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What I Learned Section 1 -- Answer
the Following Questions: In November, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States. At that time, there were 34 states in the Union. The South depended on farming and crops as its way of life, and southerners depended on slaves to work on their plantations. The North, on the other hand, depended on industry and did not have as many slaves. The southern states thought President Lincoln would end slavery and destroy the South's way of life. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from (or leave) the Union. By February, 1861, six more states had seceded from the Union. They were Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. These seven states formed the Confederate States of America and elected Jefferson Davis as President. When Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as President in March, 1861, he faced a possible civil war. On April 12, 1861, Union-controlled Fort Sumter was attacked by Confederate forces, and the Civil War began. Between April and June, 1861, four more states seceded and joined the Confederate States of America. They were Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Twenty-three states remained in the Union. They were Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, California, and Oregon. In 1863, the western part of Virginia broke away from Virginia, and it became a new state in the Union. It was called West Virginia. At the start of the Civil War, there were twenty-two million people living in the North and nine million people living in the South. Did you know three million of the nine million people living in the South were slaves? The following is a list of the states and
dates of their secession: 2. What happened on
April 12, 1861? On December 20, 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union. Fort Sumter was a United States military fort located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, and therefore, it was under the control of Union forces. On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter, and the Civil War began. This bombardment lasted 34 hours, until the Union forces surrendered on April 14. The Civil War lasted four years. It ended on April 9, 1865, when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Did you know the Civil War was known by different names? Southerners referred to it as The War Between the States. 3. Was the Northern
Army referred to as the Union Army or the Confederate Army? When the Civil War began and states seceded from the Union, southern soldiers resigned from the U.S. Army and joined confederate units. Did you know Robert E. Lee was one of these soldiers? Lee was born in Virginia. When Virginia seceded on April 17, 1861, Lee resigned from the U.S. Army because of his loyalty to his home state. Read about Robert E. Lee. The Union military consisted of men from the United States, Germany, Ireland, France, Spain, Great Britain, and Italy. The Union army signed up 16,000 men for five years. On April 15, 1861, President Lincoln asked for 75,000 volunteers to serve for ninety days. As the war continued and the volunteers stopped joining the army, the government offered money to those who volunteered. In 1863, the Union began drafting men between the ages of twenty and forty five. However, a man could get out of the draft by either buying a substitute to fight in his place or paying $300. Most Union soldiers were between sixteen and thirty years old. Many were not married. A private was paid thirteen dollars a month. The Union flag was called the Stars and Stripes. It consisted of thirty-four stars to represent all the states, even the eleven which had seceded. In 1863, a star was added to the flag to represent the newest state, West Virginia. Did you know the North and the South had different names for the same battles? The North named battles after rivers, and the South named them after towns. For example, the battle fought on September 17, 1862, was called Antietam by the North and Sharpsburg by the South. The battle fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, was called Stones River by the North and Murfreesboro by the South. 4. Was the Southern
Army referred to as the Union Army or the Confederate Army? At the beginning of the Civil War, the southern forces were comprised of small state units. President Jefferson Davis called for 100,000 volunteers. In 1862, the southern government drafted men between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. However, owners of twenty or more slaves did not have to fight. Although privates earned eleven dollars per month, many of them were not paid until a year later. The Confederate flag was called the Stars and Bars. Later, the Rebel Flag was adopted. Did you know the South and the North had a different way to name their armies? The South named its armies after states (or parts of states), and the North named its armies after rivers. For example, Southern armies were called the Army of Northern Virginia or the Army of Tennessee, and Northern armies were called the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the Tennessee. Did you notice the Northern army was called the Army of THE Tennessee, and the Southern army was the Army of Tennessee (without a "the")? Why? Because the Northern Army was named after "The Tennessee" as in the Tennessee River, and the Confederate Army was named after "Tennessee" as in the state of Tennessee. Did you know most of the fighting occurred in the South? The Battles of Antietam and Gettysburg were two famous battles which occurred in the North. Antietam was fought on September 17, 1862, in Maryland. Gettysburg was fought from July 1 - 3, 1863, in Pennsylvania. 5. True or False: During
the Civil War, children in the North had more opportunities to
attend school than children
