Assignment 10, Key Events of the Civil War

Essential Questions

1. Upon what key battles and events did the outcome of the Civil War turn?

2. Why were these key battle and events so critical?

Description 

The Civil War was the costliest war in American history. Any war is horrible, but throughout history, civil wars tend to have an elevated degree of damage and death attached to them. The United States' Civil War was no different.

It becomes hard to sort out just what had the biggest effects when faced with so much pain.

The Civil War included dozens of major battles and hundreds of smaller ones. There were skirmishes that never made the history books, but from which thousands of young men - boys really - never returned. Every one of those people had a story to tell. Still, from the perspective of history, some events stand out in particular focus from the Civil War years.

In this assignment we will quickly focus on the Battle of Antietam, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg and the Gettysburg Address, Sherman's March to the Sea, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the passage of the 13th Amendment.

We will also look closely at two important pieces of legislation passed during the Civil War - the Morrill Act and the Homestead Act.

If that sounds like a lot to bite off in just a few days, it is.

Objectives

Students will identify and describe the key turning points of the Civil War and changes in American policy that occurred during the Civil War years.

Instructions  

Use  the material we covered in class, and the linked sources below, to complete the assignment.

Online Files for this Assignment

Click here to open Chapter 23 of the textbook.

READ THIS >> Here is the link to the PDF file about selected turning points of the Civil War. 

Click here to view the Civil War fact sheet.

Click here to access key information about Civil War battles. Look at the list on the right side of the screen for some specific links.

Here is the link to a pretty detailed timeline of the Civil War. This is the link to an excellent timeline about the Civil  War and collections of photos at the Library of Congress.

This link will take you to the video about the Civil War we used in class.

Here is the link to the scene from Gettysburg about Chamberlain's charge.

During the Civil War the business of government continued. Three extremely important pieces of legislation with long-lasting impacts for our time were passed during the Civil War. This link goes to an excellent summary of three important laws passed during the Civil War.

Here is the video summary of the Civil War we used in class.

Focus Files

Use these to focus in on the key Civil War events we are studying.

• Antietam One, Two, Three

• The Emancipation Proclamation One, Two, Text File

• Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg

• Sherman's March to the Sea One, Two

• Lincoln's Assassination One, Two, Three

• 13th Amendment One, Two

There is not a printed copy of this assignment on the website right now.

The assignment is simply this - create a four to five paragraph essay about the question or event you chose - they are listed below. Print it for class and share it with me at robbinsr@msd321.com.

I will post the essays to this site Tuesday evening, and there will be an extra credit test about the student essays available until Thursday morning at 8:00 a.m.

Here are the topics folks chose.

Fourth Hour

One - The Battle of Antietam

Explain McClellan’s Choices and how they affected the outcome of the battle.

How did Lee’s withdrawal shape the course of the remainder of the war?

Explain the relationship between McClellan and President Lincoln.

Jude, Rocky; Kreed

What role did Ambrose Burnside play in the battle?

Taylor, Eva

Two - The Emancipation Proclamation

Why did Lincoln hesitate on emancipation?

How did his approaches to emancipation change and what was the southern response?

Charles, Sebastian, Brevin

Read the Emancipation Proclamation and explain who was freed and why.

Three - The Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg

Explain why Lee chose the route he did to Gettysburg.

How did Chamberlain’s actions change the course of the entire war?

Why did Meade not follow and attack Lee?

Rhyker, Creed, Brett

How did Grant’s actions at Vicksburg change American warfare?

What made Vicksburg such a vital target?

Four - Sherman’s March to the Sea

Why did Sherman attack what seemed like otherwise civilian targets?

Abram

How were Sherman’s actions toward enslaved people intended to weaken the South?

Explain Sherman’s focus on railroads.

Britnee

Five - Lincoln’s Assassination

Explain the history and beliefs of John Wilkes Booth.

Jillian, Gabby

What drove to him to assassinate the President?

Alyssa, Kalli

Detail the conspiracy to kill Lincoln. Who else was attacked? Who else was involved?

Kham, Kort

Explain the hunt for Booth.

