The Causes of the Civil War

 

The goals of the Civil War will change over the course of the war. There still would have been a war. But, slavery is a part of everything.

 

Page 1 � Letter to Horace Greeley from President Lincoln

He is clarifying that his main goal is to save the Union, not to save or destroy slavery. Although he personally wishes everyone would be free, the official cause of the war is to save the Union.

Page 2 � Blog about Grant and Lee

Both owned slaves (even though it was Grant�s wife slaves)

Also, the fact that 6 states in the middle owned slaves, yet were on the North�s side shows that the war was not about slaves

Page 3 � Alexander Stephens

He was the VP of the Confederacy. He writes about why they broke away. Because of state rights! They were opposed to a strong federal government and favored states� rights.

Page 4 � Proofs from Constitution and Declaration of Independence

South

Declaration of Independence � if the government doesn�t serve the right of the people, the people have the right to secede

Constitution � Ammendment 10 � the federal government is taking away too many of our state�s rights

North � we�re fighting to protect the union!! The Constitution

Declaration of Independence � �All men are created equal�

Abolitionist movement � � are we not men?

Page 5- Economic

South has to buy everything from the North because there is a big tariff on all Europe�s products

They are arguing that they support our economy

There is an uneven balance of exchange

North � needs to fight the war to keep their economy strong. Otherwise, they will have no buyers

Page 6

Slavery is the peculiar institution that they South need in order to live!

Without it, the South would lose everything. Slavery is a way of life.

They want to keep their life. They want the freedom to govern themselves.

A critic says that the South use the political argument because it sounds good � it sounds like a just cause.  It is the best argument they could make.

Page 7

There are inherent differences between the North and the South

North

Democracy

Commercial

New money

South

Aristocratic

Agrarian

Inherited/ old $

Page 8

The fight was hypocritical. How can the South argue for freedom and liberty, but still have slavery?

It also shows some differences between the North and South

Who should have won the war?

Motivation

North � save the Union

South

Fighting for freedom

Fighting for their lifestyle, their homes

Has a greater motivation

Industry

North

Very industrial

Had the advantage

Massachusetts produced more than all the South together

Can make weapons and tools

South

VA, NC, TN � had potential for industry, but weren�t

�king cotton�

gives them a lot of revenue

hope it will be enough, but the North will blockade the ports

Finances

North

has a lot more of everything � bank deposits, manufacturing plants, workers, railroad mileage, fire arm production

has �liquid assests� � spendable money

South

Their money is invested in slaves, homes, land

North will attack the South in these areas

Slaves might run away

Fighting the War � Strategy

North

Immigration was high � about 100,000 immigrants a year

North had many more people that could fight

North � 22 million. South � 9 million

North has a large area

US was recognized in the world as a country � South wasn�t. If the British sided with the south, it would ruin their relations with the US

South

All 4 secretaries of War were from the South

Robert E. Lee was asked to be General of North, but became the general of the south. He was 2^nd in class at West Point.

Had the best cavalry

South needed to know how to hunt and ride horses

Southern generals knew every back road and country lane � very familiar with land

Stonewall Jackson � General of South � �a draw on the battlefield is a victory for us�

South doesn�t need as many people � they are defense. The North is offense and is attacking them. They just have to get the North to quit.

�Playing the cotton card� � confederates thought the British would help them because of their cotton. This was a tremendous miscalculation � the British got rid of slavery and cant fight for it as an institution

Transportation

North

22,000 miles of railroad

the deeper south the north goes, the harder it was to communicate and transport supplies

South

Only 9000 miles in roads

 

If it was a long war, the North had the advantage (supplies, people). If it was a short war, then the Confederacy has the advantage (better generals, fighters, more motivation

 

 

War is divided into 2 stages

Stage 1 � Lincoln hopes it will be a short war

Strategy � Anaconda Plan

Surround the south with a blockade and cut off their supplies (they need to import them)

Capture Mississippi River � don�t allow them to transfer their supplies between states

Divide and Conquer and Cut off Supplies

Capture Capital � Richmond, VA

DO NOT hurt the land, cotton, slaves. Don�t burn their land and return and slaves that run away. Why?

Wants the south to be able to return to the Union

Can�t afford to lose the border states

Southern Strategy

Defense

Want the North to give up

Expected to play the �cotton card� � thought the British would help them

Battle of Bull Run / Menases

North�s 1^st goal is to go to Richmond � cut them off and finish the war

South found out about it and sent men to guard at Bullrun � General Bulguard

They didn�t know what they were getting themselves into � people came to watch with picnics

Thomas Jackson � Stonewall Jackson � stood his ground

At first North were winning that battle, but then the North retreated and the South won

What effect did the 1^st Battle have on North and South?

North � thought they would win, but were defeated. They realize they have to be more careful and take the war more seriously.

South � thought they would win � now won. Going to be arrogant and less careful.

