Tennessee played an important but divided role in the Civil War. It was the last Confederate state to secede due to divisions between its eastern, western, and middle regions. Several key figures influenced the course of the war, including Confederate president Jefferson Davis and generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, as well as Union admiral David Farragut and politicians William Brownlow and Nathan Bedford Forrest of Tennessee. African American regiments like the 54th Massachusetts and 13th United States Colored Troops from Tennessee played significant roles despite facing prejudice.

1. Bell Ringer
• REVIEW- Use the term, “nullification,” in a
sentence that shows that you understand the
meaning of the term.

2. Tennessee During the Civil
War/Leaders of the CivilWar
EQ’s:
What role didTN play during the CivilWar?
How did certain individuals affect the course of the CivilWar?

3. Geographical Differences
North
• Climate – frozen winters;
hot/humid summers
• Natural features:
– Coastline: bays and harbors –
fishermen, shipbuilding (i.e.
Boston)
– Inland: rocky soil – farming
hard; turned to trade and crafts
(timber for shipbuilding)
South
• Climate – mild winters; long,
hot, humid summers
• Natural features:
– coastline: swamps and
marshes (rice & sugarcane,
fishing)
– inland: indigo, tobacco, & corn

5. Constitutional Issue: Nullification
• Review:What is nullification?
• The idea that a state can refuse to accept a federal law.
• What is the Constitutional issue with nullification?
• Article III- “Supremacy Clause”
– The power to make the final decision about the
constitutionality of federal laws lies with the federal courts, not
the states.

6. Secession inTennessee
• TN was the last state to secede
• TN was divided politically and
geographically
• East and MiddleTN was in strong support of
the Union, while pro-slavery WestTN was
wanted to secede
• Governor, Isham Harris (fromWest TN)
favored secession but most voters disagreed
• Eventually,TN agreed to secede because
they did not want to fight other Southerners

7. Secession inTennessee
• Disagreements continued about
TN in the Confederacy
• People from Scott County (in
EastTN) seceded fromTN and
formed the independent state of
Scott
• They were forced to remain with
the Confederacy until Union
troops entered the area in 1863

8. Fort Sumter
• The day after Lincoln took office, he
receives a message that Fort Sumter
in SC was running low on supplies
• Lincoln responded by sending
unarmed group w/ supplies
• Jefferson Davis (Confederate
President) ordered his troops to
attack before the supplies arrived
• The Union surrendered the fort and
the CivilWar had begun

9. Soldier Statistics
• Confederacy- In 1861, 112,000
“rebels”
• Union- In 1861, 187,000
“yankees”
• By the end, there were 900,000
Rebels and 2.1 millionYankees
• Union army had just under
200,000African-Americans
• About 10,000 MexicanAmericans
served in the war

10. Massachusetts 54th Regiment
• One of the first African-
American units in the CivilWar
• Led by Colonel Robert Gould
Shaw
• Assaulted Fort Wagner
• Became famous for the
courage and sacrifice of their
members

11. 13th U.S. ColoredTroops
• 20,000 African-American
soldiers fromTN
• Played an important role in
the Battle of Nashville
• Alongside other Union troops
led by George H.Thomas,
defeated Confederate forces
in one of the biggest Union
victories of the war

12. Jefferson Davis
• Elected president of the
Confederacy
• Views on secession:
– States have the right to alter
or abolish their government
– Used the Declaration of
Independence and the
Constitution to back up his
points

13. Robert E. Lee
• Came from a wealthyVirginia family
• Attended West Point and graduated
second in his class
• Eventually returned toVirginia,
resigned from the U.S.Army and
became commander of theVirginia
forces and later the entire
Confederate Army
• One of the greatest military leaders
in history

14. “Stonewall” Jackson
• Born inVirginia
• Attended West Point
• Had an unremarkable
career in the U.S. Army
• Became one of the
Confederacy’s top military
leaders after he won the
First Battle of Bull Run

15. David Farragut
• Highest-ranking officer in the
Union navy
• Led 18 ships into Mobile Bay in
Alabama
• He guided ships through waters
filled with torpedo mines
• Succeeded in blocking the last
Southern port east of the
Mississippi River

16. Nathan Bedford Forrest
• From the state ofTennessee
• Famous for his daring cavalry raids
on Union forces
• “I wish none but those who desire to
be actively engaged. COME ON
BOYS, IFYOUWANT A HEAP OF
FUN ANDTO KILL SOMEYANKEES”
• Becomes infamous as one of the
founders of the first version of the Ku
Klux Klan

17. William Brownlow
• Pro-Union Methodist
minister fromTN
• He was also a slave-owner
• Forced out of the south for
criticizing the Confederacy
• Became the governor ofTN
during Reconstruction
(after the war)

18. SamWatkins
• Private in Company H-
FirstTN Infantry
• Described his
battlefield experiences
in the popular memoir,
“Co. Aytch”

19. Sam Davis
• Also a private in the First
Tennessee Infantry
• Carried messages for the
Confederate army
• Union forces captured him
• He was executed after being
accused as a spy
• Became known as “the Boy
Hero of the Confederacy”

20. Exit-Put on half sheet of paper
Create three questions you would
put on the quiz and answer them.
Create a top 5 list of the most
important facts of the lesson.
321
3-Things you found out
2-interesting things
1-question you still have
5Words
What 5 words would you use to
describe slavery during the time
period discussed in class today?
Explain and justify your choices.
Pick one