in the South. Before the war, the South had less schools than the North, and these school were usually private schools. Wealthy parents would hire a tutor or governess to teach their children at home. Then the children attended private high schools. During the war, it became more difficult for southern children to attend school. First, the tutors left to fight. Second, children had to help out on the farm or in the house which left less time to study. Third, many schools were used as hospitals or prisons. African-American children in the South were not taught to read or write. One child, Frederick Douglass, knew it was important to learn in order to become free. He secretly learned from neighborhood white boys. Douglass escaped from slavery and spoke out against slavery as an adult. Some slaves who knew how to read and write taught others slaves in "pit schools." Pit schools were hidden holes in the ground so the slaves would not be caught. 6. How was the news
spread from the front lines? Before the war in the North, people picked up their letters from the post office or general store. During the war, two big changes occurred with the U.S. Mail. One, the mail was divided into classes. First class was used for letters, second class was used for newspapers, and third class was used for magazines. The price of postage depended on the class, rather than on how far the letter traveled. Two, home mail delivery began in large cities by "postmen." Later in the war, postal money orders were used so soldiers could send money safely through the mail. In the South, it was more difficult to get the news from the front lines. Sometimes it could take months or years for the news to spread. Some mail never made it through the army lines. Often telegraph lines were cut by the Union Army. The Vicksburg Citizen and the Richmond Enquirer followed the battles and printed the names of the casualties. These newspapers were read aloud in a public place because many people could not read. When the newspapers ran out of newsprint, they used wallpaper or wrapping paper. What I Learned Section 2 -- Define the
following words: Plantation: Large farm Confederacy: A group of states working together but allowing each state to keep its own laws 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry: First African-American regiment Underground Railroad: A secret route to travel from the South and slavery to the North and freedom Emancipation Proclamation: Document
signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, which
freed the slaves in the South Bonus Questions (Answer 1 of the
Following Questions for Your FREE
Bookmark): People who owned farms or businesses made more money because they sold their food or goods to the Union Army. Families who worked for someone else experienced a harder time because the cost of food and housing increased. Workers worked about ten to twelve hours a day and earned between $2.50 to $3.00 for the whole day. At the same time, prices of food increased up to 75%. For example, a dozen eggs cost as much as $6. Some foods were difficult to find because they were grown in the South. These included rice, sweet potatoes, citrus fruits, and pecans. Most families ate meat and potatoes. Lunch was usually eaten at noon, and supper was eaten at 6 o'clock. During the war, canned food began so soldiers could carry their food while they marched. There was canned milk and canned fruit. People who lived in the city went to the circus, attended vaudeville shows (shows with dancing, comedy, and singing), and watched parades as men marched off to battle. The Sanitary Commission featured exhibits of captured battle flags and military items to raise money for the soldiers. People who lived in the country attended farm fairs. Popular songs in the North included the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Battle Cry of Freedom." Did you know baseball became a popular sport during and after the Civil War? Soldiers played in between battles to pass the time. When they returned home, they taught their children how to play. Life in the South during the Civil War As the war continued, food became more scarce. Southerners mostly ate what could be grown or gathered. Meat was difficult to get because it was hunted. Tea was made from dried berry leaves, coffee was made by boiling grain, and baking soda was made from corncob ashes. To make the food last, some families only ate one or two small meals a day. Although there was little time to play games, children enjoyed pretending to play war. Boys played a flute, and girls played with a rag doll. Popular songs were "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and "Bonnie Blue Flag." Southerners supported the war by sharing food and clothing with Confederate soldiers. Homes were offered to the officers. Families helped the wounded soldiers in nearby hospitals. Slave children were put to work by the time they were six years old. They would put the animals in the barn, clean the yard, or run errands. When they were older, they would work in the fields. They did not have much time to play. Popular songs among slaves were "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "Follow the Drinking Gourd." b. Compare the life
in the North and the South after the Civil War. During the war, many workers had delayed going on strike because it was considered unpatriotic. After the war, as the companies grew larger, low paid workers fought for more money and the end to the fourteen-hour work day. Freed slaves moved to the North, and they were given low-paying jobs. President Abraham Lincoln wanted to reunite the country quickly and peacefully. However, Lincoln was assassinated on April 15, 1865. This was just three days after the surrender at Appomattox Court House. Andrew Johnson succeeded Lincoln as President. Life in the South after the Civil War Life was difficult for freed slaves who remained in the South. They had little education and money, and they were discriminated against. Some decided to move to the North. c. Describe ONE
of the following people from the North: d. Describe ONE
of the following people from the South. e. During and after
the Civil War new words were used. Define the origin of ONE of
the following words:
f. Use five of the words
in Section 2 in a sentence.
g. Have a parent or friend give you a spelling test with EACH of the words in Section 2. More Valuable Information about the
American Civil War:
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If You Lived at the Time of the Civil War (If You)
South
Carolina: December 20, 1860
