11.1

Contrast the resources and strategies of the North and South Describe the outcomes and effects of the early battles of the Civil War

Union and Confederate Resources Confederate and Union Strategies Early Battles of the Civil War Stalemate Develops in the East

Read section 11.1 Answer questions 2,4,6

As the civil war began each side possessed significant strengths and notable weaknesses. The north had the advantage of population, 22 million compared to the 9 million of the south and 3.5 million of which were slaves. The north had drastically better industry and was better prepared to wage war. Most of the nations coal and iron came from northern states.

The north used European immigrants to fill their factories with workers that produced ammunition, arms, uniforms, medical supplies, and railroad cars. The Union had a small but well organized navy. By late 1861 the Union launched more than 250 warships with dozens more under construction.

Advantages of the Confederacy were that they had a psychological advantages due to the fact they were fighting for their livelihood. The south had superior Generals and military leadership. Lastly the Confederacy had a strategic advantage in the fact that it did not need to conquer the North; it simply had to avoid defeat.

As the two sides prepared for war, the Union and Confederate leaders had different ideas. The Union wanted a quick decisive victory, whereas the South planned for a prolonged war. The Confederates planned to erode the Unions will to fight by extending the war out and seeking foreign aid in terms of supplies and later military support.

The Union planned a blockade on southern ports starving the south of income and supplies. Then Union forces would drive southward along the Mississippi River to split the south to drastically weaken it. Also the north during this time was very afraid of Missouri, Kentucky, Delaware, and Maryland of seceding because they were slave holding states.

Lincoln begins to avoid the slavery issue to try and keep those states from seceding so he says his only intent is the preservation of the Union and nothing else. This works in keeping the states from seceding but began to worry the abolitionists.

The first large battle did not take place until three months after the firing on Fort Sumter. In July 1861 General Scott sent General Irvin McDowell and more than 30,000 Union troops to do battle with the south waiting outside of Washington. The two armies met at Bull Run creek, In the battles first hours the Union troops gained the upper hand.

But a determined stand led by Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson sent them scrambling back to Washington. (stonewall Jackson) This shocked the north that they lost the first major battle of the civil war. During this time General Ulysses S. Grant pursued the Mississippi Valley wing of the Union’s Anaconda Plan.

He was able to push the Confederate forces out of western Kentucky and much of Tennessee. This boosted northern morale however during the Battle of Shiloh horrified both the North and South and damaged Grants rising reputation because nearly 25,000 Union and confederate troops died in just two days of battle.

Not long after that Union forces seized the port of New Orleans via the Union Navy. Next the North took control of the southwest territory and gained control of the gold and silver mines there. There were a few battle fought at sea, one of the most notable was the battle between the Union monitor and the Confederate Virginia.

Both of which were ironclad ships. On March 9 the two Ironclads met in battle. They battled for hours and neither ship emerged the victor, this battle signaled the beginning of the end of wooden ships.

General McClellan had been planning what he hoped would be a decisive drive on the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia. McClellan was loved by his troops but also extremely cautious and would never attack until he felt his troops were ready. He often wouldn’t fight unless he had a decisively larger army than the other side.

McClellan marches on Richmond by Lincoln’s command. His army was larger than that of the Confederates but the superior leadership of Confederate General Robert E. Lee made the difference in the battle for the south. This began a series of battles known as “The Seven Days” Lee took advantage of McClellan’s cautious style.

McClellan began taking heavy casualties and had to retreat back to Washington, where Lincoln replaced him. Lee pushed back up to Bull Run Creek and crushed the Union Army with the help of Stonewall Jackson. (once again the Union had superior numbers but leadership of the south proved to be more effective.) Lincoln at this time reinstated McClellan to command.

This battle was known as the Second Battle of Bull Run. Or as the south called it the Second Battle of Manassas. These events would lead to Lee and McClellan facing off in the single bloodiest battle of the Civil War.