(Lecture 20) A War for Union/ A War for Freedom

Question 1

who were the leaders of the two sides?

Answer 1

Grant and Lee

Question 2

why was it the first total war?

Answer 2

armies could only be sustained through citizen efforts.
few Americans not touched by the war.

Question 3

what are the myths of the war?

Answer 3

supposed honour and nobility.
Romanticisation (people die in cowardly ways).
Both sides celebrated (south as just, noble loser and north as dull, but fair winner).

Question 4

did Lincoln’s election really start the war?

Answer 4

no
few states seceded after election, most did so after shooting began, Lincoln had no desire to interfere with the instituion where it existed

Question 5

why was it a war for union?

Answer 5

north went to war to restore union not abolish slavery originally

Question 6

how many volunteers did Lincoln call for (3 year enlistment)?

Answer 6

42,000

Question 7

why were some enthusiastic about the cause?

Answer 7

escape from boring, industrial life

Question 8

what price could you buy out of draft for?

Answer 8

$300

Question 9

why were there more volunteers in south?

Answer 9

idea of masculinity

Question 10

what were the total numbers in the forces?

Answer 10

north- 22 million
south- 5.5 million white people

Question 11

how many white males between 18 and 45 were there?

Answer 11

north- 4.6 million
south- 1.1 million

Question 12

what was the 20 ‘n word’ rule?

Answer 12

if you had 20 slaves, 1 white man was freed from draft

Question 13

what was the summary of the war?

Answer 13

‘rich man’s war, poor man’s fight’

Question 14

why was their increased violence against AAs?

Answer 14

poorer people venting anger (lynchings, property damage)

Question 15

why couldn’t black people be drafted?

Answer 15

Dred Scott Decision

Question 16

NY riots?

Answer 16

120 people killed, union army sent in

Question 17

why did the number of 500,000 southerners in the Confederate Army half?

Answer 17

belief they were losing the battle

Question 18

what percentage of union army was volunteer?

Answer 18

92%

Question 19

what proportion died in the war, north and south?

Answer 19

1 in 3 south
1 in 6 north

Question 20

who was Robert E. Lee?

Answer 20

commandant of west point, in charge of training generals

wife had inherited slaves

said slavery was evil but still racist

Question 21

1862 battles?

Answer 21

Antietam (22,000 killed) and Charleston

Question 22

why did Lincoln think initial motivator of war wouldn’t work much longer?

Answer 22

growing length of war and carnage at Antietam

Question 23

why did southern dedication begin to fade?

Answer 23

cost of war (not just money)

Question 24

did the southern military strategy change?

Answer 24

yes, couldn’t defend forever

Question 25

how many southern soldiers died between 1861 and 1865?

Answer 25

175,000

Question 26

how many southern soldiers died in first 8 battles?

Answer 26

97,000

Question 27

How does the south establish solidarity as they are independent?

Answer 27

big question as that is their argument for war

Question 28

why did slavery begin to collapse?

Answer 28

breakdown of plantation system

Question 29

how many slaves fled to the union armies once they got close?

Answer 29

1 out of 7

Question 30

why did north adopt an abolition view?

Answer 30

excess slaves in army now, military leaders accepted it more so than political ones.

Question 31

why was Lincoln concerned with abolition?

Answer 31

border states

Question 32

1861 Confiscation Act?

Answer 32

any slaves that worked for the army were forfeit

Question 33

what had Congress done by 1862?

Answer 33

passed laws barring return of runaways, freed D.C. slaves and banned slavery in the new territories

Question 34

what were the AA activists argument for abolition?

Answer 34

undermine southern economy remind Europe who to support provide moral purpose beyond 'Union'

Question 35

what was 2nd Confiscation Act?

Answer 35

anyone who supported rebellion would have their slaves freed

Question 37

Emancipation Proclamation?

Answer 37

1863 All slaves within rebel lines freed unless seceded states joined back to the union by January 1st 1863. (no states went back) turned it from war for union to war for freedom

Question 38

who was opposed to slavery?

Answer 38

British public

Question 39

Where was the southern surrender and when?

Answer 39

1865 Appomattox Didn't end the violence Lincoln shot 5 days later

Question 40

what happened at the conclusion of the Civil War?

Answer 40

Problems that preoccupied Revolutionary War resolved. Northern victory settled the question over whether singular nation would survive