War Divides the United States (College Board AP® US History)

Summary

The decision to go to war was one not to be taken lightly. Considerations included the support of the country's people, available resources, including fighting force and supplies, and the location of possible battles. The South, which fired the first shots in the war, had identified the pros and cons of going to war and believed they would be successful. 

In the case of the Civil War, the Union (North) and the Confederacy (South) had advantages and weaknesses that shaped the Civil War. It would be the use of these strengths and utter determination on both sides that would prolong the Civil War for four years.

Timeline

April 12, 1861 — Fort Sumner

July 21, 1861 — First Battle of Bull Run

May 18–July 4, 1863 — Battle of Vicksburg

July 1–July 3, 1863 — Battles of Gettysburg

July, 1863 — NYC Draft Riots

November 15–December 21, 1864 — Sherman’s March to the Sea

April 9, 1865 — Appomattox Courthouse

Strengths and Weakness of the North and South

Strengths of the North (Union)

• The Union had a population four times larger than the South

  • It could provide workers for industries and soldiers for military service

• It had a large industrial base that could easily be transformed to produce weapons, uniforms, and supplies

• Agriculture in the North focused on food production rather than cash crops

  • This ensured food for troops and citizens

• The North had a large transportation system

  • It controlled 70% of the nation’s railroad lines

  • This enabled the quick movement of troops and supplies

• The North had a strong naval presence 

  • It enforced blockades against the South

    • Affected Confederate trade

• There was strong backing from Congress and the federal government

  • This ensured that military needs were supplied 

• Enlistment of escaped slaves

  • Freed and escaped slaves joined the Union forces

Strengths of the South (Confederacy)

• The South fought a defensive war

  • They fought to defend homes, families, and their way of life

  • They knew the land they were defending well 

    • This provided advantages in strategy and survival

• The South had strong military leadership, with more experienced military leaders, such as:

  • Robert E. Lee, who would lead the Army of Northern Virginia

  • Stonewall Jackson, known for his use of surprise attacks and fought in many of the battles that took place in the East 

  • They had an army that knew how to shoot and other hunting skills from pre-war lives

• The South hoped to use cotton diplomacy to gain support from European powers

  • Initially, the South traded cotton with Great Britain and France

  • The South knew cotton was vital to the textile industries in those countries

  • They hoped by withholding cotton from international markets, they could force European countries to align with the South

  • However, by 1863, both nations had turned to other cotton sources such as India and Egypt

    • Great Britain could no longer support those who used slaves 

Weaknesses of the North

• The North’s military leadership was not as strong as the South

  • The North struggled in the beginning with ineffective generals compared to Confederate leaders

• Long supply lines slowed the movement and delivery of resources

• They fought on unfamiliar land

  • Fought on hostile Southern territory

Weaknesses of the South

• The South did not have the same industrial capacity as the North

  • There were few factories to produce weapons, ammunition, and military supplies

• Limited railroads made the transportation of troops and supplies difficult

• Food shortages due to farmers being called to war and North forces destroying crops led to hardships for both soldiers and civilians

• The South had Naval deficiencies

  • They were unable to disrupt Union blockades as the North had a larger navy

• The South experienced economic struggles

  • Reliance on taxation and tariffs to pay for the war was a hardship for Southern families, especially with men away at war

• Due to a lack of international recognition, there was a failure to secure aid from foreign nations

• There was a fractured central government in the South

  • The Confederacy’s emphasis on states’ rights created division and slowed down decision-making

Opposition on the Homefront

• The Civil War caused dissent and unrest on the homefront in both the North and the South

• Social and economic inequalities, along with political differences, increased tensions

  • This led to protests and riots

Opposition on the Northern Homefront

• Class inequalities

  • Rich men could pay $300 to get out of military service

    • This created resentment among the working class who already felt the war disproportionally burdened the poor

• NYC Draft Riots, July 1863

  • Riots caused by the federal draft law requiring men between 20–45 to enroll

  • Factory workers, primarily Irish immigrants, feared newly freed slaves would take their jobs if the Union won the war

  • Riots caused destruction, violence, and the targeting of African Americans

    • Reflected the deep-seated racial and economic tensions

Opposition on the Southern Homefront

• Resistance to war funding

  • Southern States often refused to pay their share to support the war effort

    • Some did not have the funds to pay and others did not want to contribute to other state’s needs

