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Chapter 20 - Girding for War: The North and the South 1861-1865

 

Chapter Themes

  • The North used its advantages of industrial and human resources to wage a successful total war against the South
  • Lincoln's skillful handling of domestic politics and foreign policy was an important aspect of the Northern success

Major Questions

  • How justified was Lincoln's wartime abridgement of civil liberties and his treatment of the Copperheads?
  • What made Lincoln a great President?

Chapter Outline

The Menace of Secession

  • Lincoln's inaugaral adress said there would be no conflict unless the Sout provoked it. secession was impratical because we can't physically separate.
  • uncontested secession would create new controversies:what share of national debt should south be forced to take, what portion of federal territorites, if any, should confederate states be allotted, how would fugitive slave issue be resolved
  • underground railraod would redouble its activity-->would only have to transport its passengers across ohio river instead of canada
  • European nations would be delighted if powerful democracy of united states broke into two hostile parts-->transplant to america their ancient concept of the balance of power, divide and conquer, colonies of european powers in new world safer, european imperialists could more easily defy the monroe doctrine and seize territory in americas with no unified republic to stand in their way

South Carolina Assails Fort Sumter

  • Major issue of divided Union was federal forts in South-->as states left they had seized unitied states' arsenals, mints, and other public property within their borders.
  • Two significant forts left in south still flying stars and stripes-more important=Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor had only provisions lasting a few weeks, if no supplies could come commander would have to surrender.
  • Lincoln notified South Carolinians that an expedition would be sent to provision the garrison, not to reinforce it, but to southerners provision meant reinforcement
  • a Union naval force was started on its way to Fort Sumter, southerners saw this as an act of aggression-->April 12, 1861 carolinians opened fire on fort, after 34 hour bombardment, which took no lives, the garrison surrendered
  • North electrified, some thought south should leave, but assault provoked north to fight. Lincoln issued a call to states for 75,000 militiamen, volunteers sprang to the colors. on April 19 and 27, the president proclaimed a leaky blockade of southern seaports
  • call for troops aroused the south, in southern eyes Lincoln was now waging a war-->Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina reluctantly joined embattled seceeded sisters(7 states became 11) Richmond, Virginia replaced Montgomery, Alabama as Confederate capital


Brothers' Blood and Border Blood

  • Border states that did not leave the Union included Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware, and eventually West Virginia. The population of all the border states was more then half the confederacy.
  • Missouri would be doubled the South's manufacturing capabilities and nearly 50% of the South's horses and Mules.
  • Kentucky and West Virginia held the strategic Ohio River.
  • Lincoln dealth with the border states by only putting Union soldiers where they needed to be, and nowhere else.
  • An anti-slavery war was extremely unpopular in the Butternut region of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.
  • Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws, and Seminole Indians joined the Confederacy. They thought that since they had slaves they should join. To secure their loyalty, the Confederacy gave them delegates in the Confederate Congress.
  • The Civil War was a "brothers' war". Volunteers from the North went South, and vice versa. The loyal slave states gave the North 300,000 men. There were many brothers who were separated, one joining the Union and the other the Confederacy.

The Balance of Forces

  • When the war broke out, the South had several advantages. They could fight defensively on their own turf, the North had to invade the vast Confederate territory, conquer it, then force it back into the Union. The South did not have to win the war to gain independence, it just had to fight the Union to draw. The South had more talented military officers such as Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. The South were bred to fight (managing guns and horses from birth) and were able to get ahold of sufficient weaponry.
  • The South had several major disadvanteds though. As the war dragged on they had major shortages of food, clothes, and supplies. They lacked and adequate transportation system, and they had a weak economy.
  • Advantages of the North were the economy, which had aout 3/4 of the nations wealth and railways, they controlled the sea, and had more manpower. (22million men in the north, with 800,000 immigrants coming in. 9million men in the South, 3.5milling of those being slaves.)
  • Disadvantages of the North was the men were not prepared for military life, and they were less fortunate in choices for commanders, but eventually found Ulysess S. Grant.

Dethroning King Cotton

  • Europe's ruling classes were sympathetic towards the Confederate's and their semifuedal, aristocratic order.
  • Working people supported North, read Uncle Tom's cabin. with the gov't not wanting a revolt South didn't get the support they were hoping and needed.
  • King Cotton wasn't able to sway factories, logically textile mills would support south for cotton, but the south was so successful the pre-war years that Britain and france had a stockpile of cotton and wouldn't need more until a year and a half later when Lincoln had already anounced his slave-emancipation.
  • "cotton-famine in Britain struck and left workers out of jobs and food. relieved by...
    • Americans sent over cargoes of foodstuffs, and cotton the Union Army would capture of buy from land in South.
    • Confederates were also able to send some to Britain
    • Egypt and India responded to higher cotton prices by increasing their output
  • Wheat and Corn proved to be King over Cotton.
    • During the war the north produced bountiful crops of grain while British suffered from bad harvests.
      • Britain had to import large amounts of America's cheap and bountiful grain.

