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CHAPTER 15
The War of the Union, 1861–1865
This chapter begins by discussing the advantages of the North and the South and their respective
strategies as the Civil War started. The chapter outlines the war’s first battles—Bull Run, in particular—
and their implicit warning that the war would not be easy or short-lived. The life of the soldiers, the
reasons they fought, and the war’s impact on society and life are discussed. The chapter then follows the
war from the battles fought in the West along the Kansas-Missouri border, Kentucky, and Tennessee to
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. Choosing Sides
A. Regional Advantages
B. The War’s Early Strategies
i. First Bull Run
ii. The Union’s “Anaconda” Plan
v. Why They Fought
II. Fighting in the West
A. War in the West
B. Kentucky and Tennessee
C. Shiloh
D. New Orleans
E. Perryville
G. Black Soldiers and Sailors
V. The War Behind the Lines
A. Civil War Medicine
B. Women and the War
C. Wartime Government
E. Chattanooga
F. The Confederacy at Risk
G. A Wartime Election
H. Grant’s Strategy
I. Fort Pillow Massacre
J. Chasing Lee
K. Sherman pushes South
L. Lincoln Reelected
M. Sherman’s “March to the Sea”
N. South Carolina
O. A Losing Cause
LECTURE IDEAS
1. Give a lecture on one major Civil War battle that will serve as a microcosm for the war in terms of
tactics, weaponry, casualties, sources of soldier motivation, and so on. An intriguing choice for this
2. Lincoln’s ideas on race and his eventual decision to emancipate the slaves would make a good lecture.
3. An exciting topic for a lecture is the Myth of the Lost Cause, with its continuing nostalgia for the Old
South and the Confederacy and the political contention it continues to generate. See Gaines Foster’s
4. The year 1863 was a significant turning point in the war militarily and socially. In that year, Lincoln
5. Consider a lecture on the divisive nature of the Civil War. Most people are familiar with families being
divided and taking sides. William Freehling’s The South vs. the South: How Anti-Confederate
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
1. Divide the class into groups and have them look into the Civil War regionally. Then have them present
the war from perspectives of the North, South, and West. See the following:
2. There is no better or more powerful Civil War film than Glory. Use the concluding half of it (which
would cover a fifty-minute class period) to tell the story of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment and
3. Access the Library of Congress’s Civil War photographs collection and pull up photographs from the
Battle of Antietam. Have your students offer their impressions of the photographs and the insights
they offer into the battle. After consideration of the photographs, have your students read some
contemporary newspaper accounts of the battle. The New York Times, for example, offers free access to
4. Have your students read a selection of Civil War–era letters (for example, at
http://valley.lib.virginia.edu/VoS/choosepart.html). Engage the class in a discussion about the
perspective these letters offer regarding the war from both the Union side and the Confederate side.
Based on these letters, what are the overall differences in tone and tenor between the two sides of the
war? How does viewing the war through the eyes of an individual writing a letter differ from viewing
5. Why did religion assume such a prominent role in the Civil War? Preachers in both northern and
southern churches called on people to support the war in the name of God. How could religious
invocation strengthen resolve, and at the same time provide solace to help people deal with loss?
6. Medicine and medical treatments made substantial advances during the Civil War. Sanitation, hygiene,
medicine, surgery, and nursing all improved dramatically. Divide the class into groups to discuss some
of the needs and experiences of the medical profession. To what extent was the medical profession
7. Trace the experience of African Americans in the Civil War. Ask students to work in groups to use the
material provided by the textbook to create an outline that explains the place of African Americans in
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Beyond its superior resources and numbers, what other factors contributed to the Union victory? Of
these factors, which one would you identify as the most important?
2. What was the role of women in the Civil War? How did this involvement differ from women’s roles in
previous wars (for example, the War of 1812)?
3. At the conclusion of the war, General Robert E. Lee noted that his army had “been compelled to yield
to overwhelming numbers and resources.” Did the Confederacy have any realistic options that might
6. Why was the Emancipation Proclamation less a statement on racial equality or human dignity and
more a military necessity or “act of war”?
PRACTICING CITIZENSHIP
There is ongoing controversy about the threat to Civil War battlefields posed by plans for commercial
development. Many historians and activists feel that valuable parts of our national heritage might be
lost if there is not intervention in this area. Do some research to find out what the issues are and the
arguments from perspectives of both preservationists and developers. Visit one major Civil War
