 Research and explain the caning of Senator Charles Sumner

 Soldiers and Generals used the Mexican War ( ) as a training ground for tactics and strategies used during the Civil War

 ww0YIf-JE ww0YIf-JE  Ted-Ed video (6 min)

 Abolitionist leader (along with sons)  Goal- Wanted to gather weapons to arm the slaves, hoping it would lead to slave revolt in the South  Destination- Harper’s Ferry, Virginia (federal arsenal)  Result- Captured by US Marines and executed by hanging

"I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood. I had, as I now think, vainly flattered myself that without very much bloodshed it might be done.“ Do you believe that John Brown was a martyr or a terrorist?

 Hundreds of military officers resigned from the U.S. army to fight for the South.  Robert E. Lee had been offered a command of Union troops, but turned it down to fight with Virginia.  Most of the better generals will lead armies for the Confederacy  7 out of 8 military colleges were in the South.  Strong military history and tradition would favor the Confederacy.

 ¾ of the Navy’s officers were from the North.  North’s population in 1860 was 22 million, the South’s was 9 million.  90% of the nation’s factories were in the North.  The South had ½ as many miles of railroad track as the North.  The North controlled the national treasury and continued to gain revenue from tariffs.

 Legal Tender Act – created a national currency and allowed the government to issue paper money – known as greenbacks.  The South had smaller banks and most planters were in debt. They could raise money from trade, but the Union Navy blockaded southern ports.  South resorted to taxing its citizens, but many refused to pay. They printed Confederate money, but this caused high inflation and the money became worthless.

 Research: Explain the amount of Southern inflation during the War.  Question: How much would it cost for everyday items such as bread, meat, etc?

States’ Rights Preserve the Union Geographic Loyalty Slavery

 Lincoln had to deal with political disagreement within his own party and the North.  Lincoln’s goal to preserve the union, even if he had to leave slavery alone, did not satisfy abolitionists.

 War Democrats – supported the war to preserve the Union, but opposed ending slavery.  Peace Democrats became known as Copperheads because Republicans viewed them as traitors. They opposed the war and wanted to restore the union through negotiations.  Democrats and Republicans disagreed over conscription – the draft. Riots erupted in northern cities.  Criticism over Lincoln’s suspension of writs of habeas corpus – the right to be charged with a crime or be released.

 The Civil War was the first modern war – armies had traditionally fought in long lines, facing each other at close range.  New weapons that were more accurate at greater distances changed the way armies fought.  Armies were using trenches and barricades for protection.  Combination of better weapons and new strategies led to mass casualties and the need for many soldiers.

 Jefferson Davis viewed the South’s cause as being similar to the war for independence.  The South was fighting a defensive war and believed that one dynamic victory could determine the war.  Many believed that military traditions, hunting and rural life made southerners better fighters.

 The South tried to gain support from Britain and France. Both countries utilized southern cotton for their textile factories.  Confederate diplomats aboard the British ship Trent were taken into custody and held for several weeks. This became known as the “Trent Affair”.

 Anaconda Plan – proposed by Winfield Scott to slowly strangle the South.  The Union would blockade Confederate ports and send gunboats down the Mississippi River to divide the Confederacy.  Eventually, a war to destroy the South’s armies was the only way to win.