Maryanna, Alexa, Kaylee; Brenner

Six - The 13th Amendment

What was Lincoln’s role in the 13th Amendment?

Halle, Gabrielle, Claire

How did it change life for formerly enslaved people? How did it not?

Cy

How did the 13th Amendment support the Declaration of Independence? How did it perhaps not?

Fifth Hour

One - The Battle of Antietam

Explain McClellan’s Choices and how they affected the outcome of the battle.

How did Lee’s withdrawal shape the course of the remainder of the war?

Explain the relationship between McClellan and President Lincoln?

What role did Ambrose Burnside play in the battle?

Alena, Charley

Two - The Emancipation Proclamation

Why did Lincoln hesitate on emancipation?

How did his approaches to emancipation change and what was the southern response?

Read the Emancipation Proclamation and explain who was freed and why.

Three - The Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg

Explain why Lee chose the route he did to Gettysburg.

How did Chamberlain’s actions change the course of the entire war?

Why did Meade not follow and attack Lee?

How did Grant’s actions at Vicksburg change American warfare?

Angel, Wyatt, Ramon

What made Vicksburg such a vital target?

Hudson

Four - Sherman’s March to the Sea

Why did Sherman attack what seemed like otherwise civilian targets?

Paul

How were Sherman’s actions toward enslaved people intended to weaken the South?

Emily, Hadlee, Sammi

Explain Sherman’s focus on railroads.

Five - Lincoln’s Assassination

Explain the history and beliefs of John Wilkes Booth. 

Adam

What drove to him to assassinate the President?

Detail the conspiracy to kill Lincoln. Who else was attacked? Who else was involved?

Macie, Michaela; Jace, Tayson

Explain the hunt for Booth.

Connor, Scarlett

Six - The 13th Amendment

What was Lincoln’s role in the 13th Amendment?

Josh

How did it change life for formerly enslaved people? How did it not?

How did the 13th Amendment support the Declaration of Independence? How did it perhaps not?

Dexton

Class Member Essays - You will want to use these as you take the quiz.

Who Else Was Involved In Lincoln’s Assassination?

First, John Wilkes Booth, born May 10, 1838, near Bel Air, Maryland, U.S. — died April 26, 1865, near Port Royal, Virginia — was a member of one of the United States’ most distinguished families of the 19th century.  He was also the assassin who killed U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was killed in Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865, at 10:20 p.m. After Booth shot Lincoln, he jumped onto the stage, ran out of the building, and rode away on horseback. He escaped with David E. Herold and hid with him in the swamp. They went to Dr. Samuel Alexander Mudd for his broken ankle. (Library of Congress)

The goal of John Wilkes Booth was to take over the United States government by killing the top three officials of the United States. They tried to destroy the Union to bring slavery back to the South.

There were also other people with different jobs to do in the conspiracy.  At 10:15 p.m., William Henry Seward (Lincoln’s secretary of state), was attacked by Booth’s accountant. “Seward lay in bed, recovering from a carriage accident. Powell entered the mansion, claiming to have a delivery of medicine from the secretary’s doctor” (Library of Congress). Powell claimed to be delivering medicine, and then he went upstairs and brutally beat Frederick, who was William Henry Seward’s son.  Then, he got into the room and attacked Seward.

George A. Atzerodt was 30 years old and born in Germany. He was recruited by Booth for his skills which would be useful if he kidnapped Lincoln. When plans changed to kill the president, he reassigned him to kill Vice President Andrew Jackson, who was in the Kirkwood Hotel. He was in the Kirkwood bar and lost his nerve. He wandered around the city through the night (Lincoln Conspirators).

 The conspirators were not successful in killing all of the members of Congress they hoped but they still killed Lincoln. Their plan to bring back slavery to the South failed.

Lincoln’s Assassination EXPLAIN THE HUNT FOR BOOTH:

The hunt for John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, was one of the largest manhunts in American history. After fatally shooting Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865, Booth fled the scene. The assassination shocked the nation and led to an intense pursuit to capture Booth and his co-conspirators.

