CarolineOlsen

11/17/15
Chapter19:GirdingforWar:TheNorthandtheSouth
TheMenaceofSecession
WhatreasonsdidLincolnhaveforhisdoubts
abouttheunionsplitting?

March4,1861,AbrahamLincolnwas
inauguratedpresident,having
slippedintoWashingtonD.C.tothwart
assassins,andinhisinaugural
address=statedthattherewouldbeno
conflictunlesstheSouth
provokedit
markedrestorationoftheunionashistop
goal,andoffereddoubtsaboutitsplitting.
statedthatgeographically,theUnitedStates
couldnotbesplit(whichwastrue).
splitU.S.broughtupquestionsaboutthe
sharingofthenationaldebtandtheallocation
offederalterritories&pleasedtheEuropean
countries,sincetheU.S.wastheonlymajor
displayofdemocracyintheWestern
Hemisphere,andwithasplitU.S.,the
MonroeDoctrinecouldbeunderminedas
wellifthenewC.S.A.allowedEuropetogain
afootholdwithit.

SouthCarolinaAssailsFortSumter
WhydidLincolnsendsuppliestoFort
Sumter?

MostofthefortsintheSouthhad
relinquishedtheirpowertothe
Confederacy
FortSumterwasamongthetwothatdidnt.
supplieswererunningoutagainsta
besiegingSouthCarolinianarmy,Lincolnhad
aproblemofhowtodeal
Lincolnwiselychosetosendsuppliestothe
fort,andhetoldtheSouthCarolinian
governorthattheshiptothefortonlyheld
provisions,notreinforcements.
totheSouth,provisionswere
reinforcements,andonApril12,1861,
cannonswerefiredontothefortafter34
hoursofnonlethalfiring,thefort
surrendered.
Northerners=inflamedbytheSouths
actions,andLincolnnowcalledon75,000
volunteerssomanycamethattheyhadtobe
turnedaway.
OnApril19and27,Lincolnalsocalleda
navalblockadeontheSouththatwasleaky

atfirstbutsoonclampeddowntight.
TheDeepSouth(whichhadalready
seceded),feltthatLincolnwas
nowwaginganaggressivewar,andwas
joinedbyfourmoreSouthern
states:Virginia,Arkansas,Tennessee,and
NorthCarolina.
ThecapitaloftheConfederacywasmoved
fromMontgomery,ALtoRichmond,VA.
BrothersBloodandBorderBlood
Whatweretheborderstates?

TheremainingBorderStates(Missouri,
Kentucky,Maryland)were
crucialforbothsides,astheywouldhave
almostdoubledthe
manufacturingcapacityoftheSouthand
increaseditssupplyofhorses
andmulesbyhalf.
Theyrecalledborderstatesbecause
theyareontheNorthSouthborderand
theyareslavestates.Theyhavenot
seceded,butatanymoment,theyjustmight.
Thus,toretainthem,Lincolnusedmoral
persuasionandmethodsofdubiouslegality:
InMaryland,hedeclaredmartiallawinorder
toretainastate
thatwouldisolateWashingtonD.C.within
Confederateterritoryifit
wenttotheSouth
HealsosenttroopstowesternVirginiaand
Missouritosecurethoseareas.
Atthebeginning,inordertoholdthe
remainingBorderStates,
Lincolnrepeatedlysaidthatthewarwasto
savetheUnion,notfree
theslaves,sinceawarfortheslaves
freedomwouldhavelost
theBorderStates.
MostoftheFiveCivilizedTribes(Cherokee,
Creek,Choctaw,
Chickasaw,Seminole)sidedwiththeSouth,
althoughpartsofthe
CherokeeandmostofthePlainsIndians
wereproNorth.
Thewarwasoneofbrothervs.brother,with
themountainmenof
whatsnowWestVirginiasendingsome
50,000mentotheUnion.

Thenationssplitwasveryvisiblehere,as
Virginialiterally
split.
TheBalanceofForces
Whatadvantagesdideachsidehave?

