The American Civil War Comes to and End 1863-1865

The Emancipation Proclamation January 1, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The first plan, enacted on September 22, 1862, freed slaves in Confederate states that had not yet rejoined the Union. The EP did not free slaves in the border states. Drafted to gain the support of the British (who had already abolished slavery)

Vicksburg May 2-July 9, 1863 Mississippi Notes: The North and the South considered Vicksburg an important stronghold. Union General Ulysses S. Grant launched massive assaults on Vicksburg and terrorized the inhabitants. Confederates achieved a minimal victory at Milliken’s Bend against untrained black troops. Federal troops pushed Confederate forces back as the size of the Union forces continued to increase. Winner/Sign: Union 2nd part of the Anaconda Plan CICERO © 2010

The 54th Massachusetts Volunteers Frederick Douglass argued at the outbreak of war that African Americans should be allowed to serve in the Union Army The Emancipation Proclamation was the first step By the end of the war, nearly 180,000 black soldiers had joined the Union Army.

Gettysburg July 1-3, 1863 Notes: Pennsylvania Gettysburg July 1-3, 1863 Notes: The Battle of Gettysburg began as the Battle of Vicksburg was ending. Confederate General Lee forced federal troops, under General George C. Meade’s command, to lose ground as the Confederate forces attempted to take the city. Lee planned several attacks; the Union army fought back Lee was relentless and sent his army back into battle, but to no avail. Forced to retreat Winner/Sign: Union Bloodiest battle of the Civil War Gettysburg Address

The Gettysburg Address November 19, 1863 Abraham Lincoln delivered this famous speech on November 19, 1863 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The speech contains only two hundred seventy-two words, but it is considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCXUbQ4JjXI

Sherman’s March to the Sea November 15-December 20, 1864 Union General William T. Sherman already had captured Atlanta, but he wanted to leave sixty thousand troops there while he marched the rest of his army to the Atlantic Ocean through Savannah, Georgia. Sherman’s troops burned buildings and infrastructures along the way, destroying many towns and cities. Sherman’s troops defeated the depleted Confederate army and took Savannah on December 22, 1864. As the Union army moved through the South, they destroyed train tracks by heating the rails and bending them into a bow. This became known as “Sherman’s Neckties”

Surrender at Appomattox April 9, 1865 Virginia Surrender at Appomattox April 9, 1865 General Lee had given up protecting Richmond and sought to rejoin Confederate forces. Lee quickly realized that Union forces seriously outnumbered his own. General Lee surrendered his Confederate army at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865. Lee’s army had diminished, which contributed to Union General Grant’s many victories near the end of the war. In a sign of respect, Grant allowed Lee to keep his saber and horse.

Assassination of Lincoln April 14, 1865 President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at the end of the Civil War. on April 14, 1865. Lincoln was attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., with his wife and two other people. While Lincoln was watching Our American Cousin, Booth shot him in the back of the head. Booth was a loyal Confederate, and he thought the Confederacy could triumph if Lincoln were dead.

The Trial and Execution of the Conspirators The conspirators in the assassination of President Lincoln were Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, George Atzerdot, Michael O’Laughlen, Samuel Arnold, Edman Spangler, and Dr. Samuel Mudd. They were tried in a military tribunal court because the government deemed the nature of the case required the use of this court. A majority vote would result in a guilty verdict, while a two-thirds majority would result in a death sentence. All eight were found guilty. Surratt, Powell, Herold, and Atzerdot were sentenced to death by hanging. O’Laughlen died in prison. President Andrew Johnson pardoned Arnold, Spangler, and Mudd.

Cost of the War Civil War was the deadliest war in American History About 620,000 soldiers died 360,000 from the Union 260,000 from the Confederacy -Another 375,000 soldiers wounded -War destroyed farms and plantations in the South Took much longer for the South to recover

Legacy of the War The Civil War led to passage of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth , and Fifteen Amendments to the United States Constitution. These amendments outlawed slavery, granted African Americans United States citizenship, and granted African-American males the right to vote. Although equal treatment under the law for African Americans would not be enforced until almost a hundred years later, the Civil War abolished slavery and established the supremacy of the federal government.

The Thirteenth Amendment In January 1865, Congress passed the Thirteenth Amendment, which banned slavery from the United States “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction”