EssaysGrading Rubric
Essays (25pts.)*
Who (4pts.): student must provide at least 4 specific names
What (12pts.): student must address all relevant topics as they pertain to the essay question
When (4pts.): student must provide at least 1 correct reference to time/date (only the year is necessary)
Historical Significance (4pts.): students must provide at least 1 historically significant statement
*All students will begin with 1pt. on each of the essays; each essay should be at least 2 pages in length
Essays
1. Discuss the emerging slavery crisis. Your discussion should include an analysis on the issue of slavery
and Westward expansion, the political turmoil caused by this issue, and the series of events which led to
the start of the Civil War
2. Discuss the unfolding the events of the Civil War. Your discussion should address the war mobilization
efforts of the North and South, the effects the war had on both of these regions, and a brief review of
the war’s chronology.
History 1- Lecture #4 Notes
The Emerging Slavery Crisis
I. The Emerging Slavery Crisis
A. Defining The Emerging Slavery Crisis
1. Overview
• Between 1846 and 1861, the issue of slavery exploded into a full-blown crisis;
by the end of this period, the Civil War had begun
2. Topics of Discussion
• Slavery and Westward Expansion
➢ The major question facing the federal government following the
Mexican American War was, “what was going to be the nation’s policy
in regards to slavery and Westward expansion?”
➢ Instead of formulating a definitive policy, the federal government
engaged in the process of political compromise
• Political Turmoil
➢ The policy of political compromise, in turn, led to political turmoil
➢ Specifically, we see the breakup of old national political parties and the
emergence of new ones.
➢ Each of the new political parties had their own views on how to deal
with the problem of slavery
• Towards Civil War
➢ Well, between 1852 and 1861, hostilities between the North and South
escalated
➢ These hostilities culminated with the Southern slave-holding states
seceding from the Union in 1860 and 1861
3. Historical Significance
• This period was historically significant for two reasons:
➢ First, the federal government’s inability to come up with a definite
plan regarding slavery led directly to the Civil War.
➢ Second, the turmoil caused by the slavery crisis led to the two-party
political system which is in place today; the Democratic Party and the
Republican Party.
II. Slavery and Westward Expansion
A. Newly Acquired Western Territories
1. Effects of the Mexican American War
• Between 1846 and 1848, the United States and Mexico were engaged in a
conflict known as the Mexican American War
➢ The United States emerged victorious from the this conflict
➢ In 1848, the two nations signed what was known as the Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo
▪
These treaty gave the United States vast amounts of land in the
Southwest
▪ Including the future states of California, Arizona, and New
Mexico
• The federal government now needed to determine what the status of slavery
was going to be in these newly acquired Western lands
➢ The first person to address this issue was David Wilmot, who put
forward what was known as Wilmot’s Proviso
▪ Wilmot’s Proviso was put forward in 1846 by David Wilmot, a
Democratic congressmen from Pennsylvania
▪ According to the proviso, any land to be acquired from Mexico
would immediately ban slavery
▪ Wilmot’s Proviso was put to a vote in Congress on two
occasions
▪ However, on both occasions it failed to pass
2. Free Soil Movement
• Wilmot’s Proviso reflected the growing popularity of a political movement in the
United States known as the Free Soil Movement
➢ Members of the Free Soil Movement were known as “Free Soilers”
➢ “Free Soilers” wanted to ban slavery in all of the Western territories
➢ However, “Free Soilers” were not abolitionists; rather, they wanted the
lands of the Western territories to be developed by white farmers
➢ In fact, they were in favor of allowing slavery to continue in the areas
where it was already practiced
➢ In 1848, the “Free Soilers” created a political party known as the Free
Soil Party
3. Election of 1848
• Not surprisingly, the major issue of the Election of 1848 was slavery’s expansion
into the West
➢ In this election, the Democrats nominated Lewis Cass of Michigan
