Thursday, October 18, 2007

Angelique Gayle (European Diplomacy--Civil War)

European Diplomacy during the Civil War (1861-62)

During the Civil War Europe ties to America was only through the south that never let go of their dream of foreign intervention, and during the wart that intervention was heavily needed for the south if they wanted to continue winning the war. However, neither the Britts nor the French would go along with any policy that involved fighting to preserve slavery, as slavery was not an issue in the war until the fall of 1862.

The government repeatedly declared that they were fighting solely to save the union and that if the Britts could aide the south without defending slavery, and prove their case then there would not have been a problem. This led to a threat of European intervention. If Europe were to intervene the union would have not been successful at winning the war as they may have been overwhelmed by the south.

In October of that same year Confederate President Jefferson Davis sent two distinguished men to represent the Confederacy overseas, James M. Mason and John Slidell. They departed on a British mail steamer entitled Trent. However, the Trent never made it pass the Bahamas. Based on some international law when a country is at war it has the right to search any neutral ships that were speculated to be carrying enemy dispatches. This was the case for the Trent incident and on November 8, 1861, Wilkes raided the ship and led the confederate dispatches off of the steamer. Perhaps, this was the raid that could have snatched the dream of a unified union to an immediate halt. Though the union congress was happy about the raid Europeans was not too fond of the “heroic” gesture, and this almost brought on war between the union and Europe.

Europe demanded an apology from the U.S. and an immediate release of the prisoners. The irony of this stands because something of this nature showed itself earlier on in American history with the war of 1812 when the Britts had done the same thing to –the U.S. and they reversed the matter.

The Trent incident had brought enormous strain in the relationship between the United States and Europe and the thought of another provocation (no matter how minor) may have brought on war.


Another flare-up in the Anglo-American relations were the unneutral building of Confederate commerce-raiders, the most noted being the Alabama. These were not warships because the ships did not leave the port armed they left the port bare and went elsewhere to obtain their guns and ammunition. The ship was flying the confederate flag and has confederate officers but was controlled by British troops. During this time Britain was the chief naval base for the Confederacy, which led the union to believe that Europe was intervening in the war and therefore, they were defending slavery instead of remaining neutral as agreed.

The reality of the matter is that the south was desperate and if they wanted to win and keep slavery, they needed the Britts to aide them as supplies and food were running low, and their economy plummeting rapidly as each day passed. The Britts were in it purely for self gain, and was willing to help the south because then they will have gained a safe haven or a frontier so to speak if they had intervened successfully. I mean after all America was once theirs. But because they weren’t successful in their plan they both lost. And this was indeed a determining factor in how the war would turn out for both sides.

Links:
http://www.teacheroz.com/civilwar.htm
http://www.iol.ie/~kiersey/civwar.html



~Thought to Ponder~ Yes, this is your question…

If Europe had successfully intervened, what may have been the outcome of the war, and what would this have meant for both north and south? How could this outcome have affected the post events of the civil war up until Lincoln’s death?

18 Reconstruction: Legacies of the War: Devastated South and Booming North

The time period for which is considered “Reconstruction” is the years 1863-1877

Now that the pesky Confederacy has been silenced and slavery gone, the U.S. is trying to recover form all of the fighting and resolving some issues with the secessionist southern states (you know, them, the ones who got put in their place).

The South was in ruins, physically, socially and economically, for good reason.

B y the end of the Civil War, the South was in a state of political upheaval, social disorder, and economic decay. The Union’s tactics of total war destroyed southern crops, plantations, and entire cities, and hundreds of thousands of emancipated slaves rushed to Union lines as their masters fled the oncoming Union army. Inflation became so severe that by the end of the war a loaf of bread cost several hundred Confederate dollars. Thousands of southerners starved to death, and many who did not starve lost everything they owned: clothing, homes, land, and slaves. As a result, by 1865, policymakers in Washington had the nearly impossible task of southern Reconstruction.

Reconstruction encompassed three major initiatives: restoration of the Union, transformation of southern society, and enactment of progressive legislation favoring the rights of freed slaves. President Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction—issued in 1863, two years before the war even ended—mapped out the first of these initiatives, his Ten-Percent Plan. Under the plan, each southern state would be readmitted to the Union after 10 percent of its voting population had pledged future loyalty to the United States, and all Confederates except high-ranking government and military officials would be pardoned. After Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, President Andrew Johnson adopted the Ten-Percent Plan and pardoned thousands of Confederate officials. Radical Republicans in Congress, however, called for harsher measures, demanding a loyalty oath from 50 percent of each state’s voting population rather than just 10 percent. Although such points of contention existed, both presidents and Congress agreed on one major point, that the southern states needed to abolish slavery in their new state constitutions before being readmitted to the Union.

Ultimately, the most important part of Reconstruction was the push to secure rights for former slaves. Radical Republicans, aware that newly freed slaves would face insidious racism, passed a series of progressive laws and amendments in Congress that protected blacks’ rights under federal and constitutional law. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Fourteenth Amendment granted blacks citizenship, the Fifteenth Amendment gave black men the right to vote, and the Civil Rights Act of 1875 attempted to ban racial discrimination in public places.

Reconstruction was a mixed success. By the end of the era, the North and South were once again reunited, and all southern state legislatures had abolished slavery in their constitutions. Reconstruction also laid to a rest the debate of states’ rights vs. federalism, which had been a pressing issue since the late 1790s. But Reconstruction failed in most other ways. When President Rutherford B. Hayes ordered federal troops to leave the South in 1877, former Confederate officials and slave owners gradually returned to power. Southern state legislatures quickly passed “black codes,” imposed voter qualifications, and allowed the sharecropping system to thrive, ensuring that the standard of living did not improve for freed slaves. A conservative Supreme Court aided southern Democrats by effectively repealing the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments as well as the Civil Rights Act of 1875. By 1877, northerners were tired of Reconstruction, and violations of blacks’ civil rights were essentially going ignored. Ultimately, the rights promised to blacks during Reconstruction would not be granted fully for almost another century.


In the end reconstruction was, a success, for the most part.



Question:

The South was crippled, and the North was prosperous, but what else made reconstruction so difficult?

4. Samantha: The Displacement of Native Americans


The Displacement of Native Americans
Indians in the West


After the Civil War, the Great West was still not heavily populated
Populated by a few Mormons and Mexicans
White settlers began to move to the Great West à the Indians were beginning to turn against each other
But they were infected with diseases, and food shortage
Displacement also caused Indians to fight each other
Americans tried to make treaties with “chiefs” (couldn’t understand the no government form)

-Fort Laramie in 1851 and Fort Atkinson in 1853

Native Americans didn’t recognize authorities outside of their families.


