States and the Union

• Began after the election of Abraham Lincoln, which many Southern leaders believed threatened slavery and Southern political power

• South Carolina initiated secession, followed by: Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas

• These seven states formed the Confederate States of America

• Seceding states seized federal property within their territories

• President James Buchanan claimed secession was illegal, but he also believed the federal government lacked the power to prevent it, which worsened the crisis

• Lincoln later declared that no state could legally leave the Union, and attempts to do so through force were acts of rebellion

Confederate States of America

• A new nation formed in 1861 by seven Southern states that had seceded from the Union (South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas)

• Created during a convention held in Montgomery, Alabama

• Formed to protect the institution of slavery and Southern independence

• Its government was modeled closely after the U.S. Constitution but explicitly protected slavery and emphasized state sovereignty

• Later elected Jefferson Davis as president and Alexander H. Stephens as vice president

• Confederate states seized federal property inside their borders and prepared for war with the Union

Fort Sumter

• A federal military fort located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina

• Defended by Robert Anderson, a Union officer

• After South Carolina seceded, the state demanded the surrender of the fort, but Buchanan refused

• After Buchanan ordered a merchant ship here, Confederate guns shot back turned the ship back; these were considered the first shots between the North and South but nobody actually admitted the war had begun

• The fort began running low on supplies, prompting President Lincoln to send a relief expedition

• Confederate leaders ordered P. G. T. Beauregard to capture the fort

• Confederate forces bombarded the fort for two days, forcing Anderson to surrender

• The attack on Fort Sumter marked the official beginning of the Civil War in 1861

Crittenden Compromise

• A compromise proposal created by John J. Crittenden in an attempt to prevent Southern states from seceding

• Called for several constitutional amendments guaranteeing the permanent existence of slavery in slave states

• Also aimed to satisfy Southern concerns about fugitive enslaved people and slavery in Washington, D.C.

• The central idea was to reestablish the Missouri Compromise line in all present and future territory of the US, allowing:

  • Slavery south of the line

  • No slavery north of the line

Southern senators supported the proposal, but Republicans rejected it because they opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories

Union advantages

• Population advantage: The North had about twice the population of the South, giving it a larger army and workforce

• Industrial strength: The North had a more advanced industrial system, allowing it to manufacture weapons, equipment, and other war materials

• Transportation: The North had a much more developed railroad system, making it easier to move troops and supplies

Confederacy advantages

• Defensive war: Confederates were fighting on their own land, giving them familiarity with the terrain and support from local populations

• Strong commitment: Many white Southerners were deeply committed to independence, believing their way of life was at stake

• Hope for foreign support: Southerners believed that European nations such as England and France would support them because they depended on Southern cotton

Homestead Act

• A law passed by Republicans in their nationalistic program to promote economic development that:

• Allowed any citizen or prospective citizen to claim 160 acres of public land

The land could be purchased for a small fee after the person lived on it for five years

Morrill Land Grant Act

• Passed by Republicans in their nationalistic program to promote economic development that gave large amounts of public land to state governments

• States were expected to sell the land and use the money to support public education

• Led to the creation of many new colleges and universities, particularly institutions focused on agriculture and mechanical arts

Transcontinental railroad

• A major national project supported by Congress during the Civil War passed by Republicans in their nationalistic program to promote economic development

• It connected the eastern and western United States by rail

• The government created two federally chartered companies:

  • Union Pacific Railroad Company

  • Central Pacific Railroad Company

• The railroads were intended to build toward each other and meet in the middle, completing a coast-to-coast railroad connection

• The Central Pacific Railroad built east from California, helping resolve earlier disagreements about the railroad route

National Bank Acts of 1863-1864

• Created a unified national banking system in the Union

• Banks could join by investing one-third of their capital in government securities

• Allowed banks to issue U.S. Treasury notes as currency, stabilizing money supply

• Reduced financial chaos and standardized the use of national bank notes

“Greenbacks”

• Paper currency issued by the federal government to help finance the war in the Union

