Michael Chiu

AP US History
Period 2
12/4/09

Outline of Chapter 14: The Civil War

-By 1860, the Union was beginning to fall apart – election of Lincoln was evidence itself
-Led to a very violent war, the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment
The Secession Crisis
-Once Abraham Lincoln was elected President, the “fire-eaters” of the South, those who were
the champions of “Southern nationalism” began to demand an end to the Union
The Withdrawal of the South
-South Carolina was the first to secede – by the time Lincoln became president, six other
states had seceded – formed the Confederate States of America
-North responded with confusion and indecisiveness – Buchanan said that although the states
had no right to secede, the government didn’t have any right to stop states from it
-First shots between North and South – South fired on unarmed merchant ship sent by
Buchanan to give Fort Sumter more supplies – however, efforts still formed to compromise
The Failure of Compromise
-Senator John J. Crittenden of Kentucky suggest the Crittenden Compromise, calling for
amendments that would guarantee permanent existence of slavery in slave states and satisfy
Southern demands – also would reestablish Missouri Compromise line to all future land
Fort Sumter
-Union forces at Fort Sumter were running out of supplies and conditions were deteriorating
-Lincoln believed the surrender of Sumter would discredit his assertion of marinating the
Union – sent relief expedition to fort
-Confederate leaders General Beauregard, commander at Charleston, to bombard Fort Sumter
– On April 14th, 1861, Major Anderson surrendered – Civil War had begun
The Opposing Sides
-Material advantages of Civil War lay with the North: double the population of the South,
greater manpower in armies and work force, and an advanced industrial system
-South had almost no industry at all – had to rely on Europe throughout the war
-However, South was fighting a defensive war in own land – Northern troops had to fight
among hostile local populations – public opinion about the war in the South was firm while
in the North it was divided
The Mobilization of the North
-North experienced prosperity and economic growth because of the war
Economic Measures
-Since the Republicans at this time controlled Congress, they enacted an extremely
nationalistic program to promote economic development
-Homestead Act of 1862 allowed citizens to get 160 acres of land for a small fee after living
on it for five years
-Morrill Land Grant Act gave land to state governments to sell – led to creation of colleges
-National Bank Acts create new national banking system – existing banks could join it if they
had enough money – system eliminated uncertainty in nation’s currency
-The government financed the war by using taxes, issuing paper money, and borrowing
-New taxes on almost everything – government also levied an income tax for first time
-Government started printing paper currency, or “greenbacks” – relied on confidence
-The largest source of financing the war was loans from American people
Raising the Union Armies
-the Union had to raise its army mostly from scratch
-by 1863, Congress had to pass national draft law – opposition to law was widespread –
mostly among laborers, immigrants, and Democrats – sometimes erupted into violence
Wartime Politics
-Lincoln did not declare war because he felt it would be recognizing the Confederacy as an
independent nation – also increased size of army without legislative permission
-Lincoln’s greatest problem was widespread opposition to war
-Lincoln used extraordinary methods to suppress the Peace Democrats – ordered military
arrests and suspended habeas corpus: right to a speedy trial - when Chief Justice Taney
issued writ requiring Lincoln to release an imprisoned secessionist’s leader, Lincoln ignored
it
-Lincoln was elected for a second term against Democrat George B. McClellan in Election of
1864 – at the time, several Northern victories raised morale
The Politics of Emancipation
-Radicals of the Republican Party such as Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumenr wanted to
use the war to abolish slavery immediately and completely – Conservatives wanted a gradual
ending of slavery – had support of president
-In 1861, Congress passed Confiscation Act – declared that all slaves fighting for the
Confederacy would be considered free – the second Confiscation Act allowed Lincoln to use
slaves as soldiers
-After the Union victory at the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln issued the Emancipation
Proclamation, freeing all slaves in the Confederacy except those already in Union control –
established that the war was being fought also to eliminate slavery
-In 1865, Congress approved the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery in all parts of the U.S.
