Important People of the Civil War
Important People of the Civil War
Leaders of The NorthAbraham Lincoln: Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States and was very close to the Union (North) and he wanted to preserve it. He was very patient and thoughtful in others. He was born February 12, 1809 and was married to Mary Todd Lincoln. Although 2 of them died at a young age, he had 4 sons with Mary. Ulysses S. Grant: He was the general of the Union, he had a very simple view on war which was find your enemy, get them, strike them as hard as you can, and move on. He was a strong believer in total warfare which meant attack your enemy from all sides in war and make them not be able to support their troops like by burning homes, killing animals, and destroying railroads. Irvin McDowell: He was the general of the war, and was a veteran of the Mexican War. After the first major battle of the war, Bull Run, the union retreated under McDowell because he underestimated the Southern powers which caused Lincoln to replace McDowell with a new general- McClellan. George B. McClellan : McClellan was the general after McDowell was fired, and he was also a Mexican War veteran. At the battle of Antietam McClellan was about to win against Robert E Lee, but he did not fully. This made Abraham Lincoln very upset so he was also fired. In the election of 1864 George B McClellan ran against Abraham Lincoln but lost. George C. Meade: After McDowell and McClellan were fired George C Meade was the new leader of the Union and as for everyone else he was a Mexican War veteran, and graduated from West Point. They won at Gettysburg under Meade's lead, but there were so many losses Abraham Lincoln still looked for a leader that could take control. Ambrose Burnside: He was the new general appointed by Lincoln after McDowell, McClellan, and Meade but did not want to take control. After the defeat at Fredericksburg he joined the club of being fired by Abraham Lincoln. An interesting fact was he had facial hair from the scalp to below the nose and people called these sideburns which they are still called today! Joseph Hooker: He was the next in command of the Union and was also a veteran of the Mexican War. He was a hero in the Mexican War and was called "Fighting Joe", but after the embarrassment of the Battle of Chancellorsville he was yet again fired by Lincoln. William T. Sherman: One of the unions best generals and supporters, he too was a veteran of the Mexican War. Grant told him to follow " destroy all their war resources". He went through Georgia and both Carolina following what Grant had told him and destroying everything that was of value. Him and Grant met up in Richmond, Virginia and forced Robert E. Lee to surrender letting the Union have a win. |
Leaders of The SouthJefferson Davis: He was the president of the confederacy (Confederate States of America), but he really didn't want to be president. He served in the Mexican War and he hated politics. He agreed to be president because he supported the South's idea, but he never brought the South together like a nation.
Robert E. Lee: He came from a Virginia family but he did not support slavery and secession. Lincoln asked him to be the commander of the Union army ,but he declined because he wanted to stick to his home so he soon became the commander of the Confederacy. P.G.T. Beauregard: Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was a west point graduate, and a Mexican war veteran. At the Battle of Fort Sumter, the first battle of the Civil War, he gave the order for the war to begin. Albert S. Johnston: He was a Texan who was the best military solider said both sides, being the second highest ranked Confederate officers. His job was to make sure the Union didn't get the Mississippi River, but at the Battle of Shiloh he was shot in the leg. After being defeated by Grant he kept on fighting while bleeding. He died and his loss extremely upset the Confederacy letting the North get hold of the Mississippi River. Lee said he lost his left arm from hearing of Johnston's death. Thomas Stonewall Jackson: He was the commander of the first major battle- Bull Run. The Union was going to win until as General Bee said " look there is Jackson with his Virginians standing like a stone wall!" which gave him the name Stonewall. He fought many battles and won, but at The Battle of Chancellorsville his men killed him. Lee responded to Jackson's death by saying I have lost my Right Arm, which was another disappointment for the South. J.E.B. Stuart: At Harper's Ferry he helped capture John Brown with Lee. He was the leader of the Cavalry Corps-- horse soldiers-- for Lee and the army. He got the nickname " eyes of the army" because of his skills in intelligence (spying). He died in the Battle of Wilderness after his death the South surrender which set them back. Nathan Bedford Forrest: He was "Americas greatest tactical minds". His military genius caused him to become commander. The Souths best cavalry was paid and commanded by Forrest. He led surprise attacks on the Union and raided communication lines in the North. Many were scared of him including Sherman and Grant. His tactic skills are still taught today in military school! George Pickett: On July 3, 1863 Lee told Pickett to charge across the open fields of Gettysburg. This was one of Lees biggest military mistakes ever. They lost half of their army, 15 regimental commanders, 2 brigadier, and 6 colonels. This was called Pickett's charge which made them surrender at the battle of Gettysburg. Its even said that Pickett was so mad at Lee that he never spoke to him again! |
Connect to Self
Q: Pretend that you have been asked to write a speech about your favorite hero. Who would you choose? What makes that person a hero?
