The Civil War Beginnings Fort Sumter A month

The Civil War Beginnings

Fort Sumter A month after Lincoln delivered his inaugural address, southerners opened fire on Fort Sumter, a federal fort, in Charleston, South Carolina.

Fort Sumter The attack unleashed a wave of patriotic fury in the North. The time for compromise was over… The Civil War had begun.

Choosing sides was difficult… Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee joined the Confederacy.

Choosing Sides The western counties of Virginia remained loyal to the union. They broke away to form a new state called West Virginia.

Choosing Sides The other four border states-Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri remained in the union.

Preparing for War Both the North and the South looked forward to a quick victory in the War.

Preparing for War Northern newspapers claimed“ We cannot imagine that the South has resources for a long war or even a short one. ”

Preparing for War Southern journalists said“The army of the south will be composed of the best material ever yet made up an army; while that of Lincoln will be gathered from the sewers of the cities…who will serve for pay and will run away as soon as danger threatens. ”

The North-Strengths The North had a greater population 22 million v. 9 million in the south .

Northern Advantages 90% of the nations manufacturing plants were in the north.

Northern Advantages The North had more farms to provide food for the troops.

Northern Advantages The North had about 21, 000 miles of railroad track, compared to the 9, 000 in the South.

Northern Disadvantages The North’s greatest weakness was its military leadership. At the start of the war, 1/3 of the military officers resigned to return to the South.

Strengths of the South The Southerners had the “home court advantage” because they would be fighting in the south.

Southern Advantages Their military leadership included some of the best military officers in the country.

Southern Weaknesses The main weakness of the south was an economy that could not support a long war. • Very few factories to produce guns & other military supplies.

Southern Weaknesses The Confederacy faced serious transportation problems. They lacked the railroad network needed to haul goods long distances.

Southern Weaknesses The South did not have enough money. Most wealth was invested in land slaves.

Lincoln v. Davis One of the North’s greatest advantages was its newly elected president Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln v. Davis Lincoln was a strong leader who never wavered from his goal of preserving the union. At 6 feet 4 inches he towered above other men.

Lincoln v. Davis Lincoln grew up in Illinois and had very little formal education. However, he read everything he could find. He taught himself to be a lawyer through reading in the evenings.

Lincoln v. Davis Jefferson was born in Kentucky and grew up on a small plantation in Mississippi.

Lincoln v. Davis Jefferson Davis attended West Point Military Academy and served as a commander in The Mexican War.

Lincoln v. Davis had hoped to be chosen to command the armies of the Confederacy. Instead, he was elected president.