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AMHI Unit 6 1850-1877
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Unit 6 Reading Guide American History I
1850-1877
Internal Struggle and Rebirth of a Nation
Essential Understandings (Generalizations) and Guiding (Essential) Questions:
War can impact the movement of people and goods
1. How did the Underground Railroad influence the migration of slaves to free communities in the North before the Civil
War?
2. How did the onset of freedom impact the movement of African Americans within and out of the South during
Reconstruction?
3. Why were various groups of 19th Century immigrants subjected to political and economic discrimination, as well as,
cultural stereotypes?
Political conflict and struggle may lead to war
1. How did executive, judicial and legislative decisions increase the power and authority of the federal government?
2. How did political and economic decisions increase sectional tension within the United States?
3. How and to what extent the failure of political compromises over the expansion of slavery contributed to the onset of
the Civil War?
4. How and why certain presidential campaigns and elections of 1860 and 1876 significantly changed American politics
and society?
5. To what extent were the newly freed African Americans both allowed and denied freedom and equal citizenship?
War may influence political and economic change in a society
1. How and to what extent did the adoption of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution
impact the freedom and equality of African Americans?
2. How, why, and to what extent did political decisions increase the power and authority of the federal government (the
“Emancipation Proclamation” and the Compromise of 1877)?
3. How did the leadership of Abraham Lincoln secure the authority of the national government and increase the power of
the presidency?
4. How did Reconstruction policies and legislation impact the distribution of power between the southern secession states
and the federal government?
Freedom, Equality, and Power can be affected by both war and its aftermath
1. How the secession of southern states impact congress and the development of federal policies during the Civil War and
Reconstruction?
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2. How and why did the mobilization, devastation and outcome of the United States Civil War impact northern, southern
and western societies and culture?
3. How did the Civil War impact the roles, responsibilities and perceptions of women and African Americans through
Reconstruction?
War and its aftermath may impact traditional values in a society
1. How did American innovations immediately after the Civil War lead to economic development and settlement of the
frontier?
2. How and to what extent did government legislation encourage westward movement and economic opportunity along
the western frontier?
3. How did the battles of the Civil War and the movement of Confederate and Union troops along southern battlefields
impact southern communities?
4. How and to what extent did Republican “scalawags” and “carpetbaggers” benefit from Reconstruction?
5. How do American leaders, reformers and activists struggle to give greater meaning to the proposition that “all men are
created equal”?
Unit Vocabulary
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
AMHI Unit 6 1850-1877
Law
Battle
Freedom
North
South
Speech
Slavery
African American
States
Federal
Union
Country
Fight
Slave
Free
Preserve
Suspend
War
Invent
Capture
Key People
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Act
Political cartoon
Compromise
Reconstruction
Secession
Amendment
Inventions
Internal
Civil
March
Conflict
Rights
Assassinate
Lobby
Judicial
Emancipate
Elect
Reconstruction
Constitution
Amendment
3
Popular Sovereignty
Sectionalism
Nativism
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Homestead Act
Underground Railroad
Harpers weekly cartoons
Naturalization act 1870
Reconstruction
Carpetbaggers
Scalawags
Emancipation
Proclamation
Compromise of 1877
Compromise of 1850
Fugitive Slave Act
Dred Scott decision
Significant elections of
1860 and 1876
political scandals
Panic of 1857
Panic of 1873
13th, 14th and 15th
Amendments
Fort Sumter
Border States
Confederacy
Presidential
Reconstruction
Congressional
Reconstruction
Habeas Corpus
Radical Republicans
Federal Power
Total War
Redeeming the South
Sherman’s March to the
Sea
Republican party
Freedmen’s Bureau
Copperheads
KKK
barbed wire,
farm implements
air brakes
steam turbines
First Bull Run/Manassas
Antietam
Gettysburg
Vicksburg
Appomattox Courthouse
Homestead Act
Morrill Act
Gettysburg Address
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Dred Scott
Andrew Johnson
Ulysses Grant
John Wilkes Booth
Stephen Douglas
Abraham Lincoln
Thomas Nast
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Stephen Douglas
Harriet Tubman
Jefferson Davis
George McClellan
Robert E. Lee
William T. Sherman
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By the end of this unit, students should be able to state…

I can … analyze the extent that Manifest Destiny and government policies lead to
westward expansion.
 I can … discuss how westward movement impacts the spread of slavery and creates
conflicts.
 I can … explain the impact of the underground railroad on African Americans and the
politics of America
 I can … explain nativism and give examples of discrimination.
 I can … explain how the Federal government increased its power and authority due to the
Civil War.
 I can … analyze government decisions and how they increased sectional tension within
the United States
 I can … analyze the failure of political compromises over the expansion of slavery
contributed to the onset of the Civil War.
 I can … analyze landmark elections, presidencies, scandals, and compromises and
explain how they significantly changed American society.
 I can … discuss the ways different groups were impacted by the Civil War and
Reconstruction.
 I can … explain how American economic policy impacted sectionalism, the outcome of
the war, and Reconstruction.
 I can … identify the important figures and their interconnectedness during the Civil War.
 I can … analyze the ways that civil rights evolved with the onset of the Civil War and
Reconstruction.
 I can … compare and contrast the successes and failures of Reconstruction after the Civil
War.
I can …use primary and secondary resources to analyze the impact of the American Civil War on
modern American society.
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6.01 The Nation Divide Grows
To review, the United States experienced a combination of events that served to
strengthen the nation and to divide the nation. It must be remembered that sectional differences
existed since the colonial times socially, politically, and economically. These differences were a
major reason that the colonies viewed themselves as being more different than each one was to
the mother country, Great Britain. Furthermore, the road to unification was far from harmonious
and easy even after the British ended salutary neglect following the French and Indian war. The
colonies did not adopt Benjamin Franklin's Albany Plan of Union and only slowly came together
via the Stamp Act Congress, the First Continental Congress, and even the Second Continental
Congress. Compromises had to be made between the colonial regions and between the larger and
smaller colonies. The increased harshness of British colonial policy helped the colonies unite
into the United States of America.
Thomas Jefferson agreed to remove strong anti-slavery sentiment from the Declaration of
Independence in order for the Southern colonies to join the cause of revolution. The appointment
of George Washington as commander-in-chief served to bind the South to the North which was
the hotbed of revolution. Compromises over sectional differences had to be reached in order for
the articles of Confederation to be approved as well as the Constitution.
Even politically sectional differences became clear in that the Federalist Party would be
strongest in New England while the Democratic Republican party would be strongest in the
South. The differences between the parties and of their champions Alexander Hamilton and
Thomas Jefferson also reflected regional differences as well. The North and the South would
develop differently throughout the antebellum period as well. Unfortunately most Americans
only recount the differences with regards to states rights, the tariff, the National Bank, and the
existence of slavery. It must be remembered that sectional differences also included differing
beliefs about education, the role of labor, the role of women, internal improvements, westward
expansion, foreign policy, judicial interpretation, property rights, economic development, and
agrarian versus industrial socioeconomic systems.