1860s, the U.S. government begin to focus more on reservations like the Dakota Territory
- Indians promised that they wouldn’t be bothered after moving out of their lands
- Some Indians were pawned off with shoddy food, blankets, protection
- White men never kept to treaties, though, and gave them cheap, worn out stuff
· Many Native American tribes attack Whites from 1868 to 1890 called the “Indian Wars”
- Generals Sherman, Sheridan, and Custer all battled Indians.


Sympathy for the Indians came in 1880s
- Helen Hunt Jackson’s novels, A Century of Dishonor and Ramona.
White missionaries would force Indians to convert
1884, missionaries urged the government to outlaw the sacred Sun Dance which led to the Battle of Wounded Knee


The Dawes Severalty Act of 1887-
If the Indians behaved the way Whites wanted them to behave, they could receive full U.S. citizenship in 25 years

Dawes Act caused Indians to further lose more land
1934 Indian Reorganization Act, helped the Indian population grow



Other things I remember:


Its also important to note that Manifeast Destiny played a huge role in Indinan removal. It gave Polk the support he needed to move west and to get rid of the Indians.


President Jefferson found state rights to be top so he when it came to the Inidans in the south, they were able to do with them as they pleased.



Links:








Essay Question:

Explain whether or not the Native Americans and the Western expansionists would have been able to live in peace together.





Wednesday, October 17, 2007


Mormons in Utah

· In 1820 Joseph Smith received a vision from God to Start a new Church
· 1823- Got a new vision. An angel named Moroni told him where to find stones which had ancient writing which he would have to translate.
· He translated them into the Book of Mormon, which was published in 1830.
· Same year he organized the Church of Latter Day Saints.
· Currently was in New York.
· Sent missionaries to west frontier and got many converts
· In 1831 converted Minister Sidney Rigdon. Told Joe to move to Kirtland, Ohio where Rigdon had a following.
· In 1836 made temple there, but left area because made a bank there that failed and there was hostility from non Mormons (due to them believing mormons were wrong for their polygamous ways.)

· Moved to Far West, Misoirri. Violence from nonmormons erupted in 1838. That same year Missourri’s governor Lilburn Boggs asked the mormons to leave or face termination.
· 1839 Built Nauvoo, a city in Hancock County, Illinois. I.L. state legislature wanted their votes so granted them a city charter in 1840, allowing them to have own court system and militia (the Nauvoo Legion, which consisted of 5,000 Mormons.) Economy based off the contributions of the newcomers and the rich Mormon leaders.
o Here Smith was mayor, head of city council, and chief justice. His city aldermen served as associate justices. (this complete power in hands of mormons angered nonmormons in are.)
o In 1841 anounced their doctrine of plural marriage and encouraged mormons to practice it.
o In 1844 smith ran for president with Rigdon as vice. A local newspaprer, Nauvoo Expositor, demeaned Mormon church. Smith shut it down and was put in jail for that in Carthage Illinois. There he was killed by a mob.
o Charter taking away six months later
o Bingham Young elected leader of the mormons (part of council of twelve since 1835, ruling body of the church.).
o In 1845 biggest city in I.L. They encouraged converts from u.s., England, and Canada to move to the city.
o Same year mob violence from anti mormons was increasing
o Brigham and twelve decided it was time to leave with the thousands of current members

· Travelled to utah on foot. Arrived 7/24/1847. 70,000 travled there over course of next 22 years. Plans were made to make Great Salt Lake City.
· City Council set up by end of 1847 and ordinances made by 1/1/1848
o Churches, homes, and schools built there
o Many newcomers came because of the California gold rush, so not all were morm
§ Many of these temporary settlers went back est telling the federal gov’t of the Mormon’s non-traditional beliefs and practices.
o Perpetual Emigrating Company – raise fund to bring American and English morms to utah.
o 1850 utah made into territory with young as governor
o In 1852 Young publicly announced to nonmormons the Mormon polygamous ways. (CONTROVERSIAL)
o Morms believed in following the principle (law of the land.) There were no laws against it. Only 10% of morm practiced it.
o Not many liked polygamy ( some tourist to Salt Lake City were curious.)
o Republican party formed in 1854 and wanted to fight slavery and polygamy, the “twin relics of barbarism.”
o Young removed as governor in 1857 and congress made polygamy illegal in 1862.
o Had to marry secretly but it was then made illegal to live with someone you weren’t married to.

Utah war
The northwest ordinances provided for three judges who would be the supreme court of the territory. The Mormon community was a theocracy and the judges were seen as intrusive meddlers. Young ignored the judges and made his own rulings in the Supreme Court. In 1857 president Buchanan accused the mormons of rebellion. Young was removed as governor and in his place was Alfred cumming A military expedition was sent, the mormons became less trustful and felt like fighting but young decided for a more peaceful approach and decided to make the Mormon leader go into hiding. Volunteers raided supply wagons and burned nearby ft. bridger. Troops got to salt lake city and it was pretty deserted so they established camp 40 miles away. Never got along with eachother but did trade. They left when civil war started (took heat off of mormons.)

Railroad
Transcontinental railroad maid above utah.
Brought thousand of more mormons but also brought non mormons and non Mormon influences (gambling, prostitution, alcohol)
Helped spread missionaries and Mormon faith fast.
By 1890 polygamy was still a big issue.
Mormons wanted respect as Americans and thanks for their contribution to spreading the west. That year Mormon president Wilford Woodruff asked the mormons to stop engaging in plural marriages and on 1/4/1896 U.S. President Benjamin Harris Granted amnest to current polygamists and made utah a state.


The following is an article about what the mormons did for utah in terms of westward expansion.
Colonizing the desert

Upon arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, the Mormons literally had to make a place to live. They created irrigation systems, laid out farms, built houses, churches and schools. Access to water was crucially important. Almost immediately, Brigham Young set out to identify and claim additional community sites. While it was difficult to find large areas in the Great Basin where water sources were dependable and growing seasons long enough to raise vitally important subsistence crops, satellite communities began to be formed.
Shortly after the first company arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, the community of Bountiful was settled to the north. In 1848, settlers moved into lands purchased from trapper Miles Goodyear in present day Ogden. In 1849, Tooele and Provo were founded. Also that year, at the invitation of Ute chief Wakara, settlers moved into the Sanpete Valley in central Utah to establish the community of Manti. Fillmore, Utah, intended to be the capital of the new territory, was established in 1851. In 1855, missionary efforts aimed at western native cultures led to outposts in Fort Lemhi, Idaho, Las Vegas, Nevada and Elk Mountain in east central Utah.
The experiences of returning members of the Mormon Battalion were also important in establishing new communities. On their journey west, the Mormon soldiers had identified dependable rivers and fertile river valleys in Colorado, Arizona and southern California. In addition, as the men traveled to rejoin their families in the Salt Lake Valley, they moved through southern Nevada and southern Utah. Jefferson Hunt, senior Mormon officer of the Battalion, actively searched for settlement sites, minerals and other resources. His report encouraged 1851 settlement efforts in Iron County, near present day Cedar City. These southern explorations eventually led to Mormon settlements in St. George, Utah, Las Vegas and San Bernadino, California, as well as communities in southern Arizona.












