Chapter 20 Notes: Girding for War: The North and

the South
The Menace of Secession
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March 4, 1861 Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated president

o Had to sneak into D.C. because of assassins out to kill him
o In his inaugural address he claimed that there would be no conflict
unless the South provoked it
He said restoration of the union was his number one goal
o Geographically he stated that the U.S. could not be split
o A split would bring up questions about sharing of national debt
And allocation of federal territories
o A split would also please the European countries
U.S. was the only major display of democracy in the W.
Hemisphere
Would allow the Monroe Doctrine could be undermined

South Carolina Assails Fort Sumter

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Fort Sumter was a fort in the South that refused to relinquish their power
o Its supplies were running out against a besieging South Carolinian
army
Lincoln had to figure out how to take care of the issue
o Lincoln chose to send supplies to the fort
Told South Carolina it was only provisions, not reinforcements
The South saw provisions were reinforcements
April 12, 1861 cannons fired onto the fort
34 hours of non-lethal fighting lead to their surrender
Northerners were furious at the Souths actions on the fort
o Lincoln called on 75,000 volunteers and more than that came
o He also called a naval blockade on the South on April 19
o The Deep South say these actions was a wage to an aggressive war
Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina joined the
South
Capital of Confederacy was moved to Richmond, VA

Brothers Blood and Border Blood

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There were three border states that were crucial for both sides
o Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland
o They would have almost doubled the manufacturing capacity of the
South
o Called border states because
They are on the North-South border
They are slave-states who are on the edge of seceding
Lincoln saw how important they were and used moral persuasion and dubious
legality
o He declared martial law in Maryland

It would isolate D.C. within Confederate territory if it went to the

South
o Sent troops to western Virginia and Missouri to secure the areas
o Lincoln made sure he emphasized the war was on restoring the Union
Not about freeing the slaves
This would have lost the border states
Most of the Five Civilized Tribes sided with the South
o Some Cherokee and most of the Plain Indians were pro-North
o Some of the Indians joined the war or provided supplies
The war was brother vs. brother
o Families were split apart
o Some Northerners went South and vice versa

The Balance of Forces

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At the beginning of the war the South had many advantages

o Only had to fight to a draw to win since it was only on defense
o Had many talented officers
Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson
o Most Southerners trained in a military-style upbringing and education
West Point, The Citadel, or VMI
The Souths weakness would soon show through as the war went on
o Shortage of factories and manufacturing plants
They would slowly develop during the war
o Shortage of shoes, uniforms, blankets, clothing and food
o Transportation issues that made it hard to get the soldiers supplies
o Northern strength would beat Southern advantages

Dethroning King Cotton

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The South wanted foreign intervention, but didnt get it

o European countries wanted the Union to be split
But their people were pro-North and anti-slavery
Came from Uncle Toms Cabin
People sensed a North would win eliminate slavery
Wouldnt allow intervention for the South on behalf of the nation
o The South thought a shortage of cotton would draw other nations into
the war
Pre-war years, cotton production immense and Britain had a
surplus
North won Southern territories and sent cotton and food to
Europe
India and Egypt started to supply cotton to Europe
King Wheat and King Corn beat King Cotton of the South
o Europe needed more food than cotton

The Decisiveness of Diplomacy

-

The South hoped for foreign intervention and almost got it several times
o 1861 a Union warship stopped the British steamer Trent

Forcibly removed two Confederate diplomats bound for Europe

Britain was furious at America and threatened war
Lincoln released the prisoners and tensions cooled
British built sea vessels went to the Confederacy was an issue
1862 C.S.S. Alabama escaped to the Portuguese Azores
Took on weapons and crew from Britain
But never sailed into a Confederate base
o Using a loophole to help the South
Charles Francis Adams persuaded Britain not to build ships for
Confederacy
They might someday be used against England

Foreign Flare-Ups
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British had two Laird rams

o Confederate warships that could destroy wooden Union ships
Had metal heads that pulled apart the wood
British backed down after the U.S. threatened war
Used the ships for its Royal Navy
Near Canada, Confederate agents plotted to burn down American cities
o Several mini-armies sent to Canada
Mostly by British-hating Irish-Americans
Napoleon III of France installed a puppet government in Mexico
o Put Austrian Archduke Maximilian as the emperor of Mexico
o After the war, the U.S. threatened violence
Napoleon left and Maximilian killed by a firing squad
He didnt want any issues with America

President Davis Versus President Lincoln

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The South had issues with its new government it set up

o Was very similar to the Norths Constitution
Except that the South could not say that states could not
succeed
o Sothern states didnt want to send troops to help other states
National power was very weak
o Jefferson Davis was not really popular and he overworked himself
Lincoln had some advantages the South didnt have
o Benefit of leading an established government
o He grew more patient and relaxed as the war went on

Limitations on Wartime Liberties

-

Abe Lincoln did make some tyrannical acts during his presidency
o Illegally proclaiming a blockade without Congress
o Proclaimed acts without Congressional consent
o Sent in troops to the Border States
He justified his actions by saying it wasnt permanent and to preserve the
Union
o Advanced $2 million to three private citizens for war purposed

Suspension of habeas corpus

Anti-Unionists could be arrested without formal charge
o Intimidations of voters in the Border States
The Confederate states refused to sacrifice some states rights
o Led to a handicap of the South
o

Volunteers and Draftees: North and South

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Volunteers started to teeter out after initial enthusiasm slacked off

o Congress passed its first conscription law ever (the draft)
It angered the poor because rich men could hire a substitute
instead
Or just pay $300 dollars to skip out
Riots broke out, including a big one in New York City
o Volunteers manned more than 90% of the Union army
As they became scarce, money offered to them in return for
service
There were many deserters who took the money and ran
South had to resort to a draft a year before the North
o Also had its privileges for the rich
Those who owned or oversaw 20 slaves or more didnt have to
be in the draft

The Economic Stresses of War

-

North passed the Morrill Tariff Act

o Increased tariff rates by about 5 to 10%, but war drove those rates
higher
Washington Treasury issued greenback paper money nearly $450 million
o This money was very unstable and sank as low as 39 cents per gold
dollar
o Netted $2.6 billion in the sale of bonds
North created the National Banking System
o Created to establish a standard bank-note currency
o Banks that joined could buy gov. bonds and issue sound paper money
o First step toward a unified national banking network since 1836
The Bank of the U.S. was killed by Andrew Jackson
In the South there was runaway inflation
o It went up by the end of the war by 9000%
o North only went up 80%

The Norths Economic Boom

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North ended up being more prosperous than before the Civil War
o New factories had been formed
However some Union suppliers used bad equipment in their
supplies
Sizes for clothing were invented
Reaper helped feed millions
o A millionaire class was born for the first time in history

o
o

1859 discovery of petroleum oil sent people to Pennsylvania

Women gained new advances in the war
Took jobs left behind by men leaving for war
Others posed as men and became soldiers with their husbands
Some even became spies
Nursing was transformed from a lowly service to a respected
profession
Clara Barton and Dorothea Dix helped this transformation
In South Sally Tompkins ran a Richmond infirmary for
wounded soldiers
o Awarded rank of Captain by Jefferson Davis

A Crushed Cotton Kingdom

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The South was ruined by the war

o The little transportation they had collapsed
o Supplies of everything became scarce
o By the end of the war, the South claimed only 12% of the nations
wealth
As opposed to the 30% before
Per capita was 2/5 of that of the Northerners