➢ The Whigs nominated Zachary Taylor, hero of the Mexican American
War
➢ The Free Soil Party nominated former president, Martin Van Buren
➢ Despite the crowded field, Taylor emerged victorious in this election to
become the nation’s next president
➢ Although the Free Soil Party enjoyed popularity in the Northeast, they
did not have support nationally
➢ The party broke-up shortly after this election
B. Politics of Compromise
1. California and Slavery
• By 1849, the issue of California and slavery became a hot topic of debate
➢ In 1849, gold was discovered in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada,
leading to what was known as the California Gold Rush
➢ With all of the potential profits to be gained in relation to gold mining,
slaveholding interests wanted to legalize the institution here
➢ On the other hand, those who opposed slavery’s expansion realized that
allowing slavery in California would lead to income inequality
• After over a year of intense debate, the Congress decided to strike a
compromise in relation to California; this compromise became known as the
Compromise of 1850
➢ Compromise of 1850 (ID #1)
▪ The Compromise of 1850 was passed by the Congress in
September of 1850. The compromise was originally put
together by Henry Clay. However, later it was broken down
into five separate bills by Stephen Douglas. Douglas was a
Democratic senator from Illinois. The compromise would
admit California into the Union as a free state. To appease the
South, the compromise created what was known as the
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. The Compromise of 1850 averted
an immediate large-scale conflict. However, ultimately it did
not solve the problem of slavery and Westward expansion.
2. Fugitive Slaves
• As previously mentioned, the Compromise of 1850 created something called the
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
• Southern interests pushed for this act because, by this time, many slaves had
begun to escape to the North
➢ Many of these slaves escaped through what was known as the
Underground Railroad
▪ The Underground Railroad was a system of check-points and
safe houses which ran from the South, northward into Canada
▪ During the Underground Railroad’s existence, more than
100,000 escaped using its escape routes
▪ The most famous person associated with the Underground
Railroad was Harriet Tubman
o Harriet Tubman was born a slave in Maryland, but as a
young woman had managed to escape
o She return to the area at least 15 times to free an
additional 300 slaves
• Unfortunately, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 only made the problem worse
➢ Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
▪ The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was created as a result of the
Compromise of 1850
▪ The act allowed Southern slave masters to travel North to
capture runaway slaves
▪ Northern citizens, both black and white, faced fines or
imprisonment if they did not assist the slave master capture
runaway slaves
▪
▪
▪
According to the act, recaptured slaves were to go before a
federal commission to plead their case
However, during the act’s existence, 322 alleged fugitives were
placed into slavery, while only 11 set free
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 contributed to rising tensions
between the North and the South
3. Popular Sovereignty
• Another controversial provision within the Compromise of 1850 was a concept
known as popular sovereignty
➢ According to the mandates of popular sovereignty, the status of slavery
in the rest of the Western territories would be determined by popular
vote
4. Kansas and Nebraska Territories
• The legitimacy of popular sovereignty was challenged a short time later with the
opening up of the Kansas and Nebraska territories
➢ Kansas-Nebraska Act (ID #2)
▪ The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed by the Congress in May
of 1854. The act was put together by Senator Stephen Douglas.
First and foremost, the act opened up the Kansas and
Nebraska territories for white settlement. Second, the act
stated that the status of slavery in these territories would be
determined by popular vote. This led to a violent episode
known as “Bleeding Kansas”. Douglas’ bill sparked a bitter
debate in Congress and fragmented both the Whig and
Democratic parties.
