U.S. History Unit 4

What were the effects of the Emancipation Proclamation?

-->Not everyone liked it in the North as Democrats thought it would only prolong the war - some said they would support only because it could help reunify the nation. -->In the South, It made the Confederacy more determined than ever to fight to preserve its way of life.

What were the advantages and disadvantages of the Confederate side?

Advantages--> defending their home provided a strong reason to fight; had skills that made them good soldiers; had many of the best officers, fighting for way of life. Disadvantages--> had few factories, railroad tracks, and other supplies; small population-- more than 1/3rd of the population was enslaved, which means fewer soldiers.

What were the advantages and disadvantages of the Union side?

Advantages-->had many more free citizens (4 times as many as the South); had people to grow food and make supplies in factories; more than 70% of the nation's railways; strong Navy and large fleet of trading ships. Disadvantages--> soldiers had to conquer a huge area to bring it back into the Union; invading unfamiliar land.

Explain African Americans' role in the struggle to end slavery.

-->African Americans joined the Union military. Thousands of slaves sought freedom behind enemy lines. --> Those who remained engaged in sabotage (breaking plows, destroying fences, etc) in order to help the rebel cause. No uprising occurred, but it weakened the plantation system.

What was the significance of the First Battle of Bull Run?

-->Bull Run was the first war where railroads were used to transport soldiers. -->Many people of the North thought that the war would be quickly won and brought picnics to watch from a hill nearby, but it was not. -->Confederate victory even though their army was smaller. "Stonewall" Jackson held his ground and the Confederates took the field with "the rebel yell," a cackling laugh. -->Wake up call for North who thought it'd be a quick and easy war.

How did people on both sides react to the draft laws?

-->Draft was unpopular; riots in the North (esp. NYC-- whites blamed blacks and hung them). -->Men tried to pay someone to take their place in the war, or they simply paid $300 to get out of obligation. ----->Married men were not drafted until all unmarried men who were eligible had gone. --> Lower class men resented this system, especially in the North where there were many immigrants.

Describe Grant's siege of Vicksburg.

-->In May and June of 1863, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's armies converged on Vicksburg, investing the city and entrapping a Confederate army under Lt. Gen. John Pemberton. -->On July 4, Vicksburg surrendered after prolonged siege operations. This was the culmination of one of the most brilliant military campaigns of the war. -->With the loss of Pemberton's army and this vital stronghold on the Mississippi, the Confederacy was effectively split in half. -->Grant's successes in the West boosted his reputation, leading ultimately to his appointment as General-in-Chief of the Union armies.

What happened to Confederate morale in the last years of the war?

-->It got very bad (low morale) -->The Confederacy had fewer manufacturing plants than the north, so they couldn't make all the guns and products they needed to keep their war going. -->They had tons of raw materials to sell to foreign markets, especially the British, and tried to, but the North put a blockade on Southern ports to keep their trade from succeeding. It pretty much cut off the South's supplies. -->The South hadn't won any major battles for a long time -->With decreasing supplies to keep their armies going, with limited funds, they couldn't keep successfully fighting. The Northern armies which were better supplied. -->They knew it was just a matter of time until the south lost completely.

Why was the Battle at Antietam important?

-->It was the bloodiest Day in American History. -->The result was the Abraham Lincoln issued his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22 1862 and was saved from a resounding defeat in midterm elections. --> It also enabled the Union to repel the first Confederate invasion of the North, and lifted the sagging Union morale. -->Photographs from Antietam brought the horror of war to Americans for the first time, and war was no longer remote or romantic. Additional info--> Antietam also marked the beginning of the end for General George McClellan.

In Ulysses S. Grant's mind, what was the significance of the Battle of Shiloh?

-->It was the first battle with large scale casualties (more than 20,000 dead or wounded). -->It played an important role in Union progress in the Western theater, and the Union victory gave Tennessee to the North. -->It also led to the Confederate loss at Vicksburg, a crucial part in the Union capturing the Mississippi River; dividing the South in half. It was bound to be a very bloody war.

Describe new weapons and other changes in warfare.

-->Some new weapon technology included the gun barrel, Minie balls, repeating rifles, gatling gun, carbines, and smooth bore rifles. These forced infantries to change they way they fought. -->Troops who were far away from the line of fire had to protect themselves by building elaborate trenches and fortifications. -->Other changes where Union spies floated above Confederate war camps in hydrogen-filled passenger balloons, and iron-clad warships prowled up and down the coast. Additional Info--> Because of the advancement in weaponry and warfare, the death toll for Americans in the Civil war far exceeds the amount in any other war.

Explain the southern military strategy to capture their opponent's capital.

