Civil War

What is conscription?

"Enslavement" and "execution" of young white males. or the draft

What were the Northern weaknesses?

-Antiquated (Scott) and overly cautious (McClellan) military leadership until Grant rises to general command -fighting an offensive war -the cause of the "Union" less motivating than independence; slavery proves highly divisive

What was the status of Fort Sumter before the Crisis of 1 April 861?

-Confederate forces had seized most US forts in the South, but not Fort Sumter in Charleston, SC, harbor -To test the will of the SC secessionist, President Buchanan had sent an unarmed merchant ship to provision the fort in January 1861 -When the ship was fired upon, it retreated, and Buchanan did not tale further actions, seeming to send a clear signal that he would not contest, military secession

What was the Confederacy dependent on?

-Importing much of the war matériel used during the war given its lack of manufacturing -As the blockade became more effective, blockade running, smuggling, and seizure of Union matériel provided the South what it needed.

What were the events of 1863 that turned the war back to favor the union?

-In early July, the tide turned again in favor of the union, as General Meade scored a triumphant victory over Lee at Gettysburg (PA), -nearly simultaneously, Grant finalized Union control over Mississippi by taking Vicksburg (Gettysburg and Vicksburg)

What did Lincoln expect for the upcoming election and what actually happened?

-Lincoln privately confided to friends he did not expect to be re-elected -He defeats his former top general, George McClellan, who was the Democratic nominee

What did Lincoln do by blending his duel roles as Commander-in-Chief and Chief Executive?

-Lincoln suspended certain rights and liberties if he felt it would advance the cause of Union victory -As he observed at one point, "I suppose I have the right to take any measure which may best subdue the enemy." -The right of writ of habeas corpus was suspended on numerous occasions, and martial law was declared in areas where unrest seemed to threaten social order

What was the March to the Sea?

-Military campaign that moved through Georgia and destroyed Atlanta -Contributed substantially to Lincoln's re-election but spared charming Savannah and presented it to Lincoln as a Christmas gift

What moved Lincoln to finally act over emancipating slaves?

-Military considerations -Desire to prevent any temptation England or France might have to support the Confederacy (summer of 1862)

How could one could be exempted from joining the Confederate armies?

-Obtain a substitute, and many "white-collar" professions, such as doctors, were exempted -One slave owner or overseer could be exempted from service on plantations with more than 20 slaves in order to help maintain order on plantations. -Several hundred blacks MAY have served in the Confederate Army. -later authorized impressment of slaves and a food draft

Who were Charles Sumner (R-MA) in the Senate, and Thaddeus Stevens (R-PA) in the House?

-Radical Republicans in Congress that were abetted (encouraged) by Frederick Douglass and kept constant pressure on Lincoln to issue a general proclamation abolishing slavery. -By 1862, they had abolished slavery in Washington, D.C., and in the territories.

Who held strong majorities in Congress throughout the war?

-Republicans did and most Democrats had no choice but to embrace the role of "loyal opposition"

What occurred in early 1865?

-Richmond was abandoned by Confederate forces -Lee takes his army into south-central Virginia.

What was the Crittenden Compromise?

-Senate proposal of a new constitutional amendment that would guarantee slavery where it was -re-establish MO Compromise line in all US territory (where ti was in 1860 and the future)

What were some reactions to the proclamation?

-Some abolitionists were disappointed at the limits built into the proclamation -Some critics took to referring to Lincoln as King Abraham Africanus I and predicted inevitable miscegenation

What was the New York City Draft Riot of 1863?

-The event began as a protest against the draft by working class Irish Catholics, but morphed into class, ethnic and racial violence. It shows the unpopularity of conscription. -It remains one of the deadliest and destructive domestic rebellions in American history.

How was the war financed?

-Treasury Secretary Salmon Chase persuaded Congress to enact the first ever income tax—3%, primarily on the affluent -Congress also levied a direct tax on states -The government also issued federal currency notes called Greenbacks, which were unredeemable fiat money

What is the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation?