Booth, along with his accomplice, David Herold, initially escaped on horseback and made their way south. They traveled through Maryland and eventually reached Virginia. Meanwhile, federal authorities quickly mobilized to pursue them. The War Department dispatched troops, detectives, and law enforcement officers to track down Booth and his associates.

The pursuit intensified when it was discovered that Booth and Herold had sought refuge in a barn on the Garrett farm in Virginia. On April 26, 1865, Union soldiers surrounded the barn and demanded the surrender of the fugitives. Herold surrendered, but Booth refused. In the ensuing standoff, the barn was set on fire. Booth was shot by Sergeant Boston Corbett, a Union soldier, and died a few hours later on April 26.

With Booth’s death, the immediate threat to public safety was eliminated. However, the government continued to pursue individuals suspected of involvement in the conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln. Several of Booth’s co-conspirators were captured, tried, and either executed or imprisoned.

The hunt for Booth and the subsequent trials of his co-conspirators marked a significant moment in American history, as it underscored the nation’s determination to bring those responsible for Lincoln’s assassination to justice and to uphold the rule of law. Booth’s actions left an indelible mark on American history and served as a reminder of the fragility of democracy.

Who Was Involved In The Assassination of Abe Lincoln 

Abraham Lincoln is the 16th President of the United States and killed by a man named John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865. Booth, along with some friends, planned to kidnap Lincoln, hoping to change the course of the war However as the war neared its end and the Confederate cause seemed lost, Booth changed his plan to assassinate Lincoln instead. 

On that fateful night Lincoln was watching a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C. Booth sneaked into the presidential box and shot Lincoln in the head. Lincoln was gravely injured and died the next morning.

 Booth was an actor who supported the Confederate side during the Civil War. He shot Lincoln while Lincoln was watching a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Booth ran away but was caught and killed near Port Royal Virginia.

Booth didn’t act alone. He had friends who helped him plan the attack. One of them was Lewis Powell, who tried to kill the Secretary of State but only managed to hurt him. Another was George Atzerodt, who was supposed to kill the Vice President but didn’t go through with it. David Herold helped Booth escape, and Mary Surratt who owned a boarding house where the conspirators met and  was also involved She was the first woman to be executed by the U.S. government for her role in the plot. Lincoln’s assassination had big effects on the country, especially during the time after the Civil War called Reconstruction. It’s an important part of American history.

After shooting Lincoln, Booth fled the theater and managed to evade capture for nearly two weeks. He was eventually found hiding in a barn in Virginia. When Union soldiers surrounded the barn, Booth refused to surrender, and the barn was set on fire. Booth was shot during the standoff and died soon later. The assassination shocked the nation and had far-reaching consequences. Lincoln’s death not only deprived the country of a beloved leader but also altered the course of history during the critical period of Reconstruction following the Civil War. It heightened tensions between the North and the South and influenced the way the nation dealt with the aftermath of the war and the issues of slavery and civil rights. 

Booth’s co-conspirators were also involved in the plot. Lewis Powell attacked Secretary of State William H. Seward at his home injured him severely but Seward survived. Another conspirator George Atzerodt was supposed to assassinate Vice President Andrew Johnson but failed to carry out the plan.

Booth’s co-conspirators were also captured, and several of them were tried and convicted for their roles in the assassination plot. Mary Surratt, one of the conspirators, became the first woman to be executed by the United States federal government for her involvement in the conspiracy. Lincoln’s assassination shocked the nation and plunged it into mourning. It was a tragic event that left a lasting impact on American history.

Explain the Relationship Between Lincoln and McClellan

Abraham Lincoln and McClellan were constantly disagreeing during the battle of Antietam. McClellan’s cautious approach was really making Lincoln angry. The decisions were technically pretty smart, but it provoked Lincoln because he couldn’t handle McClellan’s cautious personality when met with a battle. The union technically won the battle, but Lincoln still wasn’t satisfied with McClellan’s performance. McClellan retained his rank for a little bit longer, until eventually being relieved of duty by Abe.

