Transcript The Civil War Beginnings

The Civil War
Beginnings
Fort Sumter
A month after Lincoln
delivered his
inaugural address,
southerners opened
fire on Fort Sumter, a
federal fort, in
Charleston, South
Carolina.
Fort Sumter
The attack unleashed a wave of patriotic fury in the North.
The time for compromise was over…
The Civil War had begun.
Choosing sides
Choosing sides was difficult…
Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and
Tennessee joined the Confederacy.
Choosing Sides
The western counties of Virginia
remained loyal to the union.
They broke away to form a new state
called West Virginia.
Choosing Sides
The other four border states-Delaware,
Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri
remained in the union.
Preparing for War
Both the North
and the
South looked
forward to a
quick victory
in the War.
Preparing for War
Northern newspapers claimed“
We cannot imagine that the South
has resources for a long war or even
a short one.”
Preparing for War
Southern journalists said“The army of the south will be
composed of the best material ever
yet made up an army; while that of
Lincoln will be gathered from the
sewers of the cities…who will serve
for pay and will run away as soon as
danger threatens.”
The North-Strengths
The North had a greater population 22 million v. 9 million in the south
.
Northern Advantages
90% of the nations manufacturing plants
were in the north.
Northern Advantages
The North had more farms to provide food
for the troops.
Northern Advantages
The North had about 21,000 miles of
railroad track, compared to the 9,000 in
the South.
Northern Disadvantages
The North’s greatest weakness was its
military leadership.
At the start of the war, 1/3 of the military
officers resigned to return to the South.
Strengths of the South
The Southerners had the “home court
advantage” because they would be
fighting in the south.
Southern Advantages
Their military leadership included some of
the best military officers in the country.
Southern Weaknesses
The main weakness of the south was an
economy that could not support a long
war.
• Very few factories to produce guns &
other military supplies.
Southern Weaknesses
The Confederacy faced serious
transportation problems.
They lacked the railroad network needed to
haul goods long distances.
Southern Weaknesses
The South did not have enough money.
Most wealth was invested in land and
slaves.
Lincoln v. Davis
One of the North’s
greatest
advantages was
its newly elected
president
Abraham
Lincoln.
Lincoln v. Davis
Lincoln was a strong
leader who never
wavered from his goal
of preserving the
union.
At 6 feet 4 inches he
towered above other
men.
Lincoln v. Davis
Lincoln grew up in
Illinois and had very
little formal education.
However, he read
everything he could
find.
He taught himself to be
a lawyer through
reading in the
evenings.
Lincoln v. Davis
Jefferson was born in Kentucky and grew up
on a small plantation in Mississippi.
Lincoln v. Davis
Jefferson Davis attended West Point Military
Academy and served as a commander in
The Mexican War.
Lincoln v. Davis
Davis had hoped to be chosen to command
the armies of the Confederacy.
Instead, he was elected president.