-did not free many or any slaves but changed the significance of the war to fighting against slavery

What were the strengths of the South?

-fighting a defensive war/"sacred cause" -superb military leadership (Lee) - Potential to enlist the support of England/France

What did the Emancipation Proclamation say?

-freedom to slaves in Confederate states -freedom everywhere for slaves if the Union won the war - did not apply to Border States or territories in the South controlled by Union forces

What were the strengths of the North?

-much larger population, able to endure a war of attrition like the Civil War -Overwhelming advantages in terms of manufacturing, railroads, merchant marine -Ability to impose and maintain an effective blockade -Fighting with well established government and military institutions -Lincoln's leadership

What were Lincoln's chief objectives in his eagerly anticipated first inaugural address?

-reassure Southerners that he was not a Garrisonian abolitionist -cool passions -hold Upper South -to promote a resurgence of unionism in the Lower South

What were the weaknesses of the South?

-smaller population -uncertain loyalty of laboring class -primarily agrarian;where will guns and cannons come from?. -needed to establish governing/military institutions -states rights doctrine -Jefferson Davis -smart enough, but not a visionary leader

In what ways did Lincoln draw a line in the sand?

-vowed to execute federal laws in all the states -hold and protect federal property -collect all tariffs. in his words Lincoln said, "In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war... "

What were the three things Lincoln reaffirmed in his speech?

1. not "to interfere with slavery where it exists" 2. uphold Fugitive Slave Act 3. suspend "for the time" federal operations in those "interior" locations where anti-unionism was widespread

What were the major theaters of the war?

1.The East-generally, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains south of the Mason-Dixon 2.the West- generally west of the Appalachians to the Mississippi, and south of the Ohio River

The Trent Affair (1861)

A Union ship stopped the British vessel, the Trent, suspecting it was carrying Confederate agents. Two envoys—including John Slidell—were arrested. To defuse the crisis and avoid war with England, Lincoln ordered the men released, but the incident underscored both the extent to which the Confederacy hoped to enlist foreign support for its cause, and the Lincoln administration's determination to keep Europe out of the war.

When did Northern states begin to recruit black troops?

After the federal ban on blacks serving in the army was lifted in 1862 -By 1865, 10% of Union troops were black, though all served in segregated units -54th Infantry was a black infantry that was sucessfull -black soldiers were paid less and often did arduous manual albor -Nearly 180,000 blacks had served in the Union Army by the end of the war

Ex parte Milligan (1866)

After the war ended, the Supreme Court ruled that Lincoln's use of courts martial in areas where civilian courts were still functioning was unconstitutional. The ruling was of precedential significance only.

What did demand for war materials intensify?

Antebellum manufacturing tendencies

Who was Clara Barton?

As a result of her extensive experiences on Civil War battlefields, Clara Barton would go on to establish the American Red Cross

How did those in South Carolina respond to the test?

As the small feet of Union ships approached the fort on April 12, Confederate forces began a two day siege of the fort, prompting its Union commander, Robert Anderson, to surrender the fort on April 14

What did women in the Confederacy do?

Assumed the roles of their husbands, fathers and sons who went off to war: -"manning" the farms and plantations -serving as field nurses

How could one could be exempted from joining the Union army?

By paying a $300 fee or providing a substitute, making the Civil War something of a "poor man's war" in the North

Vallandigham Incident

Clement Vallandigham, an Ohio Copperhead, was a persistent and very public critic of Lincoln and the war. This resulted in his arrest, court martial, and imprisonment. Lincoln subsequently ordered him to be released and sent to Tennessee; he eventually fled to Canada for a time.

How does the Confederacy respond to the Union navy trying to blockade the Atlantic and Gulf coasts? What is the significance of this event?

Confederacy deployed its first ironclad, the Merrimack, which was followed by the Union's Monitor. The usage of iron ships would signify a new type of fighting in American history

Where do Confederate forces have success and where did they attack next?

