Warm Up

Why did Southern states secede?

Did any state have a right to leave the Union?

Was Lincoln right to use military force to keep the Union intact?

Electoral Maps

Major Civil War Events

Election of Lincoln (1860), followed by the secession of Southern states who feared that Lincoln would abolish slavery.

Ft. Sumter: Opening confrontation of the Civil War

Major Events

Emancipation Proclamation issued

Gettysburg: Turning point of the Civil War

Appomattox: Site of Lee’s surrender to Grant

Key LeadersAbraham Lincoln: US President during the Civil War, insisted that the Union be held together by force.

Jefferson Davis: US Senator who became President of the Confederacy

Ulysses S. Grant: Union military commander

Key Leaders

Robert E. Lee: Confederate general of the Army of Northern Virginia

Frederick Douglass: Former slave who became an abolitionist and urged Lincoln to recruit former slaves to fight in the Union army

Emancipation Proclamation

Freed slaves located in “rebelling” states

Made destruction of slavery a Northern war goal

Discouraged interference of foreign nations

Allowed for enlistment of African American soldiers in the Union Army

Gettysburg Address

• Lincoln described the Civil War as a struggle to preserve a nation that was dedicated to the proposition that “all men are created equal” and that was ruled by a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

• Lincoln believed America was “one nation,” not a collection of sovereign states. Southerners believed that states had freely joined the union and could freely leave.

After four years of arduous service, marked by After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude, the Army of unsurpassed courage and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield to Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources. I need not tell overwhelming numbers and resources. I need not tell the survivors of so many hard-fought battles, who the survivors of so many hard-fought battles, who have remained steadfast to the last, that I have have remained steadfast to the last, that I have consented to this result from no distrust of them: but, consented to this result from no distrust of them: but, feeling that valor and devotion could accomplish feeling that valor and devotion could accomplish nothing that could compensate for the loss that would nothing that could compensate for the loss that would have attended the continuation of the contest… You have attended the continuation of the contest… You will take with you the satisfaction that proceeds from will take with you the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed; and I the consciousness of duty faithfully performed; and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you His blessing and protection. With an increasing His blessing and protection. With an increasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your admiration of your constancy and devotion to your country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous consideration of myself, I bid you an generous consideration of myself, I bid you an affectionate farewell.affectionate farewell.

Consequences of the Civil War

Lincoln’s view that the United States was one

nation (indivisible) had prevailed.

After the Civil WarLincoln believed that since secession was illegal, Confederate governments in the Southern states were illegitimate and the states had never really left the Union.

He believed that Reconstruction was a matter of quickly restoring legitimate state governments that were loyal to the Union in the Southern states.

Assassination of LincolnThe assassination of Lincoln just a few days after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox enabled Radical Republicans to influence the process of Reconstruction in a manner much more severe towards the former Confederate states. The states that seceded were not allowed back into the Union immediately, but were put under military occupation. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/alrintr.html

After Lincoln…

Radical Republicans also believed in aggressively guaranteeing voting and other civil rights to African Americans. They clashed repeatedly with Lincoln’s successor as President, Andrew Johnson, over the issue of civil rights for freed slaves, eventually impeaching him, but failing to remove him from office.

After the Civil War

Lincoln also believed that once the war was over, to reunify the nation the federal government should not punish the South but act “with malice towards none, with charity for all… to bind up the nation’s wounds….”

End of Civil War

President Lincoln’s views on the end of the Civil War included: -the United States was one nation indivisible -secession was illegal and thus, that the

Southern states had never left the Union.

-reunification should not include punishment of the South, but should act “with malice towards none, with charity for all...to bind up the nation’s wounds....”