1) How did the military stalemate pg 1861-1862 affect both sides in the Civil War?
The military stalemate had several consequences. It made the Confederates lose morale due to the fact that they were exhausting their efforts by always being prepared to fight but not actually doing so. For the Union, the stalemate caused them to not really care about what was going on because the war was taking too long, so they’d keep pulling out. Then they had to take it seriously when the south started advancing and they weren’t quite prepared.
2) What were the primary military strategies of each side, and how did each side attempt to carry them out?
Early in the war, the Union focused on blockading Southern ports and seizing the Mississippi river. The Union navy was meager, so it concentrated on areas of trade and rendevouz. To seize the Mississisppi, the Union invaded key areas (such as New Orleans and Vicksburg) and sent gunboats up and down the river. Union areas connected to the Mississippi had their main economic route back. Union forces also focused on engaging main Confederate forces. Although this strategy resulted in many casualties, it also ground the Confederate forces down. Major battles of this nature included Antietam and Gettysburg. Nearly everything Gen. Grant did contributed to this strategy. Late in the war, General Sherman of the Union developed a new strategy: Total War. The Carolinas and Georgia was "Shermanized" by burning areas (such as Atlanta) and destroying important transportation routes. African-American involvement was also used by the Union armies. 180,000 African Americans enlisted in Union forces. The Emancipation Proclamation added moral cause to the war and attracted many blacks to join the war effort. Previously, African Americans couldn't join Union forces.
The CSA realised early on that additional support was needed. Because of states' rights, the entire South needed to be defended at once, instead of just picking easy battles. The CSA tried to gain international recognition, especially from Great Britain. However, Confederate defeats by the Union diminished any hope of foreign intervention. Besides, Britain could get its cotton from slightly more expensive sources, such as Egypt. The South also used heavy offense. The CSA simply didn't wait for Federal forces to attack or for easy battles. The CSA's economy would be crushed by blockade, so blockade running was also a key element in Confederate strategy. Beating the blockade was also tried. For example, the Merrimack ironclad ship destroyed many blockading Union ships. Lastly, the CSA tried desperately to get African -American forces in the last month of the war. This effort proved futile, as the war was almost over.
3) Why was Lincoln so slow to declare the Civil War as a fight against slavery? Was he wise to move slowly, or could an early Emancipation Proclamation have undermined the Union Cause?
Lincoln at first was hesitant to free the slaves for fear that his allies might not support him. A few slave states remained in the Union and the president needed these states not to defect in the heat of fighting. These states included Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, West Virginia and Missouri. Lincoln decided to free slaves in the slave states to demoralize the South and strengthen the cause for the North. He was a brilliant strategist in choosing the path. Also, by waiting, he could put it out at a time when the Union was winning, so it sounded convincing, rather than "We need the slaves to rise up against their masters because we can't win the war."
4) What role did African-Americans, both slave and free, play in the Civil War?
Many African-Americans, both slave and free, joined the war effort. The Union saw the benefits of increased forces, and so began enlisting blacks in 1863, in the year of Lincoln's Emacipation Proclamation. Confederate forces used slave labor to construct buildings and to supply forces with supplies. Slave labor provided much food.
THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION ENABLED THE UNION TO GET AFRICAN AMERICANS FROM THE SOUTH, THUS HURTING THE CSA.
5) What were the key military and political turning points of the war? Why did the South hold onto the hopes of winning its goals as late as 1864 and even early 1865?
In 1864 the election for the president of the United States was up. Lincoln was running against former General McClellan. If McClellan won he would negotiate peace with the South. Lincoln wanted to see the South conquered and brought back into the Union. The major turning point of the war was the Battle at Gettysburg. Lee’s northern most point of advancing was stopped by the Union and it brought the advance of the Confederacy to a halt. All hope was lost for the Confederacy in terms of winning the war from a military standpoint. With McClellan’s lost election there was no more hope for the Confederacy.
6) Were the costs of the Civil War worth the results to the nation as a whole? What issues were settled by the war, and what new problems were created?
Costs of the Civil War
Results of the Civil Wat
600,000 men died in combat or by disease
1,000,000 men dead or seriously wounded
$15 billion
States lost the threats of secession and nullification.
Slavery is abolished
American Democracy proved itself
Looking at the table, the question about whether or not the Civil War was worth it's costs comes down to whether or not 600,000 lives is worth abolishing slavery. It is a manner of personal opinion, but we would say that it is worth it, because more than 600,000 lives were ruined by slavery, and more than 600,000 more lives would have been ruined if slavery had been allowed to continue.