MILITARY Conflict in the CIVIL WAR [APUSH Review Unit 5 Topic 8] Period 5: 1844-1877

Summary

In this episode of Heimler's History, the focus is on the Civil War, exploring why the Union emerged victorious despite initial uncertainties. Key factors included the North's superior population, economic strength, and naval power. The video contrasts the strategies of both sides, highlighting the Union's Anaconda Plan and the South's reliance on foreign aid. It also discusses internal opposition, such as the New York City Draft Riots, and pivotal moments like the Battle of Vicksburg. The Emancipation Proclamation is revealed as a strategic move that reshaped the war's narrative and deterred foreign support for the Confederacy.

Takeaways

• 🇺🇸 The Civil War was a pivotal conflict in U.S. history, with the Union's victory shaped by various strategic, economic, and social factors.
• 🔍 Initially, the outcome of the Civil War was uncertain, as both the Union and the Confederacy had their own set of advantages.
• 🏰 The South's advantage lay in fighting a defensive war, with experienced military leaders like Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
• 🌐 The North, however, had a population roughly four times larger than the South, a robust navy, and a more established central government.
• 🏭 The North's industrial capacity and economic strength, including control over banks, manufacturing, and railroads, gave it a significant edge.
• 💵 Both sides had to mobilize their economies for total war, with the North modernizing its production and the South relying on tariffs and taxes.
• 🚢 The Union's naval blockade was a crucial strategy, effectively cutting off the South from international trade and support.
• 🔥 The South's hope for foreign aid, particularly from Britain and France, was diminished as alternative cotton sources emerged.
• 🔍 The Union's leadership improved over time, with generals like Ulysses S. Grant emerging to turn the tide of the war.
• 📜 The Emancipation Proclamation was a strategic move that not only aimed to free enslaved people in the Confederacy but also to prevent foreign support for the South.
• 🔥 Key Union victories, such as the Battle of Vicksburg and General Sherman's March to the Sea, severely damaged the Confederacy's infrastructure and morale.

Q & A

What was the main question the video aimed to answer?

The video aimed to answer the question: 'What were the various factors that contributed to the Union victory in the Civil War?'

What advantages did the South have at the outset of the Civil War?

The South had the advantage of fighting a defensive war, experienced military leaders like Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, and a strong military tradition.

What advantages did the North have over the South in the Civil War?

The North had advantages in population (about four times larger), a robust navy, economic strength (with most banks and manufacturing districts), and an established central government.

Why did the South struggle financially during the Civil War?

The South struggled financially due to Union naval blockades, which hindered its ability to trade, and its reliance on tariffs and taxes on exports was insufficient.

What was one significant form of opposition to the war in the North?

One significant example of opposition in the North was the New York City Draft Riots of 1863, where working-class men protested the draft law that allowed the wealthy to buy their way out of military service.

How did the Confederacy respond to the Union's efforts to resupply Fort Sumter?

The Confederacy chose to fire on the Union supply ships, marking the first official shot of the Civil War at Fort Sumter.

What was the Anaconda Plan?

The Anaconda Plan was the Union's strategy to blockade Southern ports and control the Mississippi River, effectively splitting the Confederacy in half.

Why did the South believe foreign nations like Britain and France might support their cause?

The South believed that the need for cotton in Britain and France would prompt these nations to support the Confederacy, as they relied heavily on Southern cotton for their textile industries.

What was the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation?

The Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people in Confederate states in rebellion, transforming the war's purpose into a fight against slavery and weakening potential foreign support for the South.

How did General Sherman contribute to the Union victory?

General Sherman contributed by capturing Atlanta, then conducting his infamous March to the Sea, where he destroyed Southern infrastructure, including railroads, crops, and land, making it difficult for the South to recover.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Introduction and Overview of the Civil War

The speaker introduces the Civil War, starting with Lincoln's election and the secession of Southern states. The main question posed is: What factors contributed to the Union's victory? While it wasn't certain the Union would win, both the North and South had advantages. The South benefited from defensive positions and military leadership, while the North had a larger population, a stronger navy, economic power, and a centralized government. However, both sides faced substantial challenges.