TheSouth,atthebeginningofthewar,did
havemanyadvantages:
Itonlyhadtofighttoadrawtowin,sinceallit
hadtodowas
keeptheNorthfrominvadingandtakingover
allofitsterritory.
Ithadthemosttalentedofficers,including
RobertE.Leeand
ThomasStonewallJackson,andmostof
theSouthernershad
beentrainedinamilitarystyleupbringingand
educationsincethey
werechildren,asopposedtothetame
Northerners.ManytopSouthern
youngmenattendedmilitaryschoolslike
WestPoint,TheCitadel,or
VMI.
However,theSouthwashandicappedbya
shortageoffactoriesand
manufacturingplants,butduringthewar,
thosedevelopedintheSouth.
Still,asthewardraggedon,theSouthfound
itselfwitha
shortageofshoes,uniforms,blankets,
clothing,andfood,which
didntreachsoldiersduetosupplyproblems.
However,theNorthhadahugeeconomy,
manymoremenavailableto
fight,anditcontrolledthesea,thoughits
officerswerentas
welltrainedassomeintheSouth.
Asthewardraggedon,Northernstrengths
beatSouthernadvantages.

DethroningKingCotton
DidEnglandneedmorefromtheNorthor
South?

TheSouthwasdependingonforeign
interventiontowinthewar,butdidntgetit.
WhiletheEuropeancountrieswantedthe
Uniontobesplit(which
wouldstrengthentheirnation,relatively
speaking),theirpeoplewere
proNorthandantislavery,andsensingthat
thiswascouldeliminate
slaveryonceandforall,theywouldnotallow

anyinterventionby
theirnationsonbehalfoftheSouth.The
reasonfortheproNorth,
antislaverystancebythepeople,wasthe
effectofUncleToms
Cabinbeinglowlywageearners,the
commonpeoplefeltUncle
Tomspain.
Still,theSouthernideaswasthatthewar
wouldproduceashortage
ofcotton,whichwoulddrawEnglandand
othersintothewar,right?
Wrong.
Intheprewaryears,cottonproductionhad
beenimmense,andthus,Englandand
Francehadhugesurplusesofcotton.
AstheNorthwonSouthernterritory,itsent
cottonandfoodovertoEurope.
IndiaandEgyptuppedtheircottonproduction
tooffsetthehikeinthepriceofcotton.
So,KingWheatandKingCorn(oftheNorth)
beatKingCottonofthe
South,sinceEuropeneededthefoodmuch
morethanitneededthecotton.
TheDecisivenessofDiplomacy
WhendidtheSouthalmostgetforeign
intervention?

TheSouthstillhopedforforeignintervention,
anditalmostgotitonafewoccasions.
Latein1861,aUnionwarshipstoppedthe
Britishmailsteamerthe
TrentandforciblyremovedtwoConfederate
diplomatsboundforEurope.
BritainwasoutragedattheupstartAmericans
andthreatenedwar,
butluckily,Lincolnreleasedtheprisonersand
tensionscooled.
Onewaratatime,hesaid.
Britishbuiltseavesselsthatwenttothe
Confederacywerealsoaproblem.
In1862,theC.S.S.Alabamaescapedtothe
PortugueseAzores,took
onweaponsandcrewfromBritain,butnever
sailedintoaConfederate
base,thususingaloopholetohelpthe
South.
CharlesFrancisAdamspersuadedBritainnot
tobuildanymoreships
fortheConfederacy,sincetheymight

somedaybeusedagainstEngland.

ForeignFlareUps
Howdidforeigncountriesgetinvolved?

BritainalsohadtwoLairdrams,Confederate
warshipsthatcould
destroywoodenUnionshipsandwreak
havocontheNorth,butafterthe
threatofwarbytheU.S.,Britainbacked
downandusedthoseshipsfor
itsRoyalNavy.
NearCanada,Confederateagentsplotted
(andsometimessucceeded)
toburndownAmericancities,andasaresult,
therewereseveral
miniarmies(raisedmostlybyBritishhating
IrishAmericans)sentto
Canada.
NapoleonIIIofFrancealsoinstalledapuppet
governmentinMexico
City,puttingintheAustrianArchduke
MaximilianasemperorofMexico,
butafterthewar,theU.S.threatened
violence,andNapoleonleft
Maximiliantodoomatthehandsofa
Mexicanfiringsquad.

PresidentDavisVersusPresidentLincoln
Whatwerethetwopresidents'differences?

TheproblemwiththeSouthwasthatitgave
statestheabilityto
secedeinthefuture,andgettingSouthern
statestosendtroopsto
helpotherstateswasalwaysdifficulttodo.
Bydefinitionina
confederacy,nationalpowerwasweak.
JeffersonDaviswasneverreallypopularand
heoverworkedhimself.
Lincoln,thoughwithhisproblems,hadthe
benefitofleadingan
establishedgovernmentandgrewpatientand
relaxedasthewardragged
on.

