Girding for War: The North and the South

1861-1865

American Pageant Chapter 20

The Problems of Secession

„ Lincoln’s inaugural address firm yet

conciliatory

‟ No conflict unless South provoked it

„ New Controversies:

‟ Share of Federal Debt

‟ Share of Federal lands

‟ Fugitive Slave issues

‟ Delight of European nations

South Carolina attacks Fort Sumter

• Federal Fort Sumter in S.C. w/less than 100 men

• Lincoln notifies South that supplies only would be sent to fort– South view it as

aggressive act

• April 12, 1861—South Carolinians fired on Fort Sumter

• 34 hours—Fort fell to S.C.

South Carolina attacks Fort Sumter

• Lincoln calls for 75,000 militiamen– Northerners flock to

enlist—some turned away

• This ―aggression‖ leads Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina to secede

Importance of Border States

• Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware (later W. Virginia)– Contained more than ½ of

white population of Confederacy

– Would double size of Confederacy manufacturing

– Supply ½ of its horses

– Ohio River

Importance of Border States

• Lincoln publicly declared North’s war aims were not to free Blacks– Used martial law in

Maryland & Union soldiers in W. Virginia & Missouri

―If I could save the Union without

freeing any slave, I would do it;

and if I could save it by freeing all

the slaves, I would do it; and if I

could do it by freeing some and

leaving others alone, I would also

do that.‖ ~Abraham Lincoln, 1862

Brother against Brother

„ Civil War divided families

‟ Billy Yank and Johnny Reb

‟ Especially in border states†300,000 troops

went North

„ “Mountain Whites” in South†sent 50,000

troops to fight for Union

„ Many volunteers from either side joined

the opposite side

„ 5 Civilized Tribes†sided w/South (some

owned slaves)

„ A Cherokee rival faction & Plains Indians-

-North

Southern Advantages

„ Defensive war

‟ Only had to fight to a “draw”

„ Morale

„ Talented officers

‟ Robert E. Lee

„ West Point; asked to lead Northern army

‟ Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson

„ Gifted tactical theorist, speed, & deception

„ “Bred to fight”

‟ “Rebel Yell”† “Yeeeahhh”

„ “There is nothing like it on this side of the infernal region.

The peculiar corkscrew sensation that it sends down your

backbone can never be told. You have to feel it.”

Southern Disadvantages

„ Scarcity of Factories

‟ Did develop own ironworks†weaponry

‟ Many shortages still

„ Transportation

‟ Fewer railways; railroad tracks cut

„ Economy

‟ One crop economy

„ Population

‟ 9 million whites + 3.5 million slaves

‟ Compared with Northern 22 million

Northern Advantages

„ Farms & factories

„ Wealth†3/4 of the nation’s

„ Railroads†3/4 of the nation’s

„ Control of the sea

‟ Navy & trade with Europe

„ Population†22 million

‟ +more immigrants (800,000 1861-1865)

‟ 1/5 Union forces foreign born

Northern Disadvantages

„ Soldiers less prepared for military life

‟ Became known for discipline & determination

„ Poor commanders

‟ Lincoln forced to trail & error method

„ I.E. “Tardy” George McCellan

‟ Eventually found Ulysses Simpson Grant

„ North advantages still outweighed South

Cotton is not Enough …

„ South counted on foreign alliances

‟ Supplied more than ½ world’s supply

„ Europe’s ruling classes†sympathetic

„ Working classes (esp. British)†against South

‟ Slavery already abolished in England

‟ Read Uncle Tom’s Cabin

‟ Restrained British from any official intervention

Cotton is not Enough …

„ Surplus of Cotton in 1861

‟ Prewar bumper crops

‟ Lincoln announced emancipation before more cotton was

needed

„ Union sent food to unemployed English & captured

cotton from the South

„ King Wheat & King Corn prevail

‟ North had ideal weather during the war years

British-American Diplomatic Issues

„ British rulers unofficially helped South

„ Trent Affair†1861

‟ British mail ship stopped by U.S. w/2

Confederate diplomats heading to Europe

‟ London ultimatum--apology & release of

prisoners

‟ Lincoln agreed to prevent crisis

British-American Diplomatic Issues

„ Southern Ship building in England

‟ Alabama†

„ commerce raider

„ built & manned by British

‟ Charles Francis Adams†U.S. Diplomat†

persuaded British to stop

„ Still British built ships captured 250 U.S.

