Civil+War

Opening activity

cross armed and look like they are sharing cigars -if u look closely you can see that their arms are not connected. -looks like they are brothers -different uniforms || - symbolizes nation being united -symbolizes nation spitting apart -conjoining arms -different sides of the war. Each brother probably had a different opinion about the war. Now they are fighting against each other --> awkward... ||
 * I see || It means ||
 * - At first glance it looks like these men are
 * This shows that the war is splitting everyone, including families.
 * picture was taken in Antietam, Maryland...battle of Antietam....Antietam was the brothers hometown.

If MA suceeded for reasons i disagree with I would fight with MA. I would do this becuase I wouldnt want to kill everyone in MA including my friends and family. Although I would be considered a tratior, I would choose to defend my hometown. This war became more than fighting for slavery, now it was fighting for your life.


 * Civil War Themes**

‍1) Morality (conscience) vs. Financial Stability
During the Civil War there were shortages on supplies. Many familes were suffering from this. Many people stole to get food. When it comes down to it, the decision is starve, or do something morally wrong and most people choose the second option.

‍2) Defend a home state or a home country? Either way you're losing part of your home.
Many citizens were faced with the tough decision. Fight for your country or fight for your state. Even though some people didn't agree with their states opinion they fought for their state because they had family and friends living there.

‍3) Morality vs. Military Strategy
To win the war and achieve goals in battle sometimes leaders have to make tough decisions that go against their conscience. Sometimes the leaders made decisions and strategies that killed many people, which is wrong, but necessary for battle.

‍4) Fellow Americans or Traitors ... or both?
The states that suceeded were considered traitors because they left the country even though they were not allowed to. Then when they started fighting the north it was like they were fighting against their own country. This is called treason.

= = =__Secession Acts of the Thirteen Confederate States__= Similarities: In the states of Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee, their document of secession has the phrase "an ordinance" in it. An Ordinance is a law. In the documents of the states of South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, and Kentucky, it refers to the Constitution.

Differences: All of the states seceded on different dates. Some states have different sections to their documents.

=__South Carolina__=
 * A -** The state of SC
 * P-** First state to secede
 * A-** Congress
 * P-** Wanted independence. Pro-slavery.
 * R-** SC wanted to secede from the U.S
 * T-** SC wanted to become independent.
 * S-** After SC seceded other states in the south followed.

=__Kentucky__=
 * A-** The state of KY
 * P**- Last state to secede
 * P-** KY also wanted independence. Pro-slavery.
 * A**- Congress
 * R**- KY wanted to join the CSA and secede from the U.S
 * T-** KY was the last state to secede in the Civil War
 * S**- KY followed SC's idea to secede.

__Reflection:__ Q: Does the reasoning behind each of these Acts make sense to you? Why or why not? Would you sign on to these Secession Acts if you lived in the state it represents?

A: The reasoning behind these Acts makes sense to me in a way because the south wanted independence, but also doesn't make sense because states shouldn't want to and can't secede. I would not sign these Acts because I would not want to commit treason.

Timeline:

=**Civil War Strategies**=

-Blockade south’s ports || - Believed they had bravery and fighting ability. - Cotton was an advantage over the north. - Restrict cotton export to markets overseas (cotton diplomacy) ||
 * ** Northern Strategies ** || ** Southern Strategies ** ||
 * - Took advantage of south’s lack of industries and resources.

Technology and War
1) What purpose the new technology served A: Made fighting and strategies easier.

2) How it changed the way war was fought A: Armies used these new technologies to better improve their chances of winning.

3) The importance of this weapon to the overall picture of the Civil War A: Made an impact on the weapons we use today. Most likely changed the outcome of the Civil War. Could've also made the war go faster.



6/7/11 Task: 1. What was the strategy for the Union in fighting the war? What was the strategy for the CSA? Which do you think would be more effective? Why? A: Union: Blockade the South (Anaconda Plan) Union army: Cotton Diplomacy CSA: defend their homes Robert E. Lee -General I think the south's strategy was more effective because it is easier to defend their homes than to try to prevent trade. If Lee runs away and stays alive the CSA survives. 2. New Technology ( support or oppose) ex: Camoflauge tents, Gatling Gun, iron clads (navy ship), new differnet shaped bullets, Hot Air Balloons, and Rifled muskets. A:Supporting: more effective in the war, helps win battles, imporves strategy, helped advance the technology we have today 3. Who do you think was winnning the Civil War by 1863? Why? A: I think by 1863 the CSA was winning becuase they were winning more battles, they had Robert E. Lee as a general, goals were defense and survivial, and competent (effective) officers. So many people died in the Civil War because of all the new technology aiding armies in battle. The most effective cause of death was the Gatling gun.

