The Civil War

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The Civil War

• Social, Economic, and Political Themes

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Two Societies

• North
• Has huge advantages in population and industrial
  development
• North has one factory for every southern
  industrial worker.
• Produces 17x more textiles 32x more firearms
  20x more pig iron.
• has 75 of the nations railroads
• Yet many of these advantages took time to
  mobilize.

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• South
• Largely an agrarian society
• Had resources of food, draft animals, and king
  cotton.
• Southerners lived in a more martial society
  military institutes militia well-trained
  officers

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The Border States

• Upper South adopts a wait and see attitude
  before Ft. Sumter.
• Importance for the Confederacy
• Natural borders (Ohio River)
• Access to river traffic
• Vital resources, wealth, population
• Major railroads run through Va and Md
• KY is the major horse/mule producer
• Tennessee is 1 grain producer
• Following Ft. Sumter, VA/NC/TN/ARK secede.

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• Significance in the North
• Every state that remains loyal is a pyschological
  triumph for the idea of union.
• Lincoln well aware of the political, economic,
  and strategic advantages of the border states.
• I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as
  to lose the whole game. Kentucky gone, we
  cannot hold Missouri, nor I think Maryland.
  These all against us and the job on our hands is
  too large for us. We would as well consent to
  separation and once, including the surrender of
  this capital Washington, D.C. - Abraham
  Lincoln, Sept. 1861

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• Lincoln uses war powers to hang onto Border
  States.
• Dramatized in Maryland, where Lincoln had to
  travel to his inauguration in disguise and the
  6th regiment, en route to Washington, was
  attacked by 10,000 confederate sympathizers in
  Baltimore.
• Moved legislature to Fredericksburg, Maryland
  (pro-Union)
• Lincoln orders the arrest of 19 state legislators
  and the mayor of Baltimore and held without
  trial.
• Ex Parte Merryman Supreme Court rules that such
  arrests were illegal only the Congress can
  suspend habeus corpus and only if the publics
  safety was endangered.

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• Slavery and the Border States
• The border states forced Lincoln to adopt a
  careful balancing act with regard to slavery
• 1861 Gen. John C. Fremont orders emancipation
  of slaves in Missouri Lincoln overturns the
  order.
• 1862 Lincoln proposes to compensate states that
  voluntarily emancipated slavesbacks off plan
  when border states protest.
• 1862 Confiscation Act passedrebel property may
  be confiscate (includes slaves) practical
  emancipation in the slaveholding states.

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• By summer 1862, Lincoln informs cabinet that he
  intends to emancipate slaves, but was waiting for
  a military victory to do so.
• Prepares north by endorsing proposals for
  creating free black colonies in Haiti and Panama.
• Casts emancipation as a means of saving the
  UnionIf I could save the Union without freeing
  any slave, I would do it and if I could save it
  by freeing all the slaves I would do it and if
  I could do it by freeing some and leaving others
  alone, I would also do that. What I do about
  Slavery and the colored race, I do because I
  believe it helps to save this Union.

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Emancipation Proclamation

• Released Sept. 1862 effective January 1863
• Limited to areas in rebellion
• Authorizes enlistment of freed persons

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Reactions to the Proclamation

• Abraham has gone and done it at last. Yesterday
  will be a day hallowed in the hearts of millions
  of people of these United States, also by
  friends of liberty and humanity the world over.
  - Cpl. Josian Chaney, MN
• Thank God the contest is now between Slavery and
  Freedom, and every man knows what he is fighting
  for. - Pvt. Constant Hanks, NY
• I am no abolitionist, in fact I despise the
  word, but as long as slavery existsthere will be
  no permanent peace for America, therefore I am
  for killing slavery. - Pvt. Henry Henney, OH

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• I did not come out to fight for the nigger or
  the abolition of slavery. - Lt. Col. Henry
  Hubell, NY

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• A study of Union soldiers diaries letters by
  James McPherson revealed that 36 supported the
  E.P, 16 opposed it, and the rest did not
  register an opinion.
• Ultimately, the EP provides
• A moral impetus to the Union effort
• An obstacle for European recognition of the CSA
• An opportunity to enlist soldiers.

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African-Americans and the War

• African-American Soldiers
• Following the Emancipation Proclamation, many
  begin pushing for enlistment of African-Americans
  in combat.
• Black leaders want to join the fight as a step
  toward earning political rightsFirst comes the
  cartridge box, then the jury box, and finally the
  ballot box. Frederick Douglass

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• African-Americans had served in the war since
  1861
• Cooks, laborers, teamsters, grave-diggers,
  carpenters, sailors (1/4 of the US Navy)
• As casulaties rise, interest in arming black
  soldiers rises.
• Some tell us tis a burning shameto make the
  naygers fight.And that the thrade of bein
  kiltBelongs but to the white.But as for me,
  upon my soul!So liberal are we here.Ill let
  Sambo be murthered instead of myselfOn every day
  of the year.

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The Politics of the War

• Foreign Affairs
• Both sides realize attitudes in Europe are
  critical.
• South
• CSA wants recognition to gain credibility and
  aid.
• Without foreign aid, the CSAs long-term survival
  was doubtful.
• European powers are neutral at the startbut
  South believes that the need for cotton will lure
  them to support the CSA.

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• North
• William H. Seward (Secretary of State) threatens
  to declare war against Britain if it intervenes.
• WHS is criticized for recklessness, but the
  policy works.
• Issues
• Alabama Claims
• Trent Incident
• Laird Rams
• But aside from these, no support.

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New Problems, New Solutions

• Funding the War
• Taxes
• Pay 21 of the Norths cost / 1 of the Souths
• Tariffs
• North institutes an income tax
• Bonds
• 2 billion worth bought by the North
• South is less successful in selling bonds
• Paper Money
• CSA prints 100 million in 1861, followed by
  millions more. Faces runaway inflation.
• Union issues 150 million in greenbacks in
  1861. Moderate inflation (80)leads to
  unhappiness.

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• Manpower
• Desertion a problem
• 1 of 7 in North desert 1 of 9 in South
• Attracted with bounties.
• Bounty jumping
• Draft
• 1862 - CSA passed first Conscription Act in US
  History
• 18-35 with exemptions buy substitutes over 20
  slaves
• Expanded to 17-50 in 1864 black companies by
  1865
• 1863 Union begins drafting
• 300 exemptions (Three hundred dollar men)
• Draft Riots in NY in July

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• Jeff Davis
• Struggles to control his legislature
• States rights doctrine
• Lincoln
• Peace Democrats
• Copperheads
• Lincoln betrayed the Constitution and the Working
  Class
• Irish immigrants and Butternut region
• Republicans
• Some thought Lincoln was too lenient
• Election of 1864
• National Union Party

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Nationalism in the War

• Republican Congress
• Life goes on during the war
• With southern states rights representatives and
  senators gone, the Republicans pass a series of
  nationalistic measures
• National Banking System
• Homestead Act of 1863
• Pacific Railway Act
• Morill Land Grant Act create colleges in
  western states.
• Morill Tariff