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The Civil War Era

The Civil War Era. Unit Overview (1844-1877). Big Picture.

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The Civil War Era

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  1. The Civil War Era Unit Overview (1844-1877)

  2. Big Picture • As Abraham Lincoln slipped into the District of Colombia to take the presidential oath of office, seven states had already slipped out of the union that his newly elected office presided over. Abraham Lincoln arguably would face the tallest order of all presidents: to preserve the union and ultimately resolve the slavery issue.

  3. The Menace of Secession • Lincoln’s actions • Wait and see • Southern provocations? • Physical geography • Topographical barriers? • National controversies • Debt? • Domain? • Underground RR • European designs • Imperialist interests

  4. Fort Sumter Forces Lincoln’s Hand • South seizures • Public property—arsenals, mints, etc… • Fort Sumter • Charleston, SC • Lincoln's dilemma • Reinforce? • Surrender? • Middle ground—resupply Sumter • Southern bombardment • Sumter surrendered • Lincoln calls for militia • VA, AR, TN and NC secede

  5. The Border Strategy • The Border States • MO, KY, MD, DE • White population=50% of the entire Confederacy • Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers • Supply lines into Dixie • CSA: grain, gunpowder, and iron • Lincoln’s law • Partial Martial (this rhymes) • MD and MO • War aims • “Preserve the Union” • Doesn’t want to rile slave owners in Border States

  6. The Balance of Forces

  7. Dethroning King Cotton • Foreign sympathies • The South needed intervention • Britain needed cotton • British aristocrats favored the South • Semi-feudal, aristocratic social order • British commoners favored the North • Uncle Tom’s Cabin • Cotton supply • British warehouses were overstocked with fiber (1857-1860) • Emancipation proclamation—Civil War is over slavery • Cotton “famine” • Northern aid • Egyptian and Indian cotton

  8. The Decisiveness of Diplomacy • The Trent Affair • Union warship stops British mail steamer north of Cuba • Forcibly removes two Confederate diplomats • Britain riled • Lincoln releases men • Confederate commerce-raiders • C.S.S. Alabama (most famous)* • Built in Britain—crewed by Britons • Officered by Confederates • Captured 250 U.S. merchant ships • Neutral? • Precedent?

  9. Foreign Flare-Ups • The Laird Rams • British built warships designed to sink wooden ships • U.S. threatens war—possible invasion of Canada • Confederate plots • CSA agents plundered three banks in Vermont • Canada • Irish-Americans invade Canada • 1866 & 1870 • Dominion of Canada created in 1867 • France • Napoleon III installs puppet regime in Mexico (1863) • Cinco de Mayo

  10. President Davis v. President Lincoln • States’ Rights Curse • Jefferson Davis and centralized gov’t. • Skilled strategist and administrator • Obsessed over leadership • Secession? • Governors worked against Davis • Defied rather than harnessed popular opinion • Plague of war • “Old Abe” • Flexible • Led fickle public opinion • Charity and forbearance • Delegator

  11. Limitations of Wartime Liberties • Upholding the Constitution? • Lincoln &“necessity of war” • Blockade of southern ports • Increased the size of the Federal Army • Advanced $2 million to private citizens (military purposes) • Suspends the writ of habeas corpus • Arrests dissenters • “supervised” elections in Border States • Censorship of press • Jefferson Davis and states’ rights • Local control>national needs

  12. Volunteers and Draftees • North • Volunteers & state quotas • 90% of troops volunteered • Social and patriotic pressures • Bounty jumpers • Conscription law passed (1863) • Substitutes—$300 • NYC Draft Riots • Irish mobs • Deserters—200,000 • South • Mostly volunteers • Smaller population • Draft (Apr. 1862) • Exemptions • $$$$ • 20+ slaves rule • Conscription agents • Avoided “Mountain Whites”

  13. Paying for the War: the North • Revenue • Excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco • Income tax • Customs receipts • Morrill Tariff Act (1861) • Inflating the currency • Greenbacks—value determined by nation’s credit • Debt • $2.6 billion in war bonds sold • National Banking System (1863) • Standard bank note currency • Stimulate sale of gov’t. bonds

  14. Paying for the War: the South • Customs receipts • Thwarted by the Union blockade • Debt • $400 million in war bonds • Revenue • Increased taxes • 10% levy on farm produce

  15. The North’s Economic Boom • Business boomed • Protective tariffs • Technological advancements • Inflation • “Shoddy Millionaires” • Greed and graft • War profiteers • Oil! • Farms • Cyrus McCormick & the mechanical reaper • U.S. grain helped fight the war

  16. Women in the Civil War • U.S. Government • Clerical capacities • Industry • 1:4 to 1:3 • Military • 400 known cases of women fighting • Espionage • U.S. Sanitary Commission • Soldier relief • Nursing • Clara Barton, Dorothea Dix and Sally Tompkins

  17. A Crushed Cotton Kingdom • Plantation economy destroyed • Wealth lost • Cotton and slaves • Blockade • Invading armies • Southerners demonstrated tremendous sacrifice

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