The First Battle of Bull Run McClellan and the Army of the Potomac Europe and the War The King C0tton Illusion The Blockade and Foreign Relations The Trent Affair

The first major battle of the civil war. Many Congressmen and spectators came out to watch Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell (Union) vs. Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard (CSA) Both sides troop’s were inexperienced. McDowell planned a surprise flank attack. But its was known cause of a spy in Washington. A brigade of Virginians held their ground who was lead by Stonewall Jackson. (this is where he got his famous nickname) The CSA was able to fend off the Union and then launched a strong counterattack. Union forces fell back to Washington and was a victory for the Confederates Casualties: Union- about 500, CSA- about 400 The First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) July 21 st, 1861

The South had three advantages over the North Great intelligence sources A better Cavalry. The ability to move troops on interior lines. Anaconda Plan (Winfield Scott) Cut the South in half Set up a blockade around it

George B. McClellan took over the army of the Potomac First objective was to train the raw troops He was a perfectionist which caused him to not move is army for months McClellan also wanted to wait till he had 200,000 trained troops. He was a Democrat and hated Lincoln. McClellan said that there were four times as many Confederate forces than there actually were so he did not have to move his army. People started to question his loyalty to the Union. He finally did move his troops after months of waiting. McClellan and the Army of the Potomac

The South desperately sought European help. They could not win enough consecutive victories to convince countries to help. England was a major customer of the South’s cotton. They were also the world’s leading industrial and naval power. One major deciding factor that lead to England not entering the war was that the public was against fighting for slavery. Europe and the War

The South’s foreign policy was based on cotton was king. British and French economies relied on the South’s cotton. Any interruption would destroy their economies. The South thought that these countries needed them more than they needed these countries. The South was blackmailing England to enter the war. England developed alternative means of cotton in India and Egypt. This came back to hurt the South. The King C0tton Illusion

European countries declared neutrality so they could trade with the South. Also European countries were trading war materials to the south by the means of blockade runners. The Union started seizing these European ships before they were able to make it to the blockade runners. The Blockade and Foreign Relations

The Trent was a ship that was stopped by the Union. Onboard were James Mason of Virginia and John Slidell of Louisiana. They were traveling to London and Paris to convince England and France to join the war. These men were arrested and taken away to Boston. England became very upset and dispatched more troops to Canada. This almost started a war but both sides saw that they could not profit by a war. Lincoln later ordered the release of Mason and Slidell and they continued to London and Paris. The Trent Affair