he T Civil War
I. The M iscalculations of War
A. Military
1. Both sides believed they would win the war rather quickly a) South: held most of the best graduates from West Point, Davis had an experienced military background, Southern army had more experience with firearms, war would be fought on Southern soil (home advantage) -- defend the home, did not need to win the war - just defeat their enemys will to fight b) North: northern navy was superior, population of North was more than 3x larger than Confederacy (could enjoy overwhelming support in military power), North was more diversified economically than South (4/5 of nations manufacturing was in the North, most of the railroad, etc), Union already possessed an established government that was also recognized by foreign powers, enthusiastic about maintaing Union, no leaders in the REpublican party had held military positions before 2. Conditions of the battlefields were not as pictured, military routine was monotonous and was rarely interrupted by battle, forced to deal with disease, unclean water, open latrines, gruesome battles 3. 1 out of 5 soldiers failed to see the end of war -- almost equal to total of American soldiers that died in previous American battles
B. Political
1. Once is was clear that a few battles would not end the war, leaders in both the North and South found them strategizing in unthinkable ways a) South: found itself forced to draft men into its army, virtually extort money and supplies from civilian population, by the end of the war found themselves about ready to arm their slaves b) North: restricted goal overcome to secession & disallowed any intention to deal with slavery where it already existed -- necessary to free slaves in the South and shred the very fabric of Souther society
I I.
Political L ife During the War
A. South
1. The South had to create an entirely new government charged with persuading its citizens that it was capable of dispensing justice and keep the peace at the same time as fighting for independence 2. Wrote and ratified a new Constitution -- imitated the constitution of 1887 but there were some differences a) Principal of states rights was explicitly affirmed b) Explicitly guaranteed slavery would be permitted in ALL states c) Southerners found it hard to create the most rudimentary of government institutions (ex. the federal treasury was in the basement of a Montgomery, Alabama bank -- secretary of the treasury had to pay for own furniture)
B. Northern Political Problems
1. Had the effect of polarizing states that were on the fence of seceding to actually secede 2. Supporting Point
C. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) vs. Jefferson Davis (1808-1889)
1. Jefferson Davis served as Secretary of War and a US Senator 2. In the North many leaders defected to the South, other administration problems: when Democrats defected many other politicians flocked to Washington hoping to replace those that left 3. Lincoln had a down home manner and failed to inspire, major setbacks in the beginning had other leaders not believing in Lincoln
D. The Emancipation Proclamation
I I I.
The Civil War and the Economy
A. North B. South
IV.
Political and Social Legacies