The Civil War

⚔️ The War Begins

Fort Sumter (April 12, 1861)

The Civil War began when Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter, a Union fort in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. After 34 hours of bombardment, the Union surrendered the fort.

This attack united the North. President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to put down the rebellion. In response, four more Southern states seceded: Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

Choosing Sides

• Union (North): 23 states, population 22 million
• Confederacy (South): 11 states, population 9 million (including 3.5 million enslaved people)
• Border States: Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri stayed in the Union despite having slavery

💪 Advantages of Each Side

Union Advantages

• More people: Larger population for army
• More factories: 90% of nation's manufacturing
• Better railroads: 70% of rail lines for moving troops and supplies
• Strong navy: Could blockade Southern ports
• More money: Better economy and resources
• Established government: Already had infrastructure

Confederate Advantages

• Fighting at home: Defending familiar territory
• Better generals: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson
• High motivation: Fighting for their way of life
• Defensive strategy: Just had to avoid losing, not conquer the North
• Cotton diplomacy: Hoped Britain would support them for cotton

🎯 War Strategies

Anaconda Plan (Union Strategy)

General Winfield Scott's plan to "squeeze" the Confederacy:

1. Blockade: Use navy to block Southern ports, cutting off supplies
2. Control Mississippi River: Split the Confederacy in two
3. Capture Richmond: Take the Confederate capital
4. Slowly strangle: Like an anaconda snake squeezing its prey

Confederate Strategy

• Defensive war: Protect their territory
• Wear down the North: Make war so costly that Union would give up
• Get foreign help: Convince Britain or France to recognize and aid the Confederacy
• Invade the North: Win a major victory on Northern soil

⚔️ Major Battles - Eastern Theater

📜 Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1863)

After the Union victory at Antietam, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This executive order declared:

• All enslaved people in Confederate states were forever free
• Did NOT free enslaved people in border states (Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware, Missouri)
• Did NOT free enslaved people in areas already under Union control

Why Did Lincoln Issue It?

• Military strategy: Weakened the Confederacy by freeing their labor force
• Moral purpose: Made the war about ending slavery, not just preserving the Union
• Foreign policy: Prevented Britain and France (who had abolished slavery) from supporting the Confederacy
• Military manpower: Allowed African Americans to enlist in Union army

🎤 Gettysburg Address (November 19, 1863)

Four months after the Battle of Gettysburg, President Lincoln dedicated a cemetery there. His short speech (just 272 words, 2 minutes long) became one of the greatest speeches in American history.

Lincoln redefined the war as a struggle not just to preserve the Union, but to bring equality and freedom to all.

⚔️ The War in the West

Vicksburg Campaign (1863)

General Grant besieged Vicksburg, Mississippi, the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. After 47 days, the city surrendered on July 4, 1863 (same day as Gettysburg ended).

Result: Union controlled the entire Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy in two.

Sherman's March to the Sea (1864)

General William Tecumseh Sherman captured Atlanta, then marched 300 miles to Savannah, Georgia. His army destroyed everything in a 60-mile-wide path:

• Burned plantations, factories, railroads
• Freed enslaved people
• Practiced "total war" - destroying civilian resources to break Southern will

🏁 The War Ends

Appomattox Surrender

Grant offered generous terms:

• Confederate soldiers could go home
• Officers could keep their sidearms
• Soldiers who owned horses could keep them for spring planting
• No trials for treason

Grant wanted to reunite the nation, not seek revenge.

💔 Life During the War

On the Home Front

• Women: Ran farms and businesses, worked in factories, served as nurses (Clara Barton founded American Red Cross)
• Children: Worked in factories and farms, some boys as young as 12 joined army
• Economy: North prospered with war production; South's economy collapsed

Soldiers' Experiences

• Most soldiers were volunteers, ages 18-21
• Poor camp conditions: disease killed twice as many as combat
• Primitive medical care: many amputations, no antibiotics
• Prison camps: Andersonville (Confederate) had 45% death rate

Cost of the War

• Deaths: 620,000-750,000 Americans killed (more than all other American wars combined)
• Wounded: Over 400,000 wounded
• Economic: Billions in property destruction, especially in South
• Social: Freed 4 million enslaved people, but left deep divisions

📚 Key Terms