• Backed only by the government’s credit, not gold or silver

• Highly controversial because its value fluctuated with the fortunes of the Northern armies

• Rarely used as a primary method of payment; most war funding came from loans and bonds

National draft law

• Law requiring most young adult males to serve in the military if volunteer enlistments were insufficient

• A man could avoid service by hiring a substitute or paying $300

Encouraged more volunteers but also provoked resistance and unrest, especially among urban working-class populations

“Peace Democrats”/ “Copperheads”

• Northern political faction opposed to the Civil War and conscription

• Many were laborers, immigrants, and Democrats who feared the war strengthened Republican nationalism and weakened state authority

• Advocated for peace negotiations with the Confederacy, often criticizing Lincoln’s mobilization policies

Prominent leaders included Clement L. Vallandigham

New York City draft riot

• A violent uprising in July 1863 in response to the national draft law

• Participants included Irish immigrants and laborers who resented being drafted while fearing freed African Americans would compete for jobs

Resulted in over 100 deaths, with rioters lynching Black people, destroying homes, businesses, and an orphanage

Lincoln’s ‘stretching’ of the Constitution

• During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln expanded presidential powers in order to quickly respond to the rebellion

• Believed it would be foolish to lose the whole nation by refusing to risk violating part of the Constitution

• Actions that stretched constitutional authority included:

  • Sending troops into battle without asking Congress for a declaration of war

  • Increasing the size of the regular army without legislative approval

  • Announcing a naval blockade of the South on his own authority.

• These actions were controversial but were justified by Lincoln as necessary to preserve the Union

Border states

• Slave states that remained in the Union during the Civil War

• Politically sensitive areas where Lincoln was cautious in his policies

• Because loyalty was uncertain, the government used military authority and suspension of habeas corpus in these regions

• Maintaining control of these states was strategically important for the Union war effort

Union Party

• A political alliance formed during the Election of 1864

• Comprised mainly of Republicans and a small number of War Democrats

• Formed to unite all groups supporting the Union war effort, presenting a single political front

• Nominated Abraham Lincoln for president and Andrew Johnson for vice president

War Democrats

• A faction of the Democratic Party that supported the Union war effort

• Opposed the Peace Democrats/Copperheads, who wanted a truce with the Confederacy

• Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s vice-presidential running mate in 1864, was a War Democrat from Tennessee

• War Democrats helped broaden political support for the Lincoln administration

Andrew Johnson

• Senator from Tennessee and War Democrat

• Chosen as Lincoln’s running mate in the 1864 election to appeal to Unionist Democrats and border-state voters

• Did not support secession and remained loyal to the Union despite being from a Southern state

• Represented the Union Party’s attempt to unite Northern support across party lines

Radical Republicans

• A faction within the Republican Party during the Civil War

• Advocated using the war to completely abolish slavery rather than just prevent its expansion

• Key leaders included: Thaddeus Stevens (Pennsylvania), Charles Sumner (Massachusetts) and Benjamin Wade (Ohio)

• Pressured Lincoln and Congress to make emancipation a central war aim and increase the political influence of freedmen

Battle of Antietam/ Antietam Creek

• Location: Near Antietam Creek, Maryland

• Union commander: George B. McClellan

• Confederate commander: Robert E. Lee

• What happened: Lee moved his army north into Maryland. McClellan had a copy of Lee’s orders but delayed his attack. This gave Lee time to gather his forces behind Antietam Creek. The two armies fought in the bloodiest single day of the war. Union forces attacked repeatedly, and both sides suffered enormous casualties. As Confederate lines weakened, the last of Stonewall Jackson’s troops arrived from Harpers Ferry to reinforce Lee.

• Result / significance: The battle ended without a clear destruction of Lee’s army, but it was considered a Union victory. McClellan failed to pursue Lee when he retreated, missing a chance to defeat the Confederacy more decisively. After the battle, Lincoln removed McClellan from command.