05:02

🛠 Mobilization of Economies

The Union and Confederacy had to mobilize their economies to fight the war. Northern manufacturers modernized, leading to future industrial barons like Andrew Carnegie emerging. The South, relying on tariffs and taxes, struggled financially due to Union blockades. The war strained both economies, revealing the South's financial weaknesses.

⚔️ Homefront Opposition to the War

Significant opposition to the war existed on both sides. In the Confederacy, the introduction of a war tax was met with resistance from states prioritizing states' rights. In the North, class tensions exploded into the New York City Draft Riots of 1863, where working-class men protested the $300 draft exemption fee, leading to violent confrontations.

📜 Lincoln’s Leadership and Fort Sumter

Lincoln was determined to prevent Southern secession but avoided initiating conflict. The first shots of the war were fired when Confederate forces attacked Union supply ships at Fort Sumter. This event officially ignited the Civil War. The early stages of the war saw Confederate victories, such as at the First Battle of Bull Run, where inexperienced Union soldiers fled, shattering hopes of a short conflict.

🌍 War Strategies: Anaconda Plan and Foreign Reliance

The Union's Anaconda Plan aimed to blockade Southern ports and control the Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy. The South's strategy hinged on foreign aid, especially from Britain and France, driven by their dependence on Southern cotton. However, both nations found alternative cotton sources in India and Egypt, leaving the South isolated.

🛡 Union Leadership and Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln struggled to find effective generals until Ulysses S. Grant emerged. Grant’s persistence in pushing Confederate forces into their territory turned the tide. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation reframed the war as a fight against slavery, rallying enslaved people in the Confederacy to escape and weakening Southern hopes for British support.

⚔️ Key Battle: Vicksburg and Destruction of Southern Infrastructure

The Union’s victory at Vicksburg, led by Grant, gave them control of the Mississippi, splitting the Confederacy. General Sherman’s devastating March to the Sea destroyed Southern railroads and infrastructure, further weakening the Confederacy and hastening Union victory.

🏁 The End of the Civil War and Union Victory

The war culminated in the Union’s success, with key victories, economic devastation in the South, and the success of the naval blockade. General Lee surrendered to Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse on April 9th, 1865, officially ending the Civil War.

📚 Conclusion and Call to Action

The video concludes by encouraging viewers to explore the full playlist for Unit 5 of the AP U.S. History curriculum. The speaker offers further help for exams and urges viewers to subscribe if they found the content useful.

Keywords

💡Civil War

The Civil War refers to the conflict that took place in the United States from 1861 to 1865, primarily between the Northern states (the Union) and the Southern states (the Confederacy) that had seceded from the Union. The war was fought over issues including states' rights, westward expansion, and most notably, slavery. In the video, the Civil War is the central theme, with discussions on factors leading to the Union's victory.

💡Union

The Union refers to the Northern states that remained loyal to the United States government during the Civil War. The video discusses the Union's advantages such as population, industrial capacity, and naval power, which contributed to its victory. The Union's victory is a central narrative in the script.

💡Confederacy

The Confederacy refers to the group of Southern states that seceded from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. In the video, the Confederacy's disadvantages, such as lack of industrial capacity and financial instability, are highlighted in contrast to the Union.

💡Anaconda Plan

The Anaconda Plan was a Union strategy during the Civil War that aimed to blockade Southern ports and gain control of the Mississippi River, thereby splitting the Confederacy in half. The video mentions this plan as a key strategic move by the Union to gain an advantage over the Confederacy.

💡Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation was a document issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, declaring that all slaves in Confederate-held territory were to be set free. The video explains that, while it is often seen as a declaration of freedom, it was also a military strategy to weaken the Confederacy by encouraging enslaved people to join the Union.

