Sectionalism, States' Rights and Nullification

 Sectionalism

      In the 1800's, sectionalism spread through America like wildfire! Sectionalism is when a group or section of a nation feels more loyal to themselves than they do as a complete nation. Americans saw themselves as Southerners and Northerners. After the war of 1812, the North and the South spread further and further apart. The South believed in slavery while the North was against it. They had may differences which resulted in conflicts. The South had many plantations, slaves, and crops; while the North had a more industrial-based economy. As a result, the North had a larger population than the South.

This picture shows America being separated through sectionalism.

image from: www.socialstudieshelp.com

    States' Rights and Nullification

        State's rights are the powers that individual states possess rather than the federal government. The federal government gave a law on tariffs that South Carolina found unacceptable. As a result, they exercised their state's rights and ignored the federal law by nullifying it. President Jackson was infuriated and sent troops to South Carolina to enforce the federal law.  As a result, a war was almost sparked.   

Missouri Compromise

Missouri Compromise 

The Missouri Compromise was an effort to keep the balance of the amount of free and slave states. In 1820, Missouri was admitted as a slave state. In order to keep the balance of free and slave states, Maine was admitted as a free one. This compromise created the 36/30 line. This line stated that any state North of it was a free state, while any state South of it was a slave state. This increased sectionalism and in the nation. 

This picture depicts the 36/30 line and how states are divided today. Image from: 

http://umqc.blogspot.com/2010/12/question-578.html

This map shows the organization of the Unites States and the Missouri Compromise in 1820.
21stcenturylearning.sharepoint.com

Compromise of 1850, Fugitive Slave Act, and Georgia Platform

Compromise of 1850

The Compromise of 1850 was when California wanted to be admitted as a state. This proved to be a problem because it would disrupt the balance of slave and free states. As a result, California was admitted as a free state and Texas received $10,000,000. Slavery was also abolished in D.C.

Image portraying the Compromise of 1850 and California from: www.studythepast.com

Fugitive Slave Act

 The Fugitive Slave Act was also passed as an effort to keep the balance of slaves. This act stated that all slaves who fled from the South to the North (above the Missouri Compromise Line [36/30]), were to be returned back to the South. Slave who were also freed were often sent back deliberately (,people claimed that they were sent back by accident). Citizen were required to help return all slaves who were on the run. The fugitive slaves were also denied trials by jury. As a result of the escaping slaves, there were more federal agents to help enforce the laws. This increased the abolitionist movement. More people were trying to help free slaves.

This an example of what a typical advertisement for a slave would look like.
Credit to: antebellumamerican.weebly.com

This shows that slaves were apprehended illegally by slave catchers and whites.

from: en.wikipedia.org

Georgia Platform

The Georgia Platform accepted the Compromise as long as the North was willing to follow the rules of the Fugitive Slave Act and the Northern democrats would not try to ban the spread of slavery across states and territories. This acceptance of the Compromise temporarily stopped the spark of secession through the South.


www.docstoc.com

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Kansas-Nebraska Act

In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed. This act stated that the Kansas and Nebraskan territories could vote on whether slavery should be allowed or not. This nullified the Missouri Compromise because the Missouri Compromise stated that all states above the 36/30 line were not allowed to have slavery while all below were. This enraged the citizens of the south because the balance of the free and enslaved would be disrupted. The South was afraid that the Kansas and Nebraskan territories would vote to have no slavery.


This image depicts the Kansas and Nebraskan territories, as well as the way states are presently divided and the Missouri Compromise Line.
library.thinkquest.org


en.wikipedia.org

Dred Scott Case

Dred Scott Case

In 1857, a man named Dred Scott faced injustice. Dred Scott was a slave who lived in a free state for more than two years. His owner, John Emerson, still kept him as a slave even though he was rightfully free. Because he lived in a free state and he was enslaved, he sued for his freedom. The Supreme Court denied him the right to sue because they considered him "property" instead of a citizen. They ruled that he was not a citizen so he could not sue.
This Supreme Court decision is important because it gave southerners hope that slavery would take over again. On the other hand, this case is important because Dred Scott gave hope to other slaves to speak out.



