American Civil War Flashcards

Flashcards about the American Civil War, causes, and strategies of both the Union (North) and the Confederacy (South).

Confederacy (South) Military Strategy

Fighting a defensive war; did not need to invade anyone, just stay put and fight off the aggressor.

Confederacy (South) Military Leadership

Possessed far greater and more experienced military leaders like Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.

Union (North) Population

About four times that of the southern states.

Union (North) Naval Power

Possession and command of a robust navy to control the seas and rivers.

Union (North) Economic Power

Possession of most of the banks and manufacturing districts and approximately 70% of America’s railroads.

Union (North) Political Power

A well-established central government.

Union (North) Economic Mobilization

Manufacturers rapidly modernized their productive capacity. Figures like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller made their start by manufacturing goods for the Union effort.

Confederacy (South) Economic Mobilization

Mainly relied on tariffs and taxes on exports to raise revenue; hampered by Union naval blockades.

Confederacy (South) Opposition to the War

Introduced a war tax, but many people and states refused to fund this centralized effort with their tax money because of states’ rights.

Union (North) Opposition to the War

The New York City Draft Riots in 1863 exemplify this, caused by a law that allowed men to pay $300 to avoid being drafted.

Fort Sumter

This federal possession was located in Confederate South Carolina. South Carolinians cut off supply lines to the fort. Lincoln announced that he would send provisions to the Union troops trapped there. The South fired on the Union suppliers. This is considered the first official act of war.

The First Battle of Bull Run

A battle where 30,000 Union troops marched to confront Confederate troops, initially with Union success, but Confederate reinforcements under Stonewall Jackson routed the Union soldiers.

Anaconda Plan

The North would lean heavily on its naval advantage to blockade Southern ports and control the Mississippi River, which would split the Confederacy in half.

Confederacy (South) Strategy - King Cotton

Relied on foreign help, especially from Britain and France, due to exported southern cotton; however, both countries found alternative sources.

Union (North) Improved Military Leadership

The rise of generals like Ulysses S. Grant who rarely retreated and pressed the Confederates hard into their own territory.

Emancipation Proclamation of 1862

Freed enslaved people in those states that were in active rebellion against the United States (the Confederacy), but not in the Border States. It transformed the war and prevented Britain and France from allying with the Confederacy.

Battle of Vicksburg

A pivotal victory where the Union, under General Grant, gained control of the Mississippi River, bisecting the Confederacy.

Sherman's March to the Sea

A march from Atlanta to Savannah where Sherman's forces destroyed railroads, implemented a 'scorched earth' policy, and burned crops and land, crippling the South's ability to recover.

Surrender at Appomattox

The combination of military victories, devastation of Southern infrastructure, and the success of the Union naval blockade led to Confederate General Lee's surrender to Union General Grant.