The Civil War (1861-1865) The Two Sides

Choosing Sides By 1861, seven states had left the Union and formed the Confederacy. (South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) After the bombing of Fort Sumter, President Lincoln called on troops to save the Union.

Choosing sides By doing this, Lincoln caused Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas to join the Confederacy. These 4 states brought needed soldiers and supplies to the Confederacy.

Choosing sides The Confederacy Chose Richmond, Virginia as it’s capital, a city only about 100 miles from the Union capital of Washington, D.C.

Choosing Sides 4 states that allowed slavery remained in the Union. These states included Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware. The people of these border states were divided over which side to support.

Remaining with the Union Because of their key (important) locations, Lincoln had to move cautiously to avoid upsetting people in the border states For example, Lincoln could not announce that he aimed to end slavery for fear that groups supporting the Confederacy might take their states out of the Union.

Acting Boldly In some ways, Lincoln suspended some constitutional rights and used his power to arrest people who supported secession. Did Lincoln’s actions violate any basic Constitutional rights?

West Virginia is Born While most southerners favored secession, pockets of Union support grew in western Virginia. In 1861, 48 Virginia counties organized themselves as a separate state called West Virginia. It became a state in 1863.

North and South When the war began, both sides had advantages and disadvantages. How they would use those strengths and weaknesses would determine the war’s outcome.

The North Advantages – Disadvantages – Larger Population More Industry Plentiful Resources Better Banking Navy More Railroads Abraham Lincoln Disadvantages – The North would have to invade the South The South’s support was strong

The South Advantages – Disadvantages – Strong Support Small Population Home Court Advantage Military Leadership Experienced Soldiers Disadvantages – Small Population Few Factories Produced less than half as much food as the North Half the miles of railroad track

States’ Rights A belief in States’ Rights, a founding principle of the Confederacy also weakened the South. Individual states refused to give full power to the confederate government.

War Aims and Strategy At first, the only goal of the North was to bring the South back into the Union. This changed however when Lincoln made it clear that he was determined to end slavery.

The North’s 3 Part Strategy 1st – Blockade Southern Ports 2nd – Gain Control of Mississippi River 3rd – Capture Richmond, Virginia

The South’s Strategy The South longed to be recognized as an independent nation. They planned on fighting until the North grew tired. Occasionally, the South took the offensive, threatening cities like Washington D.C.

American Against American!!! Brother Against Brother!!! Leaders from both North and South, and their families, felt the division. In some cases, relatives fought against one another. The average age of a soldier was 25 years old, but about 40% were 21 or younger.

Rebel vs. Yankee By the summer of 1861 The Confederate Army had about 112,000 soldiers called Rebels. The Union Army had about 187,000 soldiers called Yankees. By the end of the war, about 2.1 million fought for the Union and about 850,000 fought for the Confederacy.