Girding for War: The North

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Girding for WarThe North The South1861-1865

• The American Pageant
• Chapter 21

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Pres. of Disunited States

• Lincolns inaugural no war unless South started
  it, seces-sion was physically impractical.
• How could North/South solve problems of sharing
  debt territories, FSL?
• Split US could not defend Monroe Doct. against
  Europe.

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S.C. Assails Fort Sumter

• Federal forts in South, not debt or territories
  became issue.
• Fort Sumter in Charleston was most important
  remaining in Federal control, but needed supplies
  by April, 1861.
• Lincolns dilemma let fort fall without fight,
  or risk war?

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S.C. Assails Fort Sumter (2)

• Middle position notify SC that sending
  provisions, not reinforcements, Union naval force
  began trip.
• South regarded this as aggression, opened fire on
  fort on April 12, 1861. Fort surrendered, no
  lives lost.

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S.C. Assails Fort Sumter (3)

• Attack provoked North to fight Lincoln called
  for 75,000 militia, ordered blockade of Southern
  seaports.
• Call for troops provoked South, VA, AR, TN NC
  join Confederacy, capital moved to Richmond, VA.

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Border Blood

• Crucial border slave states (MO, KY, MD, DE,
  later WV) may have seceded had North been
  aggressor, would have doubled manufacturing
  capability of South.
• Lincoln declared martial law in MD to protect DC.

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Border Blood (2)

• Sent Union soldiers to western VA and MO to fight
  with local unionists in local civil wars.
• To satisfy border states, But-ternut region,
  Lincoln pro-claimed initially that goal was not
  to free blacks publicly war was for union only.

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Border Blood (3)

• In OK most of 5 Civilized Tribes sided with
  South, Plains Indians with North.
• In some cases, brothers fought on opposing sides.
  Mountain whites of South provided 50,000 Union
  troops, border states sent 300,000 to South.

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Balance of Forces

• Southern Strengths
• Fighting defensive battle, Union had to conquer
  South.
• Higher morale initially.
• More talented military officers (Lee, Jackson).
• Southern men better soldiers.

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Balance of Forces (2)

• Southern Weaknesses
• Few factories had enough weapons but ran low of
  shoes, uniforms, blankets.
• Transportation could not move supplies (e.g.
  food) well.
• Economy weaker than North.

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Balance of Forces (3)

• Northern Strengths
• Economy 3/4 of wealth RR.
• Superior navy controlled sea, allowed North to
  trade grain for arms with other nations, blockade
  South.
• More manpower 22M to 9M, growth from immigration.

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Balance of Forces (4)

• Northern Weaknesses
• Northern men less ready to be soldiers.
• Less capable military leaders.
• Evaluation South had reasonable opportunity to
  win.

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Dethroning King Cotton

• South counted on foreign intervention ruling
  class of Europe preferred Souths aristocratic
  social order.
• But masses of England wanted end to slavery, tied
  government hands.

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Dethroning King Cotton (2)

• Yet 75 of Britain cotton sup-ply came from
  South, wouldnt they be forced to help?
• Very productive years of 1857-60 produced cotton
  surpluses in Britain.
• Unemployed English helped by US food/cotton
  deliveries.

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Dethroning King Cotton (2)

• South got some cotton through blockade.
• Egypt India increased output of cotton.
• Actually, Britain ended up relying on Northern
  grain corn more than cotton due to bad British
  harvests.

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Decisiveness of Diplomacy

• Late 1861 Union warship stopped British steamer
  Trent and forcibly removed Confederate diplomats.
• Britain prepared for war, Lincoln released
  prisoners (One war at a time).

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Decisiveness of Diplomacy (2)

• 2nd crises with Britain developed over
  Confederate warships built in Britain, e.g. the
  Alabama.
• Alabama captured over 60 northern commercial
  ships, diverted Union naval strength, finally
  sunk.

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Decisiveness of Diplomacy (3)

• Britain outlawed practice, but some ships still
  built, captured over 250 Northern commercial
  ships.
• Northerners talked of revenge by taking Canada
  after war.

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3 Foreign Flare-Ups

• (1) 1863 3rd US-British crisis instigated by
  Laird Rams.
• Could be used by South to destroy US warships,
  would have brought war with Britain.
• US threatened war, London relented, bought for
  own navy.

