HERITAGE OUTREACH PROGRAM - PowerPoint Presentation

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HERITAGE OUTREACH PROGRAM

THE CIVIL WAR

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The American Civil War was fought between 1861 and 1865, between the states of the North and South.

Battles were predominately fought by volunteer Citizen–Soldiers committed to defending their respective beliefs.

Next to the Revolutionary War, historians say the Civil War was the single most formative event in our nation’s history.

OVERVIEW

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Union Casualties110,070 combat related deaths250,152 disease or other related deaths

360,222 total deaths

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Confederate Casualties94,000 combat related deaths164,000 disease or other related deaths

258,000 total deaths

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Slavery was a controversial issue in the political climate of the 1860s.Abraham Lincoln was elected to

the presidency in November 1860

on a platform that severely

restricted the expansion of slavery. This deepened the nation’s political divide.

Following the election of Abraham Lincoln, the state of South Carolina seceded from the Union. Other states followed.

WHAT CAUSED THE WAR?

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DID YOU KNOW...

The Civil War began in April, 1861 at Fort Sumter.

The first volunteers were only enlisted for 90 days.

The Civil War lasted much longer than initially expected.

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Camp CurtinNamed after Gov. Andrew CurtinRailroad system in Harrisburg made it the logical choiceLargest Union training site in the Civil WarGeneral Lee’s target after Gettysburg

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MOBILIZATION OF THE MILITARY& INDUSTRY

After most of the militia in the North and South were on active duty, both sides turned to

conscription. (Today known as the draft.)

The Civil War draft law was based on the legal obligation to serve in the military, with quotas for each state.The sheer bulk of manufacturing

needed to maintain armies had a significant impact on American industry and economy.

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WHERE DID THE WAR TAKE PLACE?

The American Civil War took place in the United States.

Battles and skirmishes were fought in 30 separate states.

The battlefields were primarily located in Southern states.

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WHO WERE THE POLITICAL LEADERS OF THE CIVIL WAR?

United States President was Abraham Lincoln.

Confederate States President was Jefferson Davis.

UNION PRESIDENT

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

CONFEDERATE PRESIDENT

JEFFERSON DAVIS

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WHO WERE THE MILITARY LEADERS?

The commanding general of the United States Army was Ulysses S. Grant.

The commanding general of the Confederate States Army was Robert E. Lee.

UNION GENERAL

ULYSSES S. GRANT

CONFEDERATE GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE

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THE SOUTH - CONFEDERACY

The Southern states were deeply rooted

in agriculture and an old-fashioned

aristocratic society.

One quarter of the twelve million people in the South were African–American slaves. A relatively small number of landowners and businessmen owned the vast majority of the region’s wealth.

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THE SOUTH - CONFEDERACY (CONT.)

The majority of people in the South lived near poverty as subsistence farmers or laborers.

The cotton and tobacco industries kept the South potent as an economic force.

Southern states staunchly supported the idea of states’ rights; this political belief stated that individual states had the legal right to override federal law and policy.

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THE NORTH - UNION

The densely populated Northern states were highly industrialized, abounding with factories and extensive railroad networks.

In 1860, the monetary value of goods manufactured in New York City alone was greater than the total value of everything manufactured in all the Southern states.

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THE NORTH - UNION (CONT.)

Several Northern states were strongly opposed to the institution of slavery.

Some Northerners were indifferent on the subject of slavery.

There was a strong sense of unity and loyalty to centralized government.

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TACTICS & TECHNOLOGY

The Civil War was a time of amazing technological innovations in the area of rifled and repeating muskets, land mines, communications, transportation and medicine.

Tactics failed to keep up with the improvements in technology.

Battles were still fought on a linear battlefield with armies facing one another on opposite ends of the field.The range and accuracy of the rifled muskets made fighting at close distance very deadly.

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SOLDIER UNIFORMS - UNION

The uniform of the Union Soldier consisted

of a dark blue wool coat and lighter blue wool trousers.

Union Soldiers were issued a black felt Hardee hat or forage cap.The Union waist belt had a brass buckle emblazoned with US for United States and a small leather pouch designed to hold percussion caps to ignite the musket.

The ankle-high Brogan shoe was the standard issue footwear for Union Soldiers.

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SOLDIER UNIFORMS - UNION

Eagle Breast Plate

Worn by the Union infantry on their shoulder straps

Usually worn on the strap of their cartridge box

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SOLDIER UNIFORMS - CONFEDERATE

Confederate Soldiers wore wool jackets that were shell, sack or frock style; and commonly colored gray or butternut. Cadet gray

uniforms were used primarily in the Army of Northern Virginia.