Oregon Question

Here’s the lowdown. The Oregon country was this vast land of northwestern America which had some Canada in it. Russia, Spain, us and Britian all wanted a piece of it but by 1825 because of treaties Russia and Spain signed, brit and America were the two players left in the game. Brit had people north of the Columbia River colonized by the Hudson’s bay company trading with indiands in the Pacific Northwest for furs. America thought the area should be theirs because Robert Gray found the Columbia River in 1852 and because Lewis and Clark passed through the area to the pacific. The u.s. also had missionaries south of the Columbia by the Willamette river valley. Joint occupation became the temporary solution between America and England. This meant who ever settled there got to keep the land. Of course since we lived in the area and brit lived so far away, we populated the area fast. We offered the area above the 49th parallel to them but they didn’t want to accept that because they felt the Columbia river was the saint Lawrence of the south.
So what happened? President Polk after wining his election decided to offer the 49th line once again. England realised this was the best choice since they knew america could populate all of the oregon country and since they realized the columbia really wasn’t the st. lawrence of the west.


Oregon
Chapter 19 p.g 375-377; 380

Mormons
http://www.fofweb.com/NuHistory/default.asp?ItemID=WE52&NewItemID=True
search: Mormon impact on u.s. society
utah war
key events in Mormon history
joseph smith
bringham young

http://www.americanwest.com/trails/pages/mormtrl.htm

Reconstruction and the impeachment of Johnson, Kelvin Rojas

21. Johnson’s impeachment and Reconstruction

Ok here is the knitty gritty:

Andrew Johnson (does anyone else see the significance of the initials AJ?)

Johnson comes to power after Lincoln, He lacks the martyred President’s wisdom, leadership, and prestige. (He is a Tennessee Democrat)

Johnson held the same idea that Lincoln had about reconstruction (it is an executive measure).

Congress is replete with radical republicans who opposed this view along with the “black codes.”

Laws designed to keep the negroes in subjection, which most of the Southern states enacted after the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment.

They felt that the leaders of the confederacy should be punished for their part in rebellion.

Republicans were anxious to keep majority in congress and believe that this could be accomplished by securing the ballot for the negro.

Johnson’s veto is over ridden and congress passes the following measures in congress (1866-1867)

  1. The Freed men’s Bureau Act – organization created to advance the general welfare of the negro (remind me of the NAACP…)
  2. The Civil Rights Bill – made to protect the negro from being deprived of his civil rights
  3. The Reconstruction Act – Made acceptance of fourteenth Amendment that basis for readmission into the union.

All these things cause a “…violent and undignified quarrel” between the legislative and executive branch.

That tension culminates at the passing of the Tenure of Office Act (1867).

This was a partisan measure. It meant that the president was prohibited from removing any official of the government without the senate’s consent. (This was like a meat check from the mostly Republican party in congress versus the democrat president)

When god forbid the Presidents wants to fire someone…

Johnson removes his Secretary of War, Stanton, who was obstructing him at every turn.

The House of Representatives impeached him. The charges were very shakey and the Senate only acquitted Johnson by one vote less than the 2/3 necessary.

Occurring about the same time…

CONGRESSIONAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SOUTH

Congress asked the southern states to ratify the 14th admen.

This includes:

  1. defined citizenship; no state can deprive a citizen of is privileges.
  2. Provided that any state which barred a citizen of voting would have its representation cut .
  3. Barred leaders of the Confederacy from state and federal offices until pardoned by congress.
  4. Forbade U.S. or any state to pay any debt in aid of the Confederate cause or to grant compensation for the emancipation of slaves.

No one did this except Tennessee.

So… Congress decided to forget about the southern governments that Lincoln and Johnson recognized.

This new act was called “THE ReconSTRUction Act of 1867”

This included:

  1. Organization of the seceded states (except Tennessee) in five military Districts, each governed by a federal general.
  2. The election of constitutional conventions, negroes as well as whites being elegible to vote for delegates, but Confederate leaders were barred.
  3. The framing of new state constitutions extending the suffrage to nefroes as well as to white.
  4. The submission of the new state constitutions to Congress for its approval
  5. The admission of the new governments to representation in congress as soon as they ratified the Fourteenth Amendment.

That’s reconstruction and the impeachment of Johnson.


hopefully i did the right one, im not sure if i had number 21 or the number 5 about the gold rush.

The Essay Question...

this is one question

Think about measures that Congress wished to adopt in the South that were opposed by President Johnson?

To what extent are these measures partisan moves? Examine the partisan issue and compare it to similar partisan struggles in congress before 1861.

:-D Enjoy guys

#8. Whitney Blucher The Stengths and the weaknesses of the Union and the Confederacy during the Civil War.

For more read chapeter 20 of the American Pagent textbook.

Union Strengths:




  • The North had the greater economy, which was also their greatest strength.


  • Had control over the sea , a advanced navy that could easly set up blockades against the South.


  • Had a larger reserve of manpower. What with a steady income of immigrants and a higher population than that of the seceding states.


  • Soliders could were known for their discipline and determination.


  • Had more weapons, was better organized, was farther along in the railroad business, and was sound in farming and industrial production.




Union Weaknesses:





  • Northern boys were less prepared for battle and military life than the Southern boys were.


  • Wasn't very fortunate in having higher ranking commanders.




Confederate Stengths:





  • The Confederacy could fight defensively behind their lines. Knew the land well and how to best fight on it.


  • The South had the more talented officers. Were bred to fight.


  • Siezed weapons, ran Union blockades, and developed their own ironworks to obtain sufficient weaponery.


  • General Robert E. Lee.




Confederte Weakness:





  • Had a scarcity of factories.


  • As war went on the Confederates experinced, grave shrtages on shoes, uniforms, and blankets.


  • Soldiers and civilians would go hungry because of supply problems.


  • Had a breakdown in their transportation system. Northern invaders would often cut or destroy the Southern railroad tracks.




Question:



Which factor was a strength for the North but a weakness for the South? Explain.