• As a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, both proslavery and antislavery factions
began pouring into the region; it led to a violent episode known as “Bleeding
Kansas”
➢ Between 1854 and 1856, pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions fought
each other for political control of Kansas
➢ Each side wanted to establish their own governments either to legalize
slavery or outlaw it
➢ In 1856, a large force of armed pro-slavery men attacked the town of
Lawrence, Kansas; this became known as the Invasion of Lawrence,
Kansas
o The proslavery me destroyed the town and killed 200
➢ In retaliation, a radical white abolitionists by the name of John Brown,
along with his sons, killed six proslavery me in the town of
Pottawatomie Creek; the became known as the Pottawatomie
Massacre
➢ By the time President Franklin Pierce sent in troops, approximately 500
people had been killed
III. Political Turmoil
A.Demise of the Old Two Party System
1. Demise of the Whig Party
• The Kansas Nebraska Act had been highly divisive and contributed to the demise
of the Whig Party
➢ During the vote on the Kansas Nebraska Act, Southern Whigs voted with
Southern Democrats to support the bill
➢ While Northern Whigs voted with Northern Democrats to oppose the
bill
➢ This left a split within the Whig party and it was unable to nominate a
presidential candidate for the 1856 presidential election
➢ As a result, the party broke up
2. Rise of Nativism
• During the 1850’s, there was a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly in
the urban areas of the Northeast
• Immigrant hatred was directed as German and Irish immigrants who began
coming to the country during the early nineteenth century
➢ European immigrants were resented by native-born whites who viewed
them as job competition
➢ In addition, there were underlying tensions between English-Americans
and Irish-Americans
▪ The Irish had long hated the England for colonizing their country
centuries prior
▪ Also, there were religious differences between the two groups;
as most English were Protestant Christians, while most Irish
were Catholic
• In the Northeast, native-born whites began organizing politically over their
hatred for European immigrants
➢ In 1850, they created what was known as the American Party; also
known as the “Know Nothing” Party
▪ The “Know Nothing” Party was heavily connected to fraternal
and masonic orders
▪ When asked about their affiliation to the party, members were
instructed to reply, “I know nothing.”
▪ In 1856, the “Know Nothing” Party nominated former president,
Millard Fillmore as their presidential nominee
o Fillmore eventually lost this election to Democratic
nominee, James Buchannan
▪ Following this election, the “Know Nothing” Party was plagued
by internal problems and soon after it broke up
3. Reemergence of the Republican Party
• During the 1850’s, the nation witnessed the reemergence of the Republican
party
➢ The old Republican Party had broken up during the late-1820’s
➢ The new Republican Party emerged in 1854 as result of the slavery crisis
▪ This new Republican Party was strongest in the Northeast and
was opposed to slavery’s expansion into the West
➢ The spokesman for the new Republican party was a man named
Abraham Lincoln
▪ Abraham Lincoln was born in Springfield, Illinois
▪ Eventually, he became a practicing attorney in Illinois
▪ In 1846, Lincoln was elected to the House of Representatives,
representing the state of Illinois
▪ Lincoln’s views on slavery were complex
o Privately, he was opposed to the institution, believing it
had no place in a true democracy
o Publicly however, Lincoln was willing to do whatever it
took to keep the union together, even it meant
allowing slavery to continue where it was already
practiced
4. Slavery in the Political Debate
• Lincoln first gained national prominence following his participation in the
Lincoln-Douglas debates
➢ Lincoln-Douglas Debates (ID #3)
▪ These debates featured Republican Abraham Lincoln and
Democrat Stephen Douglas, who were running for the Illinois
Senate seat. On seven occasions during the summer and fall of
1858, Lincoln and Douglas debated across the state. The major
topic of these debates was slavery. These debates were all-day
affairs, held in outdoor public arenas. Spectators were seated
very close to the candidates and have the opportunity to voice
their opinions. Most experts say that Lincoln won the debates,
however, Douglas the incumbent, won the election. Still,
Lincoln’s strong showing paved the way for him to run for
president in 1860.
B. Slavery and the Courts
1. Supreme Court Case
• During the 1850’s the Supreme Court was forced to confront the issue of slavery
directly; the case presented to the court was known as Dred Scott v. Sandford
➢ Dred Scott v. Sandford (ID #4)
▪ This case involved a slave by the name of Dred Scott who lived
in Missouri. Scott’s original owner was an army doctor named
John Emerson. During the 1830’s, Emerson had taken Scott
and his family to the North; specifically, to free states such as
Illinois and Wisconsin. In 1846, Emerson returned to Missouri;
this is when Scott sued for his freedom. Scott’s case then
wound its way up the federal court hierarchy and eventually
reached the Supreme Court. By this time, Emerson had died
and Scott had become the property of John Sandford,
Emerson’s brother-in-law. In 1857, the Supreme Court ruled
against Scott in favor of Sandford. The chief justice of the
Supreme Court at the time was a man named Roger Taney.