LimitationsonWartimeLiberties
Whatweresomeoftheselimitations?

AbeLincolndidmakesometyrannicalacts
duringhistermas
president,suchasillegallyproclaiminga
blockade,proclaimingacts
withoutCongressionalconsent,andsending
introopstotheBorder

States,buthejustifiedhisactionsbysaying
thatsuchacts
werentpermanent,andthathehadtodo
thosethingsinorderto
preservetheUnion.
Suchactionsincludedtheadvancementof$2
milliontothree
privatecitizensforwarpurposes,the
suspensionofhabeascorpusso
thatantiUnionistscouldbearrestedwithout
aformalcharge,andthe
intimidationofvotersintheBorderStates.
TheConfederatestatesrefusaltosacrifice
some
statesrightsledtothehandicappingofthe
South,andperhapstoitsultimatedownfall
VolunteersandDraftees:NorthandSouth
Whatlawangeredthepoorandinitiated
riots?Why?

Atfirst,therewerenumerousvolunteers,but
aftertheinitial
enthusiasmslackedoff,Congresspassedits
firstconscriptionlawever
(thedraft),onethatangeredthepoor
becauserichmencouldhirea
substituteinsteadofenteringthewarjustby
paying$300toCongress.
Asaresult,manyriotsbrokeout,suchas
oneinNewYorkCity.
Volunteersmannedmorethan90%ofthe
Unionarmy,andas
volunteersbecamescarce,moneywas
offeredtotheminreturnfor
servicestill,thereweremanydeserters.
TheSouthhadtoresorttoadraftnearlya
yearbeforetheNorth,
anditalsohaditsprivilegesforthe
richthosewhoownedoroversaw20slaves
ormore

TheEconomicStressesofWar
Whatweresomeofthewartimeeconomic
stresses?

TheNorthpassedtheMorrillTariffAct,
increasingtariffratesbyabout5to10%,but
warsoondrovethoseratesevenhigher.
TheWashingtonTreasuryalsoissued
greenbackpapermoneytotaling
nearly$450million,butthismoneywasvery
unstableandsanktoas
lowas39centspergolddollar.
ThefederalTreasuryalsonetted$2.6billion

inthesaleofbonds.
TheNationalBankingSystemwasa
landmarkofthewar,createdto
establishastandardbanknotecurrency,and
banksthatjoinedthe
NationalBankingSystemcouldbuy
governmentbondsandissuesound
papermoney.
TheNationalBankingActwasthefirststep
towardaunified
nationalbankingnetworksince1836,when
theBankoftheUnitedStates
waskilledbyAndrewJackson.
IntheSouth,runawayinflationplaguedthe
Confederates,and
overall,intheSouthinflationwentupto
9000%,asopposedto
just80%intheNorth.

TheNorthsEconomicBoom
WhydidtheNorth'seconomybenefitfromthe
war?

TheNorthactuallyemergedfromtheCivil
Warmoreprosperousthan
before,sincenewfactorieshadbeenformed
andamillionaireclasswas
bornforthefirsttimeinhistory.
However,manyUnionsuppliersusedshoddy
equipmentintheirsupplies,suchasusing
cardboardasthesolesofshoes.
Sizesforclothingwereinvented,andthe
reaperhelpedfeedmillions.
In1859,adiscoveryofpetroleumoilsent
peopletoPennsylvania.
Womengainednewadvancesinthewar,
takingthejobsleftbehind
bymengoingofftobattle,andotherwomen
posedasmenandbecame
soldierswiththeirhusbands.
ClaraBartonandDorotheaDixhelped
transformnursingfromalowly
servicetoarespectedprofession,andinthe
South,SallyTompkinsran
aRichmondinfirmaryforwounded
Confederatesoldiersandwasawarded
therankofCaptainbyJeffersonDavis.

ACrushedCottonKingdom

TheSouthwasruinedbythewar,as

Whatwasaneconomicresultofthewar?

transportationcollapsedand
suppliesofeverythingbecamescarce,and
bytheendofthewar,the
Southclaimedonly12%ofthenational
wealthasopposedto30%before
thewar,anditspercapitaincomewasnow
2/5thatof
Northerners,asopposedto2/3of
Northernersbeforethewar.
Still,thoughmanySouthernerswere
resourcefulandspirited,theSouthjust
couldntwin.