Confederate forces, led by General Robert E. Lee launch successful counteroffensive in summer of 1862, gaining ground in Virginia and Kentucky. Next they attacked Maryland, moving into Union soil

When did Southern Carolina secede?

December 20, 1860 and six states followed by March 4, 1861

How does the Southern Confederacy establish a new state?

Delegates meet in Montgomery, Alabama in February 1861 to establish a provisional government for the Confederate States of America

Who founded the National Women's Loyal League (1863) and what was the purpose?

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, hoped to eliminate slavery and gain women's suffrage

What was this first battle called and what occurred?

First Bull Run (July 1861); South of Washington, the two armies have their first engagement, which the Confederates ultimately win, forcing the Lincoln administration to re-evaluate its estimation of how easy victory might come.

Who was Lincoln assassinated by and where?

Five days after Lee's surrender, Lincoln was mortally shot at Ford's Theater in Washington by John Wilkes Booth, a staunch Confederate

What served as the foundation for massive wealth?

Fortunes to be made in providing the government with materials needed to win the war brought about massive wealth that such "Captains of Industry" as Rockefeller and Vanderbilt would amass during the Gilded Age

Homestead Act (1862)

Gave free land—160 acres—to any settler who would farm the land for five years

Who gets command of the Union army following the First Bull Run battle?

George McClellan

Morrill Land Grant Act (1862)

Granted land to states proportionate to their representation in Congress for the establishment of agricultural , scientific and technical colleges. (e.g., Purdue; Michigan State)

Why was Lincoln reluctant to take such a drastic step and what did he prefer?

He feared it would divide the North. He strongly preferred state action that would involve gradual and compensated emancipation.

How did Lincoln test or some may same provoke the South?

In April 1861 when Lincoln became president he sent another supply ship supported by several naval vessels, giving advance notice to the state government of SC that the supplies were coming, but that no military action would be taken unless the attempt to provision the fort was interfered with.

When was the Emancipation Proclamation signed?

January 1, 1863

When did Grant assume control of Union Armies?

January 1864

Who does the South elect as their president?

Jefferson Davis

How did the Confederacy fund the war?

Just like the North with taxes—income, excise, and in-kind—heavy borrowing, and introducing massive amounts of paper currency

How did Lincoln respond to threat of secession?

Kept largely mum despite urgings that he offer conciliatory and reassuring statements to the South. Privately, however, noting he was powerless to interfere with slavery in the states that it already existed and that his only commitment was to prevent the further spread of slavery to the territories

What occurs in the vicinity of Appomattox Courthouse?

Lee surrenders to Grant on April 9 1865, three days short of exactly four years since the siege of Fort Sumter commenced

Why did Lincoln send Union Army to capture Richmond?

Lincoln was seeking a more decisive victory, thought would be easy

Why was McClellan removed from command in late 1862?

McClellan fails to follow-up the "victory" at Antietam with a death-blow to Lee leading Confederacy to lead the war from 1862-63 in the absence of effective Union leadership

What happened at the Battle of Antietam?

McClellan's army narrowly defeated Lee - one of bloodiest battle in Civil War and American History

Why did the war fuel the abolitionist spirit in the North?

Not so much out of a heightened sense of morality as of the desire to hit the Rebels where it would hurt them most: by destroying the peculiar institution.

How did President Buchanan respond to the first wave of secessions?

President Buchanan declared acts to be illegal, but asserted that there was nothing in the Constitution which empowered the federal government from preventing states from leaving the Union

What was the Anaconda plan?

Proposed at the outset of the war but tabled by Lincoln who sought a more decide resolution to the conflict - Bull Run made clear that would not happen (harder than thought). Slowly, but inexorably suffocate the Confederacy, through the use of a coastal blockade and partitioning the South down the Mississippi Valley

Pacific Railway Act (1862)

Provided generous federal subsidies—both in land and money—for the development of a transcontinental railroad.

What was the response to the Crittenden plan?