Taney’s reasoning was that Scott was a slave and therefore not
a citizen. And as a non-citizen, he had no right to sue in federal
court. Taney’s decision was significant because it clearly put
the Supreme Court on the side of slavery.
IV. Towards Civil War
A. Radical Abolitionism
1. Influential Publication
• During the 1850’s, the abolitionist movement in the North became more radical,
both in print and in terms of violent opposition
• One influential publication that did much to galvanize the abolitionist
movement was Uncle Tom’s Cabin
➢ Uncle Tom’s Cabin (ID #5)
▪ Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published in 1852. It was written by a
white abolitionist named Harriet Beecher Stowe. The book is
set in Kentucky and is a critique on the institution of slavery.
The story is told through a set of now famous characters
including: Uncle Tom, an elderly slave, Simon Legree a white
overseer, and Lil Eliza, a young woman attempting to escape
slavery. Within two tears, Uncle Tom’s Cabin sold over two
million copies and became an all-time best seller. The book
galvanized the abolitionist movement in the North, while in
the South, it was hated because of its condemnation of
slavery.
2. Violent Attempt to Overthrow Slavery
• By the late-1850’s, there were those abolitionists who were willing to use
violence to overthrow slavery. One such man was John Brown, who led what
was known as John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry
➢ John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry (ID #6)
▪ This raid took place in Western Virginia in 1859. It was led by
John Brown, a radical white abolitionist. Brown’s plan was to
raid the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, steal the
weapons, and distribute them to the slaves in the surrounding
area. Brown asked for the support of leading black abolitionist
such as Frederick Douglass. However, Douglass and others
refused to help Brown because they knew his mission was
suicidal. Brown’s raid began on the night of October 16th and
was a disaster from the start. Units of the army led by Robert
E. Lee quickly surrounded Brown’s force, which included both
black and white abolitionists. After an intense battle, most of
Brown’s men were either killed or captured, including two of
his sons. Brown himself was captured, tried and convicted of
treason, and hanged in December of 1859. In the North, Brown
was viewed as a martyr, while in the South a wave of panic set
in.
B. The Road to War
1. Election of 1860
• By 1860, tensions in the United States were at all-time high; the Election of
1860
➢ In this election, the Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln
➢ The Democratic Party split into regional factions
▪ Northern Democrats nominated Stephen Douglas
▪ Southern Democrats nominated John C. Breckenridge of
Kentucky
➢ The Constitutional Union Party nominated John Bell of Tennessee
➢ Due to the splitting of the Democratic Party, Lincoln was able to win this
election with only 40% of the popular vote
2. Southern Secession
• Once Lincoln was elected, the South realized that they would not be able to
expand slavery into the West
• Thus, beginning late in 1860 and continuing into 1861, eleven Southern
slaveholding states seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States
of America
➢ These states included: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas
➢ Initially, they chose Montgomery, Alabama to be the capital of the
Confederacy, however, later they moved it to Richmond, Virginia
➢ The Confederate Congress chose Jefferson Davis as president and
Alexander Stephens as vice-president
3. Declaration of War
• Once the South seceded there was still one fort located in the Confederacy
under Union control
➢ It was known as Fort Sumter and it was located in Charleston, South
Carolina
➢ The South demanded that the North surrender the fort; when it
refused, the South bombed it
➢ This became known as the Bombing of Fort Sumter
➢ Following this, Lincoln declared war on the Confederacy, thus beginning
the Civil War
History 1-Lecture #5 Notes
The Civil War
I. The Civil War
A. Defining The Civil War
1. Overview
• Between 1861 and 1865, the United States was involved in a bloody conflict
known as the Civil War
2. Topics of Discussion
• War Mobilization
➢ Once the war began, both the North and the South attempted to define
their strategic objectives
• War on the Homefront
➢ In addition, this conflict forced the nation’s citizens to confront the
realities of war first hand
• War Chronology (1861-1862)
➢ The early stages of the war did not go well for the North