When Lincoln arrived at the battlefield, things were going pretty well. McClellan was slowly winning the battle with his cautious attitude. But Lincoln thought McClellan could be dealing with the situation more efficiently. McClellan insisted that he was going to win, so Lincoln allowed him to continue how he was currently doing it.

McClellan was worried about Robert E Lee’s army; he moved towards it slowly and cautiously, even though he had superior numbers. Then McCellan got ahold of a copy of Robert’s orders then he failed to capitalize on it effectively. During the battle , McClellan’s  style was characterized by teeny tiny attacks rather than coordinated assaults. He sent units into battle without proper coordination or support, leading to high casualties.

In the end, the Union army won the battle, but didn’t pursue the confederates. This made Lincoln really angry, because McClellan could have easily destroyed the confederate army if they just followed them. But McClellan was a very wary individual, and thought anything without intense planning would go awry. Despite Lincoln’s anger, McClellan remained in office for a month or so until Lincoln got frustrated enough to fire him.

Lincoln and McClellan’s relationship during the battle of Antietam was a very tense and frustrating one. They didn’t agree on hardly anything, but at least in the end the Union won. 

What role did Burnside play in the Battle of Antietam?

Burnside was a big part and had a large impact on the Civil War. He conducted a campaign that was very successful. His triumphs there were the earliest significant Union victories in the Eastern Theater and he was promoted to major general. later serve as Rhode Island’s governor and U.S. Senator, and the first president of the National Rifle Association.

Ambrose Everett Burnside began his military career of varied success after graduating 18th in a class of 47 from the United States Military Academy in 1847.  He received a brevet second lieutenant position in the 2nd Artillery, and served during the Mexican-American War mostly on garrison duty in Mexico City.  After the war, he briefly served in garrison duty in the southwestern United States, and resigned his commission in 1853.  He set to work on a breech-loading rifle, which eventually failed, was appointed as a major general of the Rhode Island militia, and received a nomination to Congress.

Although Burnside has been lampooned as a particularly poor general, that reputation is not fully deserved. He tended to give his subordinates too much latitude, a policy that succeeded so long as those subordinates were experienced professionals, but the amateurs who rose to the top through battlefield attrition required a tighter rein than he was accustomed to administering. The worst charges against him, however, have been filed by those who found him to be a convenient scapegoat for themselves or their allies.

Following the war, Burnside was three times elected governor of Rhode Island and was twice elected to the U.S. Senate. He was the president of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Union veterans association, and, in 1871, became the first president of the National Rifle Association. He died on September 13, 1881, in Bristol, Rhode Island.

Lincoln’s Role in the 13th Amendment

Abraham Lincoln played a very important role in the creation of the 13th Amendment. Lincoln wanted to end slavery constitutionally. This meant that he would have to change the constitution by adding a new amendment to it. To make this possible it would have to be passed by three-fourths of the states. 

The 13th Amendment states: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” This new amendment made slavery illegal, which was a very important goal of the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln. 

The 13th Amendment was officially passed on January 31, 1865. It became ratified on December 6 during the same year. It proved to be a very important addition to the constitution, along with the other amendments added during the Civil War era. Abraham Lincoln had an important role in creating this very important amendment. 

How did the 13th Amendment support the Declaration of Independence? How did it perhaps not?

Well how did the 13th amendment support the declaration of independence. The 13 amendment says that no man woman or anyone can be held under slavery or told they have to work unless being punished for crimes done. This bassically is the constituition every one ignored all people are equal, all people are treated the same, well except the blacks, women and kids can’t vote. The constituituin says that all people in America are free to do as they please as long as they follow the laws and nobody can controlle when, where and the time they have to work. In a way the 13’th amendment was not supported by the constitution because it said that slavery was leagal and that not all people can vote or have certain right like owning property or belongings.

How did Grant’s actions at Vicksburg change American warfare?

The Federal victory at Vicksburg divided the Confederacy in two. Pemberton surrendered an army of almost 30,000 men to Grant. The concurrent Federal victory at the battle of Gettysburg boosted morale in the North. Although the fighting continued for another two years, the city’s fall was a turning point in the war.

