The Civil War 1861 to 1865 Chapter Seventeen

Two Very Different Sides

Confederate States of America President Jefferson Davis of the CSA By the time of the attack on Fort Sumter, eleven Southern states had joined the new Confederate States of America and the capital had been moved to Richmond, Virginia.

Virginia Virginia was the most important of the Confederate States due to its size and population.

Border States Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware, and Missouri became known as border states. They allowed slavery, but did not secede due to divided opinions about the war.

Maryland Maryland was the most important of the border states to the North because of its closeness to Richmond, important rail lines, and the fact that Washington, DC was within its borders. If they seceded, the U.S. government would be surrounded by the CSA.

President Lincoln Suspends Rights To try to prevent border states from seceding, Lincoln suspended some rights of the people living in these states and even had people arrested who supported secession – this helped keep the states in the Union, but many left to join the Confederate Army.

West Virginia Many people in Tennessee and Virginia did not approve of secession, especially in the Appalachian Mountains. In 1863, West Virginia was created out of 48 Virginia counties that opposed secession.

North vs. South

The North In the North, they had the advantage of a larger population, more industry, more resources, better ships, more railroad lines, more banks, and the leadership of Abraham Lincoln. The disadvantages for the North was that it had to invade the South and bring supplies down. They would also be facing a united enemy on their home territory.

The South The advantages for the South were the strong support among the population, much better military leaders, and fighting on home turf. The disadvantages for the South were its smaller population, limited resources, little industry, few railroad lines, and the belief in states’ rights (which did not allow for a united front).

Goals of the War The main goal of the North was to save the Union and return the southern states to the United States. The main goal of the South was to achieve independence and create their own nation to protect slavery.

Northern War Strategy The North wanted to blockade Southern ports, control the Mississippi River to divide the South, and capture Richmond. This will become known as the Anaconda Plan.

Northern War Strategy The South wanted to fight a defensive war and defend their homeland, bring Britain and France into the war on their side, and keep the North busy hoping to get them to give up.

Yankees The Union Army (Yankees) had over 187,00 men at the beginning of the war with over 2.1 million fighting by the end of the war.

Rebels The Confederate Army (Rebels) had over 112,000 men at the beginning of the war and eventually over 850,000 men would fight for the Confederacy.                

Americans Against Americans Most people in the U.S. had some conflicts over the war. Families were divided and longtime friends faced each other in battle.

Average Age The average age of a soldier was 25, but many were older and many were younger. The majority were farmers.

Civil War Timeline Both the Confederate and Union armies believed the war would be over quickly – they were both wrong!