Important: after this battle, Lincoln also announced his intention to use his war powers in issuing an executive order freeing all people in the confederacy (Emancipation Proclamation)

Emancipation Proclamation

• Issued by Abraham Lincoln after the Union victory at Antietam

• Declared enslaved people in Confederate states “forever free”, but did not apply to border states or areas already under Union control (ex: Tennessee, western Virginia, southern Louisiana)

• Limited practical effect initially, but redefined the war as a fight against slavery

• Encouraged freedmen to escape to Union lines and allowed African Americans to enlist in the military

13th Amendment

• Constitutional amendment passed after the Civil War

• Abolished slavery throughout the United States, making emancipation permanent

• Final legal step in ending slavery, after the Emancipation Proclamation, which only freed enslaved people in areas under Confederate control

54th Massachusetts Infantry

• One of the first official African American regiments in the Union Army

• Led by Robert Gould Shaw, a white officer from a prominent Boston family

• Famous for bravery in battle near Charleston, where half the regiment, including Shaw, died

• Symbolized the courage and contribution of African Americans to the Union war effort

Gettysburg Address

• Delivered by Abraham Lincoln four months after the Battle of Gettysburg

• Dedication speech for a military cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

• Reflected on American history, the Civil War, and the ideals of freedom and equality

• Became one of the most celebrated speeches in U.S. history, reinforcing the moral and national purpose of the war

Jefferson Davis

• President of the Confederate States of America

• Former U.S. senator and secretary of war

• Known as a moderate secessionist

• Responsible for leading the Confederate government and directing the Southern war effort

• Didn't provide national leadership during the war and would plan strategy alone for most of the war

• Faced major challenges such as limited resources, internal political disagreements, and maintaining unity among Southern state

States’ rights

• Political principle strongly supported in the South that individual states should have more authority than the national government

• This belief influenced the structure of the Confederate government

However, during the war, strong central action was often needed, creating tension between Confederate leaders and state governments

Blockade

• A Union naval strategy used during the Civil War to prevent ships from entering or leaving Confederate ports

• The Union had a major advantage in naval power, which allowed them to enforce the blockade along the Southern coastline

• The blockade kept oceangoing ships out of Confederate ports and the Union navy gradually captured important Southern ports

• had a major impact on the Confederacy

• Once it became more effective, the South began experiencing severe shortages of goods, including food, supplies, and medical care

The blockade contributed to economic collapse in the South, since the region depended heavily on trade with Northern markets

Army of the Potomac

• The main Union army in the Eastern theater of the Civil War

• Commanded early in the war by George B. McClellan, who was one of the most controversial generals of the war

• The army played a major role in several important campaigns and battles in the East

• During the Peninsular Campaign, this army attempted to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond

• Later commanders of the army included: Ambrose E. Burnside, Joseph Hooker, and George C. Meade

• The army fought in many major battles against Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, including: Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg

• The army eventually participated in Grant’s final campaign against Richmond and the siege of Petersburg, which led to the end of the war

Ulysses S. Grant

• One of the most successful Union generals of the Civil War

• Eventually chosen by Abraham Lincoln after several earlier commanders failed to manage the war effectively

• Grant shared Lincoln’s strategic view that the Union should target: enemy armies and Confederate resources, rather than trying to capture territory

• Lincoln gave Grant significant freedom to conduct military operations, although Grant still submitted his overall plans to Lincoln

• Grant became one of the Union commanders who understood the new style of warfare, which emphasized destroying enemy resources as well as defeating armies

• Achieved major victories in the Western theater, including: Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Battle of Shiloh and Vicksburg

• After capturing Vicksburg, the Union gained control of the entire Mississippi River, which split the Confederacy in two

• Later led the final campaign against Robert E. Lee, including: Battle of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor and Siege of Petersburg

• Eventually forced Lee to surrender at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the Civil War

Robert E. Lee

• The most important Confederate general during the Civil War

• Early in the war, Confederate President Jefferson Davis appointed Lee as his main military adviser

• Lee later commanded the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy’s most important army in the Eastern theater

• Known for his aggressive military strategies and bold attacks, even when outnumbered

