This lesson explores how the Union and Confederacy mobilized for a prolonged war and why the Confederacy’s hopes for European support did not succeed.
By 1864, the Union had spent three years organizing its people, economy, and infrastructure for war. The government supported new railroad construction and standardized rail tracks, making it easier to move troops and supplies across the North. The Northern economy also shifted toward wartime production.
All flashcards
How did standardized railroad tracks help the Union?
They made it easier to move troops and supplies across the North.
Why did France intervene in Mexico during the U.S. Civil War?
Napoleon III sought to expand French influence in Mexico, not to support Confederate independence.
Why did Britain ultimately withhold support from the Confederacy?
Britain had abolished slavery, and the Emancipation Proclamation clarified the Union’s antislavery aims.
What did total war target?
It targeted enemy armies as well as the resources and infrastructure sustaining their ability to fight.
How many African American men served in Union forces by the end of the Civil War?
More than 190,000; about 85 percent were formerly enslaved.
Quiz questions
What change did Black Union soldiers receive in 1864 regarding military pay?Answer: They received equal pay with retroactive compensation dating to 1863.
What happened to African American Union soldiers at Fort Pillow after Confederate troops overran the fort?Answer: Confederate troops executed many after they surrendered.
Why did Ulysses S. Grant continue pressing Lee’s army despite heavy Union losses?Answer: The Union could replace soldiers more readily than the Confederacy.
Which Union successes helped strengthen Lincoln’s reelection campaign in 1864?Answer: The capture of Atlanta and Sheridan’s successes in the Shenandoah Valley.
What was Grant’s main strategic objective in Virginia in 1864?Answer: To destroy Lee’s army and keep pressure on Confederate forces.
Based on U.S. History by P. Scott Corbett, Volker Janssen, John M. Lund, Todd Pfannestiel, Sylvie Waskiewicz, Paul Vickery (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.