➢ In Virginia, the South won a number of early victories
➢ By the fall of 1862, the war was going so well for the South, that they
invaded the North
• War Chronology (1863)
➢ Now, 1863 proved to be the turning point in the war
➢ That year, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation,
freeing slaves living in the Rebel states
➢ In addition, in July of 1863, the North scored a major victory at the
Battle of Gettysburg
• War Chronology (1864-1865)
➢ Between 1864 and 1865, the North took control of this conflict
➢ Union forces led by Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman
systematically recaptured the states of the deep South
➢ In April of 1865, Grant forced Confederate general, Robert E. Lee to
surrender at the Appomattox Courthouse, thus ending the Civil War
3. Historical Significance
• The Civil War was historically significant for at least two important reasons:
➢ First, Lincoln finally made the decision to end the institution of slavery
in the United States. Specifically, he issued the Emancipation
Proclamation in 1863, and in 1865, the Congress passed the Thirteenth
Amendment which officially abolished slavery.
➢ Second, the North’s victory in this war preserved the Union. Since this
time, there has not been a war fought on U.S. soil
II. War Mobilization
A. Northern Mobilization
1. Strategic Objective
•
The primary strategic objective for the North was to preserve the Union;
however, this proved to be easier said than done
➢ In order for the North to win the war, it had to defeat the South on the
battlefield and then reintegrate it to the Union
• Despite this, the North had a number of advantages that it would exploit as the
war progressed
➢ For starters, the North’s population totaled 22 million to the South’s 9
million
▪ This meant, that the North had a larger pool of military recruits
➢ In addition, the North had a larger industrial capacity than the South
▪ This meant, that the North would be able to produce more
weapons and ammunition
2. Diplomatic Objective
• The primary diplomatic objective of the North was to prevent the South from
forming an alliance with England or France
➢ This responsibility fell on the shoulders of Lincoln’s secretary of state,
William Seward
▪ Seward was instructed to prevent these alliances, even if it
meant sacrificing American principles
▪ This perspective can be seen in an incident known as the Trent
Affair
o In 1861, the U.S. Navy captured a British ship known as
the Trent in the waters near Havana, Cuba
o When Navy officials went on board, they discovered
two Confederate diplomats who were attempting to sail
to London, England
o Lincoln instructed Seward to have the Navy take the
blame for detaining the Trent in international waters
o Lincoln’s reasoning was that he did not want to do
anything that might encourage England to form an
alliance with the South
3. Northern Draft
• One of Lincoln’s first challenges was to raise an adequate army
➢ After the bombing of Fort Sumter, Lincoln called on 75,000 militia men
to join the standing U.S. Army
▪ However, by the end of 1862, it was clear that this was not
going to be enough to defeat the South
➢ With this in mind, Lincoln implemented a national draft
▪ Specifically, in 1863 the Congress passed the Enrollment Act
o This act required men between the ages of 18 to 45 to
register for military service
o Once enlisted, these men would be required to serve
for the duration of the war
B. Southern Objectives
1. Strategic Objective
• The primary strategic objective of the South was to defend their homeland
➢ The South wanted to fight just long enough until public opinion in the
North turned against the war
2. Diplomatic Objective
• The South’s primary diplomatic objective was to form an alliance with England
or France
➢ The South hoped to use cotton as a bargaining tool, as by 1860, the
South was the world’s leading producer of cotton
▪ With this in mind, the Confederate Congress implemented a
Cotton Embargo
o The Cotton Embargo was implemented in 1861 by the
Confederate Congress
o Specifically, it prevented the export of Southern
produced cotton
o However, by this time England and France had sufficient
reserves of cotton
o As a result, the embargo hurt the South’s economy and
was lifted late in 1862
3. Southern Draft
• Like the North, the South was also forced to implement a draft
➢ Even though the South was winning during the early stages of the war,
they were suffering from high casualty rates
➢ This, in conjunction with the small overall population of the South,
forced the Confederate Congress to implement a draft
▪ The Confederate Draft was implemented by the Confederate
