Questions about Union (American Civil War)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What was the Union in the American Civil War?
The Union referred to the federal government and the loyal states of the United States that resisted the secession of the Confederate States of America following the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln. The term carried a claim of legitimacy, asserting that the U.S. government continued without interruption. Four border states where slavery was legal remained in the Union, and West Virginia separated from Virginia to join as a new state on the 20th of June 1863.
Why did historians debate the term Union versus United States in the Civil War?
In 2015, historian Michael Landis argued that using "Union" instead of "United States" implicitly supports the Confederate view that the nation collapsed during secession, when in reality the United States never ceased to exist. In 2021, the Army University Press replaced "Union" with "Federal Government" or "U.S. Government" in its publications, calling that phrasing more historically accurate.
How did the Union finance the Civil War?
The United States spent $3.1 billion to fight the Civil War, drawing on excise taxes, tariffs, an income tax, and the sale of government bonds to the public. Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase oversaw the effort, and banker Jay Cooke designed the bond campaign. The government also created a national banking system and issued paper currency, known as greenbacks, printed in green ink on the back.
Who were the Copperheads during the Civil War?
The Copperheads were a large faction of Northern Democrats who opposed the war and demanded an immediate peace settlement that would restore the Union with slavery intact. Their strength was greatest in the area just north of the Ohio River. The most prominent Copperhead was Clement L. Vallandigham, an Ohio congressman who lost his race for governor in 1863. Copperhead influence collapsed after the fall of Atlanta in September 1864.
What caused the New York City draft riots of 1863?
Discontent with the 1863 federal draft law triggered riots in New York City from the 13th of July to the 16th of July 1863. Irish Catholic and other workers fought police, militia, and Army units. The protests began over the draft but rapidly became violent attacks on Black residents of the city. The Army suppressed the riots by firing grape shot down cobblestone streets.
How did John Shaw Billings connect the Civil War to the history of computing?
John Shaw Billings, born in 1838, served as a senior Union surgeon and developed a system for mechanically analyzing data by converting it to numbers and punching it onto cards. His student Herman Hollerith later extended that method, and Hollerith's company became International Business Machines, known as IBM, in 1911. Billings also built the Library of the Surgeon General's Office, now the National Library of Medicine, and the New York Public Library.