During the 1^st stage of the war, the South is much stronger � because it�s a short war and have the advantage

 

Seven Days War

General McClellan � Hesitant general of the North. Didn�t listen to Lincoln a lot. He goes down from Washington D.C. to VA and fights battle. He loses 11,000 men and can�t handle losing men � retreats just short of Richmond. If he would have continued, he would have got to Richmond and won war. At one point, he ran against Lincoln for president. If he would�ve won maybe there would still be slavery after Civil War.

Merimack

Southern warship � war against blockade

Secretary of War of the North � Stanton

The South developed iron clad ships. The north only had wooden ships. Eventually, the North develops the Monitor.

Monitor vs. Merrimack (southern) � naval war over the blockade. It took up a lot of energy.

Antietam

Bloodiest war � 10,000 Confederates casualties and even more from the Union �1^st major battle that Union were able to say they won

They won because General McClellan got Southern plans of action

Now we enter Stage II of the war � waits for victory because he doesn�t want to look like he�s changing out of desperation

 

Stage II � 1862

Emancipation Proclamation

Scorched Earth Policy

We change our plans because we are now fighting to WIN

Lincoln issues emancipation proclamation 5 days after Antietam.

War was �enobled� � people are fighting for a higher cause � to free the slaves

They are the armed liberator of slaves

Effects of the Emancipation Proclamation

Cartoon: �Lincoln is playing his last card�

Frees all the slaves of the rebellious states

Slaves in the border states are still slaves

These slaves are not even under his control

In reality, it doesn�t free anyone

This is not in Lincoln�s executive power

William Stewart � �It�s not that people cant own slaves. Its that they can�t unless they are loyal to the Union.�

What was the main purpose?

Slaves think they are free (Booker T. Washington)

They will rebel � slaveowners are fighting and its hard to keep them

The slave owners remember Nat Turner and are afraid for their families. So they return home from the war to save their families.

Freed slaves will run away

Economy falls apart

Runaway slaves can fight in Northern Army (Emancipation Proclamation)

More people in the Union army

Motivation

The blacks have motivation to fight

North has more motivation � have a cause and purpose � infused morality into the war.

Demotivates and scares the south

In 1864, Lincoln runs against McClellan for president

This allows his to be the easy winner of the Republican party

Lincoln�s new war strategy is evident in the Gettysburg Address

Stressing the idea of emancipation and inspiring them

�all men are created equal� � reinterprets and expands the Declaration of Independence.

It makes the war about freedom.

It also likens the war to the American Revolution

After the battle of Gettysburg, which they won, they stand by the grave of the dead and this inspires people with new war strategy.

�conceived in liberty� � this war is about the ideals of liberty

�this nation shall have a new birth of freedom�

Emancipation Proclamation is both a war strategy and a noble ideal

Scorched Earth

As the soldiers move forward, they should destroy everything of use: fields, railroad tracks

Destroy and Devastate � land, homes, fields

Sherman�s March

Sherman marches down South. Lincoln orders him to devastate and destroy everything

We didn�t do this before because we wanted to return to normal and be friends. No we just want to win the war. He wants to get them to give up. South says look how cruel North is. They aren�t really cruel because Lincoln�s goal is to destroy property, not people. He is hoping that they will be so devastated and depressed that they�ll give up.

The Vicksburg Campaign

Grant finally gets Vicksburg

Vicksburg is the pin holding the South together � Jefferson Davis

Vicksburg is very important because it�s the Mississippi River and it divides the South

Lee finally surrenders in Appomattox Courthouse in April because his soldiers had no supplies. This was the Union�s strategy to starve them

Even though he surrenders, Grant treats him with a lot of respect.

They aren�t humiliated�they are our brothers again

Some people in the South still want to fight with terrorist warfare. Lee says no we cant have a war forever. Terrrorism will never cause as much good as harm. Lee was a gentleman, once he surrendered, he said we have to stop fighting and convinced the rest of his army to do so.

Congress passes the 13^th Amendment � abolished slavery everywhre

 

Reconstruction

South economy

Freed slaves

What are we going to do with them? They don�t know how to read, write. They are separated.

Southerners

What do we do with them? They fought against the Union

We have to physically rebuild the devastation of the war

Lincoln was assassinated

Issue of Freed Slaves

Where are you going to put them � if we give them land, it will come from Southern whites

The old social hierarchy has been destroyed � do we reestablish white supremacy?

Do we get them the same rights?

Do we have to help them become equal citizens or 2^nd class citizens?

Who Determines?

Congress or the President?

Can the southern states be part of the process � traitors or brothers?

If freed blacks are the main goal, then South must be traitors or else they�ll vote against slave rights. If South are brothers, then slaves will have to be 2^nd class citizens.