As the nation pushed West compromises were reached to try to maintain a balance of
interests between North and South. The Missouri compromise (Compromise of 1820)
temporarily solved the debate over expansion in the Louisiana Purchase. The Compromise Tariff
temporarily solved the debate over South Carolina nullification of the Tariff of Abomination.
President Jackson oscillated between actions that promoted nationalism and sectionalism. Every
President from the South was a slave owner and at least tacitly agreed with the expansion of
slavery into the West. Presidents that were from the north tended to avoid the issue over slavery
as much as they could since the nation dependent upon King Cotton during the antebellum
period.
Third parties also reflected the growing divide between North and South. The Liberty
Party openly advocated the abolition of slavery and the Free Soil Party openly advocated a West
free from slavery. The antebellum reform movements also reflected sectionalism as well. The
temperance movement was the one movement that had the most support in the north and in the
south. Obviously the abolition movement was the most sectional in nature. The abolition
movement grew very slowly in the north but started to gain strength after the Mexican-American
war. This also reflected a growing belief in some Northerners that they were no longer tied to
King Cotton economically. The northern economy continued to diversify into many different
manufacturing sectors while the South remained tied to plantation agrarianism.
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The Mexican war increased the animosity between the North and the South greatly. Many
transcendentalists including Henry David Thoreau protested the war because they viewed it as an
attempt to expand slavery and deprive more human beings of their God-given rights. Some
northern Whigs also protested the war. Abraham Lincoln was a Free Soil Congressman and
demanded that James K Polk pointed out the spot on which American blood was spilled on
American soil. The opposition to the war was in the minority however since both Northerners
and Southerners saw potential wealth and economic opportunity in the acquisition of new lands.
Moreover, the majority in both sections believed deeply in manifest destiny. They differed
however in what they wanted the Mexican Cession to become. Sen. David Wilmot of
Pennsylvania proposed that slavery be excluded from any territory received from the Mexican
war. The House of Representatives approved the Wilmot proviso since the North had a much
greater voting population than the South. The Senate however rejected the proposal. The
proposal in itself created fear in many Southerners and some even raised the question of
secession at a convention of delegates from slaveholding states in Nashville Tennessee in 1850.
The secession wing in the Nashville convention was voted down by the other delegates who
came from the southern states. The Convention agreed that the Missouri compromise line of
3630 should be extended to the Pacific Ocean. Adding fuel to the fire was California applying
for statehood in 1849 as a free state. The gold rush resulted in a huge population growth.
President Taylor backed California's admission as a free state and told the Southerners that the
best way that they could counter abolitionism was by having the territories decide the question of
slavery before applying for statehood. This process was known as popular sovereignty. The
Southerners viewed this as a halfhearted attempt to meet their concerns and only deepened
suspicion between the sections.
1. What impact did the Mexican war have on sectionalism?
2. What was the Wilmot proviso?
3. What was the Southern response to the Wilmot proviso?
4. What did the Southern delegates decide at the Nashville Convention?
5. What role did California play in increasing sectionalism?
The "Great Compromiser" Henry Clay composed his final compromise over the
expansion of slavery in the West. He hoped that both the North and the South would accept the
compromise and the feelings of sectionalism subside. The compromise of 1850 contained
provisions that favored the North and the South. The terms of the compromise were:
1. California would be admitted as a free state.
2. A stricter Fugitive Slave Act would be enforced.
3 New Mexico and Utah territories would decide slavery based upon popular sovereignty.
4. Texas gave up some its land claims to New Mexico in return for $10 million.
5. The slave trade but not slavery was banned from Washington DC.
At first John C Calhoun of South Carolina and Daniel Webster of Massachusetts despised
the compromise. Henry Clay personally visited Daniel Webster and pleaded his case for national
unity. Henry Clay gave a speech to the Senate promoting national unity. John C Calhoun
followed with a speech that clearly advocated open access for slavery in the West. Daniel
Webster shocked many Northerners when in his speech he advocated compromise for the sake of
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national unity. For the first and last time in history Daniel Webster and Henry Clay stood on the
same side of an issue. At first the Senate rejected the compromise in July and Henry Clay left
Washington in disgust. Democrat Stephen a Douglas of Illinois now championed the
compromise. Two major events helped the compromise become adopted: first Pres. Taylor died
on July 9 and Millard Fillmore made it clear that he supported the compromise and John C
Calhoun died. Many Southerners started to believe that Clay's compromise was the best that they
could get given the rise of abolitionism in the North.
6. What parts of the Compromise of 1850 favored the North?
7. What parts of the Compromise of 1850 favored the south?
8. Who authored the Compromise of 1850?
9. What senator surprised his section by advocating compromise in the sake of national
unity?
10. Who became the champion of compromise after the departure of Henry Clay?
6.02 The Impact of the Compromise of 1850
ACTION AGAINST SLAVERY
While politicians fought desperately to maintain peace as they dealt with the topic of
slavery, others began to take action. Slave codes (laws that seriously limited the actions of
slaves) and harsh treatment of slaves in the South led radical abolitionists to believe that they
could not afford to wait for legislation that would do away with slavery. Nine northern states
passed personal liberty laws which forbade the imprisonment of runaway slaves and guaranteed
that they would have jury trials. Southerners became enraged that the Northerners refused to
comply with the new and stronger Fugitive Slave Act. It is ironic that the Northerners used the
issue of states’ rights to defend these personal liberty laws. Southerners responded with violence
towards abolitionists in the South, made abolitionist literature illegal, and grew more suspicious
of what they considered a radical abolitionist conspiracy against the South and their property.
Harriet Tubman, herself an escaped slave, was a hero of the abolitionist movement. She secretly
returned to the South nineteen times in order to lead other slaves to freedom by way of the
Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was not actually a railroad, but rather a
network of people who helped slaves escape to the Northern US and Canada.
11. What were slave codes?
12. Why was Harriet Tubman a hero of the Abolitionist movement?
13. What was the Underground Railroad?
14. What were personal liberty laws?
Another activist was Harriet Beecher Stowe. Her 1852 novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, was a
fictional account of the' horrors faced by a slave family in the South. Though she was white and
had never been a slave, her book motivated many people in the North to support the abolition of
slavery.
15. What writer expressed strong antislavery sentiments in writing Uncle Tom's Cabin?
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In 1854, Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, proposed by Senator Stephen A.
Douglas. This act allowed the previously free and unorganized territories of Kansas and
Nebraska to choose whether or not to permit slavery. This act effectively repealed the Missouri
Compromise and reignited the slavery issue, yet again. Settlers rushed into Kansas from both the
North and the South. Kansas became known as "Bleeding Kansas" as armed clashes between
pro-slavery forces and abolitionist settlers became commonplace. In Washington in 1856, the act
caused heated debate. An angry Senator from Massachusetts named Charles Sumner strongly
denounced (publicly opposed) the act in a speech that spanned two days. Sumner attacked the act
and the senators who authored it (Stephen A. Douglas and Andrew Butler). A couple of days
after the speech, Sumner was approached on the Senate floor by South Carolina Congressman,
Preston Brooks. Brooks was insulted by Sumner's words both because he was from the South
and because he was related to Butler. Brooks beat Sumner with a heavy cane, almost killing him
and causing him to be absent from the Senate for three years while he recovered from the attack.
