American historyLesson 2 of 3 in the course The Civil War, 1860–1865

The Civil War’s Changing Course: Mobilization, Emancipation, and 1863 Turning Points

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

The Civil War lasted longer and demanded more from Americans than people on either side had expected. This lesson explains how the conflict became a form of total war and how governments and civilians were drawn into the war effort.

By late 1862, the war had taken on characteristics of total war. Armies sought not only to defeat opposing soldiers but also to weaken the enemy’s ability to continue fighting. They attacked military targets and disrupted resources that supported the war effort. Although the Union and Confederacy moved toward this approach, neither entirely abandoned the distinction between military and civilian targets.

All flashcards

Total war
Warfare in which governments mobilize extensive resources and seek to weaken an enemy’s ability to continue fighting.
Greenbacks
Paper currency authorized by the Legal Tender Act of 1862 to help finance the Union war effort.
Contrabands
A term Union General Benjamin Butler used for enslaved people who escaped to Union lines.
United States Sanitary Commission
A Union organization established in 1861 to inspect camps and improve cleanliness and medical care.
Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 speech connecting the Union cause with liberty, equality, and democratic government.

Quiz questions

  1. Which people were declared free by the Emancipation Proclamation?Answer: Enslaved people in areas still in rebellion against the United States.
  2. Why was the Union capture of Vicksburg strategically important?Answer: It gave the Union control of the Mississippi River and divided the Confederacy.
  3. Why did the Confederate draft’s substitute provision provoke resentment?Answer: Wealthier men could hire substitutes, giving them an advantage over poorer men.
  4. What did the Legal Tender Act of 1862 authorize the Union government to issue?Answer: Paper currency known as greenbacks.
  5. What central idea did Lincoln express in the Gettysburg Address?Answer: The living should continue the struggle for a nation committed to liberty and equality.

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.

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