• Led Confederate forces in many major battles, including: Battle of the Seven Days, Second Battle of Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg

• Later fought Ulysses S. Grant

• Defended Richmond and Petersburg during the final phase of the war

• Eventually surrendered his army to Grant at Appomattox Court House, ending major Confederate resistance

Late in the war he was appointed General in Chief of Confederate forces, but by that time the Confederacy was already near defeat

William Tecumseh Sherman

• One of the most important Union generals and a close ally of Ulysses S. Grant

• Known for embracing a new style of warfare that focused on destroying enemy resources, not just defeating armies

• Commanded Union forces in the Western theater, particularly in campaigns through Georgia and the Deep South

• Successfully advanced toward Atlanta, defeating Confederate forces under Joseph E. Johnston

• Won a key engagement at Kennesaw Mountain, although Johnston temporarily slowed his advance

• After Johnston was replaced by John B. Hood, Confederate forces launched aggressive attacks that weakened their own army

• Sherman eventually captured Atlanta, which was an important victory that boosted Northern morale and unity

• Later launched the famous March to the Sea

• Sherman marched across Georgia to Savannah, which surrendered

• He presented Savannah to Lincoln as a “Christmas gift”

Sherman continued marching through South Carolina and into North Carolina, facing little resistance before the war ended

William Seward

• Served as the Union Secretary of State during the Civil War under Lincoln

• Widely regarded as one of the most skilled secretaries of state in American history

• Played a crucial role in preventing foreign nations from supporting the Confederacy

• Worked closely with Charles Francis Adams, the American diplomat in London

• Seward carefully handled several diplomatic crises that could have drawn European nations into the war

• His diplomacy helped ensure that no European power officially recognized or supported the Confederacy

Trent affair

• A major diplomatic crisis between the United States and Great Britain during the Civil War

• Occurred when two Confederate diplomats escaped the Union blockade and traveled to Cuba

• They boarded a British mail ship called the Trent, which was heading to England

• The Union warship San Jacinto (commanded by Charles Wilkes) stopped the vessel and arrested the diplomats, causing outrage in Britain

• The crisis threatened to bring Britain into the war against the Union

Manassas/First Battle of Bull Run

• The first major battle of the Civil War, fought in northern Virginia near Manassas

• Union forces were commanded by Irvin McDowell, while Confederate troops were led by P. G. T. Beauregard

• McDowell marched his inexperienced Union army toward Confederate forces positioned behind Bull Run, a stream north of Manassas

• Beauregard requested reinforcements, which allowed the Confederate army to match the size of the Union forces

• During the battle: Union troops initially pushed Confederate forces back, Confederate forces then launched a brutal counterattack, the Union army became panicked and retreated disorderly toward Washington; Confederate forces did not pursue the retreating Union army

• The battle had major consequences: shattered the belief that the war would be short and easy, caused Abraham Lincoln to lose confidence in many of his officers and showed that the Civil War would be a long and difficult conflict

New Orleans

• The largest city in the Confederacy and its most important banking and commercial center

• Located near the mouth of the Mississippi River, making it a crucial location for trade

• Captured by Union naval forces led by David G. Farragut

• Confederate leaders had expected an attack from the north, leaving the city vulnerable to a naval assault from the Gulf of Mexico

• When Farragut defeated the Confederate forts guarding the Mississippi River, the city had little ability to defend itself

• New Orleans surrendered to the Union, giving the North control of the mouth of the Mississippi River

• This victory closed the river to Confederate trade and was a major turning point in the war

Peninsular Campaign

• A Union military campaign designed by George B. McClellan

• Its goal was to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia

• McClellan planned to transport the Army of the Potomac by water down the Potomac River to a peninsula east of Richmond

• From there, the army would advance toward the city and avoid strong Confederate defenses

• McClellan began the campaign with only part of his army, because another section under Irvin McDowell remained behind to protect Washington, D.C.