20. Johnson's Reconstruction program, Congressional opposition

pgs. 483-484 Presidential Reconstruction
pg. 485 Congressional Reconstruction
pgs. 486-487 Johnson Clashes with Congress

http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=220403
http://home1.gte.net/vze7ek8a/id32.html

  • When Andrew Johnson took power, the radicals thought that he would do what they wanted, but he soon proved them wrong by basically taking Lincoln’s policy and issuing his own Reconstruction proclamation: certain leading Confederates were disfranchised, the Confederate debt was repudiated, and states had to ratify the 13th Amendment.
  1. An outraged Northern public believed that the fruits of victory were being lost by Johnson's lenient policy. When Congress convened (Dec. 4, 1865) it refused to seat the Southern representatives. Johnson responded by publicly attacking Republican leaders and vetoing their Reconstruction measures. His tactics drove the moderates into the radical camp. The Civil Rights Act (Apr. 9, 1866), designed to protect African Americans from legislation such as the black codes, and the Freedmen's Bureau Bill (July 16), extending the life of that organization (see Freedmen's Bureau ), were both passed over Johnson's veto. Doubts as to the constitutionality of the Civil Rights Act led the radicals to incorporate (June, 1866) most of its provisions in the Fourteenth Amendment (ratified 1868).
  2. The newly created Joint Committee on Reconstruction reported (Apr. 28, 1866) that the ex-Confederate states were in a state of civil disorder, and hence, had not held valid elections. It also maintained that Reconstruction was a congressional, not an executive, function. The radicals solidified their position by winning the elections of 1866. When every Southern state (except Tennessee) refused to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment and protect the rights of its black citizens, the stage was set for more severe measures.




26. Reconstruction and former slaves by Donovan Cabrera

How far did the reconstruction advance the position of the former slaves?
Links
These are a couple links to help you guys grasp a better concept of key point on what happen to the "poor old" slave.

2. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-KuKluxKl.html
*better understanding of the kkk (only first section)*

3. *better understanding of the Freedmen's Bureau*

Key Points

Reference

Read over chapter 22 for a wider range of information.

Question

Due to the black codes and their harsh punishments could the slave be compared to indentured servants? What were the effects of reconstruction on the slaves? What effect did the Ku Klux Klan have toward the blacks when they rose?


14. What were the weaknesses of the Confederate political system.

What were the weaknesses of the Confederate political system, that both caused the downfall of the Confederacy as well as made it difficult to fight in the Civil War.

Damian Hernandez

Categories

•Economics

•State rights

•Power

•Foreign Dependence

Economics

•Agricultural

•Cash-crop based

•Crushing of the Cotton Kingdom

State Rights

•Clashing

•Secession

•Holding back help

•Executive branch vs. Legislative Branch

Power

•Jefferson Davis

•Impeachment

•“Every man for himself”

•Absolutely unstable ground

•The Confederate Constitution

Foreign Dependence

•Foreign Intervention

•Cotton

•Revolt/no-support

•North-dependence


Economics

·The South was mostly based on agriculture, instead of industry like the North.

·The focus on agriculture made the South weak financially

·This weakness in economics strained the capabilities of the Southern government, thus making compromises far more difficult in their Congress and made it nearly impossible to support troops.

·The South merely focused on cash-crops

· The focus on cash-crops became the largest contributor to the Confederacy’s economic downfall

· With the focus on cash-crops, the necessities such as food and clothing were scarce, thus making government even more strained; it was a country drowning in dismay.

· With the downfall of the cotton kingdom, the Confederacy’s economic prowess was gone and so was its trump card.

State Rights

· With the secession there came the power of the states’ rights, this was a country based on this, was it not?

· Because of those state rights ideas there was always a clash in Congress (Confederacy) and one state wanted help for itself, and forget the other

· With the focus on state rights, the focus on keeping the new nation was thrown out the window and a new “11 seceded colonies” were created.

· They worked as 11 different countries, and this was like a trip to the dentist for a root canal

· Because the nation was built by secession, logically they would be allowed to secede, unfortunately since the “countries” were selfish, light on this issue was diminished to a mere speck.

· Since the countries were selfish, they held back help in the Civil War, they held back compromise in Congress, they held back the hope of a strong unified nation

· Because of all the state rights activists running about in the Confederate Congress, Davis was always ramming heads with a festering spawn pool of Members of Congress.

· Again, a recurring point, compromise was apparently not an option

Power

· Jefferson Davis was the president of the Confederacy

· He was not very popular, and thus never had much support

· He wasn't “flexible” like Lincoln, and thus was not a very good leader for the time.

· Impeachment was always in the air, solely because Davis didn’t seem to be of any help, he wasn’t fully to blame there was just no hope compromising with such a pompous government

· The basic motto in the Confederacy, not literally just a concept, was “Every man for himself” there just wasn’t any joining of powers to help, every state took care of its problems and solely its problem, very little help would be sent for the Confederacy

· Doing anything in that damned Confederate Congress was like a death sentence

· You were basically walking on eggshells and it wasn’t likely you were going to get much support; you’d probably have a better chance talking to a brick wall.

· Next problem was the Constitution of the Confederacy, sure it was mostly based on the US Constitution, but one problem it openly allowed secession because then they would be working a hippocracy if otherwise.

· This open concept of secession just made it more difficult to have negotiation in the Confederate government.

Foreign Dependence

·One of the main problems of the Confederate government was its total dependence on foreign countries

· It was its trump card, foreign intervention, and it just didn’t happen to work out the way they planned.

· Europe wasn’t in dire need of cotton, it had a surplus from pre-war years

· Since Europe didn’t need the cotton, it wasn’t as prompted to help the Confederacy.

· Humanist books such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin inspired the working classes of Europe to side with the North.

· If the governments of Europe were to interfere, they would have no support, or worse revolt.

· Regardless, Europe was far too dependent on the North’s industries to take open part in the Civil War, so Europe was careful not to fully interfere.

The main points are lack of compromise and foreign dependence!!! But you still need the other points because they help support this!!!

5
Analytical
Touched all, or nearly all of the points
Showed varying viewpoints
Challenged the question, or investigated it thoroughly.
Strong thesis
4
Analytical
Touched nearly all of the points
Showed varying viewpoints
Somewhat challenged/investigated the question
“Upper end of the scale” thesis
3
Analytical or Narrative
Touched most of the points
Showed merely one or two sides
Slightly challenged/investigated the question
Average thesis
2
Narrative
Touched some of the points
Showed only one viewpoint
Did not challenge/investigate the question
Weak thesis
1
Narrative
Touched a few, or none of the points
Showed only one viewpoint
Did not challenge/investigate the question
No thesis/Weak thesis
0
Completely off topic
Did not turn in



16. Grant and Lee as Generals (Victoria)

Ulysses Simpson Grant

Based on pages 464-466 (The War in the West), pages 471-472 (Grant Outlasts Lee) in The American Pageant: Chapter 21 and other sources identified below.