-->focused on defense --> Called it a War of Attrition, which is to outlast the opponent and get them tired of fighting

Describe the terrible conditions the Union and Confederate soldiers endured.

-->improvements in Hygiene did not reach the Prisons of the War. -->Camp Douglas in Chicago for the North and Andersonville in Georgia for the South were the worst. In Andersonville, close to 13,000 POWs would die. (Both had poor Hygiene and little food. Sickness was rampant and often people would kill each other for food.) -->Not enough supplies (especially in the Confederacy), some didn't even have shoes, and the Confederates didn't even have an official uniform.

Describe the Battle of Gettysberg and its outcome.

-->largest battle in history of the American Civil War. -->Union's army under general George Gordon Meade Confederacy under Robert E. Lee -->more than a third of Lee's army were killed, missing, or injured -->July 1-3, marked as the turning point of the Civil War After there was no advance from Lee's army into Union territory -->the battle lasted three bloody hot summer days

What was the goal of the South ?

-->to gain their independence from the North -->They would call themselves the Confederate States of America.

What was the Goal of the North?

-->wanted to preserve the Union. -->Lincoln was neutral to slavery, and was okay with it as is; "slavery would die its own death"

Summarize the key events of the Gettysburg Address.

1863, President Abe Lincoln made the most famous speech in American history (The Gettysburg Address) 4 minute speech--273 words -->It honored those who had died at the battle of Gettysburg and urged the Union to continue the fight the Civil War. -->The speech reflected the principles of equality, freedom, and Democracy. Additional info: Senator Everette Edward who spoke before Lincoln had a 2 hour speech 8

Summarize the final events of the war leading to the surrender at the Appomattox.

By late March 1865, Lee was surrounded and he tried to beat a hasty retreat from Petersburg. In April, the Confederates became surrounded by Union forces at Appomattox Court House. Lee and Grant discuss the terms for Surrender at a house nearby.

Explain Lincoln's motives for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation>

Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863, freeing the slaves in all regions in rebellion against the Union-- really freed no one because Lincoln didn't have power over confederate states. -->It would discourage Britain from supporting the Confederacy because British abolitionists opposed helping a slaveholding nation.

What is the significance of Fort Sumter?

It is the location of the first shots fired of the civil war. It was a Confederate victory. Additional Info--> Union Leader was Robert Anderson, while PGT Beauregard was a confederate leader. At 4 o'clock confederate cannons aimed for 36 hours at the fort, 3,000 cannonballs were shot. Finally Anderson surrendered, 0 died.

How did the Civil War start?

It started when the confederates bombarded the Union Soldiers at Fort Sumter, South Carolina on April 12, 1861.

Early on, which side was "winning?" in the eastern theater

Robert E. Lee--Confederate side

Discuss the First Battle of Bull Run.

On July 16, 1861 Union General Irvin McDowell attacked General P.G.T Beauregard and the Confederate army. The Union's goal was to make quick work of the bulk of the Confederate army, open the way to the Confederate capital Richmond, and end the war. Both sides tried to outflank their opponents left. In the end the Federals retreated and convinced the Lincoln administration that the Civil War would be a long and costly affair. McDowell was released from command of the Union Army, and was replaced by General George B. McClellan.

Explain the expansion of the Northern economy.

Overall the war's effect on the North was positive. -->Many industries boomed. -->Northern women replaced men on both sides on farms and jobs. -->Many people made huge profits. -->Congress was running out of money so they instituted an Income Tax which taxed a specified percentage of an individual's income.

What was the First Battle of Bull Run also known as?

The Battle of Manassas

Explain the decline of the Southern economy.

The Confederacy soon faced a food shortage. This happened for 3 reasons: drain of manpower, Union occupation of food growing areas, and loss of slaves to work in the fields. -->The Union blockade of Southern ports created shortages of everything. Many confederates traded with the North for Gold, food and other goods secretly.

How were prisoners of war treated?

The camps were awful with no shelter, they had to drink from a stream that was also their sewer, and there was a lack of food. Many soldiers died from malnutrition.

What were the main causes of the Civil War?

The main cause was slavery. However, growing sectionalism between the free and slave states, and the debate over States rights vs. Federal Power were also contributing factors.

How did the civil war end?

The war ended in the Spring of 1865. Robert E Lee surrendered the last major Confederate army to Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia.

Explain the Nothern military strategy to capture their opponent's capital.

To capture South's capital (Richmond) with the Anaconda plan(outline strategy developed by "Old Fuss and Feathers"--Winfield B. Scott to suppress the South): the plan was to blockade Southern ports to cut off supply chain, take and control the Mississippi River to split the Confederacy in two, and to take Richmond ("cut them off at the neck or cut their head off".. "suffocate the South; starve them")