The American Civil War
The Civil War
• Civil War is a war between the people living in the same country
• For the United States the war was between people living in the South and people living in the North– North vs South– The Union vs The Confederacy States of America
• Took place from 1861 - 1865
The Union vs Confederate States of America
Three Stages (parts) of the American Civil War
• 1. Growing unrest– The two sides begin to not like each other
• 2. The War– Fighting takes places– Many battles
• 3. Reconstruction – Reforming the United States– Putting the country back together
Growing Unrest
• Time period before Civil War • The North and South were having a hard time
getting along• The North and the South disagreed with each
other • Divided on many issues– Could not agree on many things
Events that the North and the South
to not like each other
• The Missouri Compromise• The Compromise of 1850• The Fugitive Slave Act• Uncle Tom’s Cabin• The Kansas-Nebraska Act• The Dred Scott Decision• John Brown’s Raid• The Election of Abraham Lincoln
The War
• The Southern States seceded (left the United States of America)
• Named their new country the Confederate States of America
The South fired upon (shot) at the Union fort called Fort Sumter in South Carolina – This event started the war
Artist panting of firing on Fort Sumter Fort Sumter today – it is a museum
Fought in two theaters (parts of the country)
– The East and the West– Most fighting done in the East– During the first two years the union was most
successful in the West
Western Eastern
• Fought between the two armies– The Army of the Potomac was the name for the
Northern Army– The Army of Virginia was the name for the
Southern Army
Blue uniforms Grey uniforms
The Soldiers
Billy YankNorthern Soldier
Johnny RebSouthern Soldier
Strengths and WeaknessesNorth South
Strengths •More factories•More people•Larger extensive Railroad system•Greater food production
•First rate generals – at beginning of the war•Highly motivated soldiers fighting for their way of life•Fighting on home grounds•Shenandoah Valley
Weakness •Fighting on “foreign” soil•Not the best generals – at first
•Little to no industry•Small population•Limited railroad system•Lacking in food production
Important Battles1. Battle of Manassas
2. Battle of Antietam
3. Battle of Gettysburg
5. Appomattox Court House
4. Battle of Vicksburg
Sherman’s March to the Sea
Battle of Manassas/Bull Run
• First battle in the Civil War• Called the Picnic Basket Battle
Antietam
• Battle fought in Maryland in 1862• Bloodiest battle in the Civil War• Lincoln Issued the Emancipation Proclamation– Free all slaves living in states still in rebellion
against the Union– Gave the Union its
second goal – free theslaves
Gettysburg
• Three day battle in Pennsylvania in 1863• Turning point of the war• The North is going to start to win the war
Vicksburg
• Union defeats the Confederacy• Union controls Mississippi River• South is cut into two parts
Sherman’s March to the Sea
• Union General Sherman walked his men from Atlanta Georgia to Savannah Georgia
• Destroyed everything the Confederate Army could use to fight the war
Appomattox Court House
• Appomattox Court House• Confederate General Lee surrendered to
Union General Grant
Strategy for Fighting the War
• North– Goal: Keep the country together– Capture the city of Richmond, Virginia (South’s
capital)– Anaconda Plan
1. Blockade the Southern coast – the South would not be able to get weapons and supplies it needed to fight the war
2. Divide the South into two parts by control the Mississippi River. This way the South would be spilt in two and would not be able to use the river to move supplies
3. Invade the South – Union troops would invade the South to force them to surrender
• South– Goal: Win their independence– War of Attrition (wear down the North)
1. Make the war last as long as possible2. Capture the Washington DC3. Get help from foreign nations
I am so tired. I am worn down from
this war.
Reconstruction
• Now that the war is over how is the country going to be put back together?
• How are the Southern states going to rejoin the United States of America?
• What was going to happened to the slaves who were now free?
Important People
President Abraham Lincoln
• President of the United States of America during the Civil War
• Great Leader
General Ulysses S. Grant
• General of the Union Army during the Civil War– Army of the Potomac
General Robert E Lee
• General of the Army of Virginia• Hero in the South
William T Sherman
• Union General• Lead the “March to the Sea”• Total Destruction
John Wilkes Booth
• Famous actor • Killed Abraham Lincoln after the war• At Fords Theater
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