First Steps in Fighting the Civil War

1. First Steps in Fighting the Civil War Social Study Survey http://goo.gl/forms/YBJKxCFut9

2. Bellringer Question • Research and explain the caning of Senator Charles Sumner

3. Training Ground: Mexican War • Soldiers and Generals used the Mexican War (1846-1848) as a training ground for tactics and strategies used during the Civil War

4. Importance of Bleeding Kansas • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWww0YIf-JE • Ted-Ed video (6 min)

5. Controversial Figure: John Brown • Abolitionist leader (along with sons) • Goal- Wanted to gather weapons to arm the slaves, hoping it would lead to slave revolt in the South • Destination- Harper’s Ferry, Virginia (federal arsenal) • Result- Captured by US Marines and executed by hanging

6. Quote and Question "I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood. I had, as I now think, vainly flattered myself that without very much bloodshed it might be done.“ Do you believe that John Brown was a martyr or a terrorist?

7. Beginning the Fight: Soldiers • Hundreds of military officers resigned from the U.S. army to fight for the South. • Robert E. Lee had been offered a command of Union troops, but turned it down to fight with Virginia. • Most of the better generals will lead armies for the Confederacy • 7 out of 8 military colleges were in the South. • Strong military history and tradition would favor the Confederacy.

8. Historical Facts • ¾ of the Navy’s officers were from the North. • North’s population in 1860 was 22 million, the South’s was 9 million. • 90% of the nation’s factories were in the North. • The South had ½ as many miles of railroad track as the North. • The North controlled the national treasury and continued to gain revenue from tariffs.

9. Money and the South • Legal Tender Act – created a national currency and allowed the government to issue paper money – known as greenbacks. • The South had smaller banks and most planters were in debt. They could raise money from trade, but the Union Navy blockaded southern ports. • South resorted to taxing its citizens, but many refused to pay. They printed Confederate money, but this caused high inflation and the money became worthless.

10. Southern Inflation During War • Research: Explain the amount of Southern inflation during the War. • Question: How much would it cost for everyday items such as bread, meat, etc?

11. Reasons People Fought

12. The Politics of Washington • Lincoln had to deal with political disagreement within his own party and the North. • Lincoln’s goal to preserve the union, even if he had to leave slavery alone, did not satisfy abolitionists.

13. Differences between Democrats and Republicans • War Democrats – supported the war to preserve the Union, but opposed ending slavery. • Peace Democrats became known as Copperheads because Republicans viewed them as traitors. They opposed the war and wanted to restore the union through negotiations. • Democrats and Republicans disagreed over conscription – the draft. Riots erupted in northern cities. • Criticism over Lincoln’s suspension of writs of habeas corpus – the right to be charged with a crime or be released.

14. Conscription Posters

15. Conscription Riots in New York

16. First Modern War • The Civil War was the first modern war – armies had traditionally fought in long lines, facing each other at close range. • New weapons that were more accurate at greater distances changed the way armies fought. • Armies were using trenches and barricades for protection. • Combination of better weapons and new strategies led to mass casualties and the need for many soldiers.

17. Southern Views • Jefferson Davis viewed the South’s cause as being similar to the war for independence. • The South was fighting a defensive war and believed that one dynamic victory could determine the war. • Many believed that military traditions, hunting and rural life made southerners better fighters.

18. Southern View Cont. • The South tried to gain support from Britain and France. Both countries utilized southern cotton for their textile factories. • Confederate diplomats aboard the British ship Trent were taken into custody and held for several weeks. This became known as the “Trent Affair”.

19. Union’s Anaconda Plan • Anaconda Plan – proposed by Winfield Scott to slowly strangle the South. • The Union would blockade Confederate ports and send gunboats down the Mississippi River to divide the Confederacy. • Eventually, a war to destroy the South’s armies was the only way to win.