The Sumner-Brooks incident was a brutal example of how inflamed passions had become over
the slavery issue. Meanwhile, two rival governments (one slave and the other free) formed in
Kansas, leaving the territory in a state of civil war. Bleeding Kansas was marked by extreme
cruelty on both sides. Often opposing forces would attack each other using swords, axes,
pitchforks, as well as rifles. Abolitionist John Brown attacked a proslavery town, Potawatomie
Creek, after the pro-abolitionist town of Lawrence was attacked by proslavery forces and five
men killed. John Brown and his followers took 5 men from their homes, cut off their hands, and
stabbed them in the chest. Revenge raids by both sides quickly resulted in over 200 people being
killed. John Brown fled the territory.
16. What did Senator Stephen A. Douglas propose in the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854?
17. Following the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, why was Kansas known as 18.
"Bleeding Kansas"?
18. What was significant about the Sumner-Brook incident?
6.03 Political Divisions and Parties Develop Due to Sectionalism and Slavery.
As mentioned earlier, the antebellum period saw the development of third parties.
Historically in the United States political power is mostly divided between two major political
parties. Third parties evolve when a constituency (group of citizens) believes that neither major
party addresses or meets their concerns. Third parties tend to be short-lived in American history
because usually one of the major parties will adopt major portions of the third party's platform
(beliefs or program). Third parties influence elections and have made the difference in several
presidential elections. They have also forced the major parties to revise their platforms and
policies in order to increase their voter base.
19. What is the historic role of third parties in American history?
As previously mentioned, the Anti-Masonic Party developed over the concerns of the
power of secret societies in American governmental institutions such as the Freemasons. It lasted
approximately 10 years from 1828 to 1838. The Anti-Masonic party innovated nominating
conventions for candidates as well as a political party newspaper. They also believed in federally
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funded internal improvements and tariffs to assist in economic development. These beliefs would
shape the Whig party in which many Anti-Masonic party members would join.
20. Why is the Anti-Masonic party important?
Over the issue of immigration, the American party would be formed in 1854. It is also
referred to as the Know Nothing Party because when members were asked questions about their
activities by nonmembers, they would reply "I know nothing." The American Party believed in
nativism which is the preference of native-born Americans over immigrants. The party was
mostly made up of middle-class Protestants who were concerned over the great numbers of "Old
Immigrants." These immigrants mostly from Germany and Ireland tended to be Catholic and had
social customs that were different. One such issue was the use of alcohol. In some societies and
cultures alcohol is used as a social device at celebrations and festivals. One such example is
Oktoberfest. Another reason is the belief that immigrants bring crime, immorality, and take jobs
from "real" Americans. In some northern cities, the Know Nothings would attack immigrants
and destroy their property and churches. This party would split during the 1850s over the issue of
slavery.
21. What is the importance of the American Party?
22. Define the term nativism.
The Liberty Party believed in abolition and desire to pass new laws restricting and
eventually eliminating slavery. They were able to get enough votes in the 1844 presidential
election that Democrat James K Polk won instead of Whig candidate Henry Clay. The Free Soil
Party, formed in 1848, opposed the expansion of slavery into the western territories. Many of
their members opposed slavery not because they believed in African-American equality but
believed that the system of slavery depressed wages for lower-class workers. They openly
disagreed with the Fugitive Slave Act and the repeal of the Missouri compromise but they
refused to support suffrage for Black males. Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison did believe in
complete equality and considered groups like the Free Soil Party a positive sign but rather
limited in their thinking and moral character.
This point needs to be reinforced because many students of history make the false
assumption that all abolitionists believed in racial equality. This is not the case and in fact even
by the end of the Civil War although most Northerners were opposed to slavery very few
advocated complete equality. This is evidenced in American history by the American
Colonization Society which was founded in 1816. This group wanted the abolition of slavery but
relocation of African-Americans out of the United States. In 1821 they helped found the colony
of Liberia. The American Colonization Society was limited in its resources and therefore unable
to liberate and relocate as many enslaved as they wished. This idea runs throughout American
history and even Abraham Lincoln as late as 1863 pondered the relocation of African-Americans
after emancipation to islands off the coast of South America. Contrary to public perception
today, some Southerners were also against slavery. Hinton Helper from North Carolina was also
a critic of slavery. His book The Impending Crisis of the South was published while Helper was
in the North. This book stated that the majority of Whites in the South actually suffered
economically because of the slave system. Helper stated that only the southern aristocracy
profited and kept their privileged position handed down from generation to generation, by
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promoting slavery and convincing the poor whites that slavery was in their best interests as well.
It must be remembered that by the outbreak of the Civil War more than 70% of Southerners did
not own any slaves but many poor White Southerners would die in the hundreds of thousands
defending a system based upon slavery.
23. What was the importance of the Liberty Party?
24. What was the importance of the Free Soil Party?
25. What was the mission of the American Colonization Society?
26. What was the argument made by Hinton Helper against slavery?
In 1854, a coalition of Democrats, Whigs, and Free Soilers (a party opposing slavery in
new territories) formed the Republican Party. While the party did not call for the immediate
abolition of slavery, it was noted for adopting the Free-Soilers' position of opposing the
extension of slavery into new US territories. The party was formed as a reaction to the
Compromise of 1850 and “Bleeding Kansas” that made it clear that the Missouri Compromise
line of 36 30 was no longer Constitutional.
27. What issue led to the formation of the Republican Party?
6.04 The Nation Disintegrates and Spirals Towards War
The 1857 case of Dred Scott v. Sanford threw the nation further into turmoil. Dred Scott,
a slave in Missouri, was taken by his owner into a free territory where he lived for four years.
The owner later returned to Missouri, where he died. After his death, Dred Scott sued for his
freedom. The Supreme Court ruled that Scott had no right to sue because, as a slave, he was not a
citizen. It also declared that a slave owner could not be deprived of his "property" without due
process of law. The decision also struck down the Missouri Compromise because it declared that
it was a violation of the Fifth Amendment to declare slaves free of their owners without due
process of law - even if that slave had entered a free state. The decision outraged both
abolitionists and those who favored popular sovereignty.
28. What was the Dred Scott v. Sanford case about?
29. How did the Supreme Court rule on the Dred Scott v. Sanford case?
30. What earlier law did the Dred Scott decision strike down because it violated the Fifth
Amendment (Due process of law)?
31. What groups were angered by the decision?
In 1858, the Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln to run for the US Senate in Illinois
against Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. The two confronted one another in a series of public
debates that won national attention. In these Lincoln- Douglas debates, both men tried to portray
each other as being extreme. Douglas accused Lincoln as promoting racial equality and Lincoln
responded that he did not believe in social and political equality but believed that slavery was a
moral wrong and it should not be allowed to expand. Lincoln, an opponent of slavery, insisted
that Douglas explain how his view supporting popular sovereignty could hold up in light of the
Dred Scott case. Douglas, who had hopes of being president in 1860 and wanted to appeal to
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both Southern and Northern Democrats, insisted that slavery could only exist in a territory in
which the government or government entity such as the police supported it. If a territory had no
slave laws, then it could not have slaves. This view became known as the Freeport Doctrine
because it was proposed by Douglas during a debate in Freeport, Illinois. Douglas went on to win
the election, but his refusal to support the court's decision in the Dred Scott case outright ended
up costing him valuable southern support.
