Girding for War: The North & The South 1861-1865

1. Girding for War:The North & The South1861-1865 The American Pageant Chapter 21

2. Pres. of Disunited States • Lincoln’s inaugural: no war unless South started it, seces-sion was physically impractical. • How could North/South solve problems of sharing debt & territories, FSL? • Split US could not defend Monroe Doct. against Europe.

3. S.C. Assails Fort Sumter • Federal forts in South, not debt or territories became issue. • Fort Sumter in Charleston was most important remaining in Federal control, but needed supplies by April, 1861. • Lincoln’s dilemma: let fort fall without fight, or risk war?

4. S.C. Assails Fort Sumter (2) • Middle position: notify SC that sending provisions, not reinforcements, Union naval force began trip. • South regarded this as aggression, opened fire on fort on April 12, 1861. Fort surrendered, no lives lost.

5. S.C. Assails Fort Sumter (3) • Attack provoked North to fight: Lincoln called for 75,000 militia, ordered blockade of Southern seaports. • Call for troops provoked South, VA, AR, TN & NC join Confederacy, capital moved to Richmond, VA.

6. Border Blood • Crucial border slave states (MO, KY, MD, DE, later WV) may have seceded had North been aggressor, would have doubled manufacturing capability of South. • Lincoln declared martial law in MD to protect DC.

7. Border Blood (2) • Sent Union soldiers to western VA and MO to fight with local unionists in local civil wars. • To satisfy border states, But-ternut region, Lincoln pro-claimed initially that goal was not to free blacks – publicly war was for union only.

8. Border Blood (3) • In OK most of 5 Civilized Tribes sided with South, Plains Indians with North. • In some cases, brothers fought on opposing sides. Mountain whites of South provided 50,000 Union troops, border states sent 300,000 to South.

9. Balance of Forces Southern Strengths: • Fighting defensive battle, Union had to conquer South. • Higher morale initially. • More talented military officers (Lee, Jackson). • Southern men better soldiers.

10. Balance of Forces (2) Southern Weaknesses: • Few factories: had enough weapons but ran low of shoes, uniforms, blankets. • Transportation: could not move supplies (e.g. food) well. • Economy weaker than North.

11. Balance of Forces (3) Northern Strengths: • Economy: 3/4 of wealth & RR. • Superior navy: controlled sea, allowed North to trade grain for arms with other nations, blockade South. • More manpower: 22M to 9M, growth from immigration.

12. Balance of Forces (4) Northern Weaknesses: • Northern men less ready to be soldiers. • Less capable military leaders. • Evaluation: South had reasonable opportunity to win.

13. Dethroning King Cotton • South counted on foreign intervention – ruling class of Europe preferred South’s aristocratic social order. • But masses of England wanted end to slavery, tied government hands.

14. Dethroning King Cotton (2) • Yet 75% of Britain cotton sup-ply came from South, wouldn’t they be forced to help? • Very productive years of 1857-60 produced cotton surpluses in Britain. • Unemployed English helped by US food/cotton deliveries.

15. Dethroning King Cotton (2) • South got some cotton through blockade. • Egypt & India increased output of cotton. • Actually, Britain ended up relying on Northern grain & corn more than cotton due to bad British harvests.

16. Decisiveness of Diplomacy • Late 1861: Union warship stopped British steamer Trent and forcibly removed Confederate diplomats. • Britain prepared for war, Lincoln released prisoners (“One war at a time”).

17. Decisiveness of Diplomacy (2) • 2nd crises with Britain developed over Confederate warships built in Britain, e.g. the Alabama. • Alabama captured over 60 northern commercial ships, diverted Union naval strength, finally sunk.

18. Decisiveness of Diplomacy (3) • Britain outlawed practice, but some ships still built, captured over 250 Northern commercial ships. • Northerners talked of revenge by taking Canada after war.

19. 3 Foreign Flare-Ups • (1) 1863: 3rd US-British crisis instigated by Laird Rams. • Could be used by South to destroy US warships, would have brought war with Britain. • US threatened war, London relented, bought for own navy.