  • The economic strain was worsened by the loss of cotton revenue

• States’ rights vs Confederate unity

  • Many Southern states prioritized their autonomy thereby giving little authority to the Confederate government

  • This undermined efforts to effectively coordinate military and financial strategies

Major Battles, Strategies, & Appomattox Courthouse

Summary

Large amounts of money were spent to pay for the war. However, the worst loss came in the huge number of soldiers and civilians who lost their lives, families, and livelihoods during the war. The Civil War was the deadliest conflict in American history, with an estimated 500,000 lives lost. Key battles, military strategies, and the eventual surrender at Appomattox, Virginia shaped the course and end of the war.

Key Battles of the Civil War

Source:
https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/American-Civil-War/352967

Fort Sumner, April 12, 1861

• Fort Sumner was in Charleston, South Carolina

• This battle marked the first shots of the Civil War

• Confederate forces fired on a Union fort in southern territory

First Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861

• The First Battle of Bull Run was fought outside of Washington, DC

• During the battle, bystanders gathered and took picnics out to watch the battle

• The South won

• The First Battle of Bull Run showed the South was confident and could win the war

  • It helped to boost the morale of the South

• Both sides recognized the war would not be short-term

Battle of Vicksburg, May 18–July 4, 1863

• The Battle of Vicksburg was held in Mississippi

• The Union won 

  • The North took control of the Mississippi River, dividing the Confederacy in two and weakening their resources

Battle of Gettysburg, July 1–3, 1863

• The Battle of Gettysburg was held at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

• The Union won at Gettysburg 

  • The Union halted the Confederacy's advancements into the North

• The Battle of Gettysburg was seen as a turning point in the war as it marked the beginning of the decline of the South

Sherman’s March to the Sea, November 15–December 21, 1864

• Sherman’s March to the Sea was from Atlanta to Savannah Georgia

• General William T. Sherman led Union troops through Georgia

• Sherman implemented a scorched earth policy

• Sherman’s scorched earth policy resulted in: 

  • cities, crops, and railroads being destroyed and burnt down

  • the decline in Southern morale and their will to fight in the South

  • frightened non-combatant civilians 

• This is believed to be the main cause of the end of the war

Military Strategies for the North

• The North aimed to improve leadership

  • General Ulysses S. Grant became commanding general, leading to victory for the North

  • He brought organization and decisive victories for the Union

• The Anaconda Plan was the military strategy of the North to win the Civil War

  • Devised by General Winfield Scott

• The Anaconda Plan aimed to:

  • blockade naval shipment of supplies into the South and cotton exports

  • control the Mississippi River to split the Confederacy

  • capture Southern port cities to disrupt trade and shipment of supplies for war efforts

Source: https://www.loc.gov/item/99447020

Military Strategies for the South

• The South devised defensive tactics to protect home territory

  • They aimed to prolong the war until the North lost the will to continue fighting

• The South’s plan depended on European support

  • They believed they could get support through cotton diplomacy

  • This strategy was not successful, as Britain and France found cotton supplies elsewhere and did not intervene in the South’s favor

The End of the War: Appomattox Courthouse

• The surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia on April 9th, 1865, was a pivotal moment that marked the official end of the Civil War

• General Ulysses S. Grant had been wearing down Confederate forces through sustained offensives between 1864 and 1865

  • By March 1865, the Capital of Richmond, Virginia, was under siege by Union forces

  • The Union captured Richmond and Petersburg on April 2nd, 1865, forcing Confederate forces to retreat

• General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate army, was critically short on supplies, reinforcement, and morale

  • Attempts from his force to flee westward to join other Confederate forces failed as Union troops intercepted them

• General Robert E. Lee’s army was surrounded near Appomattox Courthouse 

  • On April 9th, 1865, Lee met with Grant to negotiate terms of surrender

• The terms offered by Grant included:

  • Confederate soldiers could return home without facing charges of treason

  • Confederate soldiers were allowed to keep their horses for spring planting

  • Union forces provided rations to starving Confederate troops

• The surrender symbolized the collapse of the Confederacy

  • Other Confederate forces surrendered in the weeks following

• The surrender signified the Union’s victory in the Civil War and the beginning of the process of Reconstruction

  • Aimed at rebuilding the nation and integrating Southern states back into the Union