1. 2J America: A Nation Divided, c1845–1877
To what extent could Antietam be considered a turning point in the war?
2J America: A Nation Divided, c1845–1877

2. Foreign relations Why might a country like Britain
Want to support either the
Union or the Confederates?

3. Reasons to support the Confederacy Reasons to support the Union
Break up of America would serve immediate and LT self-interest
Independent Confederacy would have strong economic links (cotton for manufactured)
Need cotton to prevent hardship at home
Many Britons sympathise with Confederacy
4 slave states in the Union = suggests slavery isn’t an issue = easier to support the Confederacy e.g. The Times
Conflict with the Union could lead to the loss of Canada
Would lead to loss of valuable markets and investments
British opinion was not united (slavery)
Crimean War had indicated difficulties of fighting far away from home
What Britain did
Stay neutral
Problem 1: Does England recognise the Confederacy? (or a rebellion?) – Lincoln’s blockade
May 1861 Compromise position: belligerent states (legally as waging war)
Attempt to remain neutral throughout…

4. Explain why Britain did not intervene in the war
Foreign relations
Using your text book, complete the mind map by finding out information on each of the following sections and then answer the question at the bottom:
Explain why Britain did not intervene in the war
The British situation
Embargo
Pg. 136
Attempts to persuade Britain Pg. 136
Trent affair Pg. 137
British mediation Pg. 138
Commerce raiders Pg. 138
Laid arms Pg. 139

5. To what extent could Antietam be considered a turning point in the war?
Good learning:
Recap on the position of both sides at the start of the war
Great learning:
Explain what happened during
Even better:
Evaluate to what extent Antietam could be considered a turning point in the war
Key Words:

6. How well prepared were both sides at the start?
Neither side were well prepared going to the war. The Union only had a 16,000 strong regular army (which was mainly scattered), whilst the confederates had to start from scratch. They had 300 or so officers who had resigned from the regular army to help lead the confederates on the battle field. However, they did have more success with the state militia compared to the north. There were problems elsewhere too. Lincoln also had no military experience and their leading general, Winfield Scott, had no general staff, no strategic plans and no programme for mobilisation. On the other hand Davis had some military experience and was quicker to act in term of getting me signed up to voluntary service. However, their problem would come with the fact that they had limited manufacturing capacity and would therefore struggle to equip their volunteers.
Despite this, there were advantages to both sides. Lets see what you can remember from what we have done so far in terms of who was in the better position….

7. Who was in the better position at the start of the war?
Below there are a series of statement and you will need to decide whether it a Union advantage or a confederate one:
They had a strong pool of military experience. Most men in the regular army stayed loyal to them.
They had naval supremacy.
They were willing to hold out and hoped that back home people would question the high losses and therefore win by default.
1n 1860 they had six times more factories and ten times productive capacity compared to the opposition.
They had many geographical features that worked in their favour, such as the vast amount of land, the road and railway systems and the network of rivers.
Slaves were left on the home front, which mean that more white manpower could be freed up to fight.
They produced more agriculturally.
Morale, commitment and enthusiasm was stronger here.
They believed they had better soldiers, for example they had dominated senior posts.
Not everyone was committed to the cause which worked in their favour and created pockets of resistance in vital territories.
Cotton was their biggest weapon. It would help buy military supplies and lead to a break between their opposition and Britain. 7

8. Who was in the better position at the start of the war?
Below there are a series of statement and you will need to decide whether it a Union advantage or a confederate one:
They had a strong pool of military experience. Most men in the regular army stayed loyal to them. (Union)
They had naval supremacy. (Union)
They were willing to hold out and hoped that back home people would question the high losses and therefore win by default. (Confederates)
1n 1860 they had six times more factories and ten times productive capacity compared to the opposition. (Union)
They had many geographical features that worked in their favour, such as the vast amount of land, the road and railway systems and the network of rivers. (Confederates)
Slaves were left on the home front, which mean that more white manpower could be freed up to fight. (Confederates)
They produced more agriculturally. (Union)
Morale, commitment and enthusiasm was stronger here. (Confederates)
They believed they had better soldiers, for example they had dominated senior posts. (Confederates)
Not everyone was committed to the cause which worked in their favour and created pockets of resistance in vital territories. (Union)
Cotton was their biggest weapon. It would help buy military supplies and lead to a break between their opposition and Britain. (Confederates) 8

9. The Civil War’s ‘theatres’:
Before we start looking at the war, we should think about the areas in which it was fought. The Civil War was not only fought on the banks of Richmond, but stretched much further than this. Whilst the East did see the brunt of the fighting, both the West and the sea were also ‘theatres’ for the war.
Using the information on pages , think about the following questions:
What issues were there to fighting around Richmond and the East coast
Why was the west considered a vulnerable area from the Confederacy?
Why was a blockade at sea crucial?

10. Let the war commence!
Lincoln was clear, he wanted a quick decisive blow. However his general-in-chief though the better option would be to slowly squeeze the life out of the confederacy through naval blockade and winning control of the Mississippi river. Davis on the other hand was prepared to defend every part of the Confederacy as the implications of lost territory could have devastating effects…
TASK:
You are now going to create a timeline with what happened Using the information on pages you will need to make notes on what happens during each of the battles.

11. Let the war commence!
Lincoln was clear, he wanted a quick decisive blow. However his general-in-chief though the better option would be to slowly squeeze the life out of the confederacy through naval blockade and winning control of the Mississippi river. Davis on the other hand was prepared to defend every part of the Confederacy as the implications of lost territory could have devastating effects…
TASK:
You are now going to create a timeline with what happened Using the information on pages you will need to make notes on what happens during each of the battles.

12. 2. Why do you think the war had not finished by 1862?
: The battles
July 1861
Dec 1862
Battles to cover:
First Manassas/Bull Run
Shiloh
Peninsular Campaign
Shenandoah Valley
Seven Days
Second Manassas
Antietam
Fredericksburg
What to include:
- Generals involved
No. of troops
Who won
Decisive factors that lead to success
Importance/impact (eg. Missed opportunities, etc)
Challenge:
1. Do you think there were any key turning points during this period? Explain
2. Why do you think the war had not finished by 1862?

13. Antietam: A turning point?
To what extent could
Antietam be seen as
a turning point?
Now that we have our overview, we can now see whether Antietam was a key turning point in the war. It has been claimed that ‘No other campaign and battle in the war had such momentous, multiple consequences as Antietam.’ Watch the following clip and using the information you have already gathered, make a list of the different reasons that could suggest this was a turning point.
Now swap your answers with a partner and lets see what you managed to get:
Emancipation Proclamation
Britain and France won’t recognise the Confederacy
Bloodiest Battle (scale)
McClellan’s removal
Ended Lee’s Strategic invasion

14. Who made the best start to the war?
Confederacy
Union

15. Flip Learning
Have a look a the task opposite in terms of what you need to do for your next America lesson….
TASK:
Read through pages and decide which you think was the most important battle of 1863.
You will need to come with a explanation to you answer.