Portrait of Dred Scott: www.pbs.org

Election of 1860

Election of 1860

In 1860, a republican man from Illinois was elected as President. This man was Abraham Lincoln. During the election period, the North had thought of him as a worthy candidate. The South on the other hand, considered him an unworthy opponent and did not place him on the ballot.  It came to the South as a staggering blow when Abraham Lincoln was elected as President to the South. The Confederacy was so disappointed with the results of the election that secession was becoming a common thought to the states of the nation. The South was overwhelmed because they thought that the Union was gaining power and that the divisions of the North and the South were not even. Shortly after Lincoln's election, South Carolina seceded. South Carolina was the first of many secession and Georgia followed shortly after on January 19, 1861.


Lincoln add campaign : civilwar.gratzpa.org

Secession in GA and Alexander Stephens’ role

Secession in GA and Alexander Stephens’ role

In 1861, at Georgia's Secession Convention, Georgia voted to secede from the Union. Unlike other states, Georgia's vote was not unanimous. South Carolina unanimously voted on their secession. Secessionists wanted to break away from the Union, while cooperationists wanted to stay with union. Alexander Stephens, the President of the Confederacy, was initially not sure about secession. He was a supporter of the Compromise of 1850, as long as the Northerners complied with the Fugitive Slave Act. He soon believed that slavery was unavoidable. After deciding his position on these arguments, Alexander Stephens became the Vice President of the Confederacy. 


This is a portrait of Alexander Stephens. Portrait from:en.wikipedia.org

Confederate/Union Strengths and Weaknesses and First Battles: Ft. Sumter/Bull Run

Confederate/Union Strengths and Weaknesses and First Battles-Ft. Sumter/Bull Run

CONFEDERATE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Strengths  |  Weaknesses

• Most battles were fought on familiar land   
• Great military leaders! (Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson)
• Europe's support
• Agriculture

• Not as many railroads and trains (not as many supplies can be received and less transportation)
• Small population
• Inadequate amount of soldiers compared to the North
• More than 1/3 of the South's population was comprised of slaves
• Not enough men to defend vulnerable land
• Few factories and sparse supplies       
• Weak navy
• Less experienced government (started with the Union-Union has more experience)                 

UNION STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Strengths  |  Weaknesses

• Greater population (more than double the south's population: North-22 million South-9 million)
• More soldiers than South
• More railroads and trains (more supplies can pass through Northern territory and more transportation [can transport men easily])
• More factories (more supplies can be made: 90% of goods in U.S. were produced in the North ; access to more weapons because of the weapon making industry and firearms)
• Strong navy
• Experienced government (government knows how to run itself)

• Land they battled on was unfamiliar
• Hesitant generals
• Generals not as experienced as the Confederacy's
• No support from other countries

Fort Sumter

Fort Sumter was the first battle of the Civil War. It is located in the harbor of Charleston, SC.  During this battle, the North united against the South for the first time. The North considered the fort to be Union ground while the South considered it a confederate fort. Lincoln gave South Carolina the choice of either letting the Union give provisions to the fort, or the South opening fire. On April 12, 1861, South Carolina stated their position in the argument by opening fire. These shots marked the first battle of the Civil War. All together, this battle lasted about two days and ended with the South capturing the Union Fort Sumpter (Sumter may be spelled and pronounced with a p).


An image that depicts Fort Sumpter during battle : www.nps.gov
Bull Run

The Battle of Bull Run, or commonly known to Southerners as Manassas, took place in Bull Run Creek (Virginia). On July 21, 1861, 30,000 Union troops marched to Bull Run Creek, where the Confederates were stationed. Many Northern citizens thought that the battle would be an easy win. They all gathered to watch the battle unfold with the thought of the Union crushing the South. Throughout the Battle, the Union showed strength and was close to winning. Right when the Union was about to win, General Stonewall Jackson brought reinforcements. As a result, the Union army fled back to Washington through fear. At the end of the war, there was 3,000 Union casualties (460 killed), and 2,000 Confederate casualties (387 killed).