In simple terms

Grant marched towards the final goal of his campaign: Vicksburg. Taking this Southern stronghold would allow the Union to control the Mississippi River and boost Northern morale. After a series of battles, Grant’s troops forced General Pemberton’s Confederate army to retreat into the defenses surrounding Vicksburg.

Grant’s victory led to his continued command in eastern Tennessee and his eventual appointment as general-in-chief of the Union armies. In the spring of 1863, Grant marched the Army of the Tennessee down the west side of the Mississippi River.

What were the three effects of Grant’s siege of Vicksburg? it placed a great lack of material for the Confederate troops. they had almost run out of food, ammo and other stuff they needed thus providing a great advantage for the union it also gave the union hope of defeating the Confederates.

The relationship between McClellan and President Lincoln 

Lincoln and McClellan knew each other for a long time even before the civil war they worked with each other on the Illinois Central Railroad in the 1850s when General McClellan was the general and superintendent and Lincoln was an attorney. And when the civil war began in 1861 Lincoln held him in high regard. Their friend relationship was complex and they had a lot of feelings like they would be really nice to each other then they would get in a fight. 

Some people would say their relationship was like a puzzle with some missing puzzles. Lincoln wanted the union to win the war quickly but McClellan made Lincoln think that he wanted to slow down on the war and that ended up making Lincoln mad. Eventually Lincoln was getting so frustrated he hired a new person to lead the army and Lincoln did this because he didn’t think that McClellan was getting the job done right and fast enough. 

Even though they wouldn’t always get the job done they both wanted to win the war and that helped them in the war cause it made them want to work together to win the war. And McClellan would end up overestimating the strength of the confederated forces and this ended up making him hesitate to fight them cause he didn't know how strong they really were. And that made Lincoln mad because even though he didn’t know what McClellan was thinking about their army.

So that made the battle longer than Lincoln wanted it and that made it harder for Lincoln to let him be the leader of the army. And because McClellan didn’t know that led to President Lincoln to relive his job as army general to him losing his job and making Lincoln having to find a new army general and McClellan ending up getting more mad at Lincoln.  

Why did Sherman attack seemingly civilian targets?   

Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s March to the Sea was a big event in the Civil War. Sherman marched through Georgia and South and North Carolina, destroying railroads and other important things that could be used by the Confederacy. General Sherman captured Atlanta, which was an important railroad and industrial city in the South, and supplied the Confederate Army with munitions, food, and other important things. Atlanta was not burned to the ground as most people think, some of it wasn’t even from Sherman, but from Confederate General John Bell Hood’s evacuation of Atlanta. He decided to split his army, with one group, led by General George Thomas, would contain General Hood, while the other, led by Sherman, would lead his troops on a destructive march through the South “smashing things to the sea”. He decided to raid farms and other structures that could help the Confederacy, and also lower Confederate morale. He destroyed railroad tracks by heating them and tying them into “Sherman’s Neckties” so they would be unusable. Sherman’s army of 62,000 easily outnumbered the weak Confederate armies and militias in the area. Sherman believed that he should not only deprive the Confederacy of anything that should be used for the military, but also destroy the material and morale of sympathetic Southern whites, the two things he believed that powered the South. He wanted to make life so unpleasant for Georgia and South Carolina that they would demand an end to the war. Sherman’s troops ran unopposed through the South, with the only big combat being at Griswoldville, in which the Confederates had 650 casualties while the Union had 62. Sherman’s army raided farms and plantations, stole and ate livestock, and took as much food as they could carry, which severely lowered morale from Southerns, as they believed the Confederacy would protect them. Sherman captured the City of Savannah, and presented it to Lincoln on Christmas Day in 1864, along with 25,000 bales of cotton from the city. Sherman marched through South Carolina, destroying even more as South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union, and the Union troops believed that they had caused the war. He marched into North Carolina, and when Confederate general Joseph Johnston surrendered, Sherman gave him such lenient terms that some people in the North doubted his loyalty. Sherman was not focused on casualties, but destruction. He attacked seemingly civilian targets to destroy anything helpful the Confederates, and lower morale so that the South would give up, and hastened to end the war because the Confederacy couldn’t fight at full capacity. He also helped Grant beat Lee because he started to turn towards Lee so that Lee’s Army would be trapped between Grant and Sherman. The March resulted in 3,000 casualties on both sides, much less than battles like Gettysburg and Shiloh, which the March to the Sea was nearly bloodless. Sherman fought a physiological war of destruction on the South, damaging Confederate morale and supplies to the point that Georgia and South Carolina’s agriculture economy was almost destroyed, and the people wanted the surrender. He was very successful, and that is why he attacked seemingly civilian targets.    

