Sherman's march Study overview -S.S and SP

“I would make this war as severe as possible and show no symptoms of tiring till the South begs for mercy.”
A. Information on this topic
1. Bio of Sherman
a. Later drafted to be president (interestingly with strong southern support), but declined
2. Sherman’s tactics
a. Sherman, grant and Lincoln on strategy
i. Sherman and grant
1. “we were as brothers”-sherman
2. Some say the partnership secured victory in the civil war for the north
ii. Sherman abandoned union plan to move from Atlanta to Mobile
1. From a military standpoint, the port was already blockaded, so it was useless to the south
2. On the other hand, if Sherman advanced toward savannah and Charleston, which were capitals and major urban centers, therefore crippling morale
3. Sherman wanted to invade deeper, but Lincoln was hesitant, especially before an election
4. However, with Grant’s approval, Lincoln agreed
iii. Anaconda plan
1. The union’s initial anaconda plan was to strangle the south from all sides, and it worked well in the beginning, but Sherman’s march was the final blow. Sherman led his union troops through the heart of the south, burning three capitals and making the civilians feel it.
b. Abandoning front line and supply lines
i. In order to reach deep into enemy territory, Sherman had to abandon union supply lines
c. Total war and foraging
i. Sherman’s foragers became known as “bummers” and often ignored sherman’s rules
d. Separation of armies (divide and conquer)
i. Sherman separated his troops into two wings,
1. Gave support to each other
2. Stated within forty miles
e. Moral attack by attacking capitals and urban centers
i. Took state capitals to reduce morale
ii. Offered Sherman 25,000 bales of cotton from savannah and savannah itself to Lincoln for Christmas
iii. Showed the south that it couldn’t protect itself
3. Effects
a. Destruction of the Southern Economy-Manufacturing-Railroads / Sherman’s neckties
b. Idea of total war reduced morale
c. Less than 600 of 60,000 men lost – less than 1%
d. Helped Lincoln get elected in 1864
e. Destroyed over $1 billion
f. Captured three state capitals
g. Hastened victory dramatically
h. Effects on the South at the end of the war, reconstruction, and after reconstruction
i. Increased desertion rate in lee’s arm, as men came back to tend their homes
4. Popular public opinion
a. in the north about the idea of how they should fight total war or not-Lincoln’s Speech at the beginning of the war
5. Campaigns of Sherman’s March
a. Atlanta
i. Defended by general Joseph johnston
ii. A series of small skirmish before battle at atlanta
iii. Atlanta burns
iv. Railroad lines cut
v. Retreating confederate army did sizable damage to Atlanta when leaving – they burned buildings and armory
vi. Battle of Kennesaw mountain in which confederates won after Sherman feigned attacks on both sides
b. Savannah
i. Confederates tried to cut union supply lines to Sherman
ii. Hardee defended savannah with 10,000 troops, but fled before Sherman attacked
iii. Lincoln’s election in between
iv. Sherman gives Savannah to Lincoln for Christmas
v. Made Sherman very famous in north
c. Carolinas
i. Sherman feigned right and left, but ultimately forged straight ahead to real target, Columbia
ii. Columbia burns
iii. Manifestation of total war belief that war would end quicker if people personally felt it
iv. Destruction of public buildings
B. Conclusion
1. Sherman’s march reduced southern morale, and ended the war quickly. Sherman’s victories in the campaign of Atlanta helped Lincoln win the election of 1864.
2. Sherman later called to be drafted for president (with southern support, interestingly) but he declined

Texan Independence

By: Dan K (Champ Kind), Paul Z (Ron Burgandy), Veronica (Veronica Corningston aka the expert), and Saadebling El Texan

I. Americans began to settle Texas
1. Stephen F. Austin inhereited land in Texas
2. Agreed on a compromise with the Mexican government
a) Americans would become Mexican citizens
b) Americans would adopt the Catholic religion
c) Mexican government would allow the U.S. to settle Texas
3. Soon enough Americans outnumbered Tejanos two to one
4. Texas held three communities
a) Americans
b) Tejanos
c) Comanche Indians
II. Events that inclined Texas to revolt
1. 1831 - Mexico abolished slavery
a) Loss of unpaid labor-->severe blow to the cotton economy
b) Reminded citizens of the tolerant official view of slavery held in the U.S.
2. Mexican government abolished U.S. immigration
a) Many residents were outraged if they had relatives in the U.S.
3. Mexico placed heavy duties on importation of foreign goods
a) Loosened ties between U.S. and Mexico
4. 1833 - General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna came to power
a) Pledged to consolidate power
b) strengthen national unity
c) Many American Texans wanted to continue their ways of self government
i. this rise of a Mexican nationalist to power alarmed them
III. War
1. War broke out in 1835
2. The Texans gained indepedence
3. Sam Houstan was the first President of the Republic of Texas
4. Texas was annexed by the U.S. in 1844
---All of this was due to the expansionist policies of Polk


Anchorman is really really cool.

