Progress of Battles: Civil War
I. The two sides had very different strengths and weaknesses.
a. North had army, navy and government including buildings, structures in place.
i. 71% of population
ii. 92% of manufacturing
iii. 56% of exports
iv. 90% of merchant ships
v. 72% of railroad lines
vi. 67% of farms
vii. 94% of iron production
viii. 82% of banking capital
b. South had some of the best generals and leadership, but had to organize army etc. from the ground up.
i. Population 29%
ii. Manufacturing 8%
iii. Exports 44%
iv. Merchant ships 10%
v. Railroad lines 28%
vi. Farms 33%
vii. Iron production 6%
viii. Banking capital 18%
II. Lincoln (Republican) is elected.
a. He agrees to protect and accept slavery in the South but to oppose its spread into the west.
b. Dec. 20, 1860 S. Carolina secedes from Union
c. Pres. Buchanan says he has no power to stop them.
d. By Feb. 1861 6 more states joined them: Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.
e. Feb.8, 1861 – Convention held in Montgomery Al. South writes constitution which makes slavery legal through all states: Confederacy is formed. Jeff Davis President.
f. Ft. Sumter is fired on April 12-13, 1861 and falls due to shortage of supplies. War begins.
g. Lincoln calls for 75,000 volunteers to form an army and this causes the upper South to secede which they didn’t want to do, but they also couldn’t face fighting other Southern states. (Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee join Confederacy.)
III. Two opposing strategies
a. South- wage a defensive war of attrition (like during the revolution) South would attack and retreat again and again until the North would expend its resources, become exhausted and it would agree to negotiate and the South would win.
b. North- Anaconda Plan: blockade southern ports and put gun boats down the Mississippi river and cut the Confederacy in half. Originally rejected because it was too slow. This was what the North ultimately decided to do.
c. Beginning- Battle of Bull Run-South wins first few battles.
d. Admiral Farragut (Union) gains control of New Orleans, April 1862
IV. War in the West
a. Grant starts campaign to seize control of Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. Over several months gets control and wins battle of Shiloh after tremendous losses (20,000 combined men died over two days.)
V. War in the East
a. June 1862-McClellan fights Lee around Richmond (7-Days Battle) and 2nd Battle of Bull Run- South forces North to retreat. (30,000 combined casualties)
b. September 17, 1862 Battle of Antietam Creek, Maryland (6,000 dead , 16,000 wounded in 5 hrs.) North wins critical turning point, now with Lee’s retreat Lincoln could announce Emancipation Proclamation- freed the slaves in the states in rebellion against the Union. Also stopped Britain from joining war on South’s side.
c. Southern victories: Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville
VI. Turning points in the War.
a. Vicksburg- Last Southern stronghold on the Mississippi May 1863 siege ends July 4, Confederates surrender.
b. Gettysburg- Lee heads into Pennsylvania to get shoes at factory there July1-2 meets McClelland there. Massive battle where 23,000 Union and 29,000 Confederates die (1/3 of Lee’s army) Massive Southern retreat/defeat. From then on Southern forces are on defensive slowly giving ground to North.
VII. Chattanooga TN. Huge railroad hub for the South runs straight to Atlanta. Grant wins control.
VIII. Sherman’s March to the Sea- Aug. 1864 march toward Atlanta- burn Atlanta go from there to Savannah and cut the South in ½ and destroy rail lines, supplies.
a. Heads down to the sea cutting a 60 mile wide swath of destruction. Reach coast- Savannah by December 21, 1864.
b. Turns north toward South Carolina (who started war)
IX. Lincoln pushes to end slavery by amending the Constitution.
a. Jan. 31st, 1865, 13th Amendment banning slavery in U.S. passed Congress and was sent to states to ratify.
X. Grant stops Lee at Appomattox Courthouse.
a. April 9, 1865 Lee surrenders.
b. April 14, 1865 Lincoln is assassinated at Ford’s theater