Republican (Lincoln) did not support the plan as republicans were strictly against expansion of slavery

Where was the capital of the Confederacy?

Richmond, Virginia for the duration of war

What states were part of the Deep South and part of the first wave to succeed?

South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Los Angeles, Texas

How did Northerners see the Conflict?

South had fired the first shots and were the aggressors in the conflict

Ex parte Merryman (1861)

Supreme Court ruled that a Union General, acting in accordance with Lincoln's orders, could not suspend the habeas corpus rights of a pro-Confederate prisoner. The Lincoln administration simply ignored the ruling.

What was the caused of the first wave of Southern states to secede?

The election of 1860 which elected a republican (Lincoln) provoked fear slavery would be abolished

What would lead to a concerted effort to recreate the ideals of antebellum Southern womanhood during the post-war period?

The failure of the Confederacy to sufficiently defend the ideals of antebellum Southern womanhood during the war

How did Lincoln respond to Southern aggression?

The next day, April 15, Lincoln calls for 75,000 volunteers, prompting the second wave of states to secede and effectively starting the Civil War

Who were the Peace Democrats/Copperheads?

They vehemently opposed the war and sought to bring it to an immediate conclusion

What happened to the limited railroads of the South?

They were gradually destroyed as the Union armies penetrated interior regions, especially during Sherman's March to the Sea.

Who filled the Confederate armies?

They were initially volunteer based, but by 1862, conscription was implemented

What were the three important bills passed in Republican controlled Congress during Lincoln's first term in office related to?

They were related to the development of the west in a way that comported with the Republican ideology of FREE SOIL and VIBRANT COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY. The rapid development of the West following the Civil War stemmed in large part from this unprecedented degree of federal largesse.

Why is the Emancipation Proclamation one of Lincoln's greatest legacies?

Though limited in its immediate impact, the action moved the United States—so long as it ultimately won the war—swiftly and irrevocably toward the total abolition of slavery.

What did the women do when the men left for war?

Took on much of the work and assumed the responsibilities of men -They ran the farms -Performed many of the male chores -Took jobs in factories -Served in adjunct capacities in the army, especially as nurses

As the war progresses which commander attracts attention and eventually becomes Lincoln's top commander?

Ulysses S. Grant

Who initially is leading the war?

Union armies have greater success during the first half of 1862; New Orleans and much of Mississippi Valley fall to the Union, as do significant portions of the Tennessee and Cumberland Valleys

Which states seceded after?

Upper South, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, seceded only after "northern aggression" in the Fort Sumter Crisis of April 1861

Who takes office upon the death of Lincoln?

Vice President Andrew Johnson, a Tennessee Democrat took office and held the challenges of reconstruction

Who primarily filled the ranks of the Union armies?

Volunteers, but after 1863, those numbers were supplemented by conscription or draft

What is the debate regarding Lincoln's First Inaugural?

Was it an olive branch or a line in the sand?.

Who led the March to the Sea?

William T. Sherman

Who proposed the Anaconda Plan?

Winfield Scott

Which states remained loyal to the Union?

border states, Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri

How did both sides view the chance of victory?

both sides expected a quick victory, reflecting the low regard they held for their opponent, South thought they could protect and preserve slavery, all they had to do was defend land until Union would throw in the towel. North envisioned a decisive blow that would prompt the Confederacy to come to its senses

What is the great historical debate about the Civil War?

did the South secede? was the war a struggle to preserve slavery? or about states rights (Calhoun)?. Or American Revolution redux

What was Lincoln's goal at the start of the war?

fought to preserve the union, not the end slavery

What was a result of the Battle of Antietam?

gave Lincoln the victory he desired to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, show it was not out of weakness, from a position of strength

What did Booth shout as he leapt from the presidential box to the stage?

sic semper tyrannis (thus ever to tyrants)

What is a redux?

struggle by one people to free themselves from the economic and political domination of another

How did Southerners see Lincoln's promise to keep slavery in the South but not expand it?

tantamount to abolition, restriction could only lead to extinction