20. Foreign Flare-Ups (2) • (2) Confederates used Canada as base for raids, angry Irish-Americans responded in kind. • (3) Napoleon III gambled on collapse of Union, violated Monroe Doct. by taking Mexico. After Union victory he abandoned puppet gov’t.

21. Davis vs. Lincoln • Confederate gov’t founded by secessionist/states’ rights sentiments, had fatal problems attempting to fight war. • Pres. Davis often could not get states to commit troops outside their borders, unable to effectively lead Confederacy.

22. Davis vs. Lincoln (2) • Lincoln had smaller problems due to long-established and financially stable gov’t. • He was more flexible than Davis, able to interpret and lead public opinion. • Was charitable to South and political enemies.

23. Limitation on Liberties • Lincoln took liberties with Constitution in order to save Union. Congress accepted as necessary for crisis. • Congress not in session when war started, Lincoln acted unilaterally to…

24. Limitation on Liberties (2) 1. Proclaimed naval blockade. 2. Increased size of federal army. 3. Directed Sec. of Treasury to give $2M to private citizens for military purposes. 4. Suspended habeas corpus to arrest anti-Unionists.

25. Limitation on Liberties (3) • Lincoln also arranged “supervised” voting in border states and suspended certain newspapers, arresting editors. • Davis less able to exercise powers due to states’ rights.

26. Volunteers & Draftees • 1863: Volunteers ran out, Congress passed conscription law. • Rich could hire substitutes or purchase exemption for $300. • Draft resulted in riots (NY Irish), protests.

27. Volunteers & Draftees (2) • Over 90% of Union troops were volunteers, and fed/state/ local gov’ts offered bounties. • Many “bounty boys” deserted, and then re-enlisted elsewhere to pocket more. • Both armies suffered many desertions (200,000 for Union).

28. Volunteers & Draftees (3) • April, 1862: South forced to conscript almost a year before North, took men 17-50. • Southern draft also benefited rich: could hire substitute, owner of 20 or more slaves was exempt.

29. Economic Stresses of War • North increased taxes on tobacco/alcohol, began low income tax, raised millions. • After Southern reps left, Congress raised tariff rates moderately – identified Republican party with protective tariff, industrialists.

30. Economic Stresses of War (2) • North also issued paper money, inadequately supported by gold so value fluctuated along with Union fortunes. • Biggest money raiser was borrowing: raised $2B through bonds.

31. Economic Stresses of War (3) • 1863: Congress creates National Banking System to establish standard bank-note currency. • South had it much worse: Union blockade reduced customs duties, but did raise $400M in bonds.

32. Economic Stresses of War (4) • Southern states’ righters opposed to heavy taxation, limited tax collection. • Confederates forced to print money: 9,000% inflation by end of war, compared to 80% for Union.

33. North’s Economic Boom • North emerged even more prosperous after war. • Protective tariff, inflation helped factories. • War bred millionaire class. • Many Northerners defrauded gov’t: blind horses, cardboard shoes, “shoddy millionaires.”

34. North’s Economic Boom (2) • New machinery increased production even though war took away labor. • (1) Sewing machine helped make uniforms, shoes, led to standard-sized clothing. • (2) Mechanical reapers produced surpluses of grain.

35. North’s Economic Boom (3) • Oil discovery led “59ers” to PA, new petroleum industry. • Gold, draft, & Homestead Act of 1862 led 300,000 west. • Shipping was only industry to suffer setback due to Confed-erate commerce-raiders.

36. North’s Economic Boom (4) • Departing soldiers left oppor-tunities for women, especially “government girls,” sewing industry. • 400 women involved in war posing as men, others as spies. • Blackwell, Barton, Dix, Tompkins developed nursing.

37. Crushed Cotton Kingdom • South had 30% of wealth in 1860, only 12% in 1870. • Per capita income went from 2/3 of North to 2/5. • Supplies such as RR tracks, dishes, pins were scarce. • Southern women took pride in avoiding silks & satins.