Civil War Notes

1860 Election and Secession

  • 1860 Election: Catalyst for secession.
  • Abraham Lincoln: His election triggered the secession of Southern states.
  • South Carolina Secedes (December 1860): First state to secede.
  • Other States Secede: Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas followed.
  • Confederate States of America: Formed by the seceding states.
  • Lincoln Takes Office (March 4): Assumed presidency amidst the secession crisis.
  • Fort Sumter (April 12, 1861): Confederate attack marked the beginning of the Civil War.
  • More Southern States Join: Following Fort Sumter, remaining southern states joined the Confederacy.
  • Border States: Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware did not secede.
  • West Virginia: Formed during the war by counties that seceded from Virginia.

North and South: Resources and Strategies

  • North: Population of 22 million.
  • South: Population of 9 million, including 3.5 million enslaved people.
  • Northern Advantages: More industry, railroads, and financial resources.
  • Southern Advantages: Larger territory.
  • Initial Enthusiasm: Both sides initially enthusiastic about the war.
  • Draft (1862-1863): Introduced due to declining volunteer numbers.
  • Class Differences: Unequal impact of the draft.
  • North: Wealthier individuals could hire substitutes or pay a fee to avoid service.
  • Draft Riots: Resulted from resentment over the draft policies.
  • Casualties: Approximately 750,000 deaths (equivalent to 7 million in today's population), plus civilian deaths.

War Developments

  • Confederate Strategy: Primarily defensive.
  • General Robert E. Lee: Key Confederate military leader.
  • Northern Army: Larger but lacked experience early in the war.
  • General George B. McClellan: Early commander of the Union army.
  • Union Focus: Capturing Richmond, the Confederate capital.
  • Jefferson Davis: President of the Confederacy.
  • Confederate Hopes: Initially hoped for a compromise.
  • 1862: North adopts a more aggressive strategy.
  • Ulysses S. Grant: Achieved significant victories in the western theater.

Slavery and Early War Policies

  • Lincoln's Moderate Stance: Attempted to balance multiple concerns.
  • Border States: Lincoln aimed to keep them in the Union.
  • Northern Democrats: Avoided alienating them.
  • Abolitionists and Radical Republicans: Tried to satisfy their demands for emancipation.
  • Early War Policy: Initially, no direct assistance to enslaved people.
  • Enslaved People Escape: Increasing numbers escaped to the North.
  • Assistance to the Union Army: Enslaved people provided intelligence and support.

Steps Towards Emancipation

  • Frederick Douglass (1862): Argued that slavery should be a military target.
  • Congressional Actions:
    • No Returning Fugitives: Congress prohibited the return of escaped enslaved people.
    • Abolition in D.C: Slavery was abolished in the District of Columbia.
  • Confiscation Acts: Allowed for the liberation of enslaved people from disloyal owners.
  • Lincoln's Proposal: Proposed gradual emancipation in border states with compensation to owners and emigration to Liberia or Haiti.

Emancipation Proclamation

  • Motivations:
    • Lack of Military Successes: Needed to change the course of the war.
    • Need for Recruits: To bolster the Union army.
    • Northern Enthusiasm: Boost morale in the North.
    • Realign with Britain: To gain international support.
  • Victory at Antietam (September 1862): Provided the opportunity to issue the Proclamation.
  • Effective Date: January 1, 1863.
  • Legal Basis: Based on military powers.
  • Provisions: No compensation or emigration provisions included.
  • Application: Only applied to areas under Union control.
  • Exemptions: Did not apply to border states.
  • Significance: Widely celebrated as a step toward ending slavery.
  • Juneteenth (1865): Celebrates the day enslaved people in Texas learned of their freedom.

Ideologies of Freedom

  • North: Freedom of the individual, including the freedom of labor, religion, and speech.
  • South: Freedom defined as the right to own slaves.
  • Gettysburg Address:
    • Equality: Emphasized the concept of equality.
    • Democracy: Promoted democratic ideals.
    • Union: Defined the Union as a national identity rather than a collection of states.
  • National Identity: The war experience contributed to the formation of a national identity.
  • Karl Marx: Viewed the Civil War as a revolution.

Native Americans and the War

  • Union Troops: Withdrew from the West to fight in the Civil War.
  • Native American Involvement: Native Americans fought on both sides.
  • Cherokee: Allied with the South.
    • Congressional Representatives: Had representatives in the Confederate Congress.
    • Self-Governance: Sought to maintain self-governance.
  • Cheyenne: Allied with the North.
  • Refugees: Fled West due to the war.
  • Dakota Wars (1862 Minnesota): Conflict between settlers and Native Americans.
  • Sand Creek Massacre (1864): Massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho people by U.S. soldiers.

End of the War

  • Major Union Victories (1863): Gettysburg and Vicksburg.
  • 1864: War of attrition.
  • Sherman’s March to the Sea (November 1864): Devastated Georgia and South Carolina.
  • 13th Amendment (January 1, 1865): Abolished slavery.
  • Richmond Occupied (April 4): Confederate capital fell to Union forces.
  • Lee Surrenders (April 9): To Grant at Appomattox Court House.
  • Lincoln Assassinated (April 14-15): By John Wilkes Booth.