32. What did the debate in the 1858 Illinois Senate race center around?
33. What did both Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas argue?
34. What was the Freeport Doctrine and why did it hurt Douglas in the South?
One of the most radical White abolitionists was John Brown In October of 1859, Brown
and his followers attacked the federal arsenal (location where weapons are made and/or stored) at
Harper's Ferry, Virginia. He hoped to seize weapons and give them to slaves who could then rise
up in armed rebellion. His plan failed when US troops under the command of Colonel Robert E.
Lee surrounded the arsenal and forced Brown's surrender. Brown was hanged and southern
resentment of the abolitionist movement intensified. In the North, Brown was viewed as a martyr
for a just cause. Many abolitionists became convinced that an “evil” Southern aristocracy
wielded too much power that deprived fellow human beings of their inalienable rights. Brown
had received support for his plan by several leading abolitionists in secret. Frederick Douglass
was afraid that he might be implicated due to his meeting with Brown before the raid. The South
became convinced that the Northern abolitionists wanted to destroy them and their system by
force. As a result, several Southern states started to form, drill, and supply militias. This would
prove to be the birth of the Confederate Army.
35. Who was John Brown and what happened at Harper's Ferry?
36. What effect did John Brown’s raid have on the North and on the South?
By the time of the presidential election of 1860, the country was boiling point regarding
slavery. At its convention, the Democratic Party split along sectional lines over the issue. The
northern Democrats supported slavery in the new territories as determined by popular
sovereignty and nominated Stephen Douglas. The southern Democrats, wanting
Federal protection of slavery in the territories, nominated Vice President John Breckinridge of
Kentucky. The Republicans, meanwhile, chose Abraham Lincoln. The South felt threatened by
Lincoln's candidacy because, unlike Douglas who considered slavery a legitimate choice,
Lincoln considered it a moral evil. The southern states feared that Lincoln would seek not only to
prevent slavery in the new territories, but to dismantle it in the South as well. When Lincoln won
the election, South Carolina responded by seceding (announcing their withdrawal) from the
Union on December 20, 1860. By February 1861, six other states had seceded as well:
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. In February of 1861, southern
delegates from the seceded states met in Montgomery, Alabama to draft their own constitution
and elect Jefferson Davis as president of the Confederate States of America. Lincoln stated in his
inaugural address that his main goal was to “preserve the Union” and not destroy slavery but
Southerners viewed Lincoln’s policy of stopping westward expansion of slavery as a threat to its
existence in the future and a violation of states’ rights. As mentioned previously, the South
tended to believe in the Compact Theory of government that meant the states existed before the
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federal government and therefore was the base of real authority. Most Southerners believed that
if the federal government did not represent their wishes they could leave-similar to the argument
made before the Revolution by the Founding Fathers.
Lincoln insisted that ultimate power rested in the people and not in the state legislatures
and therefore state legislatures could not decide the course for all citizens. Lincoln considered
the nation as a whole entity made up of citizens who just happened to live in geographic
territories called states. This theme was also expressed by the Founding Fathers. Simply stated a
Southerner would tend to write a sentence like “The United States are…..”(meaning a unification
of several entities), while a Northerner would tend to write a sentence like “The United States
is…..” meaning one indivisible entity. Noted historian Shelby Foote remarked that the carnage
(great many deaths) of the Civil War was over whether the country would be an “are” or an “is.”
37. Why did the South fear Abraham Lincoln as a candidate in the 1860 Presidential
election?
38. How did South Carolina respond to Lincoln's election as President in 1860?
39. Who was chosen president of the Confederate States of America?
40. How did the North and the South view the United States differently?
The day after his inauguration, President Lincoln learned that Union soldiers at Fort
Sumter, SC had only one month of supplies remaining. Wanting to uphold the Union without
provoking war, he notified the governor of South Carolina that he was sending ships with food
but no soldiers or munitions. On April 12, 1861, Confederate soldiers opened fire on the fort
before the relief ships could arrive, forcing the Union troops to surrender the following day. In
response, President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 volunteers. This was viewed by many
Southerners as a declaration of war. The so-called Border States were forced to decide whether
to support the Union or the Confederacy. With a great deal of controversy and division,
Kentucky, Delaware, Missouri and Maryland remained in the Union, while Virginia, North
Carolina, Arkansas and Tennessee joined the Confederacy. The capital of the Confederacy was
then moved from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond, Virginia. The Civil War had begun.
When Northern troops arrived in Baltimore, Maryland to change trains and proceed to
Washington DC, they were attacked by pro-Confederate mobs. Lincoln would take extraordinary
measures to jail pro-Confederates in the Border States and close down newspapers that were
sympathetic to the Southern cause in order to keep these Border States in the North (Union).
41. On April 12, 1861 what event started the Civil War?
42. What Border States remain in the Union?
43. What measures did Lincoln order to keep the Border States in the North?
6.05 The Civil War or The War Between the States or The War of Northern Aggression
Abraham Lincoln: President of the United States of America and first Republican president in
history. Lincoln's main goal at the beginning of the war was to preserve the Union. He would
later change the goal of the war to end slavery.
Ulysses S. Grant: Initially an effective general in the Union's western battles, he eventually
assumed command of the entire Union army in 1864. He defeated the South and accepted Robert
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E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse He went on to become the 18th president of the
United States.
George McClellan: A young and talented general in the Union army, he was Lincoln's first
choice to command the Union forces in the East. Despite his abilities, he often proved too
cautious and hesitant to attack. Lincoln eventually fired him twice out of frustration with his lack
of aggressiveness. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for president in 1864, losing the
election to Abraham Lincoln. He advocated making peace with the South and letting the South
out of the Union.
William Tecumseh Sherman: Union general who took command of the western forces after
Grant decided to remain with troops in the East. His capture of Atlanta in 1864 signaled to both
the North and the South that the war was all but won for the Union and helped Lincoln win reelection in 1864. He is most remembered for his "march to the sea,"
in which he burned and destroyed southern cities and railways in an effort to disrupt the
Confederate war effort and trap Lee between himself and General Grant.
Jefferson Davis: First and only president of the Confederate States of America.
Robert E. Lee: Assumed command of the Confederacy's Army of Northern Virginia after
General Joseph Johnston was injured. A brilliant commander, he was originally offered
command of the Union forces by Lincoln, but could not bring himself to fight against his
homeland of Virginia Despite winning several impressive victories during the course
of the war, he did not have nearly enough men to sustain the war effort past early 1865. He
eventually surrendered to General Grant.
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson: Confederate general and right-hand man to Robert E. Lee.