💡Fort Sumter

Fort Sumter is a federal fort in Charleston, South Carolina, and its bombardment by Confederate forces in 1861 is considered the first shots of the Civil War. The video uses Fort Sumter as an example of how the conflict began.

💡Stonewall Jackson

Stonewall Jackson was a Confederate general known for his tactical prowess and leadership during the Civil War. The video mentions him as an example of the South's advantage in experienced military leadership.

💡Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant was a Union general who played a pivotal role in the Union's victories, eventually becoming the Commanding General of the United States Army. The video highlights his aggressive strategy and leadership as key to the Union's success.

💡Vicksburg

The Battle of Vicksburg was a significant Union victory that gave the Union control of the Mississippi River, effectively splitting the Confederacy. The video uses Vicksburg as an example of a key battle that shifted the momentum in favor of the Union.

💡William Tecumseh Sherman

William Tecumseh Sherman was a Union general who led the 'March to the Sea', a military campaign that devastated the Confederacy's infrastructure and resources. The video discusses his role in weakening the South's ability to continue the war.

💡Appomattox Courthouse

The Appomattox Courthouse is the location where Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the Civil War. The video concludes with this event, marking the Union's victory.

Highlights

Abraham Lincoln's election and the secession of the Southern states led to the Civil War.

The Union's victory was not guaranteed due to the South's advantages in military leadership and defensive strategy.

The North had a significant population advantage, economic strength, and a well-established central government.

Both sides had to mobilize their economies for total war, with the North modernizing its manufacturing capacity.

The South relied on tariffs and taxes but struggled financially due to Union naval blockades.

There was substantial opposition to the war on both the Union and Confederate homefronts.

The New York City Draft Riots in 1863 highlighted class tensions and opposition to the war in the North.

Fort Sumter's bombardment is considered the first official engagement of the Civil War.

The First Battle of Bull Run demonstrated the Confederacy's early military success and the war's intractability.

The Anaconda Plan was a key Union strategy to blockade Southern ports and control the Mississippi River.

The South's strategy hinged on foreign assistance, particularly from Britain and France, due to cotton exports.

The Emancipation Proclamation of 1862 was a significant military and political strategy rather than just a freedom document.

The Battle of Vicksburg was a turning point, allowing the Union to split the Confederacy in half.

General William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea devastated the South's infrastructure and resources.

The Union's success was due to improved leadership, strategy, key battle victories, and the destruction of Southern infrastructure.

General Lee's surrender to General Grant at Appomattox Courthouse marked the end of the Civil War.

Transcripts

Well hey there and welcome back to Heimler’s  History. We’ve been going through Unit 5  

of the AP U.S. History curriculum and  in the last video we talked about the  

election of Abraham Lincoln and the resulting  secession of the Southern states. And now,  

at long last, we got ourselves a  Civil War to talk about. So I can  

hear the faint sound of your brain cows  lowing to get milked, so let’s get to it.

So this video is trying to answer the following  question: What were the various factors that  

contributed to the Union victory in the Civil  War? And I know I just spoiled the ending—yes,  

the Union wins the war—and if you didn’t  already know that, well, you know, sorry.

Now, from the outset, it wasn’t a foregone  conclusion that the Union, which is to say,  

the northern states, would win the war. Both sides  had their advantages, and just because I’m feeling  

a little saucy, let’s compare those strengths in  a chart. The South had the advantage of fighting  

a defensive war. No need to invade anybody,  just stay put and fight off the aggressor.  

Additionally, the South possessed far greater and  more experienced military leaders like Robert E.  

Lee and Stonewall Jackson. The North, on the  other hand, had the advantage of population,  

which is to say about four times that of the  southern states. Additionally, the North had  

possession and command of a robust navy by which  they could control the seas and rivers. The  

North also had an economic advantage since they  possessed most of the banks and manufacturing  

districts and something like 70% of America’s  railroads. Finally, the North had the advantage  

of a well-established central government.  Unfortunately, the South who had just written  

up a Constitution eschewing centralized power  would struggle in this area throughout the war.