A: To make someone a hero you have to do something amazing now it isnt just about what you do it is also about how you treat people and how you are to the community. I believe to be an amazing hero you have to work and act like one. I would have to say my grandma (Gobetty) is my hero because she is so kind and she has a good heart she will do anything for anyone and she does good for her community. She shows people who she is and to me she is my hero.
A: To make someone a hero you have to do something amazing now it isnt just about what you do it is also about how you treat people and how you are to the community. I believe to be an amazing hero you have to work and act like one. I would have to say my grandma (Gobetty) is my hero because she is so kind and she has a good heart she will do anything for anyone and she does good for her community. She shows people who she is and to me she is my hero.
What do most of these leaders have in common?
Most of these leaders were veterans of the Mexican war, and most of them were west point graduates. All of these leaders could take control but most of them were fired from losing a major war, or because they died. All of these leaders have an important role in how the Civil War was played out because they took up for their side even if that meant they would die. These men had the bravery and the strength, but there were many set backs due to loss and other reasons.
Which side seemed to have the more stable leadership? Explain your answer.
I believe that the North had a more stable leadership for many reasons. One of the main ones was because Abraham Lincoln was on their side and he was the President of the United States at the time. Another reason is that even though Lincoln fired several men to find the right one, which was Grant, he met so many wonderful leaders that helped the North grow through all these different leaders they met, regardless of their set backs. The North also didn't have as many of their great leaders die in the war, but in the South many of their commanders and generals died during a war. In conclusion, The North had better leadership for many reasons in my opinion but these are just some.
How is good leadership important in any conflict?
Good leadership is needed in any conflict because people need to have someone to stand up and say what is wrong and how to fix it. If there isn't anyone to stand up and tell people what to do everyone will try to budge in and put there own opinion forward. Leadership is necessary especially in a war because without them there is no one to lead them and get them supplies and safety they will need. Every good army needs a person to be there for everyone and stand up for what they believe is right.
Other Influencial Leaders
John Brown: He was the leader of an abolitionist group and he killed 5 pro-slavery people know as "bleeding Kansas." In an attempt to steal weapons from the South, Robert E Lee surrounded him by Harpers Ferry, Lee forced him to surrender and he was trialed with treason and his punishment was to hang him. He said "I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged (cleansed or eliminated) away but with blood.” The North saw him as a hero while the South was furiated by the way he acted.
Harriet Beecher Stowe: She published Uncle Toms Cabin which showed how slavery really was in the South with Uncle Tom as an example who was beaten to death by his owner. Her book divided the nation with the truth of slavery in the South Abraham Lincoln said- "So, you’re the little woman who started this big war.” Which is an exaggeration but at the same time it is quite true. Dred Scott: He was a free man for 4 years and his wife tried to help him in a court case to become a free man saying he was her property. This case named Dred Scott vs. Sanford set up many things in the Supreme court such as-- Slaves were not citizens so they couldn't bring suit to court, slaves were property, the 5th amendment protects property and since the slaves were considered property congress could not ban slavery in parts of the U.S, and the Missouri Compromise which banned slavery was unconstitutional. This made the Northerners very angry while the South was happy from this. |