Transcript Background Information on the Eve of the Civil

Background
Information on the
Eve of the Civil War
The North v. The South
Secession
The Confederate States of America (CSA) formed
in 1861-- even before Lincoln’s inauguration, seven
states seceded from the Union. Secession means
The act of formally withdrawing from the Union.
a. South Carolina
b. Mississippi
c. Florida
1858 Lincoln responded by saying…
d. Alabama
“A house divided against itself can not stand.
e. Georgia
I believe this government cannot endure,
f. Louisiana Permanently half slave and half free.”
g. Texas
BORDER STATES
• Border States were on the Border of the USA and
CSA.
• Missouri, Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland, and
Virginia
• The border states did have slavery but chose not
to secede because they couldn’t agree on which
side to fight.
• Virginia ended up splitting into two because
Lincoln sent troops into Western VA due to their
Union Loyalty and they set up their new gov’t and
joined the Union as W. VA (1863). So now there
are two states, VA and West VA.
EXTRA INFO…
• MO and KY controlled key stretches of the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers.
• Washington DC was bordered on three sides by MD.
DC is the capital for the Union, yet it’s surrounded by a lot of people that are
pro-South.
• DEL- slave holders supported secession but they were
outnumbered.
• KY, MO, MD people were deeply divided on the issue
of secession and some fought for Union and Some
Confederate.
• Important to note that slavery WAS NOT the only
issue states were fighting about.
Format
• Information about • Information about
the North will be
the South will be
in the left column
in the right
column
Northern Fighting Strategies
• Bring the South back to the Union ASAP
• Never recognize the South’s
independence
• Strangle the South with a naval blockade
(Anaconda Plan)
• Defeat Rebel Armies, split the South in
two and capture the capital (Richmond,
VA)
Southern Fighting
Strategies
• Fight a defensive war until the Union
no longer has the will to fight
• Stress how secession is a parallel with
the 13 colonies pulling out of the British
Empire in 1776
• Capture Washington, D.C.
Capital Cities
• Washington,
D.C.
• Richmond,
Virginia
Naval Power
• Large navy which
grew even larger
as the war
progressed
• Virtually no navy
at the start of the
war
Cause for Fighting
• To preserve the
Union- at first
• Later the
emancipation of
slaves became a
cause
• To gain
independence
• To save “The
Southern Way of
Life” which
included slavery
Slang Names for
Troops
• Federals, Yanks,
Billy Yanks,
Yankees, Blues,
Bluebellies
• Rebels, Rebs,
Confederates,
Graybacks,
Butternuts,
Johnnies, Gray
Northern Miscellany
• Battles were fought away from home
• Less skilled in the military arts
• Thousands of immigrants were fighting for no
purpose that made sense to them
• Farm Acreage: 65%; dominant crops- wheat
and corn
• Divided politically into at least four groups
Southern Miscellany
• Traditionally protecting their homes and way
of life
• Fought on their own land, which they
therefore knew better than their opponents
• Military tradition: nearly every male citizen
skilled at riding horses and using rifles
skillfully
• Violence was a traditional aspect of Southern
Society
Other Names
• Union, United
States of
America,
Federals, USA
• Confederacy,
Confederate
States of
America, CSA
Flag
• Stars and Stripes
• Stars and Bars,
and a separate
battle flag
Why 13 stars? N/S pts.!!
The Confederacy claimed of having admitted Kentucky and
Missouri into their union, although neither state was ever fully
controlled or administered by the Confederacy.
Number of States
• 23 states
• 11 states
Population
• 22,000,000
• 9,000,000
• 3,500,000 were
slaves
Industrial Development
• 92% of the
• Very little
Nation’s
industrial
industries were in
development;
the North
mostly an
agrarian
(farming)
economy
Railroad Mileage
• 75% of the
nation’s railroad
miles were in the
North
• Many fewer miles
of railroads in the
South
• The map on the
next slide shows
American
railroads in 1851
Financial Resources
• Had 75% of the
nation’s wealth in
banking,
manufacturing
and shipping
industries
• Most of the
wealth was in
land and slaves
Leadership
• Abraham Lincoln
– Experience as a
lawyer, limited
experience in
Congress, and
virtually no
military
experience
• Jefferson Davis
– Senator from
Mississippi and
Secretary of War
– Military
experience in the
Mexican War
Generals
• West Point Military
Academy graduates
• Few Union Generals
were effective in
leading Union
Armies until Ulysses
S. Grant’s rise in
1862-1864
• Perhaps the South’s
greatest advantage
• Brilliant, bold
military leaders from
Virginia Military
Institute (VMI), West
Point and other
academies
Start of War