The Civil War Begins

The Civil War Begins Objective 3.02

Objective 3.02 • Analyze and assess the causes of the Civil War.

Secession • Lincoln wins election of 1860, South Carolina secedes on December 20, 1860 • Confederate States of America formed in February, 1861 • SC, GA, FL, LA, MS, AL, TX

Jefferson Davis • Elected president of the newly formed Confederacy • Former U.S. Congressman from Mississippi

Shots fired • Fort Sumter (SC) • Fort in Charleston harbor • In need of supplies • “food for hungry men” – who starts the war? • South Carolinians fire first shots

Lincoln calls for volunteers • Lincoln’s calls for volunteers promoted more Southern states to secede

Virginia • Virginia’s secession on April 17, 1861 is key – important state

Resources • North had many advantages • Factory production • Railroads • population • South had good generals, military tradition, and high motivation

Objective 3.03 • Identify political and military turning points of the Civil War and assess their significance to the outcome of the conflict.

Civil War Strategy • Union had to conquer the South to win • Southern strategy was mainly defensive • (usually) • How did Lincoln propose to do this?

Anaconda Plan • Union’s three-part plan • 1) blockade Southern ports (no exports or imports • 2) send Union boats up the Mississippi River to control it and divide it in two • 3) capture the Confederate capital at Richmond, VA

Great Britain’s Help? • Great Britain needed South’s cotton • Could not get it because of Anaconda Plan’s blockade • Great Britain to help South? • +

First Major Bloodshed • (First Battle of) Bull Run (Manassas Junction)– in Va., about 25 miles from Washington, D.C. – July 21, 1861 • Both sides were inexperienced • Both sides expected a short war and an easy victory

First Bull Run (continued) • Battle went back and forth • Confederates eventually gained advantage • Rallied around Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson – one of the South’s best generals • “There stands Jackson like a stone wall!!”

First Bull Run (continued) • Union began a panicky retreat to Washington

First Bull Run (continued) • Confederates too exhausted and disorganized to give pursuit • Many Southerners thought war was over and went home • Lincoln twice called for 500,000 volunteers (to serve 3 years) • Not going to be a quick war

Union George McClellan Ulysses S. Grant William T. Sherman Confederacy Robert E. Lee Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson Civil War Generals

George McClellan • Union general • Given command of the “Army of the Potomac” after Bull Run • Accused by Lincoln of being too cautious/slow • Fired by Lincoln after Antietam • Ran against Lincoln in 1864 election as a Democrat for peace

Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson • Instructor at VMI before war • His troops rallied the South at Bull Run and earned him the nickname “Stonewall” • One of South’s best generals. • Shot and killed by his own sentries at Chancellorsville – May, 1863

Robert E. Lee • Became head of the Army of Northern Virginia after Johnston’s death • Defended Richmond • Led until surrender at Appomattox Court House in April 1865

The Politics of War • Would the South receive any help? • There was a chance…

Great Britain to the Rescue? • Why would they want to help the South? • To gain access to Southern cotton.

Trent Affair • Two Confederate diplomats (Mason and Slidell) arrested by Union while aboard British merchant ship • Great Britain had declared neutrality. • Very upset, almost at war with Union. • Lincoln apologizes, tensions ease.

What about the cotton? • Great Britain found sources of cotton • Had a huge cotton inventory at the outbreak of war • Found new sources of cotton in India and Egypt

Lincoln’s views on slavery • Lincoln did not think that federal government had power to abolish slavery where it already existed. • Thought slavery was morally wrong and wanted to stop its extension into territories.

Emancipation • If federal gov’t couldn’t free slaves, what could be done? • Lincoln thought they could be freed as a military maneuver

Emancipation Proclamation • Issued Jan. 1, 1863 • Freed all slaves in the states in rebellion • Did nothing for the slaves in the slave states still in the Union • Did not free any slaves immediately

Emancipation Proclamation (continued) • Military maneuver – slaves built fortifications, grew food for the Confederacy • Discouraged Great Britain (an abolitionist – thinking country) from supporting the Confederacy

Effects of the Emancipation Proclamation • Gave the war a higher moral sense for many in the North • Drew protests from some Northern Democrats • Ended any chance of compromise with the South • Fight to the death • Confederacy knew that if it lost its whole way of life would be gone

Political Troubles in North and South • Both Lincoln and Davis faced opposition to the war effort • The week after Ft. Sumter, Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus in Maryland • Stated that a person arrested must be brought to trial to determine why he or she is being jailed • Davis later did the same in the South

Constitutional? • Taney says no • Lincoln ignores him

The Civil War Begins