Civil+War


 * CIVIL WAR INTRODUCTION**

The Civil War was the first "modern" war. Before this war, battles were always planned and the two armies would meet at one designated spot and face off for awhile until one side or the other surrendered. Civilians were almost never involved in war until the Civil War. Most of the battles of the Civil War were on residential property where the two armies happened to meet. Civilians were very much involved in this war, which set it apart from the European style of warfare.

Things were more advanced in the Civil War than in other wars up until this time. There were technological advances in weaponry and warfare. Railroads were first used in large-scale movement of troops and supplies. Balloons were used to spy on the opposition. Steam and ironclad warships became commonplace. The first submarine was used in this war, even though it was a failure and crashed, killing everyone aboard. This was even the first war that was photographed. No wonder it's considered to be the greatest war ever in North America.


 * DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH**

Slavery was in all of the original American colonies before the American Revolution. Slavery died out on its own in the North because the land was rocky, had more hills, and could not support large plantations as the South could. The North found their profit in industry while the South stayed with the agrarian lifestyle.

The North became a major industrial section of the United States where as the southern states kept to a majorly agricultural section of the United Sates. The north was into large factories filled with lots of working under tough conditons. The South had large plantaions with lots of slaves working from dusk till dawn. The South's major income came from cash crops.


 * STEPS LEADING TO THE CIVIL WAR**

Soon after the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which eventually led to "Bleeding Kansas", our country needed another compromise. Compromise, however, was out of the question. The country was so divided that war was imminent. The Southern states were threatening to secede if Abraham Lincoln was elected. In 1860, Lincoln was elected. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union, followed by many others.


 * BEGINNING OF THE WAR**

Gen. Winfield Scott was a major strategist during the Civil War. He came up with the Anaconda plan, a military strategy that would have the North win the war with a minimal number of Northern lives lost. There were four steps to the Anaconda Plan that took place in this order: 1) Blockade Southern ports 2) Take control of the Mississippi River 3) Cut the South in half through Tennessee and Georgia 4) Take control of Richmond, Virginia (Richmond was the Confederate capitol)


 * 1861-1862**

The first battle of the Civil War was at [|Fort Sumter]. Although it was the first battle, it is not considered a major battle because it was a siege. A siege is attacking a target and not allowing anything or anyone in or out. This fort was held by the North and was located on an island in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. This island was a very strategic location. The battle was a thirty-three hour siege and bombardment. This was an important battle because the South did not want the North to hold any territory that was part of the Confederate States of America. Fort Sumter was surrendered to the South. Only two deaths resulted from this battle; both Northern. They were killed when a shell from a cermonial salute was misfired, but not in the actual battle itself.

The second battle, must the first major battle, of the Civil War was the [|First Battle of Bull Run]. "First Battle of Bull Run" was the Northern name for this battle, and "Manassas" was the Southern name for the battle. Northern armies named battles after bodies of water that were near the area of battle, and Southern armies named battles after nearby towns; as a result, there are often two names for Civil War battles. Northern names are more commonly used when studying history because the North ended up winning the Civil War.

Irwin McDowell was the Union general at the First Bull Run. He marched his men twenty miles from Washington D.C. to meet the Confederate army, but the trip took three days due to disorganization. The First Bull Run was more like the European battles which were arranged ahead of time, and representatives would bring their families to watch. Since the battle was going to be held not too far from the nation's capital, many Congressmen brought their families to watch and expected a quick, easy victory to both the battle at First Bull Run and the Civil War.


 * 1862-1863**

The bitter Southern victory at Virginia caused the Northern leaders to worry about the success of Robert E. Lee and the Southern army. To calm the worries, President Lincoln reappointed George McClellan as the commander of the Potomac army and ordered him to stop Lee. The two armies met and fought at Antietam in Maryland on September 17, 1862. The day was considered to be the bloodiest single day of the war because it claimed 23,000 casulties. There was also an event that took place called the "Bloody cornfield" so named for the large battle fought in a residential owner's corn field where thousands of soldiers died in mere minutes. The overall battle was considered to be a northern victory because the South retreated back to Virginia, but the North did not take advantage of the "victory" by pursuing the South.

In September of 1862, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation made the freeing of the slaves a war goal. This ensured that Britain and France would not intervene to help out the Confederacy. In the East, Robert E. Lee helped get a series of Confederate victories over the Army of the Potomac. His best general, "Stonewall" Jackson, was killed at the Battle of Chancellorsville in May of 1863.

Lee invaded the North and was repulsed at the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania in July 1863. Then, he barely managed to escape to Virginia. In 1862, the Union captured the port of New Orleans. Ulysses S. Grant siezed control of the Mississsippi River by capturing Vicksburg, Mississippi in July 1863. This split up the Confederacy.


 * 1863-1864**

Ulysses S. Grant was moved form the west to become Commanding General of the Union armies. Grant concentrated on his personal campaign in Virginia, while his friend William T. Sherman was sent to invade Georgia. His mission was to move South and attack the Confederate army of Tennessee. His army captured the city. Then he decided that his next move should be to march to the east coast. On their way to the coast, they destroyed anything they could get their hands on that was valuable to the Confederates. A little while later, General Sheridan was put in charge of the Union armies. While Sheridan and Sherman had obvious successes, Grant was having a hard time defeating Lee's army in Virginia. He was willing to keep fighting until Lee's army was destroyed, but the Confederate army was too skillfull. He made many attempts, but was not having much luck. He thought that if he kept trying, Lee's army would be worn away.


 * 1864-1865**

1865 was the last year of the war. Sherman's army marched to South Carolina was not defeated, then moved on to North Carolina, where they faced some very tough battles. In Virginia, Grant and his armies did their jobs by finally taking care of Lee and his armies.

On March 25, Lee launched an attack on Fort Stedman. The South suffered heavy losses; therefore, Confederate generals began to surrender. This directly led to the end of the American Civil War.


 * NORTHERN ADVANTAGES**

1) Industry 2) Food production 3) Strong central government 4) Large population (they could afford to lose more soldiers) 5) Two-thirds of the railroad tracks were on Northern territory


 * SOUTHERN ADVANTAGES**

1) They had a clear purpose for fighting (to become a separate nation from the Union, and to continue using slavery) 2) Fought a defensive war (soldiers knew the land and it was easier to send supplies to armies) 3) Strong generals and military tradition


 * NORTHERN GENERALS**

Ulysses S. Grant Winfield Scott George McClellan Irwin McDowell Admiral Farragut William T. Sherman General Sheridan


 * SOUTHERN GENERALS**

Robert E. Lee Albert Johnston


 * SEPARATION OF THE COUNTRY**

These maps show the affiliation of states and territories regarding the Secession of the Civil War

██ States that seceded before April 15, 1861 ██ States that seceded after April 15, 1861 ██ Union states that permitted slavery ██ Union states that forbade slavery ██ Territories, unaffiliated
 * United States Map of 1861**

██ Union states ██ Union territories ██ Border Union states, permitting slavery ██ Bleeding Kansas, entered Union ██ Confederate states ██ Confederate territories (not always held)
 * United States Map of 1865**