1. The Civil War

2. Fugitive Slave Act (1850)
required American citizens to turn in runaway slaves even in northern states
anyone who helped a slave escape could be fined or jailed
Dred Scott
slave belonging to a doctor in Missouri
Doctor moves to Illinois (free state) and dies, Scott sues for freedom since he’s lived on free soil
11 years to reach Supreme Court
court decided since Scott was a slave and not a citizen he has no right to sue and 5th Amendment prohibits Congress from seizing property so the gov. had no authority to declare him free
further divides North and South

4. Election of 1860
Democrats nominate Stephen Douglas
Republicans nominate Abraham Lincoln
Big issue = slavery
Democratic party divided between North and South, leading Lincoln to an easy victory

5. Dec. 20, 1860 - South Carolina votes to secede
Feb – Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia secede
Form Confederate States of America
Constitution is a contract that the national gov. violated by denying the South equal rights in new territories and refusing to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act, giving states justification to secede
Jefferson Davis (Mississippi Senator) voted as President
Capital = Richmond, Virginia
General = Robert E. Lee

7. Lincoln’s inauguration speech pleaded with South for reconciliation
April 12, 1861 – Confederates attack Ft. Sumter (South Carolina)
Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas join the Confederacy
“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.”

9. Lincoln has to be careful not to push border states to the Confederacy
not always as simple as North v. South – there are sympathizers of each side in every state
families are divided

10. First major battle = Bull Run / Manassas (Virginia)
Confederates, led by “Stonewall” Jackson, win
Union troops flee
Confederates too disorganized to pursue them
North completely shocked

11. Open your textbooks… Page 460 – “An American Story”
Page 462 – “Comparing Resources” chart

12. Union commander = Ulysses S. Grant
Victories in Kentucky
April 25, 1862 – Union captured New Orleans – Union controls most of Mississippi River and the biggest city in the South

14. Battle of Antietam
South has been winning almost every battle – 1 more victory may get Britain’s or France’s support
Jefferson Davis tells Lee to attack Maryland
2 Union soldiers happen to find a copy of Lee’s orders
Union officer cautious, waits 4 days before attacking
Bloodiest battle of the war – 6,000 die and 17,000 are seriously wounded in just 1 day
Confederates retreat but Union does not pursue
Turning point in the war
Union gains confidence
Lincoln turns focus onto abolishing slavery, not just halting its spread

15. Emancipation Proclamation January 1, 1863
did not actually free anyone – only applied to Confederate areas
Lincoln hoped slaves would hear about it and run away
affected Europe, who was anti-slavery – no country wanted to get involved now
“If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.”

16. northern economy increased during the war – demand for goods was high
most of the fighting was in the South
farmland destroyed, led to food riots
thousands homeless
inflation = 9,000% (North only 80%)

21. Battle of Gettysburg
July 1, 1863
3 day-long battle
Pennsylvania
3rd day – Gen. Lee plans to attack so that the Confederates would “create a panic and virtually destroy” the Union army
Gen. George Pickett leads “Pickett’s Charge”
14,000 soldiers run across an open field
easy targets for Union
½ survive
Confederates retreat
Gettysburg Address – Nov. 19, 1863

23. Ulysses S. Grant lays siege to Vicksburg, MS
Vicksburg surrenders July 4, 1863
Union now controls entire Mississippi River – Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas completely cut off from rest of Confederacy

24. Union captured Mobile, AL – now control Gulf of Mexico
Gen. Sherman captures Atlanta, completely destroys the city, and begins his “march to the sea”, destroying everything on a 50 mile-wide path to Savannah, GA and South Carolina

28. April 9, 1865 – Gen. Lee surrendered to Gen
April 9, 1865 – Gen. Lee surrendered to Gen. Grant in Virginia’s Appomattox Court House