Congress in 1862
o The law required men between the age of 18 of 45 to
register for military service
o Once enlisted, they would be required to serve for 3
years
III. War on the Homefront
A. North
1. Political
• As stated earlier, the early stages of the war did not go well for the North; this
led to negative political consequences
➢ By 1862, Northern Democrats had split into two factions: the “War
Democrats” and the “Peace Democrats”
▪ The “Peace Democrats” were given the nickname of the
“Copperheads”
o This is because many in the North viewed the
“Copperheads” as “snakes” or traitors
o The “Copperheads” called for a ceasefire followed by a
negotiated settlement
▪ Lincoln took the threats posed by the “Copperheads” seriously
o In fact, during the course of the war, many
“Copperheads” were arrested for violating the reimposed Sedition Act
2. Economic
• On the other hand, the war had the effect of boosting the North’s economy
➢ The mass production of weapons and ammunition generated huge
profits for the industrial corporations
➢ It also provided well-paying factory jobs for average Northern citizens
3. Social
•
•
•
The war also contributed to growing social tensions in the North; the primary
source of this hostility was the draft
➢ The Enrollment Act contained a controversial provision known as
Substitution
▪ This provision allowed for people to opt out of the draft
provided they paid $300.00 to the government
▪ As a result, a large number of wealthy whites opted out of the
draft, leaving a bulk of the fighting to lower-to-middle class
whites
Opposition to the draft in New York City led to a bloody riot known as the New
York City Draft Riot
➢ New York City Draft Riot (ID #7)
▪ This riot took place in New York City in July of 1863. For four
days, mobs of mostly poor Irish immigrants attacked local
draft offices. These mobs targeted African-Americans, whom
they believed were the cause of the war. In the wake of the
violence, more than 100 people were killed and property
damage exceeded $5 million. In response, Lincoln sent it units
of the army who put the riot down.
The war also changed the role of women in the North
➢ With so many men on the frontlines fighting, women took on increased
roles at home
▪ Specifically, the war enabled women to enter previously maledominated professions such as the civil service and nursing
➢ In regards to nursing, one of the most notable American women in this
field was Dorthea Dix
▪ Dix was the leader of the U.S. Sanitation Commission
▪ In this role, she supervised thousands of combat nurses
▪ One of these nurses was Clara Barton; Barton went on to found
the Red Cross
B. South
1. Political
•
2. Economic
•
During the war, Confederate president Jefferson Davis had a difficult time
maintaining unity on the homefront
➢ The problem was that Davis was an ineffective leader; his dictatorial
style angered his generals and alienated cabinet members
➢ This wasn’t a big problem during the early part of the war when the
South was winning
➢ However, once the South started losing, Davis quickly lost the support
of the Southern people
To make matters worse, the economy of the South collapsed during the war
➢ By 1863, the North had imposed what was known as the Union Naval
Blockade
▪
This triggered a breakdown of the South’s transportation
system
▪ This, in turn, restricted the availability of food and clothing
▪ The Naval Blockade also prevented the South from exporting its
cotton; recall, that the South had lifted the Cotton Embargo late
in 1862
➢ In addition, the South suffered from crippling inflation during the war
▪ In fact, prices for food and other essential supplies rose over
1000% during the war years
▪ By 1864, most Southerners were more concerned with staying
alive as opposed to fighting the war
3. Social
•
The war also impacted the institution of slavery
➢ Once Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, slaves
began escaping in increased numbers
▪ By the end of the war, approximately 25% of all slaves had
escaped to the North
IV. War Chronology (1861-1862)
A. War in Virginia
1. Early Confederate Victories
• Most of the early fighting was done in Virginia; here, the South scored a number
of victories
➢ The first major battle of the war was the First Battle of Bull Run
▪ This battle was fought at Manassas Creek, Virginia in July of
1861
▪ Northern troops were led by General Irwin McDowell
▪ Southern troops were led by General P.G.T. Beauregard
▪ At first, McDowell and his men held their own; however, once
Beauregard was supplied with reinforcements, they were forced
to retreat to Washington D.C.