6/8/11

Reading 1

**1.** Which army had the advantage after the first day of fighting? What were some reasons for their success? Could they have been even more successful? A : The Confederate Army had the advantage after the first day of fighting because they out numbererd the Union and captured some of the Union Army's troops. The CSA could've been more successful if they persued this advantage. **2.** What was the situation by the evening of July 2? A: By the evening of July 2 the Union was wining the battle. **3.** What evidence from the previous day's fighting brought General Lee to decide on the strategy for Pickett's Charge on July 3? What was the result of that assault? A: Since Lee had attacked the end of the Union's line the previous day, he decided to do this again. As a result the Union's line did not break, so the attack was unsuccessful. **4.** Why did General Lee decide to withdraw from Gettysburg? A: Lee decided to withdraw due to heavy casualties.

Reading 2 part A



**//Part A: A Soldier's View of Gettysburg//**

**"1.** What part did Elisha Hunt Rhodes play at Gettysburg?

Elisha was a private in the Union army but then he became commander of his regiment. He was leading the men of the Union army to fight at Gettysburg. Here, because of his exhausted men, he expresses how they fought continously until the men dropped to the ground to sleep next to the dead and wounded men.

**2.** How was he able to justify the suffering endured by the Union troops?

He contiously told how exhausted the men were and how they just dropped to the ground due to exhaustion. The men march 34 miles nonstop and that was when they just dropped to the ground next to the dead and wounded men along with the horses and weapons on the field. The Union troops had to march in the rain, with muddy conditions and then to rest in wet clothing with nothing to cover themselves with.

**3.** How did he respond to the Union victory?

Rhodes was extremely happy about the Union's victory. They Union army started to march back slowly due to the terrible conditions. Rhodes mentions that he wants to know what the South are thinking of the "yankees" now because of the victory. He thinks that the South wouldn't dare to invade the North again. " From Jen Tran

Reading 2 part B **Part B: The Call to Duty** In 1861 Georgian Edward Porter Alexander was an officer in the U.S. Army stationed in Washington Territory. He commanded the 1st Corps, C.S.A. Reserve Artillery at Gettysburg, and later in his career took command of the entire First Corps' artillery. He was responsible for mounting the large bombardment preceding Longstreet's assault on July 3. Alexander rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the Confederate army and survived the war. He later wrote:

Of course as soon as the news of the secession of Georgia reached us at Fort Steilacoom, some three or four weeks after the event, I knew that I would finally have to resign from the U.S. Army. But I did not believe war inevitable & I felt sure I could get a place not inferior in a Southern army, & I really never realized the gravity of the situation. As soon as the right to secede was denied by the North I strongly approved of its assertion & maintenance by force if necessary. And being young & ambitious in my profession I was anxious to take my part in everything going on. As it soon became clear that our detachment would be ordered to return to the East...I waited for the orders to come & to get back to the East before resigning.

I did not feel any doubt about what I had to do under the circumstances. Georgia had seceded. All the seceded states had united & organized a Confederacy, & the Confederacy was raising an army. The only place for me was in that army. [this soldier believed that he too, like Robert E. Lee, would serve not the U.S. Army now that his home state of Georgia has seceded.] So in the course of a day or two I had a talk with [his Commanding Officer] McPherson, telling him that I felt bound to resign & go home, & asking that he would receive & forward my resignation & give me leave of absence that I might sail on same steamer taking it & not be required to wait in California to receive its acceptance, which would detain me about two months.

McPherson's reply was remarkable....He said: ' Aleck if you must go I will do all I can to facilitate your going. But don't go. These orders, sent by Pony Express to stop you here, are meant to say to you that if you wish to keep out of the war which is coming you can do so. You will not be required to go into the field against your own people, but will be kept out on this coast on fortification duty. Gen. Totten likes you & wants to keep you in the corps & that is what this order means'....His earnest talk impressed me deeply & made me realize that a crisis in my life was at hand....I could only answer this: ' Mac, My people are going to war, & war for their liberty. If I don't come & bear my part they will believe me a coward--and I will feel that I am occupying the position of one. I must go and stand my chances. [He too feels that it is a duty and if he doesn't it will make him seem like a coward. He is a soldier and wants to fight for his home state.] ' ...I told McPherson we were going to fight for our ' liberty.' That was the view the whole South took of it. It was not for slavery but the sovereignty of the states, which is practically the right to resume self government or to secede. [He says that the fight is about the right to secede. So, whwat happened to the fight practically based on slavery?] From Vicky Chen

//**Part B: The Call to Duty**// " Main idea: When a soldier's home country is seceding and is leaving the Union, there seems to be a feeling of duty to battle alongside your people for liberty. (There is a hard conflicting feeling to stay in the Union Army or go battle with your people, either way, a choice must be made.)

**1.** How did Edward Porter Alexander feel about Georgia's secession?

I think that Alexander's feelings about Georgia's seession seems to be no for the secession:

"As soon as the right to secede was denied by the North I strongly approved of its assertion & maintenance by force if necessary."

**2.** What option did the U.S. Army provide Alexander to avoid becoming involved in the conflict?

They told him that to avoid being involved in the conflict, all he has to do is not get out in the field because he is not required to fight the people in his home state. This means that he doesn't need to be part of this war; he doesn't have to battle. They allowed him to take fortification duty.