The Decisiveness of Diplomacy

  • European rulers schemed to take advantage of America's distress
  • Trent Affair: a Union warship cruising north of Cuba stopped a British mail steamer, the Trent, and removed two Confederate diplomats heading to Europe.
    • Britain was outraged and sent troops for Canada, demanding surrender and an apology.
      • bc of slow communications both sides got chances to cool and no war was fought.
  • Alabama: Britain built a commerce-raider for the Confederates called, Alabama this was not a warship bc it left British ports with no guns and picked them up somewhere else. This was officered by confederates but manned by Brtions and never entered a Confederate naval base, making Britain the chief naval base for Conderacy
    • Alabama destroyed over sixty vessels, angering the North, they diverted attention from their blockade to wild goose chases after the Alabama. When they caught up to it, Alabama was quickly destroyed.
    • 1863, London openly violated its own leaky laws and seized another raider being built for the south and confederate commerce-destroyers seized more than 250 ships, severely crippling the American merchant marine, which never fully recovered

Foreign Flare-ups

  • In 1863, two Confederate warships were being built in the British shipyard of John Laid and Sons. Their large iron rams and large-caliber guns would have destroyed the Union blockade. They were far more dangerous than the swift but lightly armed Alabama. If delivered to South, would have sunk squadron and brough Northern cities under fire and North would have invaded Canada and a full war with Britain would have erupted. To avoid infuriating the North, the London government bought the ships for the Royal Navy.
  • Britain repented its sorry role in Alabama business-->agreed in 1871 to submit Alabama dispute to arbitration, 1872 paid American claimants $15.5 million for damages caused by wartime commerce-raiders.
  • The British established the Dominion of Canada in 1867. It was partly designed to strengthen the Canadians against the possible vengeance of the United States.
  • Emperor Napoleon III of France dispatched a French army to occupy Mexico City in 1863. The actions of Napoleon were in direct violation of the Monroe Doctrine. Napoleon was counting on the Union not retaliating due to its weakness. When the Civil War ended in 1865, Napoleon was forced to abandon Mexico City.

President Davis Versus President Lincoln

  • The one defect of the South was that its own states could secede. Some state troops refused to serve outside their borders.
  • President Jefferson Davis of the Confederacy often had disputes with his own congress. Davis's task as President proved to be beyond his powers.
  • Lincoln and the North enjoyed a long-established government that was financially stable and fully recognized at home and abroad.

Limitations on Wartime Liberties

Due to the fact that Congress was not in session when the war broke out, President Lincoln proclaimed a blockade, increased the size of the Federal army, directed the secretary of the Treasury to advance $2 million without appropriation or security to 3 private citizens for military purposes, and suspended the habeas corpus (stated that a citizen could not be held without the due process of a trial) - all of which were required to be approved by Congress.


Volunteers and Draftees: North and South

  • 1863, congress passed a federal conscription law for the first time on a nationwide scale in the United States. They were unfair to the poor,rich boys, including John D. Rockefeller, could hire substitutes to go in their places or purchase exemption outright by paying 300$ hence 300 dollar men. Drafteens who did not have the cash complained about the policy and said its either 300 dollars or your life.
  • 1863, a riot broke out in ny city from irish americans who shouted, down with lincoln and down with the draft,
  • more than 90 percent of the Union troops were volunteers, since social and patriotic pressures to enlist were strong. Bounties for enlistment were offered by federal, state, and local authorities. A volunteer might pocket 1000 dollars.
  • the government offered much to get people to enlist. But the Rolls of the Union army counted about 200,000 deserters of all classes, and the Confederates were also dealing with this problem.

The Economic Stresses of War

  • The North dealt with financial problems better than the South, Taxes on alcohol and tobacco were substantially increased by congress.
  • early 1861, after enough anti protection, southern members had succeeded, congress passed the moral tariff act
  • 1863, national banking system issued by congress which allowed the establishment of bank note currency, banks that joined the national banking system could buy government bonds and issue sound paper money backed by them.
  • taxing in the south caused revenue to dry up, to where the confederate dollar was worth only 1.6 cents. when lee surrendered, the war had inflicted a 6,000 dollar inflation rate on the south.

The North's Economic Boom

  • Newly invented laborsaving machinery enabled the North to expand economically. Mechanical reapers (farm machines used to harvest grain) allowed for men to leave the farms for the war and provided grain that contributed to Northern profits.
  • The discovery of petroleum in Pennsylvania in 1859 led to a rush of people known as the "Fifty-Niners."
  • The Civil War opened up many jobs for women that were originally occupied by men.
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