So even though I listed more advantages for the  North, that doesn’t mean each item on both lists  

were weighted equally, which is to say, neither  side could look at the other and assume they  

would win in a landslide. Victory for either side  would cost both an awful lot of money and blood.

Now in order to fight this war, both the Union  and the Confederacy had to mobilize their entire  

economies. In the North, manufacturers answered  the call by rapidly modernizing their productive  

capacity. In fact, many of the future barons  of industry like Andrew Carnegie and John D.  

Rockefeller got their start by manufacturing  an astounding number of goods for the Union  

effort. The South relied mainly on tariffs and  taxes on exports to raise revenue for the war,  

but this plan faltered with Union  naval blockades, and in general,  

the South was a hot mess  financially during the war.

Now, you would think that everyone in both the  Union and the Confederacy would be all for the war  

against the other. However, there was substantial  opposition on the homefront. In the South,  

the Confederacy launched another attempt to  pay for the war by introducing a war tax,  

but since the Confederacy was built  on the notion of states’ rights,  

many people and states simply refused to fund  this centralized effort with their tax money.

In the North they arguably dealt with even more  opposition. A chief example on this count would  

be the New York City Draft Riots in 1863. So at  that point, there was a law on the books that said  

if any man was called up to fight, he could pay  $300 to duck out of his draft responsibilities.  

Now in those days, $300 was a buttload of  money and you had to be decently wealthy to  

afford it. And so working class men saw this as a  fundamental injustice. It’s like they were saying,  

“So there’s an option to avoid going to get killed  in the war, but it’s only available to the rich.  

Yeah, that dog don’t hunt.” And so a  gathering of men in New York City to  

protest this injustice turned violent, and  at least 120 people were killed as a result.

Okay, so all that we’ve done so far is talk  about the advantages each side enjoyed and  

how this was a kind of total war for both  AND how there was opposition to the war  

on the homefront. So with all of that settled,  let’s talk about the course of the war itself,  

and to do that, let’s go back  to Lincoln’s election in 1860.

Lincoln was very clear that he would not stand  for southern secession, but neither did he relish  

starting a war over it. However, a little event  that occurred at Fort Sumter gave Lincoln all  

the permission he needed. So Fort Sumter was a  federal possession that happened to be located  

in Confederate South Carolina, which to put  it mildly, was awkward. South Carolinians cut  

off supply lines to the fort coming in from the  North, and rather than fighting about it, Lincoln  

announced that he would be sending provisions  to the Union troops trapped there. So the South  

had a choice: either let these federal troops  be resupplied, or blow up the incoming supply  

ships. And faced with that decision, they went  ahead and started firing on the Union suppliers,  

and that is pretty universally agreed upon  as the first official salvo of the war.

Now the first part of the war definitely belonged  to the Confederacy, and to illustrate that,  

let’s look at one of the first major battles  in the conflict, the First Battle of Bull Run.  

In this battle, 30,000 Union troops marched to  confront Confederate troops at Bull Run Creek  

in Virginia. And just to add a little sauce to  this, I should mention that civilians actually  

came out with picnics to watch this battle. “Hey  honey, grab some sandwiches. We gotta go watch  

a bunch of people get blown up. And don’t forget  the kids!” Anyway, the battle began with the Union  

positively mopping the floor with the Confederacy,  but once Confederate reinforcements arrived under  

the command of Stonewall Jackson, they sent the  inexperienced Union soldiers to flight. And this  

first major conflict disabused both sides of the  dream that this would be a short and tidy war.

Now we could talk about battles all day, and  that would be fun, but you won’t need to know  

many of the battles for purposes of your exam.  So let’s talk overall strategy for both sides.  

One of the main Union strategies was called the  Anaconda Plan and basically that meant that the  

North would lean heavily on its naval advantage  in order to blockade Southern ports and control  

the Mississippi River, which, if they could do,  would effectively split the Confederacy in half.

