11.4

Why is the Battle of Gettysburg considered a turning point in the Civil War?

The South stopped trying to invade the North

Why was the Confederate defeat at Vicksburg important for the Union's war strategy?

The capture of the city allowed the Union to take complete control of the Mississippi River, which was a very important waterway for transporting goods and supplies.

Grant and Sherman's strategy of total war targeted not only the Confederate army but also

The civilian population of the South

Little Round Top

The site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Joshua Chamberlain from Maine commanded a regiment that held off repeated Southern attacks and kept this important position in Union hands.

Why was the Battle of Gettysburg a disaster for the South?

The three-day battle produced staggering losses. Union losses were 23,000 men killed or wounded. Confederate losses were 28,000 killed or wounded. The Union could replace those losses, the Confederacy could not. From then on, the Confederates were fighting a defensive war.

William Tecumseh Sherman

Union General who destroyed South during "march to the sea" from Atlanta to Savannah, example of total war

Lincoln won the 1864 presidential election with the help of

Union victories in the South

Terms of Surrender at Appommattox

Very generous, at Lincoln's request. Grant allowed Lee's soldiers to go home on their own with all of their personal possessions, horses, and three days worth of rations for food. Officers were allowed to keep their sidearms. Within two months all remaining Confederate resistance had collapsed.

How long did the siege of Vicksburg last?

about 3 months

Battle of Vicksburg

3 month siege of important Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River in the state of Mississippi. Ended on July 4, 1863 just one day after Gettysburg. The Union gained control of the Mississippi River, Grant took control of the entire Union Army, and total war began on the Southern states.

Surrender at Appommattox

April 2, 1865. Grant's armies trapped Lee in this small town, and he finally surrendered his army. Grant, under orders from Lincoln, gave the Confederates very friendly terms of surrender as part of his plan to reunite the country and show goodwill to his fellow countrymen in the South, even though they had just finished fighting a Civil War against them.

Confederate morale

As the war continued, morale on the Confederacy's home front deteriorated. The Confederate Congress passed a weak resolution in 1863 urging planters to grow fewer cash crops like tobacco and cotton and instead to increase the production of food. Farmers resented the tax that took part of their produce and livestock to feed the soldiers, especially since rich planters continued to grow cash crops. Many soldiers deserted after hearing about the lack of food and the shortage of farm labor at home. Some even changed sides and fought for the North. Peace movements even sprang up in some Southern states as well. The Southern government was unable to govern effectively because of all the disagreements among states and between individual politicians from different states.

General Ulysses S. Grant

Became commander of the entire Union Army in 1864. Was relentless in his attacks and willing to use his superior number of soldiers to overwhelm the Southern army. He was also willing to take tremendous casualties in order to do this. He was ultimately successful and was the last commander of the Union Army during the war (there had been many incompetent and overly cautious generals during the first few years of the war, who Lincoln had to fire). His army forced Lee's surrender at Appomattox in April of 1865.

What does the Election of 1864 reveal about the nation's changing attitudes toward Civil War?

Early on during the Election Campaign of 1864, it seemed that the country was again split over the issue of how to deal with the South and the war. Some believed Lincoln was too harsh on the South and should sign an armistice immediately, while others thought he was not being harsh enough. However, after the fall of Mobile Bay in Alabama and the capture of Atlanta, it was clear that most Americans believed the North was winning the war under Lincoln's leadership. He was re-elected, and the South surrendered less than a year later. This election showed that the voters trusted Lincoln's approach to the war and believed he was the right leader to end it in a way that would re-unite the country.

Pickett's Charge

Failed Confederate assault on Union positions on July 3, 1863, the final day of the Battle of Gettysburg

1864 Presidential Election

First election held during a Civil War. Lincoln represented the Republicans. McLennan represented Democrats. Lincoln was reelected in the electoral college. Won more than 400,000 popular votes due to unions victory at battles of Atlanta and Mobile Bay.

What did Lee hope to gain by invading the North?

He hoped an invasion would force Lincoln to pull troops away from Vicksburg, he thought a major Confederate victory on Northern soil would tip the political balance of power in the Union to pro-Southern Democrats, and he needed more supplies which he thought he could capture in the North.

How was Sherman's March to the Sea an example of psychological warfare and total war?

His army did not just wage war against the Confederate soldiers. He waged war on the land, the cities and towns, and the civilians in order to destroy the South's will to keep fighting. He eliminated food sources for the people and the soldiers by killing many animals and destroying fields used for farming. His army also burned down many buildings and homes, and wrecked railway lines and clogged the roads with wreckage and the bodies of dead animals and people.

Grant's overall strategy to end the war

Immobilize Lee's Army in Virginia while he directed Sherman to raid Georgia. He was willing to sustain massive casualties in order to overwhelm the Confederates with his superior numbers. His army suffered far more casualties than Lee's, but Lee could not replace those men and Grant could.

Why was Gettysburg seen as the most significant battle of the Civil War?

It is considered by many historians to be the turning point of the Civil War. The North's victory destroyed so much of Robert E. Lee's army that the Confederates were never again able to threaten Northern states with invasion. From here on it was clear the North would win the war, even though it did take another two years before they were totally defeated.

In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln referenced the Declaration of Independence when he emphasized

Liberty, equality, and democracy

What factors account for the easy terms of surrender at Appomattox?

Lincoln wanted to re-unite the country and try to put the people of the North and South on good terms with each other as much as possible. The easy surrender terms helped do this. They did not humiliate or abuse the captured Southern soldiers, and instead allowed them to return home and live their lives.

How do the terms of surrender at Appomattox indicate Lincoln's future plans for rebuilding the nation?

Lincoln was clearly interested in rebuilding the entire nation, especially the South, which had been so destroyed during the war. He did not see the North as conquering the South and did not want to act that way.

What was the Southern war strategy after the devastating defeats at Gettysburg and Vicksburg?

No longer able to attack the North, they could only hope to hang on long enough to destroy Northern morale and work toward an armistice.

The Gettysburg Address

Speech given by Abraham Lincoln a few months after the Battle of Gettysburg in November of 1863, in which he praised the bravery of Union soldiers and renewed his commitment to winning the Civil War. He also proclaimed the ideals of self-government and human rights and referenced the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.