➢ Following the First battle of Bull Run, Lincoln implemented a new
strategy
▪ Lincoln replaced McDowell with General George McClellan
▪ McClellan’s goal would be to amass a large army and then
attack the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia
▪ However, McClellan hesitated in this assault on Richmond
▪ This allowed Confederate commanding general Robert E. Lee to
build a defensive perimeters around Richmond
➢ Then, during the summer of 1862, Lee defeated McClellan in two
important battles
▪ The first of these was the Battle of the Seven Days in July of
1862
▪ The next, was at the Second Battle of Bull Run, fought in August
of 1862
2. Lee Invades the North
• By the fall of 1862, the war was going so well for the South that Lee decided to
invade the North
➢ In September of 1862, Lee’s forces invaded Antietam, Maryland
➢ Lee hoped that by defeating Union forces in the North, it would trigger
Maryland and other slaveholding border states to secede
➢ This set the stage for the Battle of Antietam
▪ The Battle of Antietam was fought in September of 1862
▪ Here, McClellan defeated Lee and the North scored its first
major victory of the war
▪ However, McClellan failed to finish off Lee’s army, allowing
them to escape back to Virginia
▪ Lincoln was furious, and replaced McClellan with General
Ambrose Burnside
V. War Chronology (1863)
A. Slavery and the Civil War
1. Emancipation
• By the fall of 1862, Lincoln realized that in order for the North to win the war he
had to free the slaves; this prompted him to issue what was known as the
Emancipation Proclamation
➢ Emancipation Proclamation (ID #8)
▪ In September of 1862, Lincoln issued the first draft of the
Emancipation Proclamation. It stated that if the Rebel states
did not return to the Union by December 31st, then the slaves
in the Rebel states would be freed. The South did not comply
with Lincoln’s demand, so on January 1, 1863, he issued the
second draft of the proclamation. Neither version of the
document included slaves living in the Border states
(Maryland, Missouri, Kentucky). Lincoln feared that if it did,
these states would secede from the Union. In addition, the
proclamation authorized the use of black troops in the Union
army.
2. Blacks in the Union Military
• Beginning in 1863, large numbers of black men enlisted in the Union Military
➢ By the war’s end, more than 200,000 African-Americans had served in
the U.S. armed forces
▪ This number represented 10% of all Union enlisted men
▪ In addition, more than 37,000 black men died in combat
➢ One example of all-black fighting force during the Civil War was the 54th
Massachusetts regiment
▪ 54th Massachusetts Regiment
o The 54th Massachusetts Regiment was an all-black
fighting force formed in 1863. The 54th was comprised
of free black men from the North and escaped slaves
from the South. It was led by a white officer named
Colonel Robert Shaw. The 54th saw extensive action in
South Carolina during the final stages of the war. The
54th Massachusetts Regiment is the subject of the 1989
film, Glory
• However, black men faced discrimination while serving in the Union military
➢ For starters, black men were forced to serve in segregated units led by
white officers
➢ In addition, black soldiers were paid less than their white counterparts
➢ As well, black soldiers were given the most demeaning jobs such as
cleaning camps and clearing battlefields
➢ Another concern for black soldiers was being captured by Confederate
forces
▪ This fear was confirmed following what was known as the Fort
Pillow Massacre
o The Fort Pillow Massacre took place in April of 1864,
following a Confederate victory at Fort Pillow in
Tennessee
o Here, a Confederate regiment massacred 262 black
P.O.W.s and their white officer
o This Confederate regiment was led by Nathan Bedford
Forrest; Forrest went on to create the Ku Klux Klan in
1866
B. The Tide Turns
1. Stalemate in Virginia
• After Lincoln called off the attack on Richmond, the war in Virginia settled into a
protracted stalemate
➢ In May of 1863, the North tried to break this stalemate by attacking the
Confederate stronghold at Chancellorsville, Virginia
▪ This set the stage for the Battle of Chancellorsville
o The Battle of Chancellorsville took place in May of 1863
o Here, Confederate forces let by Robert E. Lee defeated
Union forces led by General Joseph Hooker
o However, this victory came with a price; not only did
the South suffer heavy casualties, Confederate General
Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was killed by one of his
own men
2. Lee Again Invades the North
• Emboldened by his victory at Chancellorsville, Lee again decided to invade the
North
➢ In July of 1863, Lee marched his forces into Southern Pennsylvania; Lee
was hoping to win a battle deep in Union territory, thus delivering a
psychological blow to Northern citizens
• This set the stage for the now famous Battle of Gettysburg
➢ Battle of Gettysburg (ID #9)
▪ This battle took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during July
of 1863. In this battle, Union forces were led by General
George Meade; Confederate forces were led by Robert E. Lee.