Ulysses S. Grant was the commander-in-chief of the Union army after the failure and removal of five other generals; McClellan, Pope, McClellan (again), Burnsides, Hooker, and Meade.

His war philosophy was for the enemies to give an "Unconditional Surrender", hence his nickname.

Battles at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson

  • His first real success came in Tennessee with the capturing of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in February 1862. This victory was important because it riveted Kentucky more securely to the Union and open the gateway to the strategically important region of Tennessee.

Battle At Shiloh

  • After this victory, he attempted to capture the junction of the main North-South and East-West railroads in Mississippi Valley. His plan was thwarted by a Confederate force in Shiloh on April 6-7, 1862. He successfully counterattacked the Confederates at Shiloh, this battle showed that there would be no quick end to the war in the West.

Battle of Vicksburg

Series of Battles Near Chattanooga

  • After the battle at Vicksburg, Grant was transferred to Tennessee. Here, Confederate forces had driven Union forces from the battlefield at Chickmauga into the city of Chattanooga, which they sieged. Grant then won a series of engagements in November 1863 near Chattanooga, including the Battle of Missionary Ridge and the Battle Above the Clouds (also known as the Battle of Lookout Mountain). He succeeded in liberating Chattanooga, freeing the state of Confederates, and opening a gateway into Georgia. (General William Tecumseh Sherman then proceeded to invade Georgia and the Carolinas through this route.)
  • After the Battle at Gettysburg, Grant then replaced Meade as the commander of the Army of the Potomac because Meade failed to pursue Lee after the defeat. At this time, Lincoln needed someone to pursue Lee because two previous generals, McClellan and Meade, let him slip right through their fingers.

Grant's Overland Campaign



(The following section will briefly touch upon the major points of the Overland Campaign and relate them to Grant as a general. To find out more, go here: http://www.nps.gov/archive/rich/ri_cold.htm and here: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/bycampgn.htm)



Wilderness Campaign

  • Grant's strategy was to attack all the forces simultaneously so they wouldn't be able to assist each other. Grant, with 100,000 troops went to Richmond and fought General Lee in a series of battles in the wilderness of Virginia in May-June 1864.
  • Grant lost 50,000 troops but Lee lost about as heavily in proportion.

Battle at Cold Harbor


Go here for more information: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/va062.htm

  • On June 3, 1864 , Grant ordered a frontal assault on Cold Harbor. In a few minutes, 7,000 men were killed or wounded.

Conclusion


  • Northern troops captured Richmond, the Confederate capital, and cornered Lee at Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865. Grant then met with Lee and granted generous terms of surrender.


Robert Edward Lee

Based on pages 452-456 ("Tardy George" McClellan and the Peninsula Campaign), pages 457-458 (The Pivotal Point: Antietam), pages 462-464 (Lee's Last Lunge at Gettysburg), and pages 471-472 (Grant Outlasts Lee) in The American Pageant: Chapter 21 and other sources identified below.

Lee was the commander-in-chief of the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Politically, he was a Whig. Ironically, he was attached strongly to the Union and to the Constitution. He entertained no special sympathy for slavery. Yet he fought on the side of the Confederacy because he held a strong attachment to his state, Virginia, and he said that he would never fight against it.

The Seven Days Battle (June 26-July 2, 1862)

  • In response to the Peninsula Campaign being launched by General McClellan of the Union army, Lee launched this battle which drove McClellan's army back to the sea from whence they came. (For more on the Peninsula Campaign, refer to Pablo's blog, which covers the major campaigns of the war. You can also go to this link for more information on the Seven Days Battle: http://www.historycentral.com/CivilWar/Seven.html)

The Second Battle of Bull Run (August 29-30 1862)

  • At this battle, Lee encountered General John "Spoons" Pope and inflicted a crushing defeat. (For more information, go here: http://www.historycentral.com/CivilWar/SecondManassas.html)
  • The victory in this battle caused Lee to attack Maryland in hopes of encouraging foreign intervention and seduction of the Border States. (For more on the Border States, refer to Jose's Blog on the topic.)

The Battle of Antietam Creek

  • Events in Maryland finally exploded at Antietam. With special intel, (Lee's battle plans) McClellan was able to stop Lee's invasion in one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. The outcome of the battle was more or less a draw, but Lee retreated afterwards and McClellan didn't pursue him. (This resulted in McClellan's final removal from the commander position of the Union Army.) (For more information, refer to Pablo's blog on Antietam)

Minor Victories Against Experimental Union Generals

  • After McClellan's removal, General A.E. Burnsides replaced him. But to protest his position, Burnsides attacked Lee's stronghold in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Lee's army decimated them. This battle, Burnsides's Slaughter Pen, resulted in the deaths of 10,000 Union soldiers.
  • Burnsides's command was then transferred to "Fighting Joe" Hooker. In the Battle at Chancellorville, Virginia, Lee divided his numerically inferior army and sent "Stonewall" Jackson to attack. This resulted in Lee's most brilliant Confederate victory. "Stonewall" Jackson was killed by friendly fire in this battle.

The Battle at Gettysburg

  • The victory at Chancellorville encouraged Lee to attempt to invade Gettysburg, Pennslyvania in a hope of netting foreign intervention from Britian and France. The charge would be led by General George Pickett. Meade, Hooker's replacement as commander of the Union army, set his troops up near Gettysburg and fought Lee's army for three days. This resulted in a Union victory which broke the back of the Confederate attack and the heart of the Confederate cause. After this battle, all hopes for foreign intervention were lost. (For more information on this battle, refer to Pablo's blog)

The Final Curtian of The Civil War

  • The Wilderness Campaign (refer to above for more information) and other battles with General Grant of the Union army led to the eventual defeat of the Confederate army. (Refer to above Wilderness Campaign, The Battle of Cold Harbor, and Conclusion for more details)

In conclusion, both Grant and Lee were supurb generals of their respective armies and they both fought valiantly to defend their beliefs. In the end, however, as it always is, the best man won.

Wartime Politics: civil liberties and the election of 1864

During the Civil War, civil liberties were completely violated. It included the bill of rights as well as other important part of the constitution. Lincoln took it upon himself to extend his rights as president. He spent unauthorized money, set up blockades in the south, initiated martial law, and trampled through the constitution.

