Chapter 16 The Civil War Begins

The war will be between Americans The war will be between Americans. Families will actually fight against each other.

The United States in the North (Union)

And the Confederacy in the South

Many Southern States said they would secede (leave the U. S Many Southern States said they would secede (leave the U.S.) if Abraham Lincoln was elected President.

They thought he would try and abolish, or do away with slavery.

He wins, causing many of the southern states to secede from the United States.

Fort Sumter, which is a U. S Fort Sumter, which is a U.S. fort in the South, is attacked by the Confederacy

The U.S. will surrender Fort Sumter to the South

Two days later, President Lincoln asks for 75,000 militia to put down the uprising in the South.

The North’s advantages: A) 13 million more people B) 85% of factories in the North C) More railroad lines D) Almost all naval and shipyards in the North E) Their greatest asset, Abraham Lincoln

The South’s advantages: A) Better Generals B) They were fighting a defensive war, stretching the North’s supply lines C) Defending their homes D) Robert E. Lee

The North Strategy Their “Anaconda Plan” was designed to smother the South’s economy like a giant Anaconda. They also depended on a naval blockade of the South.

The South Strategy They wanted to be left alone and thought that if they withheld cotton from Europe, countries like England and France would help them win the war, but they did not help.

The First Battle of Bull Run was a victory for the South and a shocking defeat for the North

The South’s Stonewall Jackson got his nickname here for making a stand, “like a stone wall” against the North.

85 year old Judith Henry was killed in her home when she refused to leave.

Why they fought A) Adventure and Glory B) Escape from boredom C) Friends and family were fighting D) Loyalty to country or state

The Union, or the United States, mostly wore blue uniforms.

The South, or the Confederacy, wore mostly gray uniforms.

After their uniform was too worn to wear, they would take clothing and shoes from the dead.

It was faster and more convenient to amputate a limb than try and save it.

Ironclad warships proved to be a vast improvement over wooden ships.

The two main Union Generals are, George McClellan, who is the commander in the east,

and Ulysses S. Grant who commands in the west, until he takes overall command when McClellan is fired by Lincoln.

Battles of the Civil War

Early in the war the Union was winning in the west, while the Confederacy was winning in the east.

The single bloodiest day in American history was at Antietam.

About 25,000 men were either killed or wounded at Antietam.

After the battle, neither side had gained any ground, so there was no clear cut winner.

The cautious McClellan did not follow the crippled Confederates so Lincoln fired him for missing a chance to possible end the war.

The war will continue for another two and a half years.