In this battle, Meade defeated Lee and the North scored its
most impressive victory of the war. The North’s victory at
Gettysburg proved to be the turning point in the war. For
starters, the South would never again penetrate the borders
of the North. In addition, the South’s defeat destroyed any
chance that it had of gaining an alliance with England or
France. In November of that year, Lincoln returned to
Gettysburg and delivered his famous “Gettysburg Address”. In
this speech, Lincoln officially denounced the institution of
slavery.
VI. War Chronology (1864-1865)
A. The Road to Victory
1. Grant Takes Charge
• In March of 1864, Lincoln placed Ulysses S. Grant in charge of all Union armies
➢ Grant then implemented a new policy known as “total warfare”
▪ Under this policy, the North would use all of it military and
industrial strength to crush the South
▪ The concept of “total warfare” also encompassed targeting the
South’s civilian population
2. War in the South
• In May of 1864, Grant instructed William T. Sherman to recapture states in the
deep South
➢ It was then that Sherman conducted his famous, “March to the Sea”
▪ Between late 1864 and early 1865, Sherman marched south
from Tennessee into Alabama, Georgia, and out to the Atlantic
coast
▪ As Sherman made his way through the deep South, he
implemented a phase of “total warfare” known as the
“scorched earth” technique
o Under the “scorched earth” technique, Sherman burned
everything in his path, including slave plantations
o Sherman cut a destructive path through the deep South
and captured Atlanta in September of 1864 (Fall of
Atlanta)
3. Election of 1864
• Union victories on the battlefield increased Lincoln’s chances for reelection in
1864
➢ That year, Lincoln was running against the Republican nominee, George
McClellan
▪ As stated earlier, McClellan had been one of Lincoln’s
commanding generals
▪ McClellan’s goal was to work out a negotiated settlement with
the South
▪ Up to this point, Lincoln’s reelection was in serious jeopardy;
however, following the Fall of Atlanta, his reelection chances
improved dramatically
▪ On election night, Lincoln easily defeated McClellan, capturing
55% of the popular vote
B. The Final Push
1. Grant Chases Lee in Virginia
• By late 1864, Lee was in deep trouble; Grant was chasing him from the North,
while Sherman was chasing him from the South
➢ In November of 1864, Lee moved his forces into the town of Petersburg,
Virginia
▪ From November of 1864 to April of 1865, Union artillery
pounded the city of Petersburg into submission
▪ This became known as the Siege of Petersburg
➢ Shortly after this, the capital city of Richmond fell
▪ This became known as the Fall of Richmond
2. Surrender at Appomattox
• Following the fall of Richmond, Lee moved his troops into the Virginia
wilderness
➢ In April of 1865, Grant finally caught up with Lee in the small town of
Appomattox, Virginia
▪ Here, Lee surrendered to Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse
on April 9th, thus ending the Civil War