African Americans and the Union Cause
-Black enlistment in the army was almost nonexistent in the first months of the war
-Once Lincoln issued Emancipation Proclamation, black enlistment increased rapidly
-Many men organized into fighting units – best known was Fifty-fourth Mass. Infantry
-However, most black soldiers were assigned menial jobs behind the lines – black mortality
rate was higher than that of whites because they had to work in unsanitary conditions
The War and Economic Development
-The war actually slowed down industrial growth in some areas of the North by cutting
manufacturers off from Southern markets – but on the whole, increased economic growth
-The war was a hard time for American workers – wages low and high prices – immigrants
Women, Nursing, and the War
-The U.S. Sanitary Commission was organized by Dorothea Dix – female nurses who
worked in field hospitals – nursing became an entirely female profession
-Many men considered women to weak for medical work – didn’t affect work of female
nurses because they the work was so indispensable to the military
-Nursing had a big impact on the medical profession and treatment of wounded soldiers
The Mobilization of the South
The Confederate Government
-Confederate government almost identical to Constitution of the United States – however, it
acknowledge the sovereignty of individual states and also supported slavery
-Constitutional convention at Montgomery named Jefferson Davis President and Alexander
H. Stephens vice President
-Davis was an unsuccessful president – didn’t provide real national leadership
-Confederacy had not formal political parties – however, there were still divisions – some
opposed secession and war, but most white Southerners supported the war
Money and Manpower
-Financing the war for the South was nearly an impossible task
-Taxing didn’t provide much revenue – borrowing was unsuccessful – Confederacy had to
pay for war through the production of paper currency – however, no uniform currency
system
-Resulted in huge inflation rates
-Similarly to the North, the South called for volunteers to raise the military – however,
volunteer enlistments also declined like ion the North – the congress enacted Conscription
Act – repealed because of opposition from poorer whites
-In 1864, government faced manpower shortage – tried to draft young boys and old men –
however, nothing could attract an adequate army any longer – many desertions
States’ Rights versus Centralization
-South resisted all efforts to exert national authority – however, South did make progress in
centralizing power – experimented with a “food draft” – soldiers could seize crops from
farms in their path to feed themselves
Economic and Social Effects of the War
-the war had devastating effects on the South’s economy – declined by more than one third
-After the North’s naval blockade, the South had shortages of almost everything
-Led to increasing instability – food riots, resistance to conscription
-Women had new roles because so many men left farms to fight – responsible for managing
slave work, plowing fields, and working as schoolteachers – many worked as nurses
-Slaves were more likely to escape and those who couldn’t were particularly resistant
Strategy and Diplomacy
-Initiative for war lay with the North militarily while diplomatically, the initiative lay with
the South
The Commanders
-Most important Union commander was Abraham Lincoln – successful because he realized
the North had more numbers and resources and took advantage of it
-Lincoln had a lot of trouble finding adequate commanders for the Union army – finally fund
Ulysses S. Grant, who also believed that depleting enemy armies and resources was the goal
-Jefferson Davis named Robert E. Lee as his principal military advisor – but later, Lee went
into the field and Davis planned strategy alone
The Role of Sea Power
-Union had huge advantage in naval power – blockaded the South – last port in Confederate
hands was in Wilmington, North Carolina
-The Confederates made an ironclad warship called the Virginia – first battle between two
ironclads was between the Union Monitor and the Virginia – neither won
Europe and the Disunited States
-Many people in England supported the Union – the South argued using “King Cotton
Diplomacy” – that Southern cotton was vital to English and French textile industries
-This failed because English manufacturers had a surplus of cotton
-In the end, no European nation offered diplomatic recognition to the Confederacy
-In the Trent affair, two Confederate diplomats went to Cuba and boarded the Trent to
