Civil War Battles 1861-1865 Unit Objectives To analyze the differences between the Union and Confederacy To learn about the Battles of the Civil War, what caused them, and what impact they had on the war To analyze why the Union won most of the battles To identify key figures and leaders of the Civil War and know their impacts

Fort Sumter (1861) What happened: The Confederacy demanded the Union surrender the fort or they would take it by force; Lincoln refused to surrender the fort, so the Confederates took it (the Union troops surrendered almost immediately leading to very few casualties); First military action of the war   What was the significance of that?

LINCOLN WAS ABLE TO GET THE SOUTH TO FIRE THE FIRST SHOT OF THE WAR AND LOOK LIKE THE AGGRESSORS

Anaconda Plan Union battle plan for defeating the Confederacy 1.) Divide and conquer (take control of the Mississippi River valley and divide the Confederacy in half) 2.) Cut off supply chain (naval blockade to prevent help from Europe) 3.) Take the Confederate capital Richmond

First Battle of Bull Run (1861) What happened: First major battle of the war; Confederates surprisingly won; Battle at which “Stonewall” Jackson made his famous charge   Significance of the Confederate victory?

IT MADE THE SOUTH OVERCONFIDENT AND SERVED AS A WAKE-UP CALL TO NORTH

Monitor (Union) vs Merrimack (Confederate) 1862 What happened: First ever meeting of iron-clad battleships--The Confederates had no navy, so they raised a sunken Union battleship and coated it in armor making it unsinkable (Merrimack); The Union copied it (Monitor) and neither ship could sink the other and they cancelled each other out during the war   What long-term significance did it have?

IT LED TO ALL FUTURE BATTLESHIPS BEING MADE OF IRON

The Peninsula Campaign (1862) What happened: Union General “Tardy” George McClellan (earned the nickname because it took him so long to train his troops) tried to capture the Confederate capital Richmond; Expected reinforcements were diverted elsewhere and General Robert E. Lee was able to defend the capital Significance: LINCOLN REMOVED McCLELLAN ; THE WAR COULD HAVE ENDED WITHOUT SLAVERY ENDING—HOW?

ENDING SLAVERY WAS NOT YET A STATED GOAL OF THE UNION, SO IF THE WAR ENDED NOW THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE SLAVERY WOULD HAVE ENDED

Battle of Antietam (1862) What happened: Lincoln reinstated McClellan and he faced Lee again This time McClellan won because he had superior numbers McClellan had the chance to crush Lee’s forces but instead allowed him to retreat and escape What impact do you think the battle had on McClellan?

Antietam McCLELLAN WAS FIRED AGAIN Overall significance of the battle: The Union victory kept the British from helping the Confederacy (they would have if the Confederates had proven themselves capable of winning) Ending slavery became a stated goal of the Union to punish the South for starting the war and for causing the damage and casualties of the war U.S. Grant eventually replaced McClellan as the Union commander and was much more willing than McClellan was to take the fight to Lee

Emancipation Proclamation Jan. 1, 1863 Lincoln was waiting for a big Union victory to issue it and Antietam was it—What did the Emancipation Proclamation specifically do?

Emancipation Proclamation FREED SLAVES OF REBELLING STATES ONLY, NOT BORDER STATES Why?

Emancipation Proclamation HE FEARED LOSING THE BORDER STATES

Battle of Gettysburg What happened: Lee marched into Pennsylvania still hoping for a victory that would convince European nations to aid the Confederacy It was a long bloody battle that was won by the Union because they outnumbered the Confederates   Significance of the battle:   FIRST CLEAR DEFEAT FOR LEE

Gettysburg Address Lincoln’s attempt to remember the dead and restate the Union war goals to keep support for the war in the North strong

Battle if Vicksburg (1863) What happened: Union victory that closely followed the win at Gettysburg   Significance:   ENDED ALL CONFEDERATE HOPE OF HELP FROM EUROPE

Sherman’s March to the Sea (1863-64) What happened: Union General Sherman marched his troops right through the heart of the South facing very little resistance; Atlanta was burned Significance: SHOWED THE SOUTH WAS DEFEATED

Appomattox Courthouse (1865) What happened: Lee surrendered to Grant Significance: BROUGHT THE WAR TO AN END