Noted for his ability to use geography to his advantage, he swiftly navigated the Shenandoah
Valley, which stretched from the Allegheny Mountains in northern Virginia north towards
Washington, D.C. One of his most brilliant moves came at the battle of Chancellorsville, when
he successfully march his troops over 12 miles undetected and attacked the unsuspecting Union
forces. Unfortunately for the Confederacy, it was during this same battle that Jackson was
accidentally shot by Confederate troops from North Carolina while scouting the enemy's position
at night. His left arm had to be amputated, leading to Lee's famous quote. "Jackson has lost his
left arm, but I have lost my right." Although his injuries did not initially seem life threatening,
Jackson died after contracting pneumonia during his recovery. So effective a leader was Jackson
that many believe that, had he lived to fight at Gettysburg, the South would have won the war.
44. What was President Lincoln's main goal at the beginning of the war?
45. Who was the only president of the Confederate States of America?
46. What general served under General Robert E. Lee for the South and whose death may have
cost the South the overall victory?
The First Battle of Bull Run (also known as First Manassas because of the town near
which it was fought was the first confrontation between the two armies and a humiliating defeat
for the Union forces. Fought only 30 miles from Washington, DC, it could have led to an
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invasion of the capital by Confederate force had the southern troops been better organized. The
battle made it evident that the war would be longer than expected and led Lincoln to adopt
General Winfield Scott's "Anaconda Plan." The plan involved restricting southern supplies and
communications by seizing control of the Mississippi River, cutting Confederate territory in half,
and instituting coastal blockades (use of naval power to keep ships from entering or leaving
enemy ports). On land, the war was fought on two primary fronts, or theaters: eastern and
western. The South wanted to fight a defensive war, receive military support from Britain and/or
France, and make the war so costly that the North would let it go.
47.What was the first major battle of the Civil War and which side won?
48. Describe the Anaconda Plan.
49. Describe the Southern Plan for victory.
ANTIETAM (September 17, 1862)
After successfully defeating the Union army at the Second Battle of Bull Run, General
Robert E. Lee believed that the time was right for an invasion of the North. Lee and his generals
tried to maintain secrecy as they made the necessary preparations. Meanwhile, General
McClellan, (the Union's commanding general) remained unaware of the Confederate
army's whereabouts until a copy of Lee's orders was found wrapped around some cigars at an
abandoned Confederate camp. Now aware of Lee's plans, McClellan saw to it that Lee met a
prepared Union force at Antietam Creek, Maryland. The battle of Antietam proved to be the
bloodiest single day of the war, halting the Confederate advance and preventing Britain and
France from siding with the Confederacy. Neither European power could politically be seen
supporting a cause that could not prove that it could win. Moreover the populations of both
nations gravitated towards an anti-slavery belief. Finally, European nations had stockpiles of
cotton and even grew some in their own colonies, while they needed “King Corn” and “King
Wheat” from the North. Additionally, Northern exports to Europe actually increased during the
war and became very important. Britain would agree to loan money to the South and even build
some ships for the South (Laird Rams). Both Britain and France preferred to see a divided
America that could not threaten their own status but they were hesitant to become directly
involved. Once again, however, McClellan hesitated after Antietam and Lee's army slipped
away to fight another day. Lincoln was angry at the incompetence of his military leaders.
50. What was the bloodiest single day battle of the war and why was it important?
51. Name three reasons why Britain and France did not officially side with the South
after Antietam.
GETTYSBURG (JULY 1-3,1863)
Fought just outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the battle of Gettysburg was a key turning
point in the war. Just two months earlier, the battle of Chancellorsville had been a great
Confederate victory. Often called "Lee's perfect battle" because of the great planning and good
fortune the Confederates had experienced, Lee and Jackson had defeated 70,000 Union troops
with only 40,000 Confederate soldiers. Jackson's death following Chancellorsville, however,
meant that Lee was without his most gifted and reliable commander at Gettysburg. As a result,
the Confederate troops under his command proved less aggressive than usual and failed to win
valuable high ground early in the battle. Union forces under the command of General George
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Meade defeated Lee's army and ended any hope the South had of successfully invading the
North. With more than 51,000 soldiers killed, wounded, or missing, Gettysburg was the bloodiest
battle of the entire Civil War. Four Months later President Lincoln gave his famed Gettysburg
Address at a ceremony dedicating a cemetery on the sight of the battlefield. Although a
relatively short speech, it was a powerful affirmation of Lincoln's desire to see the Union survive
and the nation reunited. Lincoln reminded the North, which was getting tired of the cost of the
war, that the war was being fought for freedom and democracy.
52. Why was the battle of Gettysburg a key turning point in the war?
53. What was Lincoln's message in his famed Gettysburg Address?
VICKSBURG (MAY 15 - JULY 4,1863)
In the late spring of 1863, the town of Vicksburg, Mississippi was the last Confederate
obstacle to total Union control of the Mississippi river. Ignoring advice to retreat, General Grant
laid siege (a strategy by which an army surrounds its enemy, cuts off their supplies, arid starves
them into surrendering) to Vicksburg for almost two months. By the time the town finally
surrendered on July 4, residents had been reduced to eating horses, mules, dogs and even rats.
54. What strategy did General Grant use to win the battle of Vicksburg?
SHERMAN'S MARCH (May - December, 1864)
Making their way from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Union forces under the command of
William T, Sherman captured Atlanta in September of 1864, thereby helping President Lincoln
to win re-election. Then, after burning the city, Sherman continued his "March to the Sea"
destroying bridges, factories and railroad lines. Union forces cut a nearly 300-mile path of
destruction across, Georgia in route to the city of Savannah, which surrendered without a fight.
Sherman then turned north into the Carolinas, intending to trap Lee's army between himself and
Ulysses S. Grant. Sherman perfected this strategy called “total war.” Sherman realized that assets
of a nation including cities, farms, infrastructure, and people keep armies fighting so they should
also become military targets. As Sherman’s strategy expanded more and more Southern soldiers
deserted their posts to return to loved ones who were starving or homeless back home. It was
estimated that almost 1/3 of Southern soldiers left the field to go back home for various reasons.
Furthermore, as Sherman swept through the Eastern Confederacy, thousands of runaway
slaves joined the march to the extent that they were hampering his progress. Sherman realized
that something needed to be done so the former slaves could provide for themselves. Sherman
started a process of confiscating plantation land and distributing it to the former slaves. This was
often referred to as “40 acres and a mule.” Unfortunately the vast majority of former slaves
would not receive the means to become economically free after the war. Some of the land
distributed to the slaves would later be given back to the former plantation owners under
President Johnson.
55. What was General Sherman's "March to the Sea" strategy?
56. Why did Sherman distribute “40 acres and a mule?”
POLITICAL ISSUES OF THE WAR
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As the battle lines were being drawn, four slave states (Missouri, Kentucky, Delaware
and Maryland) remained with the Union. Southern sympathizers, however, were common in
these states. If Maryland joined Confederacy, the Union capital of Washington, DC would be
surrounded by Confederate territory. Concerned that Confederate sympathizers might succeed in
swaying Maryland to secede President Lincoln took drastic action. He declared martial law in
Maryland, suspended the writ of habeas corpus (the guarantee that a person cannot be
imprisoned without being brought before a judge) and jailed the strongest supporters of the
Confederacy. This allowed the Maryland legislature to vote in favor of remaining with the
Union. Lincoln continued to use such measures throughout the war.
