Chapter 15THE CIVIL WAR

Section 1

THE WAR BEGINS

The Civil War• 1. Who was involved?

#1 The Confederate States of America

The Civil War

#2 The Union (Free States & Territories)

The Civil War

#3 The Border States

The Civil War

• 2. Why were the Border States so important?

•Important geographically. Each one was in the ‘middle’ of the North & South

• 3. Why were the Border States so unusual?

•They all were slave states that stayed with the Union--> MO, KY, MD, DE

“I hope to have God on my side but I have to have Kentucky” -- Abraham Lincoln

The Civil War• 4. How did they fight?

Total War - organization of all the resources (people and products) of a country towards the war effort

•The resources of enemy civilians are fair targets in total war (ex. Farms, food, etc)

5. Advantages and Disadvantages:

• North

• Population: 22 million

• 4 million men of combat age

• South

• Population: 9 million (including slaves)

• 1.2 million men of fighting age

• 3.5 million slaves

*North has the advantage in population

Advantages and Disadvantages:

• North• Economy:

100,000 Factories

• 22,000 miles of Railroad

• $190,000 in bank deposits

• South

• Economy: 20,000 factories

• 9,000 miles of Railroad

• $50,000 in bank deposits

*North has the advantage in industrial power

Advantages and Disadvantages:

• North• Armed Forces:

mostly drafted soldiers with overly cautious officers

• More soldiers

• African Americans - 10% of Union forces

• Strong navy

• South• Armed Forces:

better trained soldiers & better leadership

• No real navy

*North has the advantage in # of soldiers, but South in the quality of

soldiers & generals

Advantages and Disadvantages:

• North

• Government - Strong well-established government

• South

• Government - Weak government, most power given to states

*North has a stronger govt, better able to direct resources towards the war

Advantages and Disadvantages:

• North• Motivation:

Preserve the union

• Later - free the slaves

• Fought on enemy territory

• South

• Motivation: Preserve way of life

• Fought on home soil

*Who has the advantage in motivation? You decide.

6. Goals:

•North•Anaconda Plan

•1. Blockade the South

•2. Divide - Split the Confederacy by gaining control of the Mississippi River

•3. Conquer - remaining parts

• South• 1. Defend existing

territory

• 2. Gain recognition of Confederacy as independent nation

• 3. Cotton Diplomacy

*Whose goals would be easier to reach?

7. Leaders:

• Abraham Lincoln:“A House divided against itself cannot stand” -- A. Lincoln

•Union (North) Leader

•Little political experience (served 1 term in the House of Reps)•Strong reputation for honesty, temperance, jokes and storytelling

Leaders:• Jefferson Davis:“All we ask is to be

left alone” -- J. Davis

•Confederacy (South) Leader

•West Point graduate, Colonel in Mexican-American War, Secretary of War, & Senator from Mississippi

Who has the advantage in leadership?

•Not a popular president, especially with big fans of state’s rights

Northern Commanders

George McClellan

A. E. Burnside

Joseph Hooker

George G. Meade

Irwin McDowell

Northern CommandersUlysses S. Grant

-- “When in doubt, fight” U.S. Grant

•Son of an Ohio tailor & drunken failure until the Civil War•Reputation for boldness, resourcefulness, & persistence

Southern CommanderRobert E. Lee

“It is a good thing war is so terrible; else we should grow too fond of it” -- R.E. Lee

Who has the advantage in Commanders?

•Offered command of Union armies

•Brilliant southern gentleman from one of country’s oldest families

•Family plantation occupied early in the war and turned into Arlington National Cemetery

8. So how did it begin?• Fort Sumter:

Where?

•Fort Sumter lies in the harbor of Charleston, S.C.

So how did it begin?• Fort Sumter:

Why? Confederate troops began to take over Union forts in the South one by one (wanted control over arsenals, forts, and strategic spots)

The fort is running out of food & Major Robert Anderson telegrams Lincoln for supplies

What? Lincoln can either defend the fort and risk war or abandon it and look weak in the eyes of the South

So how did it begin?• Fort Sumter:

So...

Lincoln sends an unarmed ship with food

General Pierre Beauregard was the commander for the ConfederatesAll the Confederates had to do was blockade the supply ship (starve the Union soldiers into submission)o South wanted to show that it was time for independence

First shot was fired at 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861The Union soldiers in the fort did not fire back (low on ammunition)April 14, 1861 Anderson was forced to surrenderThe Civil War had begun

So how did it begin?