Civil War and Reconstruction (1)

CIVIL WAR ERA (1861-1865)

Key Events Leading Up to the Civil War

  • Election of 1860

    • Significant platforms:

      • Democrat Stephen Douglas:

        • Enforce the Fugitive Slave Act

        • Allow territories to vote on slavery

      • Democrat John Breckinridge:

        • Unrestricted expansion of slavery

        • Annexation of Cuba

      • Constitutional Union Party John Bell:

        • Preserve the Union

      • Abraham Lincoln (Republican):

        • No expansion of slavery

        • Protective tariffs

        • Internal improvements

        • Final outcome: Lincoln wins the presidency.

  • Crittenden Compromise (Dec. 1860):

    • Proposed to guarantee slavery in the South

    • Extended the Missouri Compromise to western territories

    • Compromise fails

  • Secession:

    • Dec 20, 1860: South Carolina secedes, followed by several other states (FL, GA, AL, MS, LA, TX).

    • Many Southerners in Pres. Buchanan’s cabinet resigned & his administration fell apart; 32 states in Union, when he left there were 25

    • Establishment of the Confederate States of America with Jefferson Davis as president; captial in Richmond, VA

    • Formation of the military forces by Pres. Lincoln (Upper South states: VA, NC, TN, AR) eventually seceded as well.

  • Border States

    • 4 slave states in Union: Maryland (resorted to martial law to keep state under Federal control), Missouri (Union troops prevented pro-Southerners from gaining control), Kentucky (neutrality), Delaware

  • Fort Sumter

    • Immediate problem of secession: Federal forts occupied by Federal troops now in Confederate States of America

    • In South Carolina, was cut off from Federal supplies

    • Buchanan refused to act with force, left problem to Abraham Lincoln

    • Lincoln announced he would send provisions to troops at Ft. Sumter

    • 4 am April 12th, 1861, SC fired on Ft. Sumter and Civil War began

  • Comparison: North vs South

    • North:

      • Working & established government

      • 22 million population, number kept going up because of immigrants

      • 85% of nation’s factories

      • 90% of skilled workers

      • Produced all of the supplies and weapons needed for war

      • Extensive railroad system, men & supplies moved quick

      • Naval supremacy

      • Controlled 70% of nations wealth; to fund war, levied high tariffs on imports, introduced income tax, issues greenbacks baked by the government

      • Very few experienced officers, city dwellers and factory workers not prepared

      • Had to fight offensive; drafted men from 20-45, those who didn’t want to fight either found a substitute or paid $300

    • South:

      • New, untried government; states had more power than central government

      • 9 million population, 3.5 million of which were slaves

      • Limited industry, relied on imports for war materials, vulnerable to Northern blockades

      • Inadequate railroad system, few merchant ships or naval vessels

      • Hurt by Northern blockades, unwillingness of foreign banks to give large loans, and opposition to direct taxation by Confederate government

      • Funded war by raising excise taxes, selling government bonds, issues paper money

      • Superior military leadership; accustomed to life outdoors, weapons use, and riding horses

      • Had advantage by fighting on their own soil

      • Drafted men 18-35, except those who owned 20 or more slaves (about 10%)

Key Figures and Generals

  • Union Generals:

    • Ulysses S. Grant:

      • Commanding General of Union Army

      • Key victories at Vicksburg and through his Overland Campaign.

      • Surrender of Confederate troops at Appomattox.

    • William Tecumseh Sherman:

      • Led the destructive "March to the Sea."

    • George B. McClellan

      • Led Union army during 1862 Peninsula Campaign

  • Confederate Generals:

    • Robert E. Lee:

      • Known for being commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.

      • Fought in significant battles like Antietam and Gettysburg.

    • Stonewall Jackson:

      • Key figure in several Confederate victories; died in 1863

    • Lt. General Nathan Bedford:

      • Brilliant military tactician

      • Early member of Ku Klux Klan

  • Women

    • Supported war relief efforts at home

    • Ran farms and businesses while men were away

    • 400-750 women disguised themselves as men and fought; some were spies

The Anaconda Plan

  • Union war strategy comprised of:

    1. Using the Navy to blockade Southern ports.

    2. Dividing the Confederacy by taking control of the Mississippi River.

    3. Raising a large army to capture Richmond.

  • Blockade:

    • Extended 3,500 miles along the East Coast.

    • Confederacy used ships called blockade runners that attempted to breach it with 80% success.

Foreign Affairs

  • Cotton Diplomacy

    • Confederacy hoped European countries would intervene on their behalf; those countries found new sources of cotton and stayed out of it

Other War w/ Native Americans

  • Conflict between Native Americans and U.S. didn’t end just because of Civil War

  • Some Native American nations chose sides; Cherokee sided with Confederates

  • Union kept military presence in Western Territories

    • U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 in Minnesota: Kit Carson led troops against Navajo and Apache and the occasional Confederate troops in future New Mexico

    • 1864: Sand Creek Massacre - Union troops attacked and destroyed Cheyenne village

Major Battles and Turning Points

  • Fort Sumter (Apr 12, 1861):

    • First shots fired; marks the start of the Civil War.

  • Battle of Bull Run (July 1861):

    • First major battle; Union sent running back to D.C. by Stonewall Jackson & Confederate troops

    • Confederate victory ends the belief in a short war.

  • Peninsula Campaign March (July 1862):

    • Union plan to invade VA

    • First large scale offensive launched by North

    • Gen. George B. McClellan was cautious in engaging Confederate troops, thus was stopped by Gen. Robert E. Lee

  • Antietam (Sept 1862):

    • Bloodiest single day in American military history; Union victory; no clear victor.

    • Leads to the Emancipation Proclamation.

    • Lee's intentions to gain support from Britain thwarted.

Emancipation Proclamation

  • Issued by Lincoln (Jan 1, 1863):

    • Freed slaves in Confederate states.

    • Changed the war's focus to ending slavery, complicating foreign support for the Confederacy.

War Occurrences and Aftermath

  • Surrender (Apr 9, 1865):

    • Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox Court House.

    • Terms of surrender included no imprisonment, retaining personal arms.

  • Assassination of Lincoln (Apr 14, 1865):

    • Killed by John Wilkes Booth, leading to increased tensions during Reconstruction.

Reconstruction Era

  • Post-war:

    • Rebuilding Southern states and integrating freed slaves.

  • 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments:

    • Abolished slavery, guaranteed citizenship and voting rights for African Americans.

    • Over overarching transformations leading to civil rights advancements.

Impacts of the Civil War

  • Over 620,000 soldiers died; many from disease.

  • Significant economic repercussions, especially in the South.

  • Shift in Federal vs. State power dynamics.