The Civil War: Detailed Study Notes

The Civil War: US History by Nathaniel Parker Weston, PhD

The Confederacy

  • During the 1860 presidential election, the Democratic Party split into northern and southern factions:
      - Northern nominee: Stephen Douglas
      - Southern nominee: John C. Breckinridge
      - Constitutional Union Party nominee: John Bell
      - Republican Party nominee: Abraham Lincoln

  • Lincoln only won 39.9% of the popular vote but received 180 electoral college votes, which was 57 more than the combined total of the other candidates.

Secession of Southern States

  • Following the election of Lincoln:
      - Dec. 1860: South Carolina secedes from the Union.
      - Jan. and Feb. 1861: Other states secede:
        - Georgia
        - Florida
        - Alabama
        - Mississippi
        - Louisiana
        - Texas

  • Formation of the Confederate States of America (CSA) in Feb. 1861, modeled on the US Constitution but legalized slavery (international slave trade banned).

  • President of the Confederacy: Senator Jefferson Davis from Mississippi.

States that Seceded from the Union

  • List of states and their secession dates (without exhaustive details).

  • Notable states that remained loyal to the Union: Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri.

  • Creation of West Virginia: Western Virginia remained loyal to the Union and became a state on June 20, 1863.

The Anaconda Plan

  • Confederate states seized federal property, and Fort Sumter was forced to surrender in Apr 1861.

  • Lincoln mobilized the US military, with states Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia seceding soon after.

  • Despite advantages in population, navy, railroads, factories, and firearms, the Union needed to conquer the Confederacy.

  • First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas): Fought July 1861, resulted in Union defeat.

The Anaconda Plan: Union Strategy

  • The Anaconda Plan was the Union's three-pronged strategy:
      1. Naval Blockade of Southern ports.
      2. Control of the West: Utilization of the Mississippi River and other river systems.
      3. Control the East: Focus on Virginia, the Confederate capital.

The Battle of Shiloh

  • Contraband Declaration: Gen. Benjamin Butler declared slaves as "contrabands of war" in May 1861, refusing to return them to their masters.

  • General John C. Fremont: Ordered the freedom of slaves in Missouri in Aug 1861; Lincoln reversed it.

  • Confiscation Act (Aug 1861): Allowed seizure of Confederate property for military purposes.

  • Lincoln attempted to persuade Congress to compensate states for volitional abolition of slavery, which was refused.

  • Union victory: In April 1862 over Confederate forces at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson.

  • At the Battle of Shiloh (April 1862), Union casualties were 13,000; Confederate casualties were 10,000.

Further Battles and Strategies

  • By June 1862: Union controlled the Mississippi River down to Memphis; New Orleans captured in April 1862.

Native Americans and the Civil War

  • Gen. George McClellan's campaign to invade Richmond (May 1862) halted by Gen. Robert E. Lee.

  • Civil War implications for Native Americans:
      - Several tribes (Cherokees, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks, Seminoles) sided with Confederacy due to slave ownership.
      - Stand Watie served as a brigadier general for Confederacy.   - Post-war, tribes were forced to relocate as reservations.
      - Over 3,500 Native Americans served in the Union army.   - Noteworthy events: 38 Sioux executed (1862), Sand Creek Massacre (Nov 1864), and the Navajo "Long Walk" (1864-1866).

The Emancipation Proclamation

  • Gen. Lee's invasion of Maryland in Sept 1862 prompted the Battle of Antietam (costliest day of war: 11,000 casualties for Lee, 13,000 for McClellan).

  • Following the battle, prelim. Emancipation Proclamation issued to take full effect on Jan 1, 1863, freeing slaves in the Confederacy, allowing black troops in Union military.

  • This proclamation raised the war's moral significance beyond political reasons.

The Home Front

  • Increased roles for women during the war: overseeing farms, plantations, businesses, and serving as military spies and nurses.

  • Total war led to high casualties: 698,000 soldiers killed (two-thirds due to diseases).

