Heimler’s History: The Civil War (Unit 5 of AP U.S. History)
Introduction
Discussion on the factors contributing to the Union victory in the Civil War.
Comparison of the strengths of the Union (North) and the Confederacy (South).
Advantages of Each Side
Southern Advantages
Defensive War: Fighting on home ground.
Experienced Military Leaders: Notable figures include Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
Northern Advantages
Population: Approximately four times larger than the South.
Navy: Controlled seas and rivers.
Economic Strength:
Majority of banks and manufacturing districts.
Owned about 70% of America’s railroads.
Established Central Government: Stronger and more organized than the South's newly formed government.
Economic Mobilization
Northern Economy
Rapid modernization of manufacturing to support the war effort.
Future industrial leaders like Carnegie and Rockefeller rose during this period.
Southern Economy
Relied on tariffs and taxes on exports, which failed due to Union blockades.
Financial mismanagement throughout the war.
Homefront Opposition
Southern Opposition
Resistance to a centralized war tax due to the emphasis on states’ rights.
Northern Opposition
New York City Draft Riots (1863): Protests against the inequality of draft evasion fees.
Course of the War
Onset of War
Fort Sumter: Catalyst event leading to war; South Carolina fired on Union supply ships.
Early Battles
First Battle of Bull Run: Initial Confederate victory dispelling the notion of a short war.
Strategies
Union Strategy
Anaconda Plan: Naval blockade and control of the Mississippi River to split the Confederacy.
Confederate Strategy
Foreign Aid: Reliance on Britain and France, owing to their dependency on Southern cotton.
King Cotton Diplomacy: Miscalculated as Britain and France turned to other sources for cotton.
Union Success Factors
Leadership
Emergence of effective leaders like Ulysses S. Grant.
Strategy and Political Tools
Emancipation Proclamation (1862): Freed enslaved people in Confederate states, changing the war’s purpose to abolishing slavery. It prevented British support for the South.
Key Battles
Battle of Vicksburg: Gave the Union control over the Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy.
Destruction of Southern Infrastructure
Sherman’s March to the Sea: Total war tactics, including burning Atlanta and destroying railroads, crippling the South's recovery.
Conclusion
These strategic, economic, and military factors culminated in the Union victory at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865, with the surrender of Confederate General Lee to Union General Grant.
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