American Civil War 1861-1865 Flashcards

(29 cards)

1
Q

Civil War was a bloodbath

A

Almost as many American died in the civil war as did in all the other wars America has been involved in

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2
Q

Battle of Antietam
17 September 1862

A

22,200 deaths in 1 day
Bloodiest day in American history - eclipsed the death total

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3
Q

620,000 deaths altogether

A

Number reported since early 20thC
Could have been many more

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4
Q

Affected civilians

A

First war with major battles involving 100,000 soldiers
Moved along railroads/needed weapons
The first total war
Armies were sustained by civilians

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5
Q

The civil war transformed

A

The society as a whole

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6
Q

Myths applied to the war based on

A

Nobility
Honour
Tragedy

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7
Q

Ironic “romanticisation of war” myth

A

Destructive and bloody
People died in brutal ways
Cultural shame

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8
Q

War commemoration

A

Nation state becoming an enterprise
General in battle, idea of displaying the best of the war
Challenges the true view of the war

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9
Q

“Both sides are celebrated” myth

A

Modernism
Vehicle for the industrial world triumphing over agricultural world
South as the noble loser, north as the winner of a tragedy

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10
Q

“Southerners still had power in government” myth

A

Lincoln didn’t want to intervene with slavery
Slavery would have died out without the war
Historical inevitability

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11
Q

Key problem for the north

A

Wanted to save the union
Mission was freeing the slaves
Did not want to go to war to free slaves

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12
Q

Both armies were a

A

Volunteer force
Had some support from the drafted army

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13
Q

Incompetent generals commanding the union army

A

Ulysses S. Grant changed this
Made president later

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14
Q

Southern generals better than northern

A

General Robert E. Lee commanded southern army
Was a slaveholder, not clear whether he opposed slavery

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15
Q

The Generals all knew each other

A

Had fought in the Mexican-American war
Would send messages across the battlefield to each other

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16
Q

Initially the south did well

A

Battle of Bull Run first victory
Close to Washington D.C.
People went to watch it
Northern forces failed

17
Q

South won some battles in 1862

A

However, many casualties
North won the decisive Antietam battle

18
Q

Bloodbath was intense

A

Lincoln had to consider a different approach

19
Q

Southern commitment faltered

A

Southern society broke down
Cost of the slaughter affected southern society

20
Q

Southern leadership knew they couldn’t hold out

A

Attempted to invade the north
Lost their advantage

21
Q

175,000 southerners died

A

97,000 died in the first 8 battles
General also died or were wounded

22
Q

South seceded to ensure the rights of

A

Individual states
Meant there was no solidarity
Difficult to organise

23
Q

Slavery began to collapse

A

Breakdown of the plantation
Slaves supported the north
Increase in runaways/insubordination

24
Q

1 in 7 slaves fled to the union forces

A

When the north’s army passed the plantations
Wanted to help in anyway, assisted in road building

25
Ending slavery was not the goal of the war
Abolition of slavery could sabotage the economy of the south The military leaders were ahead of political leaders
26
Southern states were captured and returned to the union
Lincoln returned slaves to slaveholders despite the military freeing them Lincoln was concerned with the border states (still supported the north but held slaves)
27
Slaves working for the army
Were considered free in 1861
28
1862 banned
The runaway slave laws Slavery in the new territories Freed slaves in Washington D.C.
29
Emancipation proclamation 1863
Lincoln declared slaves were free in states that had been conquered by the Union