The March of Sherman

William Sherman was an American Civil War general. He led the union in battles in the south moving through Georgia and South Carolina. Sherman was a very brutal military leader and massacred everything in his path. When he took about 60,000 of his best men on a very destructive march.When he started he destroyed Atlanta and its ability to fight in the war even though he destroyed a lot of the city about 400 houses were still standing not like how the gone with the wind book says.

The reason Sherman’s march seemed like an attack on innocent civilians was because that was kind of the point. The reason Sherman went on this rampage in the south was to prove to the south that they could be hurt by the union, and that the confederate government could do nothing to help them.The March was also to end the war fast because it had already killed like 600,000 people.So the march was kind of like a power move to prove to the confederates that they were weaker than the union.

Sherman also went to great lengths to make the railroads unusable.He also destroyed bridges and roads. as Sherman made his march he would destroy cotton fields and plantations. Sherman’s men would march all day with no lunch break or anything then at night then the would hurry and set up their tents and make their dinner which was their one real meal of the day.Then they would play cards and write letters after dinner. Another thing that they would do is listen to the stories of the foragers. The foragers would go out away from the march and find plantations and stuff and then they would just ransack the building and take the food and bring it back to the army and that’s where the army got lots of their food.

As Sherman’s march destroyed plantations and stuff and freed slaves then the slaves would follow behind the march.Some of the slaves helped with the tasks that were necessary for the march. The slaves made sherman worry about the impact they were having on the speed of their march.while they were crossing the flooded ebenezer creek on a pontoon bridge then they told the slaves wait for a signal before crossing there were about 650 of them then they just left them behind then the slaves panicked and tried to cross and many of them drowned.and that is basically the march of sherman.

Sherman's focus on railroads.

William Sherman was an American Civil War general and a major architect of modern warfare. He led Union forces in crushing campaigns through the South, marching through Georgia and Carolinas. He is best known for his leadership during the Civil War. 

Sherman’s men would destroy bridges and tunnels to make the railroads unusable. The rails were torn from the ties then they would pile them all up which were to put a bonfire underneath them. Once the rails were red they would twist them. The twisted rails were known as “Sherman’s neckties” or “Sherman’s hairpins”. 

Sherman would do this to stop the supply line of the Confederates. His men would destroy all the railroads that were leading to Chattanooga. He destroyed 300 miles of railroad.

The hunt to find John Wilkes Booth

John Wilkes Booth is the person who killed our president, Abraham Lincoln. This was a really big event in Americas history. It all started on April 14, 1865. This is when John Wilkes Booth shot our president, Abraham Lincoln. He was shot in a theater called Fords theater. This made the whole country shocked, and after that everyone wanted justice. Soldiers worked hard to find John Wilkes Booth. They searched everywhere for him. They found him after twelve days of looking for him.

John Wilkes Booth tried to go and hide in Maryland. But the soldiers were still looking for him. People were really scared after Abraham Lincoln died. This made it so where catching John Wilkes Booth was really important to the country because it would bring back peace. Then it was on April 26, 1865 when the soldiers found him hiding in a barn in Virginia. But even though John Wilkes Booth was not about to give up on hiding. The soldiers still caught him. But, John Wilkes Booth got hurt when he was caught and then he died. But when he was caught, it made everyone happy and relieved.

