Download - Girding for War: The North & the South
Girding for War:The North & the South
1861 - 1865
President of the Disunited States of America
Lincoln took office on March 4, 18617 states had already succeeded, 8 more were trying to decideInaugural address – there would be no conflict unless the South provoked it
A Split in the Union?
Split brought up questions about the sharing of the national debt & the allocation of federal territoriesSplit would please European countries:
US was the only major display of democracy in the Western HemisphereMonroe Doctrine could be broken
SC Assails Fort Sumter
South seized all arsenals, mints, & other public property within their territory Fort Sumter
Occupied by Northern troops who needed supplies
Lincoln’s Plan
Lincoln decided to send supplies to troops
promised Governor Pickens(SC) that he was not sending more men or weapons
South demanded surrender of Fort Sumter
Grounds for war if North sent supplies
The War Begins (April 12, 1861)
South fired on Fort Sumter
34 hour bombardment- no lives lost
Northern troops surrenderedThe Civil War had begun
“Remember Fort Sumter”
Provoked the North to fightGen. Scott Commander of the Army (75 yrs. old)
April 14, 1861 – Lincoln called for 75,000 union troops
April 19 & 27, 1861 - ordered a blockade of Southern ports
4 more states secededVA, Ark., Tenn., & NC map p. 447
Capital of Confederacy moved from Montgomery to Richmond
The Valuable Border States
map page 447
Border StatesMO, KY, MD, Del, & later WV
WV split from VA in 1861 over secession
MD, MO, & KY would almost double the manufacturing capacity of the South & increase by nearly half its supply of horses & mulesOhio River – Cumberland & Tennessee Rivers was where much of the Confederacy’s grain, gunpowder, & iron was produced
Lincoln deals with the Border States
Lincoln:In MD declared marital law & sent in troopsSent federal troops to WV & MO He declared publicly that he was not fighting to free slavesDeclared that his goal was to get the Union back togetherIndian Territory mainly sided with the South
Brother’s Blood
Many brothers fought against each otherParticularly in the border states
Northerners fought on the side of the South and vice versa
Senator Crittenden’s sons fought on opposite sidesLincoln’s wife had 4 brothers who fought for the Confederacy
Advantages/ Strengths South
Fighting defensivelyon familiar territory
Strong supportStrong military leadership ****Southerners were well trainedDidn’t have to win the war
Shortage of supplies
NorthEconomy*****Large population
22 million to 9 million (3.5 were slaves)
Immigrants IndustryAbundant resourcesShippingRailway systemAbraham Lincoln
Disadvantages/ Weaknesses
SouthSmall populationEconomy
Few factories
Few railroadsBelief in states’ rights/ government lacked powerLack of supplies
NorthHad to invade the SouthPublic opinion was divided/ support was shaky Northerners were not as experienced as Southerners
Dethroning King Cotton
South depended on foreign intervention didn’t get itMany Europeans were pro-North & anti-slavery
Shortage of cotton during war?England & France had a surplusAs North won Southern territory, they sent cotton & food to EuropeIndia & Egypt upped their cotton production**Result** – Europe needed more wheat & corn from the North than cotton from the South
The Decisiveness of Diplomacy
Crisis1861 – Union warship stopped the British mail steamer theTrent & forcibly removed two Confederate diplomats bound for EuropeLincoln released the prisoners & tension cooled
The Alabama
British build ships for the Confederacy (unarmed)
1862 – the Alabama went to the Portuguese Azores & took on weapons & crew from Britain
Never actually arrived in the South Destroyed in 1864 off the coast of France
Charles Francis Adams persuaded Britain not to build any more ships for the ConfederacyCould be used against England in the future
Foreign Flare-Ups
Britain had two Laird rams2 Confederate warships that could destroy wooden Union shipsBritain decided to use ships in its Royal Navy
Near CanadaConfederate agents plotted to burn down American citiesMini-armies raised by British-hating Irish-Americans sent to Canada
Napoleon III installed Austrian Archduke Maximilian as emperor of Mexico
President Davis vs. President Lincoln
Problems for the South:Gave states the ability to secede in the future (from the Confederacy)Getting Southern states to send troops to help other states was difficult
J. Davis – never very popularA. Lincoln – benefit of leading an established government
Limitations on Wartime Liberties
Lincoln1. Illegally proclaimed a blockade 2. Increased the size of the army & sent troops3. Advancement of $2 million to 3 private
citizens for war purposes4. Suspended habeas corpus5. Intimidation of voters in border states
Justification: actions weren’t permanent & were needed to preserve the Union
South refused to sacrifice state’s rights & therefore lost the war
Volunteers & Draftees: The North
1863 - Congress passed the first conscription law
Angered the poor because rich could hire a substitute by paying $300 to CongressRiots broke out – New York City Draft Riot – 1863Volunteers manned more than 90% of the Union army
Later money was offered for service when volunteers became scarce Many deserters
The South
Had to resort to a draft nearly a year before the NorthAlso included privileges for the rich
Those who owned 20+ slaves were exempt from the draft
The Economic Stresses of War
North - Morrill Tariff ActIncreased tariff rates by about 5-10%Later increased more
Treasury issued green-backed paper money Money was unstable & sank to as low as 39 cents per gold dollar
Treasury sold war bondsRunaway inflation
9000% inflation rate in the South80% for the Union
National Banking System
Created to establish a standard bank-note currency
Banks that joined could buy government bonds & issue sound paper money
1st step towards a unified national banking network
The North’s Economic Boom
Emerged from the war more prosperous than before
A millionaire class was born
Many Union suppliers used shoddy equipment in their suppliesSizes for clothing were inventedReaper helped feed millions1859 – discovery of petroleum oil sent people to Pennsylvania
Women in War Times
Women gained new advances:Took jobs left behind by menSome posed as men & fought in the war
Clara Barton & Dorothea Dix Helped transform nursing to a respectable profession
Sally TompkinsRan an infirmary for wounded in Richmond Received rank as Captain from Davis
A Crushed Cotton Kingdom
South was ruined by the warTransportation collapsedSupplies became scarce End of war, South claimed only 12% of the national wealth
Pre war – 30%
Per capita income –2/5 that of Northerners
Pre war – 2/3 of Northerners
War Aims & Strategies
SouthDefensive strategy Expected Britain & France to pressure the North so cotton supply would be restored
NorthBlockade of Southern portsGain control of Mississippi RiverCapture Richmond, Virginia