Girding for War:The North & the South

1861 - 1865

President of the Disunited States of America

Lincoln took office on March 4, 18617 states had already succeeded, 8 more were trying to decideInaugural address – there would be no conflict unless the South provoked it

A Split in the Union?

Split brought up questions about the sharing of the national debt & the allocation of federal territoriesSplit would please European countries:

US was the only major display of democracy in the Western HemisphereMonroe Doctrine could be broken

SC Assails Fort Sumter

South seized all arsenals, mints, & other public property within their territory Fort Sumter

Occupied by Northern troops who needed supplies

Lincoln’s Plan

Lincoln decided to send supplies to troops

promised Governor Pickens(SC) that he was not sending more men or weapons

South demanded surrender of Fort Sumter

Grounds for war if North sent supplies

The War Begins (April 12, 1861)

South fired on Fort Sumter

34 hour bombardment- no lives lost

Northern troops surrenderedThe Civil War had begun

“Remember Fort Sumter”

Provoked the North to fightGen. Scott Commander of the Army (75 yrs. old)

April 14, 1861 – Lincoln called for 75,000 union troops

April 19 & 27, 1861 - ordered a blockade of Southern ports

4 more states secededVA, Ark., Tenn., & NC map p. 447

Capital of Confederacy moved from Montgomery to Richmond

The Valuable Border States

map page 447

Border StatesMO, KY, MD, Del, & later WV

WV split from VA in 1861 over secession

MD, MO, & KY would almost double the manufacturing capacity of the South & increase by nearly half its supply of horses & mulesOhio River – Cumberland & Tennessee Rivers was where much of the Confederacy’s grain, gunpowder, & iron was produced

Lincoln deals with the Border States

Lincoln:In MD declared marital law & sent in troopsSent federal troops to WV & MO He declared publicly that he was not fighting to free slavesDeclared that his goal was to get the Union back togetherIndian Territory mainly sided with the South

Brother’s Blood

Many brothers fought against each otherParticularly in the border states

Northerners fought on the side of the South and vice versa

Senator Crittenden’s sons fought on opposite sidesLincoln’s wife had 4 brothers who fought for the Confederacy

Advantages/ Strengths South

Fighting defensivelyon familiar territory

Strong supportStrong military leadership ****Southerners were well trainedDidn’t have to win the war

Shortage of supplies

NorthEconomy*****Large population

22 million to 9 million (3.5 were slaves)

Immigrants IndustryAbundant resourcesShippingRailway systemAbraham Lincoln

Disadvantages/ Weaknesses

SouthSmall populationEconomy

Few factories

Few railroadsBelief in states’ rights/ government lacked powerLack of supplies

NorthHad to invade the SouthPublic opinion was divided/ support was shaky Northerners were not as experienced as Southerners

Dethroning King Cotton

South depended on foreign intervention didn’t get itMany Europeans were pro-North & anti-slavery

Shortage of cotton during war?England & France had a surplusAs North won Southern territory, they sent cotton & food to EuropeIndia & Egypt upped their cotton production**Result** – Europe needed more wheat & corn from the North than cotton from the South

The Decisiveness of Diplomacy

Crisis1861 – Union warship stopped the British mail steamer theTrent & forcibly removed two Confederate diplomats bound for EuropeLincoln released the prisoners & tension cooled

The Alabama

British build ships for the Confederacy (unarmed)

1862 – the Alabama went to the Portuguese Azores & took on weapons & crew from Britain

Never actually arrived in the South Destroyed in 1864 off the coast of France

Charles Francis Adams persuaded Britain not to build any more ships for the ConfederacyCould be used against England in the future

Foreign Flare-Ups

Britain had two Laird rams2 Confederate warships that could destroy wooden Union shipsBritain decided to use ships in its Royal Navy

Near CanadaConfederate agents plotted to burn down American citiesMini-armies raised by British-hating Irish-Americans sent to Canada

Napoleon III installed Austrian Archduke Maximilian as emperor of Mexico

President Davis vs. President Lincoln

Problems for the South:Gave states the ability to secede in the future (from the Confederacy)Getting Southern states to send troops to help other states was difficult

J. Davis – never very popularA. Lincoln – benefit of leading an established government

Limitations on Wartime Liberties

Lincoln1. Illegally proclaimed a blockade 2. Increased the size of the army & sent troops3. Advancement of $2 million to 3 private

citizens for war purposes4. Suspended habeas corpus5. Intimidation of voters in border states

Justification: actions weren’t permanent & were needed to preserve the Union

South refused to sacrifice state’s rights & therefore lost the war

Volunteers & Draftees: The North

1863 - Congress passed the first conscription law

Angered the poor because rich could hire a substitute by paying $300 to CongressRiots broke out – New York City Draft Riot – 1863Volunteers manned more than 90% of the Union army

Later money was offered for service when volunteers became scarce Many deserters

The South

Had to resort to a draft nearly a year before the NorthAlso included privileges for the rich

Those who owned 20+ slaves were exempt from the draft

The Economic Stresses of War

North - Morrill Tariff ActIncreased tariff rates by about 5-10%Later increased more

Treasury issued green-backed paper money Money was unstable & sank to as low as 39 cents per gold dollar

Treasury sold war bondsRunaway inflation

9000% inflation rate in the South80% for the Union

National Banking System

Created to establish a standard bank-note currency

Banks that joined could buy government bonds & issue sound paper money

1st step towards a unified national banking network

The North’s Economic Boom

Emerged from the war more prosperous than before

A millionaire class was born

Many Union suppliers used shoddy equipment in their suppliesSizes for clothing were inventedReaper helped feed millions1859 – discovery of petroleum oil sent people to Pennsylvania

Women in War Times

Women gained new advances:Took jobs left behind by menSome posed as men & fought in the war

Clara Barton & Dorothea Dix Helped transform nursing to a respectable profession

Sally TompkinsRan an infirmary for wounded in Richmond Received rank as Captain from Davis

A Crushed Cotton Kingdom

South was ruined by the warTransportation collapsedSupplies became scarce End of war, South claimed only 12% of the national wealth

Pre war – 30%

Per capita income –2/5 that of Northerners

Pre war – 2/3 of Northerners

War Aims & Strategies

SouthDefensive strategy Expected Britain & France to pressure the North so cotton supply would be restored

NorthBlockade of Southern portsGain control of Mississippi RiverCapture Richmond, Virginia