This is a famous drawing of the Battle of Bull Run. : www.sonofthesouth.net 

Antietam and the Emancipation Proclamation

Antietam

The Battle of Antietam (also known as The Second Battle of Bull Run and The Battle of Sharpsburg), was fought on September 17, 1862, on Union Soil (Maryland). General Lee led the Confederate troops, while General McClellan led the Union. The Union army had a great advantage because one of  Lee's men had dropped their battle plan. The Union army used this to their advantage when being confronted by the Southerners. After the Union depleted the South's army, the south retreated to Virginia. Because McClellan did not pursue the Confederate army, Abraham Lincoln removed him as General for the last time for not being aggressive enough. The battle was ,strictly speaking, a draw. Even though the battle was considered a draw, the North took it home as a victory because the South gained no land and foreign support. This was a key battle for the Confederacy because they hoped that if they were victorious, they would be aided by foreign powers (France and Great Britain). The retreat of the South provided the North with immense hope for future battles and ending the war. Because Lincoln considered The Battle of Antietam victorious, he felt comfortable to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.


This diagram shows the Battle of Antietam : commons.wikimedia.org

 Emancipation Proclamation


The Emancipation Proclamation was a declaration that stated all slaves who lived in the Confederate South, were to be free. This only applied to those states who had seceded from the Union. As a result, the slaves in the border states were yet to be free. Lincoln wanted to keep the favoritism of the border states in order to remain protected from the south and to keep them on the Union side. Lincoln put this into full effect on January 1, 1863. The proclamation gave a blow to the South when it wanted to free their slave work-force. The South was upset because their economy was based on agriculture, and the slaves worked for free (once bought) and for long hours. The declaration also stated that all Slaves who are freed from the Confederate states were welcome to join the Union Army. This made the Southerner feel more weak and vulnerable. The proclamation made the reason of fighting in the Civil War lean towards slavery. 


This is what the real emancipation proclamation looks like. : www.phawker.com

Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Union blockade of GA’s coast

Battle of Gettysburg

General Robert E. Lee decided to step up his game and invade Northern territories (Maryland, Pennsylvania). Lee hoped to force the North to call for peace and gain foreign input in the South by invading the Northern states, capturing a Northern city, or destroying the Union army. The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. It took place in southern Pennsylvania. On July 1, 1863, the Southern army invaded Union units at Gettysburg and torched the bloodiest and most vital battle of the war.  On the second and third days of this three day battle, Lee's attack on the Union lines were ineffective and destroyed parts of the Confederacy instead of the Union (their plan back-fired).  The total loss of men in Gettysburg was 50,000 (casualties).The rest of Lee's troops retreated to Virginia, where they were never able to stealthily reproach the Union again.



This painting depicts the battle scene of Gettysburg: historicalspotlight.com

• General Grant was the Union General at this time

Vicksburg


During the spring of 1863, the Union gained authority of New Orleans, most of the Mississippi River, and the neighboring valley. The Union's goal was to gain full control of the Mississippi River and was close to being accomplished when Union General Ulysses S. Grant began his persecution of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Union battery barraged Vicksburg until seven weeks later, when the Confederates surrendered the city and 29,000 soldiers to Union control. Now the Union controlled the full length of the Mississippi and succeed in their plan to divide the south. (Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas.)


This shows the Siege of Vicksburg: www.pbs.org 


Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln was the author of the famous Gettysburg Address. He delivered this speech on November 19, 1863, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This speech describes the foundation of this nation ; liberty, equality, and dedication to this nation. 


