Transcript Civil War Intro Ppt

THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
THE NORTH
Industrialized
 Large cities were established
 By 1860, one quarter of all Northerners lived
in urban areas
 Between 1800 and 1860, the percentage of
laborers working in agricultural pursuits
dropped drastically from 70% to only 40%
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THE NORTH
Slavery had died out, replaced in the cities and
factories by immigrant labor from Europe.
seven out of every eight immigrants were
settling in the North rather than the South
 Transportation was easier in the North, which
boasted more than two-thirds of the railroad
tracks in the country and the economy was on
an upswing
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THE SOUTH
The fertile soil and warm climate of the South
made it ideal for large-scale farms and crops
like tobacco & cotton – so why industrialize?
 80% of the labor force worked on farms
 By 1860 slavery was inextricably tied to the
region's economy and culture
 South  4 million blacks vs. 5.5 million whites
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THE SOUTH
New Orleans only large city – most cities
located on rivers & coasts as shipping ports to
send agricultural produce to European or
Northern destinations
 10% of Southerners lived in urban areas
 transportation between cities was difficult,
except by water - only 35% of the nation's train
tracks were located in the South
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THE BIRTH OF SLAVERY IN AMERICA
When the North American continent was first
colonized by Europeans the land was vast, the
work was harsh, and there was a severe
shortage of labor.
 White bondservants, paying their passage
across the ocean from Europe through
indentured labor worked plantations but more
labour was needed
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THE BIRTH OF SLAVERY IN AMERICA
Early in the seventeenth century, a Dutch ship
loaded with African slaves introduced slavery to
the United States
 Slaves were most economical on large farms
where labor-intensive cash crops, such as
tobacco, could be grown.
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SLAVERY CONTINUED
By the end of the American Revolution,
slavery had proven unprofitable in the North
and was dying out.
 In the South the institution was becoming
less useful to farmers as tobacco prices
fluctuated and began to drop.
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SLAVERY CONTINUED
In 1793 Northerner Eli Whitney invented the
cotton gin; this device made it possible for
textile mills to use the type of cotton most
easily grown in the South.
 Cotton replaced tobacco as the South’s main
cash crop and slavery became profitable again
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OPPOSITION TO SLAVERY
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As the North moved away from
Slavery more and more people in
the North opposed the idea of
slaves – abolitionists
Nat Turner leads a rebellion of
slaves against white landowners in
Virginia on August 21st, 1831
Dred Scott sued for his freedom
but the Supreme Court that slaves
were subhuman property with no
rights of citizenship; they had no
legal means of protesting the way
they were treated
OPPOSITION TO SLAVERY
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Harriet Tubman establishes
the Underground Railroad
to help slaves escape the
South
Uncle Tom’s Cabin is
written in 1852 by Harriet
Beecher Stowe refuting the
Southern myth that blacks
were happy as slaves
THE RAID ON HARPER’S FERRY
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On October 16, 1859, the
radical abolitionist John
Brown led a small group
of followers in a raid on
the armoury at Harper’s
Ferry.
Brown hoped to use the
captured weapons to
initiate a slave uprising
throughout the South.
He and his men were
pinned down by local
citizens and militia, and
forced to take refuge.
THE RAID ON HARPER’S FERRY
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On October 18, U.S. Marines were
sent via train to Harpers Ferry
under the command of Colonel
Robert E. Lee
Brown was captured and was
tried for treason by the State of
Virginia
He was convicted and hanged in
nearby Charles Town.
The failed raid was a major
catalyst in accelerating the slide
to Civil War.
THE COMPROMISE OF 1850
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After the Mexican-American War, the issue of slavery
in the new territories led to the Compromise of 1850.
While the Compromise of 1850 averted an immediate
political crisis, it did not permanently resolve the issue
of the power of slaveholders in national politics.
Many Northerners, especially leaders of the new
Republican Party, considered slavery a great national
evil.
THE COMPROMISE OF 1850
KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT 1854
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organized 2 new federal territories – Kansas and
Nebraska
What was controversial was the provision that
stipulated that each territory would separately
decide whether to allow slavery within its borders.
This provision repealed the Missouri Compromise
of 1820, which had prohibited slavery in any new
states to be created north of latitude 36°30' since
Kansas and Nebraska would be north of that line
and could now choose to allow slavery.
prohibiting slavery in states/territories north of 36º
30’ latitude
people decide (popular sovereignty)
KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT
THE ELECTION OF 1860
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As the election of 1860 approached, the
Democrats split over the issue of slavery in the
territories
The party split on the issue and the result say three
candidates run for the Presidency
This division opened the door for the Republican
Party and Abraham Lincoln
The Republicans believed that slavery should be
left undisturbed where it was already in place but
should not be allowed in the new territories
ELECTION OF 1860
SECESSION FROM THE UNION
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The immediate result of the election was the
secession of seven southern states to form their
own country (the Confederate States of America)
These States included: South Carolina, Mississippi,
Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas
They based their right to secede on the idea that
the free states had denied the Southern States
equal rights in the union
They drafted their own constitution and named
their new alliance the Confederate States of
America
CONFEDERATE STATE OF AMERICA VS. UNION
FORT SUMTER AND THE START OF THE WAR
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As the Southern States Seceded they seized United
States arsenal, mints and fortresses within their
borders
Fort Sumter was still under federal control
In April of 1861, the fort was running short on
supplies so Lincoln sent orders out to restock it
Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy sent the
order to take the fort before it could be resupplied
While there was no life lost in the attack, news of the
incident stirred nationalism in the North and Lincoln
had no trouble filling his military’s ranks with able
bodied men
MORE STATES SECEDE
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Faced with the
prospect of fighting
their neighbours four
more states seceded
from the union
These states included:
Virginia, Arkansas,
North Carolina and
Tennessee
MAP OF SECESSION
PREPARING FOR WAR
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The North had a
material advantage in
many aspects
regarding a potential
war
THE NORTH
Advantages
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Larger Population
Larger railroad connections
More farm industry
Industrialization ($) – more
than 80% of manufacturing
plants
The Leadership of Abraham
Lincoln
Forts in the South
Disadvantages
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Have to attack the
South in the South
Military leaders are
less experienced
Cannot expect help
from Europe
THE SOUTH
Advantages
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Defending instead of
attacking – just had to
hold out against
attacks
Better military leaders
– Robert E. Lee
Ports that can be used
for support from
Europe
Disadvantages
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Smaller Population
Fewer railroad
connections
Industrialization ($) –
more than 80% of
manufacturing plants