North v. SouthCharacteristics, advantages/disadvantages,

strategy, & major battles

Characteristics of the North & South North South

Industrialized North Agrarian South

Many large cities Large plantations

Larger population Large illiterate population

Extensive train system Many slaves

Most farmers grew crops Subsistence farming

for profit Grew cotton & tobacco

Advantages/Disadvantages

Resources: North & South

Comparison: North/South

Railroad Lines: 1860

Men Present for Duty in the Civil War

Advantages of the South?

Fighting a defensive war

North had to invade & occupy the South

South was defending its home against invaders

Southern whites felt a greater sense of unity

More, and better, military leaders

And southern soldiers were better equipped to survive a war of attrition

Overview of Civil War Strategy

Union: Anaconda Plan

U.S. General-in-Chief Winfield Scott's plan to defeat the Confederacy: blockade the southern and eastern coasts, seize control of the Mississippi River so as to break the Confederacy in two, and then strike from all sides at once.

Union: Anaconda Plan

Southern Strategy

Attrition: a strategy of winning by not losing, of wearing out a better equipped foe and compelling him to give up by prolonging the war and making it too costly.

“Offensive-defensive" strategy: This consisted of defending the Confederate homeland by using interior lines of communication to concentrate dispersed forces against an invading army and, if opportunity offered, to go over to the offensive, even to the extent of invading the North.

Ft. Sumter

• The opening shots of the War.

• April 12, 1861

• Confederate artillery opened fire on this Federal fort in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.

• Ft. Sumter surrendered 34 hours later

1st Battle of Manassasor

1st Battle of Bull Run

• First major battle of Civil War- July 21st, 1861

• Civilians came from nearby Washington D.C. to watch

• Became surprisingly bloody

• Civilians and Northern Troops fled from area in what was called “the Great Skeddadle”

• Neither side could claim victory but it showed the nation that this would be a long bloody war with an uncertain outcome.

• The second Battle of Manassas several months later was a Confederate victory

First battle of manassas

The Progress of the war 1861-1865

AntietamSeptember 17, 1862

• 23,000 soldiers killed or missing after 12 hours of combat.

• Ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia’s first invasion into the North.

• Much to his Lincoln’s anger General McClellan did not pursue General Lee’s army. McClellan will soon be replaced because of inaction

• The Battle is important for many reasons, but most importantly it led to Abraham Lincoln’s issuance of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.

Antietam

FredericksburgDecember 1862

• Disastrous battle for Union in Virginia.

• Union tried to attack high ground by crossing Rappahannock river.

• Gave great confidence to General Lee, which prompts him to invade the north in summer of 1863.

• General Burnsides is replaced

• Lincoln is perceived to be weak and ineffective as President. Nearly has nervous breakdown.

Gettysburg, PA

• July 1,2,3rd 1863

• Generals Lee’s attempt to cut Wa D.C. off from the rest of the Union.

• Last time Lee is able to bring the battle to Northern Territory.

• Seen as a major turning point in the war.

• Largest battle during the war.

Picket's Charge• Decisive engagement of

the Gettysburg battle.

• Some refer to this event as the “high water mark” of the confederacy war effort.

• After Pickett’s charge the confederacy is on the run and never is able to invade the north again.

• Lee is despondent and blames himself for the major setback.

From the movie “Gettysburg”

Vicksburg

Vicksburg• US General Grant lays siege to

Vicksburg for 6 months.

• Confederates give up on July 4th 1863.

• It was important because it was one of the last two strongholds on the Mississippi river for the confederacy.

• Grant earns more fame for this and will soon be named Lt. General of all Union Armies, however he headquarter with the Army of the Potomac.

Virginia Campaign1864-1865

Virginia Campaign• Long, complicated series of battles aimed at

destroying General Lee’s capacity to fight.

• May 1864 through early 1865.

• Huge losses for Grant, but proportionally higher for Lee. (Remember the North’s population vs. the South’s)

• Ultimately successful for the Union.

Sherman’s March to the Sea

• Sherman’s March throughGeorgia to the Sea, 1864

• Meant to punish the south and make them not want war ever again.

• Sherman and his troops burned a 60 mile wide swath of land through the middle of Georgia, all the way to the sea.

• Burns Atlanta.

• If this interests you, watch “Gone With the Wind”

Surrender

• Appomattox Court House

• General Lee surrenders to General U.S. Grant.

• April 9th, 1865

• Ends the Civil War

THE WAR ENDS 13 AMENDMENT-Bans all slavery anywhere

under US jurisdiction.

Passed after protracted debates in Congress.

See the movie “Lincoln.”

Abraham Lincoln assassinated by southern sympathizer John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater.

Shot on April 14th, died early on April 15th.

Casualties on both sides

Civil War Deaths in comparison to other wars