The Civil War

Election of 1860 and Secession

  • Democrats were separated due to differences in slavery

opinions

  • Northerners went for Stephen Douglas

  • Southerners went for John C. Breckenridge

  • Even though several men were contending to become the presidential nominee for the republicans, Abe Lincoln rose up as a favorite.

  • John Bell became involved in the presidential ballots with Democrats and Whigs

    • His party was not cooking. They only had opinions on immigration and nothing else.

  • Lincoln won the election by winning almost all Northern states.

  • Future confederate states didn't vote for him and even excluded him from their ballot (except Virginia)

  • South Carolina Convention Dec, 1830=secession 169-0 vote

    • Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Texas follow.

  • Confederates said they were doing God's will and even invoked the bible in their documents.

  • Jefferson Davis chosen as president of confederacy

  • Confederate VP A. Stephens: Blacks are not equal, slavery is their natural state.

A War for Union 1861- 1863

  • Lincoln was clear, he would use force to maintain the union

  • Apr 12, 1861: Fort Sumter in S. Carolina is attacked & C. War starts.

  • Anaconda plan: plan to "strangle" South by cutting off access to coasts and waterways. (Chief Winfield Scott)

  • War Democrats = Lincoln

  • Copperheads/Peace Democrats= VS Lincoln

  • Deadliest battle to the day: Shiloh at Tennesse river; Apr 6-7, 1862

    • Around 23k casualties

  • Battle of Antietam: Sep 17, 1862: Bloodiest day in U.S history

    • Over 20k soldiers killed

  • Set the stage for Emancipation Proclamation.

  • First confiscation acts empowered military to free slave soldiers.

War for Emancipation

  • Jan 1, 1863: Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect causing mass enlistment

  • Black men made 10% of Army

    • Lots were born enslaved but escaped to the union

  • Black men sent Abe Lincoln letters wondering why they were treated like less in army.

  • Jul 1-3 1863: Battle of Gettysburg

    • 3 days

    • Picket's charge on Union center drives Lee away

    • Bloodiest battle of the war w/ 51k casualties

  • Women contributed

    • Espionage

    • Nursing

    • Dressing as men and fighting

  • Disease became one of the most fatal parts

  • Anesthesia such as Ether was used to amputate parts of wounded soldiers.

  • Election of 1884: Easy W for Lincoln 212 to 21 electoral.

  • William Sherman leads March to sea (1864) capturing Atlanta. Leading to Lincoln's W.

    • Columbia, S. Carolina, and Charleston continued fighting but Lee surrendered.

  • Republicans draft 13th Amendment by end of war.

  • Union wanted to win for several reasons

    • They knew election was won fairly

    • Human rights

    • If they lost, it meant Democracy didn’t work.

Conclusion

  • 1865: battlefields fell silent

  • Slavery-eradicated

  • South needed rebuilding

  • Even though blacks=free racism=existing.