Civil War Conclusions, Effects and

Reconstruction

Life of a Civil War SoldierMonths of service away from home

Inadequate food and shelterFrequently ate “hardtack”Coffee was the most valuable supply

Disease and unsanitary conditionsMore men died of disease than in battle

Many days spent marching with equipment

Boredom

Sheer terror fighting on the battlefield

Anocanda PlanFully blockade all the coasts and cut off the

South from all supplies.

Control the Mississippi River and separate confederate states.

Capture the capital city of Richmond Virginia.

Destroy civilian morale by capturing and destroying the cities of Atlanta and Savannah.

The North will use it’s advantage in numbers of troops to fight the South everywhere and break the spirits of the Confederacy.

Emancipation ProclamationActually applied only to the Southern states

that were in rebellion.

The Union victory at Antietam provided the timing for Lincoln to issue the Proclamation.

Changed the focus of the war from preserving the Union to fighting to get rid of the institution of slavery.

Prevented foreign intervention from Britain and France.

Paved the way for total abolition of slavery.

Massachusetts 54th

First military unit to be raised during the Civil War consisting of all black soldiers.

After the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1862, many freed black men signed up to fight.

Massachusetts was the first state to put together an all black regiment.

Controversy in that many people wondered if black men could and should fight a “white man’s war”.

Controversy continued with the idea of having black officers lead the troops.

1st Battle of Bull RunManassas Virginia

July 21st, 1861

1st official battle of the Civil War, fought just a few miles from Washington DC.

People had a picnic and gathered to watch what they assumed would be the only battle of the Civil War.

General McDowell vs. Generals Johnston and Beauregard

Confederate victory

AntietamSharpsburg, Maryland

September 16-18, 1862

September 17th is the single bloodiest day in American military history

General McClellan vs. General Lee

Inconclusive victory

ShilohPittsburgh Landing, Tennessee

April 6-7, 1862

Attack on the Union on a piece of land along the Tennessee River

Generals Buell and Grant vs. Generals Johnston and Beauregard

Union victory

FredricksburgVirginia

December 11-15, 1862

Largest and deadliest of the Civil War, over 200,000 people fought.

General Burnside vs. General Lee

Confederate Victory

VicksburgMississippi

May 18th-July 4th 1863

Battle to control a strategic location along the Mississippi River

General Grant vs. General Pemberton

Union victory

GettysburgPennsylvania

July 1-3, 1863

General Lee’s second attempt to invade the North will fail and is considered to be a true turning point in the war.

The North defends against Pickett’s Charge to claim victory

General Meade vs. General Lee

Gettysburg AddressGiven by President Lincoln on

November 19, 1863 to dedicate the Soldier’s Cemetery at the Gettysburg battle site.

Lincoln spoke for just over 2 minutes and gave one of his most famous speeches in 272 words.

“Four score and seven years ago……”

Sherman’s March to the SeaGeorgia

November 15-December 21, 1864

Following the siege and victory in Atlanta, General Sherman marched his troops across Georgia to capture the city and port of Savannah

Changed military tactics by operating deep within enemy territory

Often criticized for burning and pillaging Southern land

Surrender at Appomattox CourthouseAppomattox County, Virginia

April 9, 1865

General Lee found his troops to be completely surrounded and decided to surrender the army of Northern Virginia.

Fighting still continued after this and no official document would ever be signed to end the war.

Confederate soldiers were allowed to return home and Union soldiers were not allowed to outwardly celebrate their victory.

Robert E Lee:

Commander of the Confederate Troops

Ulysses S Grant:

Commander of the Union Troops and 18th President of the U.S

Lincoln is assassinatedOn April 15th, 1865 at Ford’s Theater in

Washington DC while watching “Our American Cousin”

By John Wilkes Booth-an actor and Southern sympathizer.

Only 5 days after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse

Lincoln is carried across the street and dies during the night from gun shot wounds.

John Wilkes Booth

Reconstruction Designed by Lincoln to bring the South back to the Union

to as normal as possible.

Lincoln would issue a pardon to any Southern state that would swear an oath to the Constitution and the Union

Lincoln dies and Vice President Andrew Johnson takes control of Reconstruction Plans.

Constitutional Reconstruction: 1863-1869

Radical Reconstruction: 1869-1877 Controlled by the Radical Republicans Believed in the equality of Freedmen and wanted to punish

the Confederacy

Impeached for his role in Reconstruction and almost removed from office.

Carpetbaggers:

Northerners who moved to the South after the Civil War

Freedman’s BureauFormed to protect the newly freed blacks in

the South after the Civil War.

The Southern states were divided into 10 districts in which military occupation would occur and the Bureau would work within these districts to distribute aid.

“40 acres and a mule”

In many cases, the Bureau worked as a political machine and as a way to organize the new black voters to vote for Republicans.

Black CodesGranted basic rights to newly freed

blacks (the right to marry, own property)

Allowed for the segregation of public facilities

Placed incredible restrictions on the freedman’s status as a laborer

This would also allow an organization such as the KKK to rise and become powerful

New Amendments13th Amendment: Abolishes the

institution of slavery.

14th Amendment: Grants citizenship to newly freed slaves.

15th Amendment: Prohibits the denial of suffrage based on race, color or previous condition of servitude.

Total cost of warApproximately 2.5 million troops on

both sides fought in the war

620,000 men died during the war

375,000 soldiers were wounded

Overall, the war cost $8 billion.$6 billion was spent by the NorthApprox. $2.5 million was spent each day

during the war.

Effects of the WarSouthern economy is destroyed-many

Southerners live in poverty.

Most African Americans still live in poverty, although the Constitution is changed to provide equality.

Northern carpetbaggers “help” rebuild the South

Violence and racism continues-rise of the KKK.