Comparing Strategies, Resources and Experiences

Essential Question How could you summarize the strengths, weaknesses and strategies of the Union and Confederacy?

A Divided Nation Comparing Northern and Southern Societies The North’s population was three times that of the South. Most other countries recognized the Union as the U.S. Government. 90 percent of American industry and railroads were in the North. The North was more wealthy. The South had about nine million people, including three million slaves. The average Southerner was not as wealthy as the average Northerner. Reliance on slave labor discouraged the creation of new jobs and immigration in the South. Britain and France considered aiding the South and Confederacy.

North and South Resources

North and South Resources

Divided Union at Civil War

Civil War Leaders Little political experience (served 1 term in the House of Representatives) Jefferson Davis was President of the Confederate States of America. Davis was an officer in U.S. Army who later served as the United States Secretary of War. When the South surrendered, he was charged with treason and prohibited from running for public office again. Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth President of the United States. He opposed the expansion of slavery. A Republican, Lincoln led the Union during the Civil War. John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865.

The Generals Ulysses S. Grant Robert E. Lee William T. Sherman Thomas Jackson George Meade James Longstreet George B. McClellan James E.B. Stuart

Weapons of the Civil War canister shot artillery projectile rifled barrel officer’s sword British Enfield rifle, 1853 (Confederacy) Although the Confederacy used many types of rifles, this was the most common. Springfield rifle, 1861 (Union) Although the Union used many types of rifles, this was the most common.

Uniforms At the beginning of the Civil War, states provided uniforms to soldiers; and the uniforms were in a variety of colors. This led to massive confusion on the battlefield, and often soldiers fired on and killed their own men. As the war continued, both sides chose a single color for their uniforms. The United States of America chose blue, and the Confederate States of America chose gray.

Soldiers’ Occupations: North/South combined

War Strategies Anaconda Plan King Cotton The Anaconda Plan would impose a blockade and halt Southern trade. This would enable the North to control the Mississippi River. Then, the U.S. army would divide and isolate sections of the South and capture vital cities and capital in Richmond, Virginia. The North’s strategy kept pressure on Confederate army and constantly weakened their numbers. The larger Northern population made this possible. King Cotton The Confederacy adopted a defensive strategy and attempted to secure alliances with more powerful countries like Britain and France. The South needed to show it could win the war. As a result, the Confederate army attacked Union territory to draw Union troops away from the South. Later, the Southern strategy became one of evading Union army, prolonging the war, and inflicting casualties to demoralize the North.