Grinding for War 1861-1865

The Menace of Secession • Inauguration Speech• Speech stresses keeping

the union together at all costs.

• Won’t touch slavery where it exists, but will not allow slavery to expand to western territories.

• Tells congress he will make no compromises.

Everybody is watching

• Split would please most of Europe

• War means the “New World” is open again to European powers

Fort Sumter • One of two southern forts still

under Union control• 2nd day in office Abe will send

supply ship to Fort Sumter• Southerners will fire upon the

supply ship, the Civil War begins.

• In a 36 hour span,the South will fire 4,000 rounds.

• Fort destroyed, but nobody is injured.

• Abe has made the south look like the aggressor, Abe announces blockade on Southern Seaports

More States join the C.S.A

• South views Lincoln as the aggressor

• Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina join CSA

• Richmond Virginia becomes confederate capitol

Border Blood• Border States = Missouri,

Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware, (later West Virginia)

• Population is 50% of white male CSA

• Border States would dramatically increase manufacturing for South

• Abe- publicly states that war is not to free slaves, why?

Natives and the Civil War

• 5 Tribes in Oklahoma, support confederacy

• Plains Indians sided with Union, after war rewarded with military campaign to force them on a reservation

A War of Brothers

• Billy Yank vs. Johnny Reb • Mtn. Whites of south send

50,000 to Union• Loyal slave states send

300,000 soldiers to Union • Lincoln’s wife had four

brothers in Confederate Army

Southern Advantages• South has much better Military generals, graduated

from West Point. • South only has to fight a defensive war.• They do not have to win the war, just have to survive

and break the North’s will.• Majority of war will be fought in the South, therefore

they are much more familiar with the geography. • Southerners are extremely motivated.• They are defending states’ rights and in essence are

defending their homeland.

South Disadvantages

• Lack of factories• Rebelling nation, thus no

allies• States’ rights means

Railroads are not uniform. (supply problems)

• States’ rights will stop Confederate government from agreeing on anything.

North Advantages

• ¾ of nations wealth and railroads• 2/3 of the United States population (Immigrants)

– 1. This will create a larger army.– 2.Also means will still have people to work in

factories.• Superior Navy• Factories- will help the North maintain necessary war

supplies, like guns, bullets, shoes etc• Already have a stable government and standing army.

North Disadvantages

• Early on poor military leadership.

• Have to win the war.

The South Needs Allies • Uncle Tom’s Cabin helps keep public support for N

in England and France• But Britain still relies on South’s Cotton• 1861- Britain has huge cotton surplus • Egypt and India are also starting to supply Britain • North = King Wheat and King Corn- During ACW

Brits have bad harvest, thus more reliant on the North• King Cotton Diplomacy- Southerners (not the

Confederate government) will destroy their cotton crops, in hopes of creating a shortage in Britain, thus making US cotton more expensive.

Decisive Diplomacy

• Trent Affair- British Mail Carrier Trent capture by Union ship, had two Confederate diplomats bound to Europe- Abe captured them, but then released them to avoid war with England

• Alabama – confederate ship made in Britain

Foreign Flare Ups

• 1863- Laird Rams- Confed. Warships being built in London shipyard, far stronger than the Alabama

• England had to back down, and buy war ships before the confederates would

Jefferson Davis

• Confed. Constitution, cannot logically deny right for states to secede (ex in Georgia troops would only fight in Georgia)

• Davis works diligently on all aspects of government (way too much work)

Abraham Lincoln bends the Constitution

• Congress was not in session when session occurred

• Abe ordered the blockade

• Increased the size of the army ( supposed to be congress’s job)

• Advanced 2 million dollars worth of money for military purposes

• Suspends writ of Habeas corpus to arrest anti-unionists

• Supervised border state elections

• Able to do this because of solid government, not interference from state’s righters

Northern Army Issues

• At first voluntary• 1861- Conscription

Law (draft)• Favored rich, who

could pay for a substitute or give three hundred dollars to escape service

Northern Army Issues

• 1863- New York City Draft Riots

• Large portion are Irish, worried about free blacks taking jobs

Northern Army Issues

• 90% of army were volunteers (social and economic pressures)

• “Bounty Brokers” sign for war to get bonus, then leave and reenlist for more bonuses

Confederate Army Issues

• Similar problems• Mainly volunteer

armies• Less population,

means bottom of the barrel runs out fast

• Draft- Ages 17-50• Large slave owners are

except

Economic Stresses of War (North)

• Morrill Tariff Act- replaces tariff of 1857

• Protects N. Industries• Protective tariff is now

associated with Republican party

• National Banking System- establish a standard currency note

• Banks that enter system can buy government bonds and now issue sound money backed by them

Economic Stresses of War (South)

• Increased taxes just like north, but states righters oppose them and often do not pay

• Printer their own paper money• Huge inflation rates• Confederate dollar was worth 1.6 cents• Union dollar was 39 cents• Confederate inflation rate = 9000%• Union inflation rate= 80%

Northern Economic Boom • Protective tariff= business

flourish • Some are less honest- make

cheap shoes and uniforms, so that Army needs more replacements

• Homestead Act- 160 acre plots, 25 cents a acre

• Women take jobs of men, thus economic gains are made

• US Sanitary Commission- trains field nurses, Clara Barton and Dorothea Dix

A Crushed Cotton Kingdom

• Average S. income per capita was 2/3 more than the n

• After war 2/5 of a northerner

• Economic Cannibalism