Chapter 14 APUSH Notes

The American Pageant, Fifteenth Edition, Chapter 14 (Pages 276-304) Notes

Title: The Civil War

I. Prelude to War

• Sectional Tensions: Growing divide between North and South over slavery, economic differences, and states' rights.

• Compromise Failures: Missouri Compromise (1820) and Compromise of 1850 attempted to ease tensions but ultimately failed.

• Dred Scott Decision (1857): Supreme Court ruling that declared African Americans were not citizens and Congress could not prohibit slavery in territories.

II. The Election of 1860

• Candidates:

  • Abraham Lincoln (Republican)

  • Stephen A. Douglas (Northern Democrat)

  • John C. Breckinridge (Southern Democrat)

  • John Bell (Constitutional Union)

• Outcome: Lincoln's election prompted Southern states to secede, fearing the end of slavery.

III. Secession and the Formation of the Confederacy

• First State to Secede: South Carolina (December 1860).

• Confederate States of America: Formed in February 1861, led by Jefferson Davis.

• Fort Sumter: First shots of the Civil War fired in April 1861, marking the official start of hostilities.

IV. The War Begins

• Initial Strategies:

  • Union aimed to preserve the Union and later to end slavery.

  • Confederacy sought to maintain independence and protect slavery.

• Key Battles:

  • First Battle of Bull Run (July 1861): Confederate victory, dispelled Northern hopes for a quick war.

  • Antietam (September 1862): Bloodiest single-day battle; strategic Union victory.

V. Emancipation Proclamation

• Issued: January 1, 1863, by Lincoln.

• Impact: Freed slaves in Confederate states; shifted war aims to include abolition of slavery.

VI. Turning Points of the War

• Gettysburg (July 1863): Major Union victory; marked a turning point in the war.

• Vicksburg (July 1863): Gave Union control of the Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy.

VII. The War's Toll

• Casualties: Over 600,000 soldiers died; immense