The hunt for John Wilkes Booth basically showed us that people will do a lot of things to get justice. Even in hard times. It basically shows how strong the Americans are and how we can get over things together. When John Wilkes Booth got caught, it made it so where it was an important part of America’s history. This basically shows that no matter what happens, justice will usually always win.

Who was John Wilkes Booth?

John Wilkes Booth will always be known for his assassination of the president. He was born in Maryland in 1838 into a family of actors. He knew he always wanted to take the stage himself. In 1855  he appeared in Shakespeare’s Richard III in Baltimore. John Wilkes Booth stayed in the north during the civil war being a successful actor. As the war entered its final stages, Booth and a couple of associates plotted to kidnap president Lincoln and bring him to Richmond. On March 20, 1865, Lincoln failed to be in the planned spot of the abduction ruining their plans. Later on, John desperately came up with an even more sinister plan to save the confederacy. 

What was Booth’s history? 

John Wilkes Booth supported slavery and everything that happened in the south. He joined a Shakespearean stock company in Richmond Virginia, and he was outspoken in his act of supporting slavery, and for his hatred against Lincoln. President Lincoln was all for equality and Booth was so against it, that was one reason he wanted to kill him so badly. By autumn of 1864 he began his plot for the “abduction” of President Lincoln. A lot of people disliked him so they helped plan the “kidnap” as well. After he had tried so many times and failed, he just decided to kill him, no matter what the outcome may be. After he assassinated the president, he tried to escape but was caught by some soldiers. They shot him and he died soon after. He told the soldier “Tell my mother I die for my country.” His last words were spoken looking at his hands “Useless, Useless, Useless…”

John was a big believer in the southern cause. The southern cause was about the southern states protecting their rights, homes, throwing off the shackles of a tyrannical government. The south was also a big part in supporting slavery. He was crazy, he planned the death almost perfectly so he made sure if anything happened, and if he was still alive the door would be locked so he couldn’t get out. Soon after he killed Lincoln there was a $100,000 reward if they found him. 

Why did Meade not follow and attack Lee?

General George Gordon Meade didn’t chase after General Robert E. Lee after the Battle of Gettysburg for a few important reasons. Both the Confederate and the Union armies had just fought a really tough battle with a lot of casualties. Meade’s soldiers were tired and needed time to rest and heal. If they went chasing after Lee right away, it could have put them in even more danger and made things worse for the Union army.

Another reason Meade didn’t pursue and attack Lee is that Meade didn’t have clear information about where exactly Lee was headed. The Confederate army was retreating south, and it was hard for Meade to keep track of them. Also, his own army was spread out over a large area, so it wasn’t easy to quickly gather everyone for a pursuit without knowing exactly where Lee was going.

Meade also knew that even though the Union had won at Gettysburg, Lee’s army was still strong and could be dangerous if they caught the Union troops off guard. Instead of risking another big battle right away, Meade focused on protecting Union territory and making sure his soldiers were ready for whatever might come next.

In the end, Meade’s decision was about being smart and cautious. By taking time to regroup, gather information, and defend important areas, he was looking out for his soldiers and trying to keep the Union safe after such a major battle. Even though people questioned his choice at the time, Meade’s plan showed he understood the challenges and wanted to protect his troops and the Union’s goals after Gettysburg.

Some reasons why Lincoln hesitated on emancipation

Political Considerations: Lincoln wanted to free slaves, and it was a big deal, but not everybody wanted to. Lincoln was afraid that if he won, the people who liked having slaves would be very angry

Constitutional Concerns: Lincoln didn’t want to go against the constitution but still wanted to end slavery. He did not want to go further than the president could go, and he also didn’t want to interfere with the rights of other states.

Military Strategy: He also wanted the upper hand in the war, and had to wait for the end of the Civil war to free slaves so it wouldn’t hurt his chances. 

Public Opinion: Lincoln was careful about his public opinion, and so he had to wait for the right timing for everything so that it wouldn’t ruin his public opinion. If people liked him, they would believe him more. If they believed him more, they would support his opinions. (like abolishing slaves)

Economic Concerns: He also had to worry about people in the south and how they would make more money if they heavily relied on slaves.