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Foreign Flare-Ups (2)

• (2) Confederates used Canada as base for raids,
  angry Irish-Americans responded in kind.
• (3) Napoleon III gambled on collapse of Union,
  violated Monroe Doct. by taking Mexico. After
  Union victory he abandoned puppet govt.

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Davis vs. Lincoln

• Confederate govt founded by secessionist/states
  rights sentiments, had fatal problems attempting
  to fight war.
• Pres. Davis often could not get states to commit
  troops outside their borders, unable to
  effectively lead Confederacy.

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Davis vs. Lincoln (2)

• Lincoln had smaller problems due to
  long-established and financially stable govt.
• He was more flexible than Davis, able to
  interpret and lead public opinion.
• Was charitable to South and political enemies.

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Limitation on Liberties

• Lincoln took liberties with Constitution in order
  to save Union. Congress accepted as necessary
  for crisis.
• Congress not in session when war started, Lincoln
  acted unilaterally to

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Limitation on Liberties (2)

• 1. Proclaimed naval blockade.
• 2. Increased size of federal army.
• 3. Directed Sec. of Treasury to give 2M to
  private citizens for military purposes.
• 4. Suspended habeas corpus to arrest
  anti-Unionists.

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Limitation on Liberties (3)

• Lincoln also arranged supervised voting in
  border states and suspended certain newspapers,
  arresting editors.
• Davis less able to exercise powers due to states
  rights.

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Volunteers Draftees

• 1863 Volunteers ran out, Congress passed
  conscription law.
• Rich could hire substitutes or purchase exemption
  for 300.
• Draft resulted in riots (NY Irish), protests.

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Volunteers Draftees (2)

• Over 90 of Union troops were volunteers, and
  fed/state/ local govts offered bounties.
• Many bounty boys deserted, and then re-enlisted
  elsewhere to pocket more.
• Both armies suffered many desertions (200,000 for
  Union).

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Volunteers Draftees (3)

• April, 1862 South forced to conscript almost a
  year before North, took men 17-50.
• Southern draft also benefited rich could hire
  substitute, owner of 20 or more slaves was exempt.

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Economic Stresses of War

• North increased taxes on tobacco/alcohol, began
  low income tax, raised millions.
• After Southern reps left, Congress raised tariff
  rates moderately identified Republican party
  with protective tariff, industrialists.

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Economic Stresses of War (2)

• North also issued paper money, inadequately
  supported by gold so value fluctuated along with
  Union fortunes.
• Biggest money raiser was borrowing raised 2B
  through bonds.

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Economic Stresses of War (3)

• 1863 Congress creates National Banking System to
  establish standard bank-note currency.
• South had it much worse Union blockade reduced
  customs duties, but did raise 400M in bonds.

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Economic Stresses of War (4)

• Southern states righters opposed to heavy
  taxation, limited tax collection.
• Confederates forced to print money 9,000
  inflation by end of war, compared to 80 for
  Union.

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Norths Economic Boom

• North emerged even more prosperous after war.
• Protective tariff, inflation helped factories.
• War bred millionaire class.
• Many Northerners defrauded govt blind horses,
  cardboard shoes, shoddy millionaires.

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Norths Economic Boom (2)

• New machinery increased production even though
  war took away labor.
• (1) Sewing machine helped make uniforms, shoes,
  led to standard-sized clothing.
• (2) Mechanical reapers produced surpluses of
  grain.

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Norths Economic Boom (3)

• Oil discovery led 59ers to PA, new petroleum
  industry.
• Gold, draft, Homestead Act of 1862 led 300,000
  west.
• Shipping was only industry to suffer setback due
  to Confed-erate commerce-raiders.

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Norths Economic Boom (4)

• Departing soldiers left oppor-tunities for women,
  especially government girls, sewing industry.
• 400 women involved in war posing as men, others
  as spies.
• Blackwell, Barton, Dix, Tompkins developed
  nursing.

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Crushed Cotton Kingdom

• South had 30 of wealth in 1860, only 12 in
  1870.
• Per capita income went from 2/3 of North to 2/5.
• Supplies such as RR tracks, dishes, pins were
  scarce.
• Southern women took pride in avoiding silks
  satins.

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