Shoes were hard to come by, and many Soldiers were forced to go barefoot.

Headgear of a Southern Soldier was more varied than even his uniform, consisting of the kepi style or variations of a wide brimmed felt or straw hat.

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WEAPONRY OF THE WAR

The most common weapon used by Soldiers of the Civil War was the muzzle-loaded rifled musket.

For the Union it was the .58 caliber Model 1861 Springfield musket.

For the Confederates it was the .58 caliber Pattern 1853 British Enfield

or a variety of CSA produced, US captured or personal weapons.The cone shaped bullets fired by these muskets would look enormous by today’s standards.

.58 caliber model 1861 Springfield musket

Pattern 1853 British Enfield

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WEAPONRY OF THE WAR

Rifling in the barrel would cause the bullet to spin like a football when it left the rifle

Bullet was much more accurate and could shoot further then its predecessors

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WEAPONRY OF THE WAR

Civil War hand grenade

Grenade would land on the plunger which would cause the grenade to activate

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WEAPONRY OF THE WAR

Grape Shot was devastating to infantry units when it was fired upon them

Cannon would act as a large shot gun

Could also fire glass, rocks, wood, or anything else that could cause damage

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EQUIPMENT & ACCOUTERMENTS

Union and Confederate Soldiers carried their ammunition and supplies in leather accouterments that hung from the shoulders or around the waist.

A cartridge box was worn over the right hip and used to carry the Soldiers ammunition.

Confederate Soldiers carried a combination of Southern produced, imported, US, or personally owned accouterments and equipment.

The rifle bayonet was carried in a scabbard on the belt and was designed to fit on the muzzle of the musket for close fighting.

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SUBSISTENCE & DIET

The three mainstays of the Civil War diet were hardtack, salt pork and coffee.

Hardtack always arrived in the Soldiers’ hands rock hard. It usually needed to be soaked in water or coffee to be edible.

Salt pork was notorious for beingtough, leathery, and hard to digest. It

was sometimes covered with mold on arrival. Soldiers valued coffee as a commodity that could be traded for Southern tobacco.

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Salt Pork

Also known as White Bacon

Consisted mainly of fatVery salty, and didn’t get spoiled as fast as other meats

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THE SOLDIER’S ROUTINE

Soldiers found that their lives were filled with sheer boredom that stretched for weeks or months at a time.

Spare time was spent collecting firewood and foraging for food and water.

Soldiers occupied themselves by writing letters home or by playing games like checkers, cards or baseball.

Mail was considered a luxury. It never keptup with armies on the move, so weeks or even months could pass without a wordfrom home.

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PERSONAL EFFECTS

Veterans hardened by endless days of marching and long campaigns in the field clung to a few sentimental items.

A pocket–sized sewing kit called a housewife is a good example of an item that Soldiers would carry from home.

Other items worthy of precious

space in haversacks might be

stationary with patriotic graphics,

playing cards, a pipe, a diary, or

photographs of family members.

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BENEFITS

A private during the Civil War was paid $13 a month in the Union

Army and $11 per month in the Confederate Army.

This meager income didn’t offer the Soldier much to spend on luxuries.

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POLITICS, ECONOMY & CULTUREIN THE UNITED STATES

By 1861, America was deeply divided geographically, politically, economically and culturally.

There were thirty–four states in the United States at the beginning of the War and thirty–six by the end.

The United States would be permanently altered by

the struggle.

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DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE MILITARY

The scale of the Civil War was unprecedented

in America.

In 1860, the pre–war strength of the United States Army was roughly 16,000 strong.By the end of the War, the strength of the United States Army would reach 1,200,000 and 1,064,000 for the Confederate Army.

In the 1860s, the idea of allowing African–Americans to serve in the military was progressive and controversial.In 1863, fourteen states offered African–American men the opportunity to serve their state and country by enlisting in

the military.

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HOMEFRONT & FAMILY

Civilian aid societies and the Sanitary Commission did what

they could to bring better food, newspapers and Bibles to camps. A few comforts from home meant a lot to Soldiers.

Licensed merchants, known as Sutlers, followed the army to sell food, stationary, stamps, tobacco, or other items to Soldiers that could ease their hard life.

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LESSON ASSESSMENT

When was the Civil War fought and where did it take place?

What were the main differences between the politics, economy and culture of the Union (North) and the Confederacy (South)?

What effect did technology have on the War?

What did Soldiers wear during the War? How did their clothing make them feel?How did fighting tactics develop during this time period?

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CRITICAL THINKING

What impact did technology have on the battlefields of the

Civil War?

How did industry impact the outcome of the Civil War?