  • Legislative impacts:
      - Homestead Act (1862): Granted 160 acres of land for farming.   - Morrill Land Grant Act (1862): Established agricultural and technical colleges.   - Transcontinental Railroad: Authorized construction during war.

The New York City Draft Riots

  • In 1863, the Confederacy faced immense pressure from blockades and declining economies.

  • Food costs skyrocketed, e.g., a coat costing $350, a barrel of flour $275.

  • The Union drafted men into the military in March 1863 leading to rioting by Irish immigrants in New York City (July 1863), resulting in violence and deaths, particularly against African Americans.

Black Soldiers in the Union Army

  • A total of 186,000 black troops served in the Union army, with 29,000 in the navy (10% of Union military).

  • Over 68,000 black soldiers died or were missing.

  • 54th Massachusetts Infantry: First all-black regiment, fought bravely at Fort Wagner with significant casualties (over 40% killed or wounded).

The Battle of Gettysburg

  • In July 1863, the Union and Confederate armies met at Gettysburg, resulting in a Confederate loss (nearly 25,000 casualties).

  • This battle marked a turning point in the war.

  • After Gettysburg, Gen. Grant seized control of the Mississippi River following victories at Vicksburg and Port Hudson.

Ulysses S. Grant and the End of the War

  • In the 1864 election, Lincoln defeated McClellan, appointing Grant as Union military commander.

  • After a series of campaigns with significant casualties on both sides, Grant laid siege to Richmond, forcing Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865.

Exam

The Confederacy

  • What is it? The Confederacy, officially the Confederate States of America (CSA), was a coalition of southern states that seceded from the Union between 1860 and 1861.

  • When was it? Formed in February 1861, following the election of Abraham Lincoln.

  • Wider Significance: The Confederacy symbolized the conflict over states' rights and slavery, leading to a profound transformation in American society and governance.

Secession of Southern States

  • What is it? The act of southern states withdrawing from the Union which initiated the Civil War.

  • When was it? Began with South Carolina's secession in December 1860, continuing with six other states by February 1861.

  • Wider Significance: This secession marked a definitive division in American politics and society, emphasizing regional identities and conflicts that would define the nation.

The Anaconda Plan

  • What is it? A strategic plan devised by the Union to defeat the Confederacy through a naval blockade and controlling key territories.

  • When was it? Initiated at the beginning of the war in 1861.

  • Wider Significance: This plan underscored the importance of economic warfare and logistics in the conduct of the Civil War, ultimately contributing to Union victory.

The Battle of Shiloh

  • What is it? A significant early battle in the Civil War that showcased the brutality of the conflict.

  • When was it? April 1862.

  • Wider Significance: The high casualties indicated the war's potential for destruction; it was a turning point that shifted military strategies and public perception.

Native Americans and the Civil War

  • What is it? The involvement of Native American tribes in the Civil War, with some siding with the Confederacy.

  • When was it? Throughout the Civil War (1861-1865).

  • Wider Significance: Their involvement reflected the complexities of loyalty and identity, as well as the war's impact on indigenous populations.

The Emancipation Proclamation

  • What is it? A presidential proclamation by Abraham Lincoln that declared freedom for all slaves in Confederate-held territory.

  • When was it? Issued in September 1862, going into effect on January 1, 1863.

  • Wider Significance: This proclamation transformed the Civil War into a struggle for freedom, altering its moral and political landscape and pushing towards the eventual abolition of slavery.

The New York City Draft Riots

  • What is it? A series of violent disturbances in New York City in response to the draft.

  • When was it? July 1863.

  • Wider Significance: These riots exposed deep social divisions and tensions regarding race, class, and war, affecting post-war politics and civil rights movements.

Black Soldiers in the Union Army

  • What is it? The enlistment of African Americans into the Union Army, significantly impacting military dynamics.

  • When was it? From 1863 onwards, notably following the Emancipation Proclamation.

  • Wider Significance: Their service redefined African-American identity and agency, contributing to the fight for civil rights and equality post-war.