57. What is a writ of habeas corpus and why did President Lincoln use it in Maryland?
Another point of contention in the North was Lincoln's decision to establish a draft. A
draft is a policy in which the government selects certain individuals for military service rather
than waiting for them to enlist. Lincoln's draft was particularly unpopular among the poor and
immigrants. They resented the fact that wealthy citizens could avoid military service in exchange
for paying $300 or by hiring a substitute to serve in their place. In July 1863, draft riots
broke out in New York City, killing more than 100 people and resulting in the lynching of at
least 11 African- Americans by immigrants and poorer whites who blamed blacks for the war.
58. What caused the draft riots of l863?
One group that was among Lincoln's most notable political opponents came to be called
the copperheads. Named after a deadly snake, "copperheads" were Union Democrats who
criticized Lincoln and the war. They played on some northerners' fears and predicted that freeing
southern slaves would mean huge numbers of African-Americans migrating north to steal white
jobs. Radical copperheads even encouraged Union soldiers to desert (abandon) the army, while
calling on citizens to resist the draft.
59. Who were the copperheads and why were they important?
THE EMANCIPATlON PROCLAMATlON
The Union victory at Antietam gave President Lincoln the opportunity to issue the
Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. This proclamation freed the slaves in the
Confederate States, while maintaining slavery in the Border States loyal to the Union. With this
executive order, Lincoln hoped to give the war a moral focus beyond just saving the Union. He
also hoped to undermine the South's reliance on slave labor and ensure the support of England
and France - both of which had already abolished slavery. Two years later, Congress passed the
13th Amendment, which abolished slavery throughout the United States. The Emancipation
Proclamation also encouraged free African-Americans to serve in the Union army. Although
originally not allowed to enlist, McClellan's early defeats led Congress to authorize accepting
African-Americans into the army in 1862. On warships, whites and blacks served side by side. In
the army, however, African-Americans served only in all black regiments under the command of
white officers. Seeing their battle as one to free their own people from the bonds of slavery,
African-Americans served notably during the war.
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60. What was President Lincoln's purpose for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation?
61. What officially abolished (eliminated) slavery?
ELECTION OF 1864
The discontent that many in the North felt towards the war meant that Lincoln was in
danger of losing the 1864 election. In an effort to defeat Lincoln and negotiate an end to the war,
the Democrats nominated George McClellan - Lincoln's former general - to run for president.
However, Sherman's capture of Atlanta two months before the election signaled to everyone that
Union victory was within reach, and Lincoln was elected to a second term
62. Why was Sherman's capture of Atlanta important in Lincoln's re-election in 1864?
UNION VICTORY
In March of 1864, President Lincoln put Ulysses S. Grant in command of the Union
army. Grant, knowing he had far more men than Lee, began a campaign designed to crush the
Confederate army in a series of head to head confrontations. Pushing south, Grant engaged Lee
in a number of bloody battles. In less than two months, Grant's army suffered some 65,000
casualties. Still, the Union's overwhelming numbers meant that the Confederates were the
ones on the retreat. Finally, when Lee's army found itself surrounded in Virginia, the
Confederate general elected to surrender rather than see more lives lost. On April 9, 1865,
confederate commander Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union commander Ulysses S. Grant at
Appomattox Courthouse. Although some fighting continued afterwards, this effectively ended
the war. Two weeks later, the largest and last major, surrender of the war took place when
General Joseph Johnston surrendered his Confederate army to General William T. Sherman at a
farmhouse in Durham, North Carolina, known as the Bennett Place.
.
63. When, where, and why did General Robert E. Lee surrender to General Ulysses S.
Grant?
6.06 Key Factors and Results from the War
There were many reasons why the North won the war. Although the South initially had
more gifted generals in the eastern theater, the North possessed far more people. Therefore, the
North's armies consistently outnumbered the Confederates. Even more important, however, was
the distinct advantage the North enjoyed as an industrial society. Because of its factories, the
North was able to produce far more ammunitions, weapons, and needed supplies for the
war. The North also had the Navy, a strong currency, an established government, established
foreign affairs, and established trading partners. The South had to try to build an entire system
during a time of war. Moreover the emphasis on states’ rights hurt the South's chances of
success. Often southern states would not comply with sending men and materials to the fighting.
Georgia even considered seceding from the Confederacy and forming its own country. When
Gen. Johnston surrendered in North Carolina a warehouse full of brand-new uniforms was
discovered by Union troops. A Union officer asked why these uniforms were not given to Gen.
Lee's army because many of Lee's men were barefoot with clothing that was falling apart. A
North Carolinian at the warehouse responded that those uniforms were meant only for North
Carolina troops. As noted earlier the South suffered a greater percentage of troops that went
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absent without leave in order to return to families and sweethearts. Finally every southern state
except South Carolina had at least one Regiment of men fight for the Union. It became obvious
that not all southerners felt the same. In the South the poor whites especially in the mountains did
not support the southern aristocracy. The western portion of Virginia actually became a union
state in 1863 called West Virginia. Jefferson Davis himself stated that the Confederacy died
because of a theory. That theory was that a loose confederation of independent states could
defeat a unified nation with superior resources.
64. What were the advantages that both the North and South enjoyed during the war?
The war also saw advances in military technology. Guns became more efficient as
innovations allowed for firearms that could fire rounds of ammunition much quicker and more
accurately. When the war began, both sides still relied heavily on the use of muskets that had to
be loaded one musket ball at a time. By wars end, both armies were using advanced rifles that
allowed soldiers to load rounds faster and get off more shots in less time.
Nowhere were advances in technology more evident than with the two sides' navies. The
Confederates seated an ironclad (a warship with the sides shielded with iron to protect it from
enemy fire) from an old wooden steamship called the Merrimack. (The South renamed this ship
the Virginia, but it is better known as the Merrimack). The Union navy's wooden ships found
themselves powerless against this innovative weapon. Finally, the Union responded
with an ironclad of its own called the Monitor. On March 9, 1862, the two ships met in a battle
off the coast of Virginia. After several hours of fighting, the Merrimack withdrew with neither
ship suffering much damage. Eventually, the South blew up the Merrimack to keep it from
falling into enemy hands, and the Monitor sank during a storm. While the two ships met only one
time, their battle marked a new era in US naval warfare.
65. What type of ship marked a new era in US naval warfare?
The Civil War also marked the first time that submarines (ships that remain entirely
under water) were used as American weapons of war. The Union was actually the first to use a
sub, but no Union submarine ever engaged in battle with a Confederate ship. The most notable
Confederate sub was the CSS Hunley. The Hunley was intended to sink Union ships blockading
Confederate harbors. On February 18, 1864, it became the first US submarine to successfully
sink an enemy ship. Unfortunately for the South, however, the Hunley also sank during the same
battle.
66. What US submarine became the first to sink an enemy ship?
During the war the North's economy continued to grow and the North became richer by
the end of the war. In contrast, the South's economy was destroyed as was every major city in the
South. During the war Lincoln initiated the first income tax and issued over official government
money called greenbacks. The Pacific Railway Act was also initiated by the union in which the
federal government subsidized the building of the transcontinental railroad to California.
