Leaders, Events, and Issues Civil War Leaders, Events, and Issues

Goals At the start of the War the goal of the Union was reconcile their differences with the South, and to reunite the nation. After the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, the goal changed to that of ending slavery. The goal of the Confederacy was to establish themselves as an independent nation and resist northern invasion, and to protect slavery.

Union Strategy Invade the Confederacy and destroy their will to resist. Secure the loyalty of borders states: Missouri, Kentucky, Delaware, and Maryland. Establish a naval blockade of the entire southern coastline. Prevent European powers, France and Britain, from siding with the Confederacy.

Confederate Strategy Defend Confederate lands. Prevent the North from destroying the Confederate army. Break the Unions will to fight.

Union Leaders – Abraham Lincoln President of the United States during the Civil War. Considered by many Historians as the greatest American president. Self-educated and a lawyer from Illinois. Decided to go to war rather than let the Southern states secede, he wanted to preserve the Union at any cost. Freed southern slaves (only) with his Emancipation Proclamation. He was assassinated five days after the Civil war ended.

Union Leaders – Ulysses S. Grant Union General Won the first major victories for the Union. Won important battles in the West; captured forts along the Mississippi River, which gave the Union control of the river. Won the battles of Shiloh in TN, and Vicksburg in MS. Became commanding general of all Union troops in 1864 Defeated Lee’s troops in Virginia and finally accepted Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in 1865.

Confederate Leaders – Jefferson Davis President of the Confederate States of America. Former senator from Mississippi. Did not really want to be president; he was not suited for the job; he was not good at compromising and did not like anyone to criticize him. The task he had to accomplish were difficult, form a new government and wage a war at the same time. He had to keep the South united during a bloody and costly war.

Confederate Leaders – Robert E. Lee Confederate General Respected by Northerners and loved by Southerners. Commander of the Army in Northern Virginia Won early victories in 1862 and forced Union troops out of Virginia Invaded the North twice; the first time he retreated after he lost the battle of Antietam in Maryland in 1862; the second time he lost the battle of Gettysburg in Virginia in 1863 He lost several battle in Virginia and surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse.

Civil War events – Firing on Ft. Sumter After southern states seceded, they began to take over federal (U.S.) buildings in their states – post offices, courthouses, and forts; Ft. Sumter was a fort on an island in Charleston South Carolina. Federal troops in the fort were running out of supplies, so Lincoln sent a supply ship. Confederates did not want these supplies to reach the fort, so on April 12, 1861 they attacked the fort before the supply ship arrived, the Civil War began. The first shots were fired here, this begun the Civil War.

Emancipation Proclamation Freed all the slaves in the Confederate States of America, only. issued by Lincoln on January 1, 1863. Because it only freed slaves in Confederate states, Lincoln did not have the power to enforce it, in reality, it freed very few slaves. White southerners and some white northerners were unhappy w/ it, Northerners and African Americans loved it. Many slaves in the South escaped after learning about it.

Battle of Vicksburg Confederacy lost control of the Mississippi River Vicksburg Miss. was the last Confederate stronghold along the Mississippi River Union General Ulysses S. Grant attacked it in May 1863, but was unable to defeat it so he settled in for a long siege – the Union troops surrounded the town and would not allow food to be delivered Confederates ran out of supplies and surrendered a month later The Union controlled the Mississippi river and the Confederacy was split in two.

Battle of Gettysburg Important southern defeated; only time the South attacked the North. The battle in Pennsylvania took place in July 1863. Pickett’s Charge was the turning point in the battle. General Pickett led a charge of southern troops right into the middle of the Union forces; it was a disaster and the Confederate troops had to retreat. Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address there in November 1863 to honor the dead soldiers. Union and Confederate. This was considered a turning point battle, the South never tried to invade the North again.

Lee’s Surrendered @ Appomattox Courthouse Ended the Civil War On April 9, 1865 General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. Grant offered generous terms of surrender – southern soldiers could return home after laying down their weapons.

Lincoln’s Assassination He was the first president to be assassinated. John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate supporter, shot Lincoln in Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C. on April 15, 1865. Lincoln’s Assassination meant there would not be good leadership through Reconstruction.

Lincoln’s Ideas Union - He believed that the Union should be preserved at any cost; he believed that the South should not be allowed to secede. Government – Democracy for all Americans, not just white Americans, was the best form of government and it was worth defending with one’s life. Liberty – The government must defend an individual’s freedom including those who were enslaved. Equality – He believed in the position that all men are created equal. Slavery – In one important area, slavery, Lincoln’s ideas changed during the course of the war. Lincoln never liked slavery, but at the beginning of the war he did not think that the North should or could free the slaves. At some point in middle of the war, he believe that North was fighting to end slavery in the South.

Lincoln’s 1st Inaugural Address The speech was delivered on the occasion of his first election. He said that the North would not invade the South, but it would defend federal property in the South. i.e. Fort Sumter. Southerners and Northerners were friends and brothers, not enemies. He did not want to abolish slavery.

Gettysburg Address Delivered at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg to honor the dead. “Four score and seven years ago..” He was honoring those who died on each side. Connected the goals of the north to the Ideals of the Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal.

Quiz List the names of the Civil War Presidents. List the names of Civil War generals. True of False, the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in the USA. Which event of the Civil War is considered a turning point? (hint, the South never invaded the North again) The first shot fired in the Civil War happened at ______? Where did Lee surrender? What is the name of the Battle the gave the Union control of the Mississippi River?

8. This image was made to show the strategy of the Union army, what is the name of the plan?