**3.** How did he justify his choice?

Alexander justified his answer by saying that he wants to be part of the battle on the side of his people. They are fighting fo their liberty and if he isn't part of it, the may be seen as a coward." From Vicky Chen

Reading 2 Part C


 * Part C: Changes in Loyalty ** Andrew Baker was a soldier in the 22nd North Carolina Infantry, C.S.A., Pettigrew's brigade . He participated in the brutal fighting that opened the battle on July 1 and in the culmination on July 3 . He wrote about his experience on the final day of fighting for the magazine of a Confederate veterans' organization. The Capt. W. T. Magruder to whom he referred was a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and fought for the Union as a captain in the 1st U.S. Cavalry until October 1, 1862. Magruder then joined the Confederate army, became a captain in the 26th North Carolina Infantry, and died at Gettysburg at the hands of his former comrades. Baker wrote about that action:

//When we reached to within one hundred yards of the plank fence, which stood on the opposite side of the road passing the cemetery to that of the stone fence, the officers of the Eleventh Mississippi had been largely killed or wounded,  and the officer who seemed to be in command was Capt. John V. Moore, of the University Grays. He was then in front of Company D, endeavoring to hold the regiment back in line with the troops on our right. I hallooed to him, saying: ' John, for heaven's sake give the command to charge.' He replied that he could not take the responsibility. I then, without authority, gave the command myself, which was promptly repeated and responded to, at which time a run was made for the fence and over it . Just after getting over the fence, and when about half way across the road, I was shot down . The balance of the command which had not been killed or wounded rushed on and jumped the stone fence, charging rapidly to the top of Cemetery Ridge, in line with the Twenty-sixth North Carolina on the right. ////Just after I had fallen I looked to my right, where a little house stood, just against which the end of the stone fence rested on either side. Behind this house some ten or twelve of the Twenty-sixth North Carolina boys for a moment halted, with Capt. W. T. Magruder, who had been formerly a colonel of cavalry in the U.S. army, and who had resigned after the emancipation proclamation and had joined our army, said to them: ' Men, remember your mothers, wives, and sisters at home, and do not halt here.' All responded in a moment, and rushed on to rejoin the regiment, then going to the top of Cemetery Heights. Capt. Magruder himself leaped the stone fence on the western side of the house, and was shot down at once, either as he went over the fence or just after getting over it. //

//Main Idea: This was a soldier in the Confederate Army who was at the third day of the Battle of Gettysberg. During battle he was shot. As he was lying on the ground wounded he saw a captain named Capt. W.T Magruder get shot down in battle also. Magruder died at this battle. //

1.Consider Andrew Baker's vivid descriptions of the valiant behavior exhibited in the chaos of battle. Describe the actions of Captain W. T. Magruder. Speculate on his motivations for fighting in both armies before his death at Gettysburg. A: Magruder was a Valient soldier. He fought in both armies during the Civil War. I think he did this because he was pro slavery. Magruder also was a good guy for telling the soldiers who were just standing there to move. He also trusted Baker and hopped the wall like Baker did. **2.** Why did Captain John Moore not give the order to charge? How might you have felt in his place? A: I think Moore did not give the order to charge because he knew it wasn't safe. He knew that if any soldiers did they would get shot which is what happened. I think I would've felt pressured and scared in his place because he had to make a decision that could cost someone their life.

Reading 3 **1.** How long after the battle did Lincoln give his address? **A: 3 months** **2.** What did he say about the men who were buried in the cemetery? **A:They "shall not perish from the Earth"** **3.** How did he give meaning to their sacrifice? **A: Lincoln says they did not die in vain.** **4.** What was it that Lincoln wanted the people of the United States to do for the dead soldiers? A: Wants the U.S to appreciate their sacrifice.

//**All Parts**// **1.** How does reading these personal accounts compare with reading summaries of Civil War battles in textbooks? Do they make you more aware of the personal suffering of the participants?

**A: Reading actual accounts of soldiers gives me a better understanding of what really happened. It allows me to have a better picture in my head. It also makes me realize how much the soldiers actually suffered because it is very descriptive.** **2.** What are some disadvantages of relying on personal accounts of historical events? A: One disadvantage is only getting one P.O.V on the battle.

6/9/11- Do Now

Explain how the Emancipation Proclamation was a STRATEGIC move on the part of Abraham Lincoln and not necessarilly a moral move because he felt compassion for the slaves?

The Emancipation Proclamation was a stragetic move becasue because it freed the slaves in the south and hurt the south economicly and now they had no one to work for the. **Britain wouldn't join the south because Britain also opposed slavery.**

Emancipation Proclamation - slaves were freed in rebelling states. -not all the slaves were freed because border states didn't rebel, but they had slaves (KY, DE, MD, MO) -**made the war about slavery.** (At first the War was about states rights) - north looked like good guys, south looked like Bad guys to the rest of the world. - Flaw: didn't ban slavery in the border states even though they were slave states, slavery was still in the Union even though they were anti slavery. Very hypocritical. - Lincoln fixed this flaw by: 1. Martial law in all 4 border states 2. agreed to life martial law once they got rid of slavery