Summary
Summary CIE A Level History Notes: American Civil War and Reconstruction
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Part of the: American option: The history of the USA, 1820–1941
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Origins of American Civil War• North is industrial and educated w/ large pop
• South is agriculture w/ small pop & slave/cotton-based economy
• North and south divided – based on geography, commodity, and the issue of slavery.
• The South’s staple crops: tobacco, cotton and corn
• Cotton = the oil of the nineteenth-century.
• The South provided 60% of US exports.
• The abolition of the slave trade in 1808 meant that existing slaves in America became
valuable commodities – no supply w/ high demand means slave prices rocket
• Slaves = large part of the economy
• Republicans aren’t abolitionist yet (some figures are) – just against the expansion of
slavery as wanted new western territory free for northern farmers.
o Slavery as free labour would always undercut the western farmers so they can’t
compete
o So, republicans economically against slavery
o Party began (1854) on the basis that slavery should die – but naturally hence
against expansion
• In the 1860 election Lincoln secured 39% of the popular vote, with 1860 Electoral
College votes - south doesn’t believe this election was legitimate / Lincoln should have
won.
• On December 20 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union:
First state to leave with high percentage of slaves.
1860 American census showed 57% of people were slaves in South
Carolina.
• By February 1861 more deep south states (that produce cotton & very high slave
percentage) also left:
Mississippi (55.2% slave)
Alabama
Georgia
Florida
Louisiana
Texas
Trigger for war – Fall of Fort Sumter
• On 4 April Lincoln decided to place troops in Fort Sumter – a union fort on coast of
south carolna
• On 12 April, after refusing the South’s demands to surrender, the soldiers in Fort
Sumter came under attack from Confederate batteries
• On 19 April Lincoln proclaimed a blockade of Southern ports, essentially confirming
the state of war.
• Lincoln’s proclamation led to Virginia (highest slave pop of almost 1.6 mil),
Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina joining the Confederacy (upper south)
• The slave states of Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri remained loyal to
the Union. – border states.
o If they left it would’ve made it very hard for DC as surrounded
, The American civil war: 1861-65
South v. North – 2 diff types of nationalism so incompatible
South trying to run a country based on ‘states rights’ (the exploitation of humans).
• Northern newspapers shared Lincoln’s expectation of a quick victory (“On to
Richmond!”)
• Lincoln underestimated the strength of the confederacy – assumed that 75,000
soldiers could end the war in 90 days.
Although the south did better than expected it as hard to imagine the south
outperforming the north in the long run.
For the south to win it needed:
1. To win the war fast
2. Economic power
3. Foreign support
Confederate Divides:
Slavery created & doomed the confederacy – limited their ability to win the war as 3.5
mil of their population was actively against them.
Most slave plantation owners were a small number – poor southern found it hard to
have the incentive to fight for states’ rights (slaves) as they don’t own any.
Economics – UNION STRENGHT
South is weaker economically & population wise
The economy was the greatest Southern weakness; it was the North’s strength.
o North boasted about three-fourths of the nation’s wealth, including three-
fourths of the railroad miles.
o The North controlled the sea
Its vastly superior navy established a blockade that soon choked off
Southern supplies and eventually shattered Southern morale.
Its sea power also enabled the north to exchange huge quantities of
grain for munitions and supplies from Europe.
o Southern states produced 7% of nations manufactured goods
o 97% of firearms, 96% of railroad equipment produced by union.
o North becomes more industrial as the war goes on
i.e the sewing machine wrought wonders in fabricating uniforms and
military footwear
North is the legitimate, stablished gov:
1. It has the infrastructure & finance
2. People trust it
3. Its fully functioning
4. People feel safe loaning money
If north needed financial help it could get it easier
Meanwhile, South still establishing itself.
North ran on tariffs to encourage people to buy homegrown goods
The south doesn’t like tariffs but also cant trade ( blockade)
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