England – an American frigate, the San Jacinto, commanded by Charles Wilkes, arrested the
diplomats and carried them to Boston – British gov’t demanded release of them and an
apology – Lincoln, unwilling to risk war with Britain, apologized and released them
The American West and the War
-the border areas of Kansas and Missouri were among the bloodiest in the United States
during the war because of groups like Quantrill’s and the Jayhawkers
-Confederacy tried to negotiate alliances with Indians – Indians were divided – never really
allied themselves with either side
The Course of Battle
-the Civil War produced the most carnage of all the wars in American history
The Technology of Battle
-the repeating rifle was introduced by Oliver Winchester after the repeating pistol by Samuel
Colt (revolver)
-Critical to the war was the railroad and the telegraph – railroad allowed mobilization of
soldiers – telegraph allowed field commanders to stay in close touch during battle
The Opening Clashes, 1861
-In the First Battle of Bull Run, the Union forces almost won, but the Confederates stopped a
last Union assault and then counterattacked , dispersing the Union troops – the battle
dispelled the thought that the war would end quickly
-At the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, Union forces fought against rebel forces in Missouri –
although Nathaniel Lyon, commander of Union forces was killed the Union held most of
Missouri
-George B. McClellan “liberated” the anti-secessionists of western Virginia and they were
admitted to the Union as West Virginia in 1863 – important symbolic victory for the North
The Western Theater
-An important turning point of the war was the capture of New Orleans by Farragut
-At the Battle of Shiloh, Grant established control of the Mississippi River
Virginia Front, 1862
-George B. McClellan, commander of the Army of the Potomac, was a superb trainer of
soldiers but was hesitant to commit his troops in battle
-When he decided to try to capture Richmond, he tried to circumvent the Confederate
defenses by choosing a complicated, circular route – known as Peninsular campaign
-Outside Richmond, Confederate troops under Johnston were attacking McClellan’s
advancing army – at the Battle of Seven Pines, they could not repel the Union forces –
Johnston was replaced by Lee, who recalled Stonewall Jackson from the Shenandoah Valley
– launched new offensive, known as the Battle of Seven Days – however, McClellan fought
his way across the peninsula and the Army of the Potomac was safe
-At Antietam Creek, the bloodiest battle of the war occurred – both sides had huge casualties
– although technically a Union victory, it was really a squandered opportunity – Lincoln
removed McClellan for good – replaced by Ambrose Burnside who was mediocre
1863: Year of Decision
-In the Battle of Chancellorsville, Stonewall Jackson attacked Thomas Hooker’s army at the
right and Lee attacked in the front – Hooker barely escaped with army – however, Stonewall
Jackson died from pneumonia after the battle
-At Vicksburg, General Grant laid siege to the Confederate stronghold from the rear –
surrendered to Union force
-In the Battle of Gettysburg, the Meade’s Union army established a well-protected position
on the hills in the south of the town – Lee first attack failed – his second attack was known as
Pickett’s Charge – a force of 15,000 Confederate soldiers were swept by Union fire across an
open field – Lee had lost of third of his army – withdrew from Gettysburg – turning point
-At the Battle of Chattanooga, the Union got control of the Tennessee River
The Last Stage, 1864-1865
-General Grant planned two offensives – the Potomac army would advance toward
Richmond and force Lee into a decisive battle – In the western army, William Sherman
would advance east toward Atlanta
-Grant changed his strategy after Wilderness campaign had cost Grant many men – he moved
army and headed toward Petersburg to try to cut off communications from Richmond –
assault became a very long siege
-General Johnston was unable to stop Sherman’s advance toward Atlanta – captured Atlanta
-In Sherman’s March to the Sea, he left Atlanta and living off the land, cut a swath of
desolation across Georgia – captured Savannah by December 20th – continued march to S.C.
-In April 1865, Grant finally captured railroad junction southwest of Petersburg – blocked
Lee’s attempted escape around the Union forces
-Finally, recognizing that further bloodshed was futile, surrendered his army at Appomattox
Courthouse, Virginia – nine days later, Johnston surrendered to Sherman – war effectively
over