Chapter 11: The Civil War
Section One Notes: The Opposing Sides
I.Choosing Sides
A.Robert E. Lee
1.Offered command of Union troops
2.Opposed slavery, but refused to bear arms against his home state of Virginia
B.Southern Military Tradition
1.Approximately 1/3 of U.S. officers joined the Confederacy
2.Seven of the nation’s eight military colleges were located in the South
C.Northern Naval Tradition
1.Over ¾ of the U.S. Naval officers came from the North
2.Most crews of U.S. merchant ships were from the North
3.Most of navy’s warships were from the North
4.All but one of the country’s shipyards was located in the North
II.Advantages and Disadvantages
A.The North
1.Population
a.North – 22 million people in 1860
b.South – 9 million people, almost 3 million of which was enslaved
c.Allowed North to not only have more men available to fight, but also to have
more people available to keep the nation running smoothly
2.Manufacturing
a.80% of factories located in the North
b..Produced more than 90% of the nation’s clothing, boots, & shoes
c.Produced 93% of country’s pig iron (unrefined iron)
d.Manufactured almost all the nation’s firearms and gunpowder
3.Railroads
a.North had twice the mileage of railroad track as the South (21.7 thousand miles
to 9 thousand miles)
b.Allowed the North to transport troops, food, and supplies during the war
4.Economy
a.North controlled the national treasury
b.Able to raise money from tariffs
c.Majority of banks located in the North, allowing it to borrow money
effectively
1.Congress passed the Legal Tender Act
2.Allowed the government to issue greenbacks, or paper money that
served as a national currency
d.North’s economy balanced between farming and industry
B.The South
1.Agriculture
a.Majority of production in South was agricultural
b.South capable of producing its own food
c.Problems surrounding distribution of food arose during the war
2.Debt
a.Most southern planters were in debt
b.South had to rely on taxing trade to raise money, which was disrupted by the
Northern blockade
c.Forced to directly tax the people
3.States’ Rights
a.Focus on state supremacy hindered ability of southern states to work together
b.Doctrine fostered political upheaval, with states refusing to obey laws passed
by Confederacy, and citizens refusing to obey laws issued by states
4.Military Leadership/Strategy
a.Best officers joined Confederacy
b.South only had to maintain a defensive position to win the war
c.Southerners were fighting for a cause they believed in
III.Party Politics in the North
A.War Democrats
1.Supported the Civil War
2.Hoped to restore the Union to prewar conditions, including the protection of slavery
B.Copperheads
1.Peace Democrats
2.Opposed the Civil War
3.Called for reunification through negotiation rather than force
4.Considered to be traitors by the Republicans
C.Party Disagreements
1.Conscription
a.Forced military service was opposed by many Democrats
b.Draft riots broke out in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin
2.Suspension of Habeas Corpus
a.Lincoln suspended writ of habeas corpus to enforce draft law
1.Refers to right of person to be charged with a crime before being
imprisoned
2.Allowed government to imprison people for indefinite periods without
trial
b.Used to imprison anyone who openly supported rebels or resisted conscription
IV.Weak Southern Government
A.Confederate Constitution
1.Emphasized states’ rights
2.Limited power of the Confederate government
B.Opposition from Within the Confederacy
1.Southern leaders opposed conscription and martial law
2.Opposed suspension of habeas corpus (including Alexander Stephens, vice president
of Confederacy)
3.Objected to taxation to support the war
V.The Diplomatic Challenge
A.European Support for the Confederacy
1.South wanted Europeans, especially Britain, to recognize the Confederacy
a.Hoped British navy would help end Union blockade
b.Knew European textile mills depended on Southern cotton
2.Confederacy met informally with British and French in 1861
a.France promised to recognize the Confederacy if the British did so
b.British did not want to risk war with U.S. until Confederacy had proven itself
on the battlefield
B.The Trent Affair
1.Confederacy sent official ministers to Britain and France to negotiate
a.James Mason was to go to Britain
b.John Slidell was to go to France
2.Both ministers boarded the Trent, a British ship, in Havana, Cuba
3.British warship intercepted the ship and arrested Mason and Slidell
4.Britain threatened war with the U.S. if the Confederate prisoners were not released,
arguing that U.S. government had no right to interfere with a British ship (and sent
troops to strengthen their position in Canada)
5.Lincoln ordered the men released to avoid war with Britain
VI.The First “Modern” War
A.Military Technology and Tactics
1.Old Tactics
a.Organize troops into tight columns and advance against the enemy
b.Bayonet charges when soldiers reached close range
2.New Technology
a.Conoidal bullets – cone shaped bullet for rifles – replaced round musket balls
that were inaccurate (allowed greater accuracy, less drift, and longer range)
b.Rifling, or cutting a spiral groove on the inside of a rifle barrel (allowed bullet
to spin, giving longer range and greater accuracy)
c.Shells, devices that exploded in the air or when they hit something
d.Canisters, shells loaded with bullets, could be fired from cannons
3.New Strategy
a.Trench warfare
1.Armies dug ditches to protect themselves
2.Helped lead to increased casualties and a longer war
b.War of attrition
1.Wearing down of one side through exhaustion of soldiers and resources
2.Benefited the North due to its large population and resources
B.Southern Strategy
1.Southern leaders wanted to wage a defensive war of attrition, hoping North would tire
of the war and let Confederacy go
2.Many Southerners resisted this plan, believing themselves to be superior to Northern
forces
3.Southern armies faced huge losses as a result of going on the offensive
C.Anaconda Plan
1.Proposed by Winfield Scott/Ridiculed by Northern newspapers
2.Strategy named after a snake because, like the anaconda, it was designed to slowly
squeeze life out of Confederacy
a.Blockade Southern ports on the Atlantic
b.Isolate the Confederacy from European aid and trade
c.Cut off flow of supplies, equipment, money, food and cotton
d.Exhaust Southern resources, forcing surrender
e.Control the Mississippi with Union gunboats
f.Divide the eastern part of the Confederacy from the western part
g.Capture New Orleans, Vicksburg, and Memphis
h.Cut off shipping to and from interior
3.Adopted by Lincoln, and eventually successful, this strategy made a long war a reality