Lincoln�s 2^nd Inaugural Address � with malice to none and charity to all � South = brothers

Lincoln�s plan � southerners will get back all their property except slaves and become citizens if they take an oath that they are loyal to the Union and Constitution. In order for a state to come back to the Union and be able to vote in congress, need 1/10 of the state to take the oath. It�s a small amount to make it easy for the state to re-enter.

South do this and form state governments again and start passing black codes

Black Codes � every freed slave and malatto must pick an employer and work for him for a certain time. If they leave before the time is up, they can be arrested and forced back.

Not technically slavery, but close

Radical Republicans say the South are traitors, they should have to go through a hard ordeal before regaining citizenship and their land should be taken away from them

Lincoln is assassinated and Andrew Johnson, his V.P. becomes president

 

2 Separate Plans

	Lincoln/ Johnson	Radical Republicans
Former confederates	Malice towards none	Traitors
Plan	Full pardon if 10% of voters take an oath and respect the abolition of slavery. (vetoes Wade-Davis Bill)	50%...much stricter readmission�Wade-Davis Bill
Leaders	Johnson � Tennessean, but ran with Lincoln. ???	Thaddeus Stevens, Wade, Davis, Charles Sumner
Whose Job is it?	President Vetoed Freedmen�s Bureau	Congress Refused to recognize Lincoln�s government

The Southern leaders, Andrew Stevens (VP of Confederacy), and other confederate leaders show up in Congress based on Lincoln�s 10% plan � but the Northern Congressmen just didnt let them sit, didn�t call their names when voting � didn�t let them in Congress.

Congress passes a bunch of acts for black rights � and Andrew Johnson refuses to compromise � vetoes, vetoes, vetoes. He�s haughty, so Congress devises a plan to impeach him.

Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

Congress passes Tenure of Office Act in 1867

President must get the consent of Congress to fire a cabinet member

His secretary of War is Edward Stanton. Stanton is a radical Republican. And he is secretly spying on Johnson for the Radical republicans. 

Johnson ignores the Act and fires Stanton. He thinks the Congress will sue him and it will go to the Supreme Court. Instead, they impeach him.

House impeaches, but the Senate is short one vote to convict

At the last second, one Radical Republican turned because it would make the Constitution look bad � no checks and balances

 

Congressional Reconstruction � a new birth of freedom

 

Radical Republicans are oing to take control and give as many rights to black people as possible

Major fight over what is the definition of freedom for freed slaves

South � no civil rights, no equality, no economic benefits

Congress are going to attemptto make social, political, and economic reforms. More of one type than the other.

Though slavery was abolished, freed slaves was left in open

 

Political Reforms

Civil Rights Act of 1866 grants:

Citizenship and civil rights to Blacks, but�

They are making this law now because all  Radical Republicans are in Congress. But in 20 years, there might not be this opportunity and the new law makers can take away this law. So they need to make an amendment.

So we pass the 14^th amendment

No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States. The federal government lays out certain basic rights � the Bill of Rights. The bill of Rights was originally made to limite the power of the federal government. It was never applied to the states � they were never afraid that states would abuse these rights. Now we are afraid that if we don�t do anything, the states wont give these rights to freed slaves. Now states must keep the Bill of Rights.

Nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law � due process Amendments 4-8

Nor deny any person within its juridisction the equal protection of the laws

No discrimination when it comes to laws

Separate but equal??

Congress passed it. Johnson vetoed it. We need � of the states.

Southern Reaction to the 14^th amendment

Ku Klux Klan is established to counteract the 14^th amendment

It�s basically a terrorist organization � they scare people into submission

Made up of prominent southerners

Scared and terrorized blacks to prevent them from voting and holding office. Their goal was to maintain white supremacy and keep blacks as 2^nd class citizens

In the South, the people who are in the KKK are the people who control the local governments won�t enforce law and order, need federal government to step in � Military Reconstruction

 

Military Reconstruction 1867

 

Congress organized the South into 5 military districts and sends in federal troops to enforce law and order

The South are furious � they have lost all their rights to govern

15^th Amendment 1869

blacks are given the right to vote

blacks would vote for Radical Republicans � but only in North

Carpetbaggers � people from North who came to South either for political opportunity or economic opportunity � to get political office or monetary gain

Scalawags �

Carpetbaggers and scalawags are negative terms given to them by Southern whites. They really could have been good � wanted to represent black rights.

 

Social Reforms

Freedmen�s Bureau � assisted former slaves � gives them education, sets up hospitals, gives them food and clothing, reunites families

Problem: wasn�t efficient education � people of all ages were mixed together

Vast majority of people are going to remain illiterate and uneducated because they have to work to make money � no one�s paying them to study

Did the bare minimums

Economic Reforms

Blacks need a job � so the only things they know are farming.

During Civil War there was hope that blacks would get 40 acres and a mule

Where would they get the land from? Plantation owners? We cant take it from them because it would be too much.

Sharecroppers

Rent fields and equipments to Blacks in return for a share their profits. They charged more than the profits, so blacks became more and more in debt.