Bellwork Despite the North having clear advantages, why do you think it took so long for them to win?

American History Section 13, Unit 2 The North and South Face Off

Objectives Determine the consequences of the First Battle of Bull Run Contrast the military strategies of the North and the South Examine some of the hardships faced by soldiers Explain why some northerners opposed the war

Beginning of War Many, including Lincoln, believed the North would have an easy victory. Between a better equipped force, better infrastructure, and more soldiers, victory seemed eminent.

The First Battle of Bull Run In 1861, Lincoln, assured a quick victory, sent General Irvin McDowell and around 35,000 barely trained troops to Richmond. Joking along the way, they expected an easy victory against the South. However, McDowell’s forces never reached Richmond.

The First Battle of Bull Run Before they reached Richmond, McDowell's forces were met with a Confederate force of 35,000 under General Joseph E. Johnston. The Confederates dug in on the high ground behind a creek called Bull Run. The North called the fighting that ensued the First Battle of Bull Run.

The First Battle of Bull Run At first the battle went in the Union’s favor. The left flank of the Confederate line almost broke and if it had, the war would have ended. However, General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and his men stopped the union assault.

The First Battle of Bull Run Jackson’s troops raced towards the Union line. Union soldiers began to fall back under the assault and headed towards Washington. Had the Confederates followed them, they might have captured Washington, but decided against it due to their disorganization and exhaustion.

The First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run made everyone realize that victory would be hard pressed. Each side began to train its forces for battle and to plan strategy.

Reactions Following the battle, Jefferson Davis named Joseph Johnston to command the army of Northern Virginia and chose Robert E. Lee as his personal military adviser. President Lincoln chose George B. McClellan to head the Union forces. George B. McClellan

Reactions The First Battle of Bull Run’s most important consequences, however, were mostly psychological. The defeat shamed the North, with some northerners calling for peace. However, the halls of Congress were filled with calls to step up the war effort.

Reactions The South, however, felt assured by their victory. They proclaimed Southern superiority in their newspapers and felt that the war would easily be theirs.

Strategies for War From the beginning of the war, the North was primarily concerned with restoring the union through three steps: 1.Capture Richmond, the Confederate capital 2.Gain control of the Mississippi River 3.Institute a naval blockade of the South to prevent them from getting foreign goods they desperately needed

Strategies for War Much of the North’s strategies was based on geography. The border of the Confederacy stretched from Virginia to Texas and the Appalachian mountains divided the war into two halves: the western theater and the eastern theater.

Strategies for War Much of the plans for the North focused on cutting supply routes to the South. However, the South planned to win by taking Washington D.C., which was close to their borders. This attack, they hoped, would shatter northern morale, disrupt the Union communications, win European support, and bring the war to an end.

Strategies for War A foreign ally was necessary for a Confederate victory. Because both the British and French economies depended on cotton, the Confederacy was confident those nations would break the blockade and come to the South’s aid. – However, this would not happen.

Strategies for War Several things worked against the southern strategy: 1.French and English mill owners had stockpiled cotton before the fall of Fort Sumter and if they ran out, they’d turn to Egypt or India for supplies 2.French Emperor Napoleon III was more preoccupied with Mexico, who was fighting back against him for helping institute a ruling elite in the nation. a)Napoleon did not want to fight two wars at once

Military Life With high-level leaders planning the battles, officers under them had to train troops for battle. Young recruits in the Union and Confederate ranks were generally enthusiastic when they first joined, but most were unfamiliar with military life.

Military Life Training and field officers had to contend with lack of provisions, including food, clothes, and even weapons. Most troops brought their own clothes from home, which was designed to fit the colors of both sides– Union blue and Confederate grey– but most troops lacked good shoes and warm coats.

Military Life The lack of provisions, mixed with unsanitary conditions, led to problems with disease. Thousands of soldiers died from illnesses like typhoid, pneumonia, and influenza. Doctors and nurses could only do so much, since medical provisions were limited and many soldiers had to endure surgeries without any form of anesthetics.

Military Life Many soldiers died from minor injuries that became infected. In fact, disease, infection, and malnutrition were responsible for around 65% of the troop deaths during the war.

Military Life Under these conditions, many soldiers suffered from extreme homesickness, loneliness, and boredom. Some react by deserting, but others coped by playing cards, attending prayers, singing, writing letters, or engaging in recreational activities

Opposition to the War As soldiers kept their hopes up, many at home on both sides were voicing their displeasure with the war. Not everyone in the North supported war and some northerners, who were sympathetic towards the South, urged peace.

Opposition to the War Others believed that the war was too costly in terms of both money and human life. When the Lincoln administration pushed through a draft law in 1863, violence broke out in New York City, a Democratic party stronghold.

Opposition to the War Democratic newspapers whipped their readers into a frenzy by claiming that the draft was designed to force white working-class men to fight for freedom of African Americans who would then come north and steal their jobs. Many reacted by going through black neighborhoods and attacking people, looting, and burning buildings.

Opposition to the War Many of these northern Democrats who sympathized with the South became known as Copperheads– which likened them to the venomous snake. – However, many Democrats accepted this term. Most Copperheads spread their message through speeches and newspaper articles, while a few others actively interfered with war efforts.

Opposition to the War In an attempt to quiet the Copperheads, Lincoln suspended certain civil liberties– such as habeas corpus, which was the protection against unlawful imprisonment. An 1863 political cartoon that shows the Copperheads as a snake attacking the Union.

Opposition to the War At one time or another, thousands of Copperheads were arrested and other opponents of war were arrested and held without trial. In some cases, arrests were justified while many others were arrested for peacefully stating their views.

War Continues No matter how people felt about war, soon the war effort was going to reach a head as it spread throughout the Southeast and Southwest.

Questions If you have a question, please ask now.

Next lesson In the next lesson, we are going to discuss the war effort in the Southeast and Southwest.

Review 1.How did the First Battle of Bull Run affect people’s belief that the war would be quick? 2.What were the Northern strategies for war? 3.What were the South’s two (2) strategies for war? 4.How did General “Stonewall” Jackson prevent Union victory at the First Battle of Bull Run? 5.What was life like for the average soldier during the Civil War? 6.Why do you think Lincoln chose to arrest Copperheads rather than allow them to continue speaking against the war? 7.For what reasons did northern Democrats and working-class whites oppose the war?