Furthermore, the North established a system of federally chartered banks through the National
Bank Act. Additionally, the first Homestead Act was passed in the North which virtually gave
away land in the West for settlement. It is entirely accurate to summarize that while the South
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was fighting for its life with everything that it had, the North continued to expand and had so
much left over that it could continue to expand westward, diversify industrially, and actually
increase exports to other nations.
67. What political policy changes occurred in the North during the Civil War?
Women also played an integral part in the war both in the North and in the South. They
took over the role of heads of household while their husbands were away. Many women served
as nurses and Clara Barton established the American Red Cross in 1881 after gaining experience
during the Civil War. Many men would return from the war maimed and unable to perform all
the work they did prior to the war. The women of the house would make up the difference.
Southern women were especially bitter at the North at the end of the war. Some entire towns in
the South lost every young man and would disappear over time as people moved away. The
percentage of wealth held in the South declined to only 12% of the total nation’s wealth by 1870.
By 1870 southerners earned less than 40% of what Northerners earned. The age of fancy
mansions and debutante balls came to a crashing halt in the South.
6.07 Reconstruction
Now that the Union had been preserved, Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction was to rebuild
rather than punish the South. Lincoln wanted to allow Confederate states to form their own
governments once ten percent (10) of the voting population swore an oath of allegiance (a
pledge to never secede again) to the United States. Sadly, however, Lincoln would not live to see
the nation healed. On April 14, 1865, just five days after the surrender at Appomattox
Courthouse, a Confederate sympathizer named John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln at
Ford's Theatre.
68. What was President Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction called?
69. Who killed President Lincoln?
ANDREW JOHNSON AND THE RADICAL REPUBLICANS
With Lincoln's death, the presidency now fell to Lincoln's Vice President, Andrew
Johnson. Johnson, himself a southerner and one time slave owner, proved sympathetic (favored)
to the South. Taking office while Congress was in recess, Johnson pursued his own plan of
presidential reconstruction. Many in the North saw Johnson's plan as lenient
or too easy and conflict quickly arose between Johnson and the Radical Republicans
The Radical Republicans were members of the Republican Party, who favored a much tougher
stance with Confederate states. They believed that Johnson's approach did not do enough
because it failed to offer African-Americans full citizenship rights. They also believed that
Congress, not the president, should oversee Reconstruction and that the
majority of each state's voting population (not just 10) should have to pledge allegiance to the
United States before a state could be readmitted to the Union.
70. Why was President Andrew Johnson sympathetic to the South?
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71. Why were the Radical Republicans upset with Lincoln and Johnson's plan for
Reconstruction?
THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1866 AND THE 14TH AMENDMENT
In 1866, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 with the intent of giving
citizenship rights to freed slaves and outlawing black codes. Johnson vetoed the measure, but
Congress was able to override it. Then, concerned that the courts might strike down the new law
as unconstitutional, Congress passed a new amendment to the US Constitution. The 14th
Amendment guaranteed that no person (regardless of race) would be deprived of life liberty or
property without due process of law. The 14th amendment also established the "Equal
Protection" clause, which attempted to protect African Americans from "unjust and unfair" state
laws and guaranteed all peoples equal justice under the law. It was ratified in 1868.
72. What was the purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1866?
73. Which amendment guaranteed all people equal protection or justice under the law?
THE RECONSTRUCTION ACT OF 1867
In 1867, Radical Republicans in Congress passed their own Reconstruction plan
(Reconstruction Act of 1867) that would guarantee civil rights for African Americans and put the
responsibility of Reconstruction in the hands of Congress, not the President. The key provisions
(parts) of the Reconstruction Act of 1867 were: The unreconstructed states were divided into five
military districts, each policed by federal troops under the command of a military governor.
To qualify for readmission, a state had to hold a convention and create a new state Constitution
guaranteeing black suffrage.
When a state had organized a new government acceptable to Congress and had ratified the
Fourteenth Amendment, it would be restored to the Union.
JOHNSON'S IMPEACHMENT
The battle between Congress and President Johnson came to a head in 1868. Johnson
tried to fire Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, who had been appointed by Lincoln because he
was closely tied to the Radical Republicans. This violated the Tenure in Office Act, which
limited the president's power to hire and fire government officials and in effect, gave Congress
rather than the president power to command the armed forces. Led by a fiery Radical
Republican congressman named Thaddeus Stevens, the Congress voted to impeach (charge with
wrongdoing in order to remove from office) the president of the United States. On May 16, 1868,
the Senate voted to spare Johnson's presidency by just one vote.
74. Why was the Reconstruction Act of 1867 passed?
75. Why was President Johnson impeached?
76. Who was the leader of the Radical Republicans?
THE PLIGHT OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS AFTER THE CIVIL WAR
THE FREEDMEN'S BUREAU
The 13th Amendment freed the slaves. Now, African-Americans in the South had to
adjust to life after slavery. In 1865, Congress created The Freedmen's Bureau. As the first federal
relief agency in US history it served to provide clothing, medical attention, meals, education, and
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even some land to freed Blacks and some poorer whites. Lacking strong support, it disbanded in
1869.
77. Which amendment freed the slaves?
78. What was the purpose of the Freedmen's Bureau?
SHARECROPPERS AND TENANT FARMERS
African-Americans had their freedom, but they had no land or money. In order to survive,
many turned to sharecropping. Sharecropping was a practice by which a family farmed a portion
of a landowner's land in return for housing and a share of the crop. Many sharecroppers
unfortunately fell victim to dishonest landowners who subjected them to a slight form of
slavery where the sharecropper could never pay off his debt. If a sharecropper was fortunate, he
might save enough money to try tenant farming. Tenant farmers paid rent to farm the land and
owned the crops they grew. They were not as much at the mercy of white landowners as were
sharecroppers.
79. What is the difference between sharecropping and tenant farming?
BLACK CODES AND THE KU KLUX KLAN
After Johnson took office and before Congress could get together to enact its own plan
for Reconstruction, many states in the South passed black codes. These were laws meant to keep
African-Americans subordinate or inferior to whites by restricting the rights of freed slaves. For
instance, blacks could not meet together after sunset, own weapons, or rent property anywhere
other than in rural areas (this kept them working on the plantations). Blacks convicted of
vagrancy (i.e. on the street not working) could be whipped or sold for a year's labor. Black
Codes, in effect, continued the practice of slavery. It was in response to such laws that Congress
ultimately passed - "the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Fourteenth Amendment
Some whites advocated violence against freed blacks. Perhaps the most notorious (well-known
for something bad) group to use such tactics was the Ku Klux Klan. A secretive terrorist
organization whose members often dressed in hooded white robes, the Klan used violence,
murder, and threats to intimidate blacks and those who would favor giving African-Americans
equal rights. The Klan practiced lynching and other acts of violence against blacks
throughout the remainder of the 19th and much of the 20th century. Although some of their goals
and tactics have changed over time, the Ku Klux Klan continues to exist and operate today.