Lincoln violated the freedom of speech when he suspended habeas corpus. With this persons did not have to stand before a judge, and could be thrown in jail with out any charges. In one case, John Merryman was held in jail without any formal charges. Merryman petitioned the government, and Chief Justice Robert Taney granted it. However, even with this, the jail refused to let him go. He was left in jail seven weeks before being freed.

McClellan became Lincoln’s opposition during the election of 1864. By August of the same year, Lincoln believed his plan for re-election was in danger. However, this proved untrue after he raced ahead in the campaign, earning 55 percent of the popular vote. It was caused by two factors: the Union military’s success and supporters campaigned and successfully revealed the disloyal democratic platform.



http://www.bookrags.com/research/civil-liberties-civil-war-aaw-02/

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07132007/civilliberties.html

John Merryman: http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Merryman/

http://www.civilwarhome.com/elections1864.htm

22. Effects of Reconstruction on freedmen, and on the White South :)

This website has information on the freedmen of the Civil War.
http://www.civilwarhome.com/freedmen.htm

Pages 479-481 Freedmen Define Freedom & Freedmen's Bureau
Page 483 Presidential Reconstruction (Right column, first paragraph) up to 484
Pages 484-485 Black Codes & Congressional Reconstruction
Page 491 Radical Reconstruction in the South
Page 492 Definition of Carpetbaggers
Pages 493-494 The KKK




  • The minority radical group believed that the South should atone more painfully for its sins. Before the South should be restored, the radicals wanted its social structure uprooted, the haughty planters punished, and the newly emancipated blacks protected by federal power.




  • Among the first acts of the new Southern regimes sanctioned by Johnson was the passage of the irontoothed Black Codes.
  • Black Codes were established by state legislatures to keep the former slaves "under control". (Obviously, they infuriated the North) They varied from state to state and did give blacks some rights they did not have before: the power to sue in court, own certain kinds of property, and legally marry. However, they also prohibited them from bearing arms, working in most occupations other than farming and manual labor, or leaving their jobs without permission.




  • Now the slave was 5/5 of a person.
  • The sight of former slaves holding office deeply offended their onetime masters, who lashed out with particular fury at the freedmen's white allies, labeling them "carpetbaggers."
  • Freedman's Bureau was designed to help the freed slaves during their transition from slavery to freedom by providing food, education, and other support.




  • The rebel states were entitled to twelve more votes in Congress & twelve more presidential electoral votes...Who really won the war?
  • Many whites resented the success and ability of black legislators
  • A number of secret organizations mushroomed forth...The most notorious--> "Invisible Empire of the South" or Ku Klux Klan (founded in Tennessee in 1866)

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting










1865
Southern states begin to pass "Black Codes" ­ these laws subject former slaves to a variety of restrictions on their freedom: they forbid blacks to testify against whites; they establish vagrancy and apprenticeship laws; blacks cannot serve on juries, bear arms, or hold large meetings.
1865
The Thirty-ninth Congress convenes ­ It is the first session since Lincolnís death. All Confederates states, with the exception of Mississippi have formally accepted presidential requirements for readmission to the Union and representation in Congress. Led by radical Thaddeus Stevens, the House simply omits the southerners from roll call, effectively denying them admittance. It then proceeds to discuss punishment for the rebellious South which according to Radical Republican Charles Sumner has committed "state suicide".
1865
The Ku Klux Klan is formed in Tennessee ­ it is one of the many secret societies set up to terrorize blacks. Its methods become ever more vicious as whites become more certain that their old way of life is being threatened.
1866
Johnson vetoes Freedmenís Bureau bill and Civil Rights Act of 1866; a modified version of the Freedmenís Bureau bill later passes.

1866
14th Amendment passed by Congress ­ grants full citizenship to blacks, gives the Federal government the responsibility to protect equal rights under the law to all American citizens.


Essay Question

What was the purpose of the KKK? What did they hope to achieve? What methods did they use?






Liliannis Ochoa







Border States Key Decision By Jose Vasquez

Here a link about the Border States Role in Lincoln Decision on the war
http://history-world.org/border_states_in_the_civil_war.htm
http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/civilwar/section5.rhtml (Section of the Border States and the Importance of the Border States)

Also Read the following pages

Chapter 20
Section Brothers' and Border Blood page 436-438
Chapter 21
Section A Proclamation without Emancipation page 458-460

Key point
* Affected the decision of Lincoln of making the Civil War at the start a "total war" in which the Union would be saved and slavery would come to an end.
* Force Martial Law and threatened to cut off Washington from the north.
* Affect how Lincoln dealt with his Emancipation Proclamation in which he allowed slavery in the Border States.
* Force Lincoln to be very careful in the way he acted about the issue of slavery in order to maintain the Border States.


Question
What effects would the Border States have had on the Union if they decided to seceed? How would Lincoln decision have changed from a war to save the union to a total war from the beginning? Were the Border States the differences between the Union defeating the Confederacy then The Confederacy defeating The Union? explain.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act




  • In what way did the Kansas-Nebraska Act contribute to the outbreak of the Civil War? Do you think the war still would have occurred if the Kansas-Nebraska Act had not been passed? Explain



  • Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)
    Democrat
    Cuba/Nicaragua
    Transcontinental Railroad
    Kansas-Nebraska Act
    Lecompton Constitution w/Kansas
    Served 1 Term



  • Popular sovereignty: this compromise solution was first proposed during the time of the Wilmot Proviso: the residents of each territory had the option of determining whether it would be a free or slave state; a part of the Compromise of 1850 and Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854.Stephen Douglas a strong advocator.


  • Stephen A. Douglas: American politician known for his debates with Abraham Lincoln prior to the election of 1860. Douglas was an advocate of the annexation of Mexico, who aroused the question of slavery in territories with the development of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854. He was also a strong supporter of the Compromise of 1850.





  • The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a bill like the Compromise of 1850.


  • On May 30, 1854 the territories of Kansas and Nebraska wanted to become states. The only question left to be decided was whether they would have slavery or not.


  • Stephen Arnold Douglas, the Democratic Senator of Illinois, strongly believed that the people of the territories should decide for themselves whether they wanted slavery and repealed the Missouri Compromise.


  • Proslavery and antislavery groups fought many wars, each side wanting to gain control of Kansas so they could vote for it to become a slave state or a free state. These wars are known as "Bloody Kansas." Neither side knew it, but with each day of fighting, they were getting a step closer to the Civil War.


  • Bloody Kansas, also known as Border War, was a conflict in Kansas territory between antislavery Free states and proslavery groups.



  • The act enforced popular sovereignty upon the new territories but was opposed by Northern Democrats and Whigs.


  • The bill later became a law on of the territories could decide by popular vote whether to allow slavery to continue in a place when it becomes a state.