Here is the original copy of the Gettysburg Address: www.britannica.com


THIS IS THE TEXT IN PRINT : www.wpclipart.com

The Battle of Chickamauga and Chattanooga

The Battle of Chickamauga was the first considerable battle fought in Georgia. The battle was a total of two days (September 18-20, 1863). This battle is considered the second bloodiest in the Civil War. Chickamauga was fought near the Chickamauga River (That is how it got its name). This battle was lead and fought by the Union army led by General Rosencrans and the Confederate army led by General Bragg. Union General Rosencrans wanted to pressure Confederate General Bragg out of central Tennessee (Chattanooga). Rosencrans did not succeed with ousting Bragg because General Bragg shattered Union lines. Thomas' XIV Corps helped send the Confederates back to Georgia. While the rest of the Union was retreating from battle, Thomas kept a stubborn defense. As a result, he earned the nickname "The Rock of Chickamauga".  As the Union army retreated, they were surrounded by the Confederates. Grant gave Thomas the task of keeping Chattanooga in Union hands. When Grant got back from the west, the two men worked together to fend off the Confederates. This is how the Battle of Chattanooga began. 
The Battle of Chattanooga (Chattanooga Campaign) was fought between November 23-25, 1863. This was peaked with Thomas' men capturing Missionary Ridge. This battle ended by paving the way for the Atlanta Campaign and The March to the Sea.


The Battle of Chattanooga is pictured above. ^ americancivilwar.com


 Union blockade of GA’s coast

The Union blockaded Georgia's coast to keep it from receiving supplies such as weaponry, ammunition, and food. The Union also blockaded Georgia's coast to prevent Georgia from exporting its number one good; cotton. (most of Georgia's money comes from cotton)


This shows what the Union blockade looks like on a map.
: livinghistorymilitaryengineer.blogspot.com

Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, Sherman’s March to the Sea

Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign and March to the Sea

Sherman held the Atlanta Campaign as an effort to demoralize the South. Atlanta was the last important city and good thing for the South left. The loss of Atlanta would provide no hope for the South's future. The Union felt that if they destroyed Atlanta, it would speed up the process of ending the Civil War. Lincoln also wanted to end the war quickly so his chances of reelection would not drop. The major railroads would also be destroyed, and the destruction would cause issues in the South's military leadership. Lee replaced Johnston with General Hood because Johnston was not aggressive enough when fighting. (just like Lincoln replaced McClellan). Hood was forced to evacuate when his supply lines were demolished by Sherman's army. Sherman stayed in Atlanta for two months prior to him leading the March to the Sea. This was dangerous for him because he would have to live off of whatever supplies the city has now and he wouldn't be able to get back-up soldiers by train or any more ammunition and artillery.

 Before his march to the sea, Sherman wanted to evacuate the citizens of Atlanta before burning it down. As Sherman started his march, his soldiers had a celebratory party and got drunk. As a result, they wreaked havoc on the city without realizing what they were doing by burning houses and buildings down. Sherman's policy of destruction wad to make Georgian's weary of the terrors of war so they would want to end it.  (other names for his policy of destruction are; "hard war", "total war", and "scorched earth".) As they walked toward Savannah slaves joined the army and only made it stronger. At the end of Sherman's march, his soldier's had caused about $1,000,000 worth of destruction. When the Union finally reached Savannah, the governor surrendered.





  

This map shows what the Atlanta Campaign looked like. : en.wikipedia.org 


This shows the path Sherman took on his march to the sea. : etc.usf.edu

Andersonville

Andersonville

Andersonville was a confederate war prison in Andersonville, Ga. The prisoners were all treated inhumanely and cruelly. Many prisoners lacked shelter and clothing. Instead of shelter, prisoners were forced to make "shebangs" which were houses made of sticks, random things, clothing, leaves, mud, and tree limbs.The prisoners who were taken to the "deadhouse" (morgue) were more often than not, stripped of their clothes that were then given to the needy. There was also no soap to clean anything with. Sand was used as a soap substitute.  There was a small water hole which was used for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and disposing of waste. As a result, it was hard for people to find clear water to cook with and drink. Because of these filthy and unsanitary conditions, disease and sickness spread quickly. There also was a food shortage. Because of this, everyone was malnourished and extremely skinny. Andersonville Prison was a horror house for the people who lived in it and for the people who saw it. 


This image shows how Andersonville looked like. : en.wikipedia.org


Shebangs are depicted in the picture above.: www.mosi.org