The American Civil war

What was the Minie Ball?

• new designed bullet for muskets with improved accuracy longer range.

Why was the civil war the first modern war?

• it took place after the industrial revolution.

Why was this war so bloody?

• new/improved weapons, but outdated battle tactics.

• for ex. Lining up in rows in battle.

• (musket bullets went every where).

What was the goal of the South in the war?

• to defend its independence from the union.

• wanted to defend their traditions and way of life.

Who was the commander in chief of the Confederate Army?

General Robert Lee

Why was the railroad considered Lincoln’s secret weapon?

• new troops could be sent quicker with supplies/weapons.

• he put the railway under gov. control.

What was the importance of the telegraph in the North during the war?

• mass communication code, super quick battle tactics.

• other communication is faster for the North.

• all telegraph under North control.

How much amputations were there during the civil war?

• around ¾ of battlefield operations were amputations.

• 60 thousand amputations are done during the war.

What was the disease that killed most soldiers after getting their amputations done?

• Gangrene. (Infectious disease, caused by amputations).

What were some medical improvements made during the war?

• triage - first aid.

• clean bandages.

• nurses and doctors becoming more calm, orderly and compassionate.

• bromine - new medicine made for gansrene.

What impact did the portable camera have on course of the war?

• people at home could see the horrors of war.

• never again could politicians fight war without public support.

On Jan, 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. What was the Emancipation Proclamation?

• abolished slavery in the Southern states.

• all enslaved peoples are now considered citizens under law.

How many enslaved peoples (now free) are fighting for the North?

200 thousand

In 1864 the war was still in deadlock until General Sherman began ‘total war’. Describe ‘total war’.

“Stop for nothing! Burn & destroy Southern land so that they can’t use the railway, grow food, house themselves, get more weaponry, etc!”

How does Lincoln die?

lies dead with an assassin’s bullet.

What is the cotton gin?

it is a new tool made for picking cotton, that made an increase on demand on slavery when it was on the verge of a decline.

How much cotton does America produce by 1850?

3 quarters of cotton worldwide off the backs of enslaved peoples.

How much does the price of an enslaved person increase by?

a slave used to be $300 —> $2000 by the increase of demand on cotton.

Describe 3 details about the slave auction

• traders lie about the slaves age. (younger slaves are more wanted then old ones).

• most fertile women slaves were bought for breeding.

• half the sales at the auction tear at least one family apart.

What are the common punishments for runaway slaves?

ear cut off, branding, slashing.

Who is Fredrick Douglas?

• became the best known African American.

• a runaway that could read and write.

• soon writing a famous autobiography and meeting the president Lincoln.

Who is Harriet Tubman?

• she was known as the “Mose’s “ of the African Americans.

• she helped slaves escape through the underground railroad.

What did the south reaction to the election of Abraham Lincoln?

the Southern rebels threatened to leave the union. (USA).

Who is John Brown? And what was his impression of Harriet Tubman?

• a man in the Northern state of American that was against slavery so he started raids in places with soldiers with his 5 sons hoping other would join.

• but then failed & caught with his sons dead.

• he soon was convicted for treason & sent to the death penalty.

• he saw inspiration from Harriet Tubman and called her (at that time it meant a compliment) basically similar to a man.

What was Lincoln’s primary objective?

save the union and later abolish/deal with slavery

he wouldn’t stop slavery in the states where it originated but would stop it from expanding.

What is meant by “conductor” and “Underground Railroad”?

conductor: helped to free slaves.

Underground railroad: was the best route to escape slavery.

What was the Fugitive Slave Act? 

• if someone see’s a black/African person own property in the Boston area or any area, they are held accountable by law to call the authorities on them since it is illegal for them to own property.

• your old “master” can come and take you in as their slave and they couldn’t do anything about it.

  • even if you were a free slave.

How did the Fugitive Act force Tubman (and other escaped enslaved persons) to flee to Canada West?

• it says in the act that if in any area you see a black person own property or seem to live in the property & you did nothing, you would be an accomplice to a crime.

• this forced enslaved peoples to flee America.

Describe some of Tubman’s achievements.

• she rescued around 70-80 slaves in the 1850’s decade.

• she returned around 19 times back to the place she once

  was enslaved at and freed around 300 people.

• she freed mainly family but there was also people that she freed that she had no family connection to.

Besides Harriet Tubman’s role as conductor, how else did she work towards the abolitionist cause?

• she gave speeches why slavery was wrong.

• she participated in organizations that helped end slavery.

• she was a spy, scout and an nurse for the Northern side of the Civil War.

What was Harriet Tubman’s impact during the American Civil War? And after the war was over? 

• served as a nurse, scout, and spy for the Union Army.

• she provided invaluable intelligence gathered from her knowledge of the South & her connections within enslaved communities.

• her service helped to undermine Confederate operations and contributed to the Union's eventual victory.

After the war:

• she helped establishing schools. (for enslaved peoples).

• she advocated in women’s right to vote.

• supported freemen and women whom were previously enslaved peoples.

Define Union

a club, society, or association formed by people with a common interest or purpose.

Define Confederate

joined by an agreement or treaty

Define Abolitionist

a person who favors the abolition of a practice or institution

Define Secession

the action of withdrawing formally from membership of a federation or body, especially a political state.

When was the civil war fought?

1861 - 1865 (around 4 - 5 years).

How is the economy part of the cause of the Civil War?

• slavery abolishment by Lincoln would affect the south more than it would the north.

• The north doesn't use slavery to benefit their economy as much as the south.

• the whole southern economy is built off the backs of slaves.

How is the ‘way of life’/beliefs of the southern people, apart of the cause of the Civil War?

• The south felt like the north looked down at them. because of their way of life.

• They didn’t want the northern way of life. 

• They wanted to keep their own way of life.

How is the Westward expansion apart of the cause of the Civil War?

• Many of the northerners living in the newly expanded territories were opposed to the idea of slavery.

• the northern people wanted to end slavery of all over the country.

How is (State vs. Federal) apart of the cause of the Civil War?

• Many Southern states believed that their individual rules as a state.

• They believed that the federal, or national government shouldn’t interfere in their state affairs

In what ways did the selection of Abraham Lincoln as candidate for President contribute to the Civil War?

• He had spoken against the spread of slavery.

  • The South considered him as the enemy.

• He had announced that if he won the election, they would force secession from the Union.

Which states seceded from the US?

South Carolina

Mississippi

Texas

Louisiana

Florida

Georgia

What was the North's primary goal in fighting in the Civil war?

To preserve (protect) the Union.

What were the results of the Civil War?

• President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a Southern sympathizer.

• Three amendments to the US Constitution

  • To guarantee citizenship and voting rights to all men of Americans.

  • The federal government formed the top authority in the US. They made half of the decisions in America. 

• Since American Industry had learned new ways of manufacturing and transportation during the war, it had developed more efficient methods of carrying people and supplies.

• They got rich after it.

What new problems surfaced after the Civil War?

• the Southern economy which was relying on slavery had collapsed.

• lots of Southern cities and towns had been destroyed because of the war.

• the South had become hopelessly poor.

• There was no government to lead the South after the war.

• the south had to rejoin the Union, they were not able to rejoin the US till they had established legal state governments.

• 4 million enslaved people had to start new lives as free people without any experience, knowledge and support.