  • The act caused Northern abolitionists to fight against proslavery Southerners.


  • The act caused the Whig Party to split into northern and southern branches.


  • The northern branch wanted to end slavery and the southern branch wanted slavery to continue.


  • The Antislavery Army led by John Brown, an abolitionist, wiped out the proslavery troops. John Brown led one famous battle on the settlers at Pottawatomie Creek. This attack was called the Pottawatomie Massacre and occurred in May 1856.


  • Northerners did not have a need for slaves because there they manufactured (shipping and bankers).


  • Southerners wanted to expand slavery because they were based on it for the faming and plantations.


  • When people in Missouri voted in Kansas, the proslavery Party won control, and Kansas was voted to become a slave state. Later, Kansas asked Congress for statehood as a slave state. But the Missouri Compromise did not let slave above the line.


  • While the proslavery Party was upset and angry over this decision, the antislavery Party quickly took control of Kansas.


  • The north and south argued and fought over the question of slavery each time a new state wanted to enter the Union. The south finally got so tired of all the fighting and arguing that they decided to break away from the U.S. and be their own country. Fighting over whether the south would be its own country finally started the Civil War.


  • http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson_images/lesson661/Kans_Neb_Debate.pdf

Tessa: #7--The question was too long to fit in the title bar! Ha!--Mostly the Great West

7. The myth of the Wild West. Cattlemen and farmers, the mining boom, the destruction of the Plains Indians. Closing of the Frontier and Turner's Frontier Thesis.

A general outline for the topic from a textbook source other than our book:
http://apusnotes.nfshost.com/outline/mpecot/27

The Wild West

I. Cattlemen and farmers
--During this period of time people with nothing to lose and a wisp of hope traveled to the Great West and became farmers and raised cattle. These people became reffered to as 'sodbusters'. There was a massive amount of space and open land to settle on.

http://learning.loc.gov/learn/collections/amwest/history1.html

The American Pageant-
Chapter 26 - pages 601-04

II. Mining Boom
--The coming of the railroad and new settlement and expansion westwards brought on the onset of the mining booms. Discoveries of gold brought in "fifty-niners" and "Pike's Peakers". People were attracted to California, Colorado and even Nevada (Comstock Lode). Some 'lucky strikes' brought miners to Montana, Idaho, and other western states; but unfortunately, there were more miners than there were minerals to offer.

The American Pageant-
Chapter 26 - page 600--Mining: From Dishpan to Ore Breaker

III. Destruction of the Plains Indians

As people came to inhabit the West, the Plains Indians were constantly being displaced. Their way of life was utterly shattered when they were moved into reservations and were forced to cease their nomadic ways of life and start anew as farmers, or be forced to slowly fade away.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WWplains.htm

The Ammerican Pageant-
Chapeter 26 - pages 590-596

IV. Closing of the Frontier

The 'closing' of the frontier was really defined as the point when the line between the civilized parts of America and the 'Great West' was no longer discernable. This inturn showed that a substantial portion of the Frontier had been settled.

http://www.landandfreedom.org/ushistory/us17.htm

V. Myth of the Wild West
--The Wild West, from the outside looking in, appeared to be a picture of 'rugged individualists who tamed the wild regionwith grit and brawn'. In reality though, this was a myth; the government owned most of the land and did most of the work in terms of breaking new ground and conducting major projects

The American Pageant-
Chapter 26 - page 603--Myth and Reality in the West

VI. Turner's Frontier Thesis:

Turner's Frontier thesis says that up until 1893 when Frederick Jackson Turner made the comment, that American history was largely defined by the expansion into the Great West.

http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/turner.htm

The American Pageant-
Chapter 26 - page 590






Essay Question:

Turner's Thesis states that: '..American History has been in a large degree the history of the colonization of the Great West..'How strongly do you agree with this statement? Support your answer.

19. Lincoln's program for rebels

Before Reconstruction in 1863, Lincoln began a devising a plan to try and bring the North and South together on better means before the war ended (this was after the Emancipation Proclamation):

· Ten Percent Plan & the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
---When at least ten percent of the male voters that registered in the 1860 election vote their loyalty to the Union
---The portion that had given their devotion to the Union is now eligible to elect delegates that will refine the state’s former constitution to not include slavery
---After the constitution’s submission for approval, all southerners would receive a full pardon, except for Confederate officials, and the state would regain representation in Congress

Lincoln was known for being lenient with the South despite the North’s opposition to being so kind to the rebellious secessionists:

· Lincoln’s Behavior Towards the South
---Sought out to reimburse Southerners whose slaves were freed due to the Emancipation Proclamation
---Stated that for every Union soldier killed "a rebel soldier shall be executed," and for every one enslaved "a rebel soldier shall be placed at hard labor . . . and [so] continued . . . until the other shall . . . receive the treatment due to a prisoner of war."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


The first link is an overview of Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan that he started in 1863 in preparation for future reconstruction after the Civil War:

http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=220403

This link goes in chronological order explaining the events leading to and from Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan from information gathered from a book:

http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/reconstruction/section1.html

Finally, this link is a brief explanation of the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction which is very similar to the Ten Percent Plan (if they're not already the same):

http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/history/A0860645.html

Enjoy!
Valerie-°

Pablo Diaz: 11. Military tactics and campaigns during the Civil War.

This websites has information on many different campaigns (about 32 in total.):

http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/bycampgn.htm


__________________________________________________
The following are the campaigns that took place during the civil war.

1861
-Manassas Campaign. July.

1862
-Jackson's Valley Campaign. March-June.
-Peninsula Campaign. March-July.
-Northern Virginia. August.
-Maryland Campaign. September.
+Antietam
-Fredericksburg Campaign. November-December.
-Sibley's New Mexico Campaign. February-March.
-Pea Ridge Campaign. March.
-Prairie Grove Campaign.
November.

1863
-Chancellorsville Campaign. November-December.
-Gettysburg Campaign. April-May.
-Bristoe Campaign. October-November.
-Mine Run Campaign. November-December.
-Stones River Campaign. December 1862-January 1863.
-Tullahoma Campaign [Middle Tennessee Campaign]. June.
-Chickamauga Campaign. August-Semptember.
-East Tennessee Campaign. September-October.
-Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign. November.
-Longstreet's Knoxville Campaign.
November-December.

1864
-Bermuda Hundred Campaign. May.
-Grant's Overland Campaign. May-June.
-Lynchburg Campaign. May-June.
-Richmond-Petersburg Campaign. June-December.
-Sheridan's Valley Campaign. August-October.
-Atlanta Campaign. May-September.
-Franklin-Nashville Campaign. September-December.
-Red River Campaign. March-Arpil.
-Sand Creek Campaign. November.

