Preparing for Battle
Who was Lincoln's first choice as General of the Union army?
Robert E. Lee
Which battle was between the Union army and the Army of Northern Virginia?
Seven Days' Battle
This battle was a political victory for the Union.
What impressed Lincoln to make Grant the next and final general of the Union?
General Grant was able to take Vicksburg which gave the Union control of the Mississippi. The Confederacy had been cut in half. Lincoln was impressed by Grant's ability to get things done.
Where did Cupid come from?
The chubby baby with wings and a bow and arrow that we call Cupid has been associated with Valentine’s Day for centuries. However, before he was renamed Cupid, he was known to the ancient Greeks as Eros, the god of love. Eros, the son of Greek goddess Aphrodite, would use two sets of arrows—one for love and another for hate—to play with the emotions of his targets. It wasn’t until stories of his mischief were told by Romans that he adopted the childlike appearance that we recognize today.
Where did the Confederate leaders decide to establish their capital? Why was this a risky decision?
The Confederate capital was established in Richmond, VA. Richmond was close to the Union territory.
Who was appointed Union commander after Bull Run?
George B. McClellan
This was a Pennsylvania battle in which Union forces halted the invasion of the North.
Battle of Gettysburg
This Union general marched through Georgia, waging total war.
William Tecumseh Sherman
What did the "sweethearts" candies start out as?
The iconic chalky heart-shaped candies that have been passed out lovingly every Valentine’s Day started out as lozenges.
What advantage did the North have over the South?
The North had more people, money, factories, railroads.
What was the effect of the First Battle of Bull Run on the North?
It shocked the North into accepting the reality of war and the need for a well-trained army instead of short-term militias.
This battle gave the Union control of the Mississippi.
The Battle of Vicksburg
Who assassinated Lincoln?
John Wilkes Booth
This Valentine’s Day tradition started in the 19th century by Richard Cadbury.
The tradition of giving a box of choclate candy.
Why was the blockade an important part of northern strategy?
Southern economy depended on foreign trade. The blockade stopped (suffocated) the economy.
Why were Union victories in the West important?
They came close to dividing the South in half and halted southern shipping on the Mississippi River.
Why did the Emancipation Proclamation not apply in Union states?
The Constitution did not give the President power to free slaves within the Union. Freeing slaves in the South, on the other hand, could be considered a military step and constitutional under the President's powers as a commander-in-chief.
When, where, and why did Lee surrender?
Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865, in Appomattox Courthhouse in Virginia, because the Union held overwhelming military advantages.
Where was the first Valentine written?
History’s first valentine was written in perhaps one of the most unromantic places conceivable: a prison. Charles, Duke of Orleans wrote the love letter to his second wife while captured at the Battle of Agincourt. As a prisoner for more than 20 years, he would never see his valentine’s reaction to the poem he penned to her in the early 15th century.
What opportunities did the war create for women? How might these opportunities have changed women's role in society?
Women proved the could do jobs previously reserved for men. This experience might have led women to demand a larger role in society.
Explain why the naval war between North and South was as much an economic contest as a military one.
The northern blockade was an attempt to keep the South from getting supplies and from exporting cotton (which would have given the Confederacy the money to buy more supplies).
What did Lee hope to gain when he invaded Pennsylvania?
Lee wanted to gain food and supplies for his army, to divide northern public opinion, and to encourage European nations to support the South.
What were the consquences of the war?
The abolition of slavery, the devastation of the South, the later reconstruction of the South, the reuniting of the nation, a boom in industry, and a stronger federal government.
How did ‘X’ come to mean ‘Kiss’? (for example: xoxox)
The use of “X” came to represent Christianity, or the cross, in the Middle Ages. During the same time, the symbol was used to sign off on documents. After marking with an X, the writer would often kiss the mark as a sign of their oath. As the gesture grew among kings and commoners to certify books, letters and paperwork, these records were described as having been “sealed with a kiss.”