2110.20 Chapter 14 Civil War History

The Civil War Overview

Chapter 14

Events Leading to the Civil War

• Review of significant events leading to conflict between the North and South.

  • U.S. Policies and Land Acquisition

    • 1787: Northwest Ordinance banned slavery north of the Ohio River.

    • 1803: Slavery permitted in the Louisiana Purchase.

    • 1820: Missouri Compromise restricted slavery in parts of newly acquired territories.

Key Treaties and Provisions

• 1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo resulted in the U.S. acquiring 1.2 million square miles of territory, necessitating new policies on slavery.

Legislative Actions

• The Wilmot Proviso (1846): Proposed by David Wilmot to ban slavery in all lands acquired from Mexico.

• The Compromise of 1850:

  • California entered as a free state.

  • New Mexico and Utah areas to decide on slavery via popular sovereignty.

  • Texas yielded land claims in exchange for compensation and the abolition of the slave trade in D.C.; slavery to remain intact.

  • A more stringent Fugitive Slave Act was implemented.

Supreme Court Decisions

• Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857): Scott's legal battle for freedom after living in free states was heard by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney.

Major Acts and Incidents

• Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854):

  • Divided the region into two territories, repealing the Missouri Compromise and enabling popular sovereignty to determine the slavery issue.

  • Led to violent confrontations known as "Bleeding Kansas" in 1856.

Election of 1860

• The outcome of the election catalyzed secession.

  • Democratic National Convention:

    • Northern Democrats focused on popular sovereignty.

    • Southern Democrats advocated for slave codes.

    • The emergence of the Constitutional Union Party aimed to halt slavery debates.

  • Republican Party: Abraham Lincoln nominated with a platform advocating for free territory and protection of American industry.

Secession Crisis

• Southern Democrats perceived Lincoln's election as a threat, sparking the secession of South Carolina on December 20, 1860.

• By February 1, 1861, several states, including Georgia and Texas, joined the Confederacy, appointing Jefferson Davis as President.

Prelude to War

• Fort Sumter (1861):

  • Major Robert Anderson and troops were stationed at Fort Sumter needing supplies.

  • Conflict escalated when Jefferson Davis decided that foreign ships should not supply U.S. forts, leading to the first shots of the Civil War.

The Union vs. Confederacy

• Union Advantages:

  • Supplying troops with a larger population (22.3 million), economic superiority, and naval blockades.

• Confederate Advantages:

  • Knowledge of terrain, defensive strategy aimed at outlasting the North, and soldier tenacity.

Major Battles and Strategies

• Scott's Anaconda Plan aimed to suffocate the South economically.

• Antietam (1862): No clear victor; marked as the bloodiest single day in American history. Prompted the Emancipation Proclamation.

• Gettysburg (1863): Largest and bloodiest battle, resulting in significant casualties and a Union victory.

• Sherman's March to the Sea (1864): A campaign to destroy Southern morale and infrastructure, followed by the fall of Atlanta.

Conclusion of the War

• April 9, 1865: Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House after a series of Union victories.

• Lincoln's assassination on April 14, 1865, marked the tragic end of a tumultuous era.

Casualty Statistics

• Civil War casualties totaled approximately 633,000 (Union: 373,000, Confederacy: 260,000).