1865
-Richmond-Petersburg Campaign Con't. January-March.
-Carolinas Campaign. February-March.
-Mobile Campaign. March-April.
-Appomattox Campaign. March-April.

__________________________________________________

MANASSAS CAMPAIGN

.Manassas 1 (First Bull Run).

360° view of the Manassas Battlefield

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  • This was the first major land battle of the armies in Virginia.
  • Most of the soldiers had never been in battle before.
  • The North hoped to demonstrate the superiority of Union arms. Their victory might even lead to the capture of Richmond, which would end secession and the whole Union would be restored.
  • The Union army under General Irvin McDowell marched from Washington against the Confederate army, which was drawn up behind Bull Run.
  • Fighting raged throughout the day as Confederate forces were driven back to Henry Hill.
  • Late in the afternoon, Confederate reinforcements arrived and led the Confederacy to victory. However, they were too disorganized to pursue the Union soldiers.
  • This battle convinced the Lincoln administration that the war would be a long and costly affair.
  • It ended the notion that this would be a "Ninety-day war" for the North.
  • McDowell was relieved of command of the Union army and replaced by General George B. McClellan, who set about reorganizing and training the troops.
  • The victory at Bull Run inflated the south's overconfidence. Many Southern soldiers deserted, some leaving to boast about their victory, others thinking that the war was surely over.
  • The first battle of Bull Run caused Southern enlistments to fall off sharply.

*Refer to The American Pageant. Pages 451-452: Bull Run Ends the "Ninety-Day War"

http://www.civilwarhome.com/1manassa.htm

______________________________________________

PENINSULA CAMPAIGN

Map of the Peninsula Campaign

  • McClellan whipped the troops into shape, but was slow to move south.
  • By advancing up the Peninsula, McClellan would avoid suffering the high casualties caused by a march south on Richmond from northern Virginia.
  • After taking one month to capture Yorktown he finally made his way towards Richmond. However, at this time, Lincoln sent McClellan's reinforcements to chase Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley.
  • General Robert E. Lee launched a counterattack (the Seven Days' Battles). With his leadership, the Confederacy drove McClellan's troops back from whence they came.
  • Lincoln temporarily abandoned McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac.
  • Through his victory, Lee had ensured (even if he didn't know it) that the war would continue on until slavery was extinguished and the Old South destroyed.
  • After this battle, Lincoln began to draft his Emancipation Proclamation as a way to punish the South for "trying to destroy the government."
  • Union strategy turned towards total war. The components of the Northern military plan were to: blackade the South's coasts, liberate the slaves and undermine the economic foundations of the South, cut the Confederacy in half by taking over the Mississippi River backbone, chop the Confederacy to pieces by sending troops through Georgia and the Carolinas, take over the capital at Richmond, and last, to try to engage the enemy's main strength and grind it into submission.

*Refer to The American Pageant. Pages 452-456: "Tardy George" McClellan and the Peninsula Campaign.

http://www.peninsulacampaign.org/

______________________________________________

MARYLAND CAMPAIGN

.Antietam.

  • The battle at Antietam took place on Wednesday, September 17, 1862, just 18 days after the Confederate victory at Second Manassas.
  • This was the first major Civil War engagement on Northern soil.
  • After coming out victorious at Second Manassas, Robert E. Lee went into Maryland. He hoped to encourage foreign intervention and seduce the Border States into the Confederation.
  • Lincoln, yielding under popular pressure, restored McClellan to command of the main Northern army.
  • Fortunately for him, two Union soldiers found a copy of Lee's battle plans and so McClellan succeeded in halting Lee at Antietam.
  • It was more or less a military draw, but Lee retired across the Potomac. McClellan was removed from his field for the second time.
  • Antietam can be considered the pivotal turning point of the Civil War.
  • The British and French governments were on the verge of making an alliance with the South, but were discouraged by the show of strength on the North's side.
  • Now that the wavering Border States had come under the Union's fold, Lincoln was ready for bold action.
  • Antietam gave him the oportunity to launch his Emancipation Proclamation. The character of the war had changed: the Civil War was now more of a moral crusade.

*Refer to The American Pageant. Pages 457-458: The Pivotal Point: Antietam.

http://www.nps.gov/archive/anti/battle.htm

______________________________________________

GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN
.Gettysburg.

  • After Antietam, Lincoln replaced McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac with General Burnside, who launched a rash attack on Lee's position at Fredericksburg, Virginia.
  • General Burnside then yielded his command to "Fighting Joe" Hooker.
    At Chancellorsville, Lee sent Jackson to attack the Union flank. It worked. However, Jackson was shot by his own men (by mistake). He died.
  • Lee now prepared to invade the North again, this time through Pennsylvania. He wanted to add strength to those against the war in the North and to encourage foreign intervention.
  • Hooker was replaced by Meade at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. There, his men fought against General George Pickett's, who lost the battle.
  • Pickett's charge defined the northernmost point that the Southern force would ever reach and the last real chance for the Confederates to win the war.


*Refer to The American Pageant. Pages 462-464: Lee's Last Lunge at Gettysburg.

______________________________________________________

VICKSBURG

  • In May and June of 1863, Grant’s armies entrapped a Confederate army under General Pemberton's control in Vicksburg.
  • The city surrendered on July 4, 1863.
  • The Union now had the Mississippi, and thus the spinal cord of the Confederacy was severed.
  • Confederate control of the river had cut off the region's usual trade routes.
  • The victories at Vicksburg and Gettysburg tipped the diplomatic scales in favor of the North, since they stopped Britain from giving the Laird rams to the Confederates.
  • By the end of 1863, any and all Confederate hopes for foreign intervention were in vain.

*Refer to The American Pageant. Pages 465-466: The War in the West.

http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/ms011.htm

______________________________________________

APPOMATTOX CAMPAIGN

  • After Gettysburg, Grant was brought in from the West over Meade, who was blamed for not pursuing Lee.
  • Grant's overall basic tactic was to assail the enemy's armies simultaneously, so that they wouldn't be able to help one another.
  • Lincoln urged him to "chew and choke, as much as possible."
  • So Grant went towards Richmond. On June 3, 1864, Grant ordered a frontal assault on the position of Cold Harbor.
  • Since the Union army was much larger than that of the Confederacy, Grant could trade two men for one and still beat his enemy.
  • Repidly advancing Northern troops captured Richmond and cornered Lee at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia, in April 1865.
  • Thus Richmond was conquered and the war ended.


*Refer to The American Pageant. Pages 471-472: Grant Outlasts Lee.
______________________________________________

Q: What was the most decisive battle of the Civil War? Explain.