Outline for Bear Flag Revolt

Outline

-The war with _________________ began in May ________

-The ________________________ was a declaration of California’s independence

-The ethnic majority in California was ______________________ with a white minority

-A small group of white settlers at ____________ asked ______________ to surrender

-Settlers were motivated by the Mexican War and the policies of ___________________

-The Republic of California lasted for 26 days before being taken over by the U.S.

(Answers)

-The war with Mexico began in May 1846
-The Bear Flag Revolt was a declaration of California’s independence
-The ethnic majority in California was Mexican with a white minority
-A small group of white settlers at Sonoma asked General Vallejo to surrender
-Settlers were motivated by the Mexican War and the policies of Santa Anna
-The Republic of California lasted for 26 days before being taken over by the U.S.

Casey, Thomas, Richie, Katharine.

Opening of Japan

I. Opening of Japan
A. Matthew C. Perry
1.Led four ships into Tokyo bay
2.seeking to re-establish for the first time in over 200 years regular trade and discourse between Japan and the western world
B.Reasons for Reconnecting with Japan
1.Open the ports of China, and annex California to establish large pacific trading
2.Japan was thought to have vast deposits of coal for the new American steam ships on their journey to China
3.Safer harbors, assistance in shipwrecks, and reliable supply stations
4.The Americans also wanted to extend their Manifest Destiny to Japan
a.They wanted to modernize the Japanese and Chinese people
b.They thought the protestant Christianity would be accepted where Catholicism was previously rejected
C.First Arrival in Japan
1.July 8, 1853 Perry came with both firepower and gifts, which were all meant to impress the Japanese of western superiority
2.He wanted to have the Japanese waters to be safe for shipwrecks, supplies, and re-fueling
a.His audacity and willingness to use force convinced Japan to accept his letter
D.Return to Japan on March 31, 1854
1.Perry came with more men the next spring with more men to get an answer from Japan
2.Japan opened up two ports to Americans, allowed rights for shipwrecks, and allowed consuls to live in the port cities
-KB,GS,KS,AZ

the Election of 1844

The Election of 1844
Dante Knudson
Carlyn Nordeman
Oliver Dinallo
Christina Cantu
I. Candidates
a. John C Calhoun (Whig)
b. James K. Polk (Democrat)
c. Van buren (Splits the vote)
II. The Election
a. Polk wins with 40,000 votes
b. But sweeps the electoral college
c. Wins on an expansionist platform
III. Results of the election
a. United states will expand
b. Country divides over slavery and sectionalism revives
c. Feel that expansion in south will unfairly aid slavery,
d. This leads to the national party system breaking down

Overland Trails (Oregon Trail)

Overland Trails (Oregon Trail)
By: S.D., K.K., S.S., R.W.

Overland Trails Background

* 2,000 mile trip from Missouri River to Oregon and California took 7 months (15 miles/day)
* West along Platte River, cross Continental Divide at South Pass (Wyoming), trail along Snake River (Idaho), Oregon’s Blue Mountains and rafting down Columbia River (California--cross Humbolt Sink and Sierra Nevadas)
* Slow, dangerous, expensive, tedious, exhausting
* 5,000 settlers to Oregon by 1845 and 3,000 settlers to California by 1848
* Some arrive by ship, but too expensive

Motives

* Promise of economic opportunity (Panic of 1837)
* Healthy surroundings (malaria-prone Midwest)
* Sense of adventure, curiosity
* Women idealized as “Pinoeer’s Search for an Ideal Home”

Traveling

* Few traveled alone because need help to ford rivers or cross mountains with heavy wagons
* Family, join larger group “train”, “pilot” fur trapper, semimilitary constitution for a leader, occasional dissent
* Start as soon as prairies green (grazing)
* Men move equipment and animals
* Women cook and keep track of children
* Community help if fatality to arrange burial and support survivors

Difficulties

* Dangers from Indian attack small (increased with Gold Rush, white attack Indians more common)
* Cholera (thousand a year 1849-1850s), drowning, shooting and ax accidents, children run over

End of Overland Trails

* 1860—300,000 people reach Oregon or California
* “Pioneer tales” show heroism rather than truth
* Transcontinental Railroad completion in 1869 ended wagon train era

Oregon Boundary Disputes

I.Causes of the Dispute
-1792 British claim Oregon
-British trading is successful with Hudson Bay Company
-1805 Lewis and Clarke build American Fort Clatsop in Oregon
-occupy land together
-War of 1812 Treaty of Ghent does not settle who owns Oregon, leaves 10 years of joint occupation
-Americans begin westward expansion and come across Overland Trails to Oregon
-significant American population; call for Oregon to become an American Territory in 1830s-1840s

II.Settling of the Dispute
-1844 James K. Polk becomes President and promises to go to war if U.S. does not get Oregon up to the 54' 40' line
-British won't give in; Polk actually does not want to go to war
-agrees to James Buchanan's Treaty of Oregon
-U.S. gets up to 49th parallel