The Southern strategy largely relied on foreign  help, especially from Britain and France. And  

you may be wondering, why in the world would  Britain and France care anything about helping  

the Confederacy? And the reason is: cotton.  Both those countries relied heavily on exported  

southern cotton to keep their textile industries  humming. And so Southerners were pretty confident  

that King Cotton, as they called it, would  convince both countries to come to their aid.  

Unfortunately, both countries were rude enough  to discover that both India and Egypt could  

produce cotton like mad, and therefore King  Cotton wasn’t as powerful as they thought.

But as the war ground on, ultimately  the Union succeeded due to improvements  

in leadership and strategy, key battle  victories, and the wartime destruction  

of the South’s infrastructure, and  let’s look at each of those in turn.

With respect to Union leadership, Lincoln about  went crazy for lack of good generals to lead Union  

men. But with the rise of generals like Ulysses  S. Grant who rarely retreated and pressed the  

Confederates hard into their own territory, the  tide began to turn. As far as strategy goes,  

we could talk about a lot of things, but  I’ll only mention one, namely, Lincoln’s  

Emancipation Proclamation of 1862. Now when  you think about the Emancipation Proclamation,  

probably the first thing you think is that this is  the magnificent document that freed the enslaved  

people of America. But here’s where I tell you  ehhhhh. Think about it. In the Emancipation  

Proclamation Lincoln unequivocally freed all  enslaved people beginning on January 1st,  

1863. But go back and read it and you’ll see that  he actually only freed enslaved people in those  

states that were in active rebellion against the  United States, which is to say, the Confederacy.  

There were actually five states in the Union,  called the Border States, which were in fact slave  

states: Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri,  and West Virginia. Those states were NOT in  

active rebellion against the Union and therefore,  slavery was allowed to remain active within their  

borders. So Lincoln freed enslaved people in the  Confederacy where he technically had no authority  

to do so, and did not free them in the Border  states where he DID have authority to do so.

That’s why I say that the Emancipation  Proclamation was more a military strategy than  

a document of freedom. However, that’s not to say  it didn’t work. In announcing this proclamation,  

Lincoln effectively changed the scope of the war.  It wasn’t merely about saving the Union anymore,  

although that was certainly still in view. Now  it was about eradicating slavery in the United  

States. And it was a good strategy  because it did two things. First,  

a good number of enslaved workers  in the Confederacy used this as an  

opportunity to escape their plantations  and run to the safety of Union lines.  

Some of them actually took up arms and fought  for the Union cause. Additionally, it basically  

closed the door on British help for the South.  Once the war was cast as one against slavery,  

the British, who had recently abolished slavery  themselves would be very unlikely to take up  

the cause, especially when the need for  southern cotton wasn’t nearly as acute.

Now another reason the Union succeeded was  because of some key victories in battle,  

and although there were several  significant battles on this count,  

let me just mention one, namely the Battle  of Vicksburg. As a result of this battle,  

the Union gained control of Mississippi  under the leadership of General Grant,  

and that meant that the plan of cutting the  Confederacy in half had been accomplished.

Additionally, the devastation of the South’s  infrastructure also ensured the Union victory.  

After Grant captured Vicksburg, he sent another  General, William Tecumseh Sherman to capture  

Atlanta. But Sherman did more than just capture  Atlanta: he basically burned it to the ground.  

And from Atlanta, Sherman and his men embarked  on the devastating March to the Sea. In this  

march from Atlanta to Savannah, Sherman destroyed  railroads and generally held to a scorched earth  

policy burning crops and land and making it near  impossible for the South to recover its strength.

And so combine those victories with the  devastation of Southern infrastructure  

and the success of the Union naval blockade,  and that’s how you get Union general Grant  

and Confederate General Lee meeting at  the Appomattox Courthouse on April 9th,  

1865. Here Lee formally surrendered  to Grant and the war was over.

Okay, if you need more help, then check out  this Unit 5 playlist right here. If you need  

everything you need to get an A in your class  and a five on your exam in May. If you want me  

to keep making these videos, then you can  let me know by subscribing, Heimler out.