united states civil war

United StatesCIVIL WAR

United StatesCIVIL WAR

CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)Issues and Events

America’s greatest national trauma!First time conflict met definition of total warBloodiest war in American history, must count both sides600,000 dead, 500,000 woundedFought/led by men on both sides with no combat experience (Mexican War very small, 1848)Most trained officers fight for the SouthMostly untrained militia, who could not drill or fire a gun or farmers/hunters that could shoot, but not in mass4 issues that caused the war; right of state to leave union, slavery, economic interests, and Abraham Lincoln


Slavery and AbolitionLabor was major issuePlantation system sustained Southern economyCotton was labor intensive, no training or efficiency required, all work done by handCotton Gin available, but not used muchUnpaid labor kept costs low enough for profitNorth becoming a modern industrial stateNorth society steadily progressed, many immigrants and middle classSouth society stagnated, little or no developmentUrban working/merchant class, industrial entrepreneurs (North) vs. aristocrats, farmers, slaves (South)High tariffs (North) vs. no tariffs (South)American ships only (North) vs. lowest cost shipping (South)


Slavery issue boiling for some timeMissouri Compromise of 1820

11 free states and 11 slave statesMaine (free); Missouri (slave) added to U.S.Repealed, 1854 and declared unconstitutional, 1857

Arkansas/Michigan, Florida/Iowa; Texas/WisconsinGreat Compromise of 1850

New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah territories (TBD)California (free)Washington D.C. slave marketFugitive Slave Act

$5 each to set free; $10 each to return to slaveryUnderground railroad becomes more activeFlee to Canada or risk getting sent back South

CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)Comparison of Union and CSA Union CSATotal population 22,000,000 (71%) 9,000,000 (29%)Free population 22,000,000 5,500,0001860 Border state slaves 432,586 NA1860 Southern slaves NA 3,500,000Soldiers 2,200,000 (67%) 1,064,000 (33%)Railroad miles 21,788 (71%) 8,838 (29%)Manufactured items 90% 10%Firearm production 97% 3%Bales of cotton in 1860 Negligible 4,500,000Bales of cotton in 1864 Negligible 300,000Pre-war U.S. exports 30% 70%


Abolition of slavery in Southern states was not major Northern issueMost Northerners, including Lincoln, generally accepted slavery in SouthMany Northerners didn’t think slavery in South worth fighting aboutIssue was expansion of slavery into new territories


John Brown’s Raid at Harper’s FerryFanatic farmer, began guerilla warfare in Kansas to free slavesBadly defeated in KansasOct 1859, seized U.S. Armory with 18 followers atHarper’s Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia)Col Robert E. Lee sent to capture John BrownCaptured, convicted of murder, hanged


LincolnPersonally thought slavery morally wrong and an injustice, determined to limit it to existing statesRecognized constitutional right of slavery in Southern states; Corwin amendment (original 13th amendment)13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolishes slavery, 1868Conflict came to boil with Lincoln’s election, 1860Southern states begin to secede

South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, TexasFeb 1861, Confederate States of AmericaFormer U.S. senator, Jefferson Davis, elected President


States’ RightsNorth wanted strong central governmentSouth wanted strong state governmentNorth wanted development of national policies that were favorable to continued growthSouth feared strong central government would adopt legislation directly attacking Southern institutions

CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)Political Objectives

Lincoln: #1 goal was to reestablish union, by force if necessaryMany others: secession was states’ right, opportunity to give problem away, or not worth fighting overPublic support was major Northern problem entire warFreedom for slaves was political attempt to get support for war; Emancipation ProclamationBecause the North was not winning at this point it had little or no impact in the South

South simply ignored itSouthern objectives were very popular in SouthOnly needed to defend South from invasion

CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)Military Objectives and Strategy

Both North and South needed quick, decisive winNeither North or South very well preparedLincoln wanted offensive pressure all around the edges, all at onceActually, got 2 fronts divided by Appalachian MountainsSouth only needed to defend itself, BUTDidn’t have population (5:2)Didn’t have heavy industry (firearms/railroads)Depended on export of cotton and tobaccoNever developed centralized organization

CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)Military Technology and Technique

RailroadsNorth had extensive rail networkSouth had series of independent railroads built to get products to port cities

One trunk rail line connecting east to westChattanooga, Atlanta, Petersburg


CommunicationTelegraph

WeaponsRiffled musket (.58 and .50 caliber) and artillery, extended range for both and small explosive charge for artilleryRapid fire weapons appearFirst submarines,armored ships

CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)Military Technology and Technique• Rifled Smoothbore Smoothbore w/3 buckshot• 100 yards, 50, 48/50 37/43 79/84 of 200• 200 yards, 50, 32/41 18/24 18/22 19/31(some did• 300 yards, 50, 23/29 <9 not penetrate target)• 500 yards, 50, 12/21

• Infantry vs. cavalry, at 500 yards with a rifle-musket, the sight on the gun ``is elevated to the third notch-the horses now get over 4 yards per second so that the dangerous space is passed in seven seconds'' To have accurate fire at a closer range it would have been necessary to lower the sight as the enemy closed, therefore wait until the enemy are within point blank range

• Infantry vs. infantry, combat occurs at a slower pace, but the same principals can be applied…as the enemy gets closer, the man armed with a rifle-musket must change how he aims or he will miss, but the man armed with a smoothbore has to do nothing except wait for the enemy to get closer and then he can fire effectively, for all he has to do is load, point, and shoot

CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)Military Technology and Technique• Little time or ammunition allocated to actual range practice• Many recruits into battle without firing 1 practice round• Men knew how to load weapons, maintain the weapons, and fire

the weapons in theory, but didn't know anything about using them in actual combat

• 24th Michigan - sent to front within a very few weeks of its formation in July 1862– In its only recorded target practice during that time, three men were

wounded and one died of a heart attack– Only target practice until four months later, which again wasn't

followed up– Gettysburg where the unit suffered 80 percent casualties, serious

target practice was given the men


ForcesInfantry, cavalry and artillery

Union army had small balloon corpsMain source of troops still state militia

Fire powerSometimes 80% casualties“Attack by rushes”Limited medical care made impact greaterWound in “truck” of body was usually fatalWound in limbs usually meant amputationInstruments often not washed between patients

CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)Military Forces

Union ArmyFormal entry of Black troops into army186,000 served in 120 infantry, 7 cavalry and 13 artillery regiments; but white officersContinued after war with “buffalo soldiers”

Confederate ArmySenior leaders mostly West Point grads

Naval ForcesUnion; 42 warshipsGrew to 700 ships Confederate; almost none

MILITARY CONDUCTMILITARY CONDUCT First Shots

South fires first shots at Fort Sumter, S.C.Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina vote to join ConfederacyNorth tries to capture railroad junction at Manassas Junction, Confederates stop them at Bull Run, major Confederate victoryCivilians from Washington D.C. with picnic baskets went to watch, only about 30 miles from townSet pattern for rest of war

Poorly led Northern armies often outmaneuvered by smaller, faster-moving Southern forcesBetter generals; Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson

MILITARY CONDUCTMILITARY CONDUCTNeither side expects long war, months at worstWar goes back and forth until end of 1863Emancipation Proclamation, Jan 1863

Major political move, but didn’t free slavesLee winning in VirginiaGrant winning in WestGen Ulysses S. Grant takes command of Union Army (East), March 1864Gen William T. Sherman takes command in WestGrant leads war of attrition

enemy must be worn down to the point of collapse by continuous losses in personnel and materiel, usually be won by the side with greater replacements

More than 1 million total casualtiesProblems of Peace more difficult than war

BETWEEN WARSBETWEEN WARSAfter the war

North wanted to transformation South into something resembling rest of countryNo one knew what to do, North had no planMillions of homelessThousands crippledFarm production ruinedNothing Southerners could accept or embraceReconciliation (rebuild) or Punitive (punish)Northerners often imposed policies without convincing Southerners they were properMany former slaves had to work for white land owners, either as tenant farmers, sharecroppers, or laborersCotton production rebounds in 20 years to pre-war levels

AFTER THE WARAFTER THE WARAfter the war

Harshness of reconstruction fostered hostility towards Blacks - KKKNorth mostly indifferent towards freed slaves

No education, no land, no money, no anything except in small quantitiesMost former slaves no better off than before, except family members could not be taken awayOnly work was the same as before, except now paid, but not much because land owners didn’t have money

Called reconstruction, but little done to improve conditionsLincoln wanted minimum of conditions

united states civil war

Documents

hangedcivil war

free states

expansion of slavery

accepted slavery

eventsabolition of slavery

new territoriescivil

abraham lincolncivil

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