Transcript Preparing for War

Preparing for War : The
North and the South
Lincoln takes office
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In inaugural address,
calls secession
impossible—physically
speaking Union can’t
separate.
Affirms that he will work
to protect the union.
Secession led to many
questions--how would
they divide national debt,
territories.
Fighting begins at Fort Sumter
(1861)
Issue of federal forts in
the South
 Lincoln sends force to
provision the Fort, not
reinforce it.
 South still saw as act of
aggression, fired on fort.
 Electrified North, ready to
fight.
 Lincoln begins to raise
army, seven more states
secede.
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The Key Border States
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Missouri, Kentucky,
Maryland, Delaware and
West Virginia
ASSETS: Large
populations,
manufacturing capacity,
Ohio River.
Lincoln used force to
keep Border States
Lincoln: “I hope to have
God on my side but I
have to have Kentucky.”
Not a War to End Slavery!
Lincoln’s key goal was to preserve the Union,
needed to keep pro-slavery border states happy.
 Native American tribes with slaves (esp.
Cherokee) supported the Confederacy, other
sided with North.
 Brothers’ War—some Southern soldiers went
North to join Union army and vice versa.
 Some families separated by fighting.
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Southern Advantages
Had to fight a
defensive war
 Had more talented
military officers
 Ordinary Southerners
bred to fight.
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Southern Disadvantages
Shortages of food and supplies—often
because of transportation problems
 Weak economy
 Northern blockade of sea devastated
South
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Billy Yank and Johnny Reb
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Similarities: Most had
been farmers, nativeborn, young, common
patriotic spirit. Dull
routine of camp life
Differences: Northern
soldiers more literate,
intellectual and practical
while Southerners were
more emotional, religious
and playful. Northerners
adapted easier to
discipline of army.
The South Loses Foreign Help
Everyone expected Europe to help South—
way to harm America.
 In the end, Britain and other countries not
as dependent on King Cotton as had
thought—got it from other sources. Also,
needed to respond to people’s sympathy
for North.
 If anything, begin exporting more wheat
from North.
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Northern Crises With Britain
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Europe wants to take
advantage of America’s
problems
Trent affair—US stops a
British ship carrying
Confederate diplomats.
British were building
Confederate commerceraiders—Alabama
Some Northerners talked
of getting revenge on
Canada.
Foreign Flare-ups
Further conflicts with
Britain over Confederate
warships—Laird rams.
Americans threaten war
so Britain bought for
themselves.
 Northerners raid
Canada British unified
Canada in 1867 as
protection.
 Napoleon tried to install
puppet dictator,
Maximilian, in Mexico. US
stopped with threats after
Civil War.
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Weaknesses of Confederate
Government
Constitution couldn’t
deny secession to its
own states—not
unified
 Jefferson Davis not
popular
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Lincoln Violates Constitution
Saw this as necessary to protect Union
 Proclaimed a blockade and increased size
of army without Congress’ approval
 Suspended privilege of habeas corpus—
protects individuals from unfair
imprisonment.
 Called for “supervised” voting in Border
States
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First Conscription Law
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1863—Conscription Law
passed in North—first
nation-wide draft in
history.
Unfair to the poor—rich
could buy their way out
of the draft
Much opposition—riot in
New York by IrishAmericans
In South—conscription
even earlier—1862.
Northern Economy Stayed Stable
Excise taxes and income taxes
 Protective Tariff
 Issued greenback money, but also earned
money through increased borrowing
 Established National Banking System—
unified banking system, could issue sound
money and bonds.
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Southern Economy Suffered
Blockade hurt
 States righters against tariffs and taxes
 Printed lots of paper money—runaway
inflation
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Growth of Northern Economy
New factories
 Increased prices
 First millionaires
 New inventions and innovations: sewing
machines and standardized sizes,
mechanical reapers, petroleum gushers
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Women and the Civil War
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New job opportunities
with men gone—
government and
industrial workers
Women involved in
fighting—disguised as
men, or worked as spies
Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell—
organized US Sanitary
Commission to help Union
armies on field
A Crushed Cotton Kingdom
Devastated economy,
hurt transportation,
used up all supplies
 “Cotton capitalism
had lost out to
industrial capitalism”
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