1. Chapter 17 The Civil War (1861-1865)
Section 1 The Two Sides

2. Section 1-Polling Question
What do you think might have been the greatest advantage for the Confederates during the Civil War?
A. They were fighting on their own land.
B. They had excellent military leaders.
C. They had a stronger fighting spirit.
D. The South had a large coastline that would take time to capture. A B C D

3. Battle of Malvern Hill
1862- A Union sergeant named Driscoll shot a young Confederate soldier
Driscoll went to see the soldier’s face to see if he was dead
He looked at the dying soldiers face and the boy murmured “father”
The son had gone south before the war
Like the Driscolls, many families were divided by the war

4. The Border States Slavery was legal in all 4 states
All 4 were vital to the Union because of the (Mississippi and Ohio Rivers)
Maryland was most important, because it was close to Washington DC
CLASS NOTES

5. Comparing the North and South
North had a larger population and better resources
South had excellent military leaders, a strong fighting spirit, and the war was fought in the South-the Confederacy knew the land
CLASS NOTES

6. Goals of War The South’s goal was to be an independent nation
The Northern goal was to restore the Union
Lincoln said “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it”
CLASS NOTES

7. Confederate Strategies
The South supplied England and France with cotton
The South expected them to help by putting pressure on the North to end the war
The South’s basic strategy was to have a defensive war, to hold on to as much territory as possible
Northerners would get tired of the war

8. Union Strategies
The North’s plan came from General Winfield Scott-The Anaconda Plan
1. The Union should blockade Southern ports (keep them from getting supplies or exporting cotton)
2. Seek to gain control of the entire Mississippi River (Split the Confederacy in two)
3. Capture Richmond, Virginia, the Confederate capital

9. Americans Against Americans
The Civil War put brother against brother
Many people enlisted for both sides- some motivated by patriotism and loyalty to their causes
Others would be called cowards if they didn’t serve
Others wanted excitement

10. Soldiers Many recruits were barely adults many were under 18
Some as young as 14 (ran away and lied about their age)
Early on, African Americans were not allowed to fight
Northern leaders worried that white troops would not accept African American soldiers
Later in the war, the policy changed

11. High Hopes
At the start of the war, both thought it would be a short war
The North figured the South couldn’t hold on for long
The South felt that their fighting spirit would stop the North
The war lasted longer than each side thought
CLASS NOTES

12. Who Were the Soldiers? Soldiers came from every region
More than 50% of the Northern soldiers and 60% of Southern soldiers owned or worked on farms
By the end of the war, the Confederates had 900,000 soldiers and the Union had 2.1 million soldiers
The Union had 200,000 African American soldiers and 10,000 Latino soldiers

13. The Life of a Soldier
Many soldiers wrote about their boredom, discomfort, sickness, fear, and horror
The soldiers sang songs, told stories, wrote letters home, and played baseball
Most of the time was dull- routine of drills, bad food, marches, and rain
Sometimes, soldiers from opposite sides took a break and had coffee together and talked, then…
Went back to shooting at each other

14. The Reality of War Both sides suffered terrible losses
New rifles fired with greater accuracy than in earlier wars
Medical facilities were crowded with casualties
1 out of every 11 Union soldiers and 1 out of every 8 Confederate soldiers deserted
They deserted because of fear, hunger, and sickness

15. What were the strengths and weaknesses of the North and the South?
Essential Question
What were the strengths and weaknesses of the North and the South?
NORTH- Strengths- larger population; more railroads, farms, exports, manufactured goods
NORTH-Weaknesses- War would be fought in unfamiliar territory
SOUTH-Strengths- excellent military leaders, strong fighting spirit, knowledge of the territory
SOUTH- Weaknesses- smaller population; fewer resources and industry
What were the strengths and weaknesses of the North and the South?