THE CIVIL WARChapter 16: 474-512

Goals• Northern Goal:

• Restore the Union• North has to invade the South and force the states to give up

• Southern Goal:• Establish itself as an independent nation

• Fight long enough to convince the North that the war was not worth its cost

Advantages• North

• Larger population• Better resources

• South• Excellent military leaders• Strong fighting spirit• Knowledge of the land

Southern Strategy• The South expected support from the British and the

French• Conduct a defensive war

• Hold on to as much territory as possible• Attack Washington, D.C.

• Why?

Northern Strategy• Anaconda Plan

• Squeeze the South to death

• 1. Blockade Southern ports• 2. Gain control of the Mississippi River

• Split the Confederacy in two

• 3. Capture Richmond, Virginia• Southern Capital

Who were the Soldiers?• Tens of thousands under the age of 18, some as young as

14• Most soldiers were farmers

• 50% of the Northern troops• 60% of the Southern troops

• By the end of the war• 2.1 million men fought for the Union• 900,000 men fought for the Confederacy

False Hopes• Each side expected an easy victory

• North• Convinced the South could not hold out against the Union’s greater

resources

• South• Convinced the North could not break the South’s fighting spirit

Life of a Soldier• Soldiers spent most of their time living in camps

• Most often, soldiers were bored• Routine of drills, bad food, marches, and rain

• Each side suffered terrible losses• New rifle had greater accuracy than the muskets of earlier wars

• Minie ball: Cylindrical with a conical point and hollow base that was smaller in diameter than the barrel• Capable of smashing and splintering bones, leaving it impossible to heal

Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson• Most Southern victories were the result of their leadership

• Confederate armies were able to defeat Union armies twice as large as their own

• Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson possessed:• knowledge of the terrain• speed of movement• an ability to inspire their troops

Weak Union Generals• Northern generals were hesistant and unable to lead

troops effectively

• Northern generals were unwilling to engage the enemy

• Although the North had more troops, ineffective leadership prevented them from capitalizing on its advantages

Battles of the Civil War• Due to the improved weapons and outdated battle tactics,

many battles resulted in thousands of soldiers dying

• Battle of Shiloh (1862)- Union victory• In 2 days, 23,000 casualties

• Battle of Antietam (1862)- Union victory• In 1 day, 6,000 killed and 17,000 wounded• Deadliest single day of fighting during the Civil War

• Battle of Fredericksburg (1862)- Confederate victory• In 5 days, nearly 18,000 casualties

• Battle of Chancellorsville (1863)- Confederate victory• In 7 days, nearly 24,000 casualties

• Battle of Gettysburg (1863)- Union victory• In 4 days, 48,000 casualties

• Battle of Vicksburg (1863)- Union Victory• In 47 days, 19,000 casualties

Amputation at Gettysburg

Gettysburg Battlefield

Gettysburg Battlefield

Confederate Prisoners

The Battle of Gettysburg• July 1863• Battle almost took place by accident

• Confederates entered the town looking for supplies

• General George Pickett led thousands of Confederate soldiers straight at the Union lines• Became known as Pickett’s Charge• By the end, 75% of Pickett’s men lay dead or wounded

• Confederates- 25,000 casualties• Union- 23,000 casualties

The Battle of Gettysburg• Major turning point in the war• Largest defeat of the war for the Confederacy• Prevented the Confederates from invading the North• Gettysburg put an end to the Confederate’s hopes of

getting aid from Britain or France• Why would they help the South?

• Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address• Edward Evertt spoke for 2 hours• Lincoln for just 2 minutes

Life during the War• Shortages in the South

• War was fought mostly in the South, so South suffered the greatest destruction

• Thousands became homeless• Shortages of food, supplies, and household items became

common

Women’s Roles• Women kept the farms and factories going• Ran offices, taught schools, kept government records• Served as nurses

• Many thought it was improper for women to be nurses

• Some served as spies• Held parties for leaders and would pass on crucial information

Civil War Prisons• Prison camps were set up by both sides

• Andersonville- Georgia• Built to hold 10,000 prisoners but held more than 33,000• Men slept in holes in the ground• Daily ration of teaspoon of salt, 3 tablespoons of beans, and eight

ounces of cornmeal• Cooked with water from a river that served as a sewer• 13,000 men died, mostly from disease

Elmira, New York• Union prison

• Captured Southern soldiers were given no blankets or warm clothes for the winter

• Hospital was in a flooded basement• ¼ of all prisoners at Elmira died

Sherman’s March to the Sea• General William Sherman conducted total war against the

South

• Total War: Systematic destruction of an entire land and not just its army

• Sherman burned Atlanta, much of Georgia and the Carolinas

Toll of the War• More lives were lost in the Civil War than any other

conflict in American history• 600,000 soldiers had died• War cost billions of dollars

• Southern cities and farmland was destroyed

Effects of the Civil War• The South had to be rebuilt

• Federal Government was now clearly more powerful than the states

• Slavery was abolished• Millions of African Americans were free• The end of slavery did not end their problems

Quiz• 1. What were the advantages of the North? Of the South?• 2. What was the war strategy of the North? Of the South?• 3. What did most soldiers do for a living before the war?• 4. What type of bullet was invented that could smash bone and

made amputation the only treatment available?• 5. What were the strengths of Confederate general Robert E.

Lee?• 6. How effective were Union generals?• 7. Which battle was a major turning point in the Civil War?• 8. What were Women’s roles during the Civil War?• 9. Describe Civil War prisons.• 10. What was the total cost of the war? (money and lives)• 11. What were 3 major effects of the Civil War?