History 203 Lecture Notes: The American Civil War

Introduction

• Final segment of the course: Overview of the American Civil War.
• Secession led to military conflict.
• Lincoln's election in 1860 prompted Southern states to secede.
• Focus on military aspects.

Lincoln's View and the Stakes

• Gettysburg Address: Lincoln emphasized a "new birth of freedom."
• Stakes involved the nature of the American government and abolition of slavery.

Advantages and Strategies of the North and South

• North
  • Population: 23 states, nearly 23 million people.
  • Industrial capacity: Greater production and manufacturing.
  • Railroads: More extensive network, standard gauge.
• South
  • Home ground advantage and local support.
  • Initial edge in military leadership.
• Strategies
  • Union: Naval blockade, control of Mississippi, capture Richmond.
  • Confederacy: Defensive-offensive strategy, holding territory, and winning decisive battles.

Commanders in Chief

• Jefferson Davis
  • Ideal on paper but struggled with micromanagement and stress.
  • Interfered with generals, sometimes showed up on battlefields.
• Abraham Lincoln
  • Little military experience but learned and adapted quickly.
  • Sought capable generals, adapted strategies, and was effective in the role.

Early Battles and Confederate Victories

• First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)
  • Confederate victory; Union army routed.
  • Importance of strategic location near capitals.
• Battle of Shiloh
  • Grant surprised by Confederate forces but eventually victorious.
  • Significant casualties, realization of the war's difficulty.

Turning Points in the War

• Battle of Antietam
  • Strategically a Union victory, allowed Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
  • Redefined war goals, emphasizing slavery's abolition.
• Vicksburg and Gettysburg (1863)
  • Union victories in July 1863 turning the tide of war.
  • Vicksburg: Gained control of the Mississippi River.
  • Gettysburg: Lee's offensive into the North halted.

Union Leadership Changes and Strategies

• Change in Union commanders: McDowell, McClellan, Burnside, Hooker, Meade.
• Lincoln's persistence in finding effective leadership.

Fall of the Confederacy

• Sherman's March to the Sea (1864)
  • Total war strategy aimed to demoralize the South.
  • Significant destruction through Georgia.
• Grant's Overland Campaign
  • Continuous movement and engagement with Lee's forces.
  • Siege of Petersburg led to Confederate surrender.

End of the War

• Surrender at Appomattox (1865)
  • Lee surrenders to Grant, effectively ending the war.
  • Generous terms offered to Confederate soldiers.
• Impact of Lincoln's Assassination
  • Lincoln's death changed the course of Reconstruction.
  • Assassination seen as detrimental to the South.

Conclusion

• War resolved secession and slavery issues.
• Reconstruction presented new challenges and changes.

Key Takeaways

• The Civil War involved complex strategies and numerous battles with significant losses on both sides.
• Leadership, industrial capacity, and strategic victories were critical to the Union's success.
• The war led to profound changes in American society and governance, setting the stage for future developments.