Girding for War: The North and South Chapter 20
Crisis at Fort Sumter April 4, 1861 Lincoln announce will re-supply Fort Sumter, South Carolina and Fort Pickens, Florida By resupplying forts, Lincoln was risking war Lincoln attempted to appease SC by not sending military equipment or reinforcements; just supplies April 12, 1861 South Carolina opened fire on Sumter Caused Northerners to advocate fighting the South instead of letting them go April 15, 1861 - Lincoln Calls out Militia Called for 75,000 militia for 90 day service Most believed the war would be short Southern states refused Led to Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina to secede instead of fighting southern brothers Capitol of Confederacy moved from Montgomery AL to Richmond VA (100 miles from DC)
Border States Slave states, Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware remained in Union Equal to ½ population of Confederacy and double its manufacturing capacity Controlled Ohio River and access to Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers Maryland Lincoln declared martial law Missouri Union troops battled Secessionists throughout the state Kentucky Was allowed to remain neutral Lincoln avoided sending any troops into KY to keep it in the Union Lincoln avoided statements about freeing slaves in fear of losing border states focused on preserving Union Native Americans split between US and CSA
North vs South Strengths Union 22 million people Most mineral, factory and naval resources ¾ of nation s railroads Naval blockade helped north get more munitions and deny it to the South Immigrants replenished numbers of soldiers Abraham Lincoln convinced north of need to fight to save democracy and union 9 million people Confederacy Had better and experienced generals Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson Were on defensive shorter supply lines, more motivation (defending their homes) Used to horses, guns, moving through wilderness Were able to get weapons by seizing federals and running blockades Southern lack of supplies was from transportation
Foreign Intervention in Civil War Europe s ruling class favored South but the masses supported the North and opposed slavery South counted on English dependence on cotton to cause alliance Britain had surplus of cotton in warehouses Britain got cotton from Egypt, India and captured cotton from North Britain depended on North for grain needed grain more than cotton Trent Affair (11/8/1861) US stop British ship and take Confederates (James Mason and John Slidell) on board Lincoln released them to avoid a war with Britain Improved relations between Union and UK, because it proved Union could be negotiated with Britain built ships for Confederacy but did not put guns on them allowed Britain to avoid violating neutrality Alabama was built for Confederacy and had British sailors Attacked Union ships around the world 1864 it was sunk off coast of France 1871 Britain paid for damages caused by Alabama Laird Rams Heavily armed ships built for Confederacy by British company US tell Britain if ships were delivered, US would declare war on Britain and invade Canada France imposed dictator over Mexico; Britain established dominion of Canada
Davis vs. Lincoln Confederate States of America were built on state s rights principles Permitted secession Made strong central government almost impossible Interfered with Davis ability to fight war Some states did not want to fight outside their own borders United States of America Had stable government and economy Better politician than Davis
Lincolns violation of Rights Lincoln orders blockade and increased size of army without Congress approval Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus Habeas Corpus protects people from unjust imprisonment Allows government to jail people without warrant or trial Had military oversee voting in border states Suspended newspapers for hindering war efforts Draft 1863 Not enough soldiers were volunteering, so Union starts Draft Could pay $300 to buy a replacement for being drafted New York City Draft Riots Bounty Boys Mostly by anti-black Irish Americans and poor Immigrants from Europe who came to be paid to fight in Civil War South also drafted rich man s war, poor man s fight
Copperheads Northern Democrats who want peace with South Thought South had right to secede Blamed Lincoln for war Opposed Emancipation Proclamation
Economic Stresses of War Union Economy increase taxes on tobacco, alcohol and introduced Morrill Tariff Act 1861 increased duties which helped American industries Manufacturers and businessmen made a lot of money off of the war Industries were stronger after the war than before Profiteers Many profited off of war effort, some were unscrupulous Greenbacks (paper money) was issued that fluctuated in value Bonds also sold to raise money National Banking System (1863) Made to regulate currency and sale of government bonds First unified banking system since Bank War Confederate Economy Was hurt by Union blockade Had difficulty raising revenue for the central government Confederate paper money rapidly lost value
Growth of American Businesses Sewing Machine resulted in standardized clothing, fashion and sizes Mechanical Reapers increased grain production Profits from grain sales used to get military supplies Petroleum Gushers (Fifty Niners) in Pennsylvania Homestead Act 1862 Encouraged settlement of west Provided 160 Acres of land as long as settler lived there for 5 years and improved the land Southern Economy South had 30% of national economy in 1860 dropped to 12% by 1870 Average southern income dropped to 40% of northern one Transportation system destroyed Northern victory allowed capitalistic, industrial interests to dominate politics and economics
Women in the War Joined to cook and take care of men Passed as men to fight in the war or worked as spies Served as nurses Worked farms and businesses at home Worked as clerks and government workers Clara Barton Served as a nurse during war Created aid society to support soldiers Created American Red Cross (1881) Dorothea Dix Superintendent of Nurses Elizabeth Blackwell First Female Doctor Organized US Sanitary Commission Inspected health conditions of hospitals in war Created Soldiers Aid Society