• McClellan repeatedly asked Abraham Lincoln for additional troops; the campaign was disrupted by Stonewall Jackson’s Valley Campaign, which threatened Washington and forced Lincoln to keep McDowell’s troops in northern Virginia

• Confederate forces later stopped McClellan’s advance during the Battle of the Seven Days, ending the campaign

Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson

• One of the most famous Confederate generals known for his bold tactics and rapid troop movements

• Played a major role in defending the Confederacy during the Peninsular Campaign

• Led Confederate forces in the Valley Campaign, which successfully distracted Union troops

• His movements forced Abraham Lincoln to keep Union forces in northern Virginia instead of reinforcing McClellan

• Later fought alongside Robert E. Lee in several major battles

• During the Battle of Chancellorsville, Jackson launched a surprise attack on the Union right flank

• After the battle, he was accidentally wounded by Confederate troops and later died of pneumonia, which was a major loss for the Confederacy

Vicksburg

• A major Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River in Mississippi

• One of the last Confederate positions controlling the river

• The city was heavily protected by: rough terrain, marshy ground and strong artillery positions

• Ulysses S. Grant moved his army south of the city, where terrain was more favorable

• Grant then attacked Vicksburg from the rear, cutting it off from support

• Union forces surrounded the city and placed it under siege

• Confederate defenders and civilians suffered severe starvation during the siege until eventually the city surrendered to Union forces

The victory gave the Union control of the Mississippi River and split the Confederacy into two parts, making it a major turning point in the war

George C. Meade

• Union general who commanded the Army of the Potomac during the Battle of Gettysburg

• Took command shortly before the battle during Robert E. Lee’s invasion of Pennsylvania

• Moved his army north parallel to Confederate movements

• His army encountered Lee’s forces at Gettysburg

• Meade positioned Union troops on strong defensive hills south of the town, which helped them repel Confederate attacks

Battle of Gettysburg

• Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

• Union commander: George C. Meade

• Confederate commander: Robert E. Lee

• What happened: Lee invaded Pennsylvania hoping to draw Union forces north and possibly encourage European support. The armies met at Gettysburg, where Meade placed his troops on strong defensive hills (Cemetery Ridge). Lee launched repeated attacks against the Union lines (ex: Pickett's Charge)

Result / significance: Union forces defeated Lee’s army, Lee lost about one-third of his army, and Confederate forces retreated back to Virginia. The battle became a major turning point, ending the Confederacy’s ability to seriously threaten Northern territory. LINCOLN GAVE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS AFTER THIS BATTLE

Pickett’s Charge

• A major Confederate assault during the Battle of Gettysburg

• Ordered by Robert E. Lee after earlier attacks on Union positions had failed

• Confederate troops, led in part by General George Pickett, advanced about a mile across open ground toward Union forces on Cemetery Ridge

• As the soldiers advanced, they were exposed to heavy Union artillery and gunfire

• Around 10,000 Confederate soldiers were killed or wounded, and many survivors were forced to retreat or surrender

• The failed charge destroyed much of Lee’s army’s strength and forced him to withdraw from Gettysburg

March to the Sea

• A Union campaign led by William Tecumseh Sherman across Georgia

• Began after Sherman captured Atlanta.

• Sherman’s army marched from Atlanta to the Atlantic coast.

• The campaign focused on destroying Confederate resources and morale.

• Union troops: destroyed railroads and transportation systems, burned towns and plantations and destroyed war materials and supplies

• The goal was to break the South’s ability and will to continue fighting

• The campaign caused massive destruction across Georgia and demonstrated the Union strategy of total war against Confederate resources

Appomattox Court House

• A small town in Virginia where the Civil War effectively ended

• After the long siege of Petersburg, Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee were forced to retreat

• Lee attempted to move west to join Confederate forces under Joseph E. Johnston in North Carolina but Union forces blocked his escape routes

• Lee met Ulysses S. Grant at a private home in the town

• In this place, Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Grant

• Soon afterward, Johnston surrendered to Sherman, ending major Confederate resistance

• Although Jefferson Davis initially refused to accept defeat, he was later captured in Georgia

• The surrender marked the military end of the Civil War, though many political and social issues remained unresolved