ships crippling U.S. Merchant Marine

British-American Diplomatic Issues

„ Laird “Rams”†1863

‟ 2 Confederate warships

‟ By John Laird & Sons†in Britain

‟ Designed to destroy U.S. Navy wooden

ships

‟ Charles Francis Adams pushed British

‟ British buy 2 ships for own Navy

„ 1871†

‟ British paid $15.5 million for damages from

commerce-raiders

US vs. Canada & France

„ Irish Americans

‟ 1866 & 1870

‟ Hate British--raised several tiny armies

‟ Attacked Canada

„ Fear of U.S. led to Dominion of Canada 1867

„ Emperor Napoleon III

‟ 1863--sent Archduke Maximilian to Mexico

‟ Violate Monroe Doctrine

‟ 1865†William Seward prepares fight

‟ Napoleon III backs out; Maximilian killed

Davis v. Lincoln

„ Jefferson Davis

‟ Humorless, stubborn

‟ Able administrator

‟ No real personal popularity

‟ Struggled with States’ right

vs. need for strong central

government during war

‟ Devoted to South†but

impossible situation

„ Abraham Lincoln

‟ Tactful, quiet, able to relax,

firm

‟ Genius for leading public

opinion

‟ Patience for colleagues

‟ Charity towards South

‟ Had prestige & financial

stability of long-established

country

‟ OK HE’S AWESOME!

„ But…

Wartime Civil Liberties

„ Lincoln was not perfect

‟ Suspended habeas corpus

‟ Increased size of army w/o Congress

‟ Advanced $2 million to private citizens for military

purposes†against Constitution

‟ “Supervised” voting in Border States

‟ Suspended some newspapers

„ But… “infractions were not, in general,

sweeping.”

„ Driven by necessity & not intended to continue

after the war

Volunteers & Draftees

„ Union troops

‟ At first all volunteers

‟ 1863 Federal conscription law

„ $300 men†could buy out enlistment

„ Some riots†NY in 1863†anti-Irish & anti-Black

‟ 90% still volunteers†social & patriotic pressure

‟ “bounty brokers”†poor from Europe to fight

„ Confederate troops

‟ At first volunteers but needed draft more quickly

‟ Both the “craddle & the grave”

‟ “Rich man’s war but a poor man’s fight”

Economic Stresses of War

• North

– Fared better than South

– Excise taxes & 1st income

taxes

• Morrill Tariff Act 1857—

increased tariff

– Treasury issued

greenbacks—paper $450

million

• Inflation 80%

– Government bonds

• Raised $2,621,916,786

– National banking system

1863

• Standard bank note currency

• South

– Impoverished

– Union blockade decreased

income from custom duties

– Confederate bonds--$400

million

– Increased taxes & levies on

farm produce

– Printed $--1 billion

• Runaway inflation—

9,000%

• 1 Confederate $ = 1.6

cents

North’s Economic Boom

• Wartime prosperity

– New factories, protective

tariffs

– First millionaire class in

U.S.

– Greed & dishonesty

• I.E. cardboard soles of

soldiers' shoes

– Laborsaving machinery

• Reaper, sewing machines

– Surplus of grain

• Made $ abroad

– Petroleum discovery

– Westward migration

• Gold rush

• Homestead Act 1862

Women’s Roles• New job opportunities—

Clerks, Industrial

• Some fought (dressed like men)

• Spies

• Medical field– Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell—U.S.

Sanitary Commission

– Clara Barton & Dorothea Dix—superintendent of nursing (made it a respectable occupation)

– Sally Tompkins—(Southern) Ran Richmond infirmary

• Raised $--bazaars & fairs

A Crushed Cotton Kingdom

• 1860—South owned 30% of

wealth

• 1870—South owned 12% of

wealth

• Transportation collapsed

• Resourcefulness

– i.e. Women sacrifice of fine

cloth, etc.