80. Why were black codes passed?
BITTERNESS GROWS IN THE SOUTH
As Reconstruction dragged on, many in the South continued to grow bitter towards the
Union and those who profited from Reconstruction. Among those whom southerners resented
were carpetbaggers. These were northerners who had come to the South to do business. Many of
them were former Union officers, but others were teachers, ministers, lawyers, and so forth.
Southerners despised them because they saw them as people taking advantage of southern
suffering for their own economic gain. They were called "carpetbaggers" because it was said that
they had stuffed some clothes into a carpetbag and rushed south to make money. Scalawags were
another hated group. These were Southerners, often Republicans, who supported Reconstruction.
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Southern newspapers often published their names to make sure that they suffered persecution at
the hands of southern citizens and groups like the Ku Klux Klan.
81. What were the differences between carpetbaggers and scalawags?
THE GRANT ADMINISTRATION CORRUPTION
Although Johnson had survived impeachment, even his own party would not support him
in 1868. Instead, the nation elected Republican Ulysses S. Grant. Generally viewed as a good
person, Grant was also a poor judge of character who surrounded himself with dishonest men. It
was not long before his administration was riddled with corruption. One example was that of the
Whiskey Ring, which was a scheme by internal revenue collectors and whiskey distillers
to cheat the government out of tax money. Among those indicted was Grant's own private
secretary.
82. Why was President Grant's administration considered corrupt?
THE 15TH AMENDMENT AND TEXAS V. WHITE
Grant's presidency also saw the last major piece of Reconstruction legislation. Ratified in
1870, the 15th Amendment to the Constitution guaranteed that no citizen may be denied the right
to vote "by the United States or any state on the account of race, color, or previous condition of
servitude." The amendment had great impact in the South by guaranteeing African-American
males the right to vote.
83. Why was the 15th Amendment important?
That same year, the Supreme Court ruled in Texas v. White that the federal government
had the authority to oversee the restructuring of southern state governments. The decision served
to expand the powers of the central government and establish that, henceforth, the authority of
the federal government would take precedence (i.e. superiority) over that of the states. As a
result, southern states could no longer appeal to the loth Amendment of the Constitution (this
amendment states that those rights not delegated to the federal government are reserved for the
states) to claim that states' rights outweighed federal laws.
84. How did the decision in Texas v. White expand the power of the federal government?
ELECTION OF 1876 AND THE END OF RECONSTRUCTION
Because of the bad economy and the many scandals surrounding President Grant, the
Democrats were hopeful that their candidate, Samuel Tilden, could win the election of 1876. The
Republicans nominated then governor of Ohio, Rutherford B. Hayes. Tilden received almost
300,000 more popular votes than Hayes, but the election was contested because officials
disputed the results in some states. In South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana, Republicans and
Democrats had established rival boards of election officials. Since each board was reporting
different results, Congress appointed an electoral commission to settle the controversy. What
resulted was the Compromise of 1877 (also known as the Hayes-Tilden Compromise). The
Democrats agreed to Hayes being president and the Republicans agreed to end Reconstruction.
In addition, southern states received federal money, more power to govern themselves, and a
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promise to withdraw federal troops. The decision brought Reconstruction to an end and began
the era of the "Solid South." The term refers to the fact that, for nearly a century after
Reconstruction, Southerners remained distrustful of the Republican Party and "solidly"
supported Democratic candidates.
85. What was the result of the Compromise of 1877?
86. What was the effect of the "Solid South"?
With the end of Reconstruction, southern states soon began passing Jim Crow laws that
required blacks and whites to use separate public facilities like buses and schools (i.e. Plessy v.
Ferguson in 1896). Many states also tried to avoid upholding the 15th Amendment by requiring
citizens to pass literacy tests or pay poll taxes (fees) in order to vote. Since most AfricanAmericans in the South tended to be poor and uneducated, the new laws prevented many of them
from voting. In order to keep these laws from stopping poor and illiterate whites from voting,
some states instituted grandfather clauses. These were clauses that allowed citizens to vote only
if they, or their ancestors, had voted in previous elections (i.e. 1867). Since whites had enjoyed
the right to vote for years, grandfather clauses allowed poor and illiterate whites to vote while
excluding African-Americans. It would take until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 before African
Americans were free to register to vote in all 50 states.
87. What methods did southern states use to disenfranchise or prevent African-American
males from voting?
88. When were African-Americans free to register to vote in all 50 states?
SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF RECONSTRUCTION
The Civil War changed the United States forever and it slowly gravitated towards a more
Hamiltonian vision. The industrial economy of the North gain prominence over the cash crop
cotton economy of the South. The federal government gained strength over that of the individual
states and the executive branch wielded unprecedented power during time of war. Lincoln was
credited with saying that he had to suspend the Constitution in order to save it and the debate
over personal freedom versus national security continues to this very day. The Northern
Government got directly involved in the economy through the establishment of greenbacks, a
national banking system, an income tax, and numerous contracts for weapons and supplies for
war. Corruption ran throughout the Northern and Southern governments. Southern critics of the
Reconstruction governments in the South often labeled the freedmen as being incapable and
inferior since there was corruption in the state governments that included elected AfricanAmericans. One can only suspect racism why the southern critics and some of their northern
allies refused to acknowledge the corruption of governments led by Whites.
89. How did the power of the federal government change due to the Civil War and
Reconstruction?
90. Was corruption limited to the Reconstruction governments of the South led by free
African-Americans?
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Overall, Presidents Lincoln and Johnson proposed lenient policies towards the former
Confederate states. As a result, the old southern aristocracy made bold moves to reestablish
themselves as the seat of power in the South and reestablish the old southern hierarchy. The
northern Radical Republicans "waved the bloody flag" and "waved the bloody shirt" to voters in
the North so as to thrust a more harsh Reconstruction upon the South. The Radical Republicans
believe that they could use the military and legal methods to establish equality for the free
African-Americans in the South. Many former abolitionists would become disheartened because
the hearts and minds of many White Southerners and Northerners refused to accept AfricanAmerican equality. The radical Republicans would gain control of Congress and passed the
Reconstruction Act of 1867. When Pres. Johnson vetoed key Radical Republican legislation and
attempt to impeach him followed.
91. How did the Southern aristocracy respond to the lenient policies of Presidents Lincoln
and Johnson?
92. What techniques did the Radical Republicans use to gain control of Congress and
Reconstruction?
Positive strides were made in that the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the
Constitution were ratified by the states. This demonstrated that the federal government could
enact legislation to promote civil rights for marginalized groups. Another positive was the
election of African-Americans to state governments and Congress. Furthermore, states started
public works programs and public schools were started in the South. Finally for the free AfricanAmericans, many were able to reunite families broken up by the slave, work for wages, and build
a truly free African American culture. Possibly the most important success of the Civil War and
Reconstruction was the unification of the United States.
93. Rank the successes of the Civil War from most important to least important and be
prepared to defend your answer.
Negative consequences also resulted from the Civil War and Reconstruction. Immense
war debt and low demand for Southern cotton delayed the South's recovery from the Civil War.
Moreover, it caused friction between the poor Whites and the free African-Americans who now
competed for many of the same jobs. The old southern aristocracy would play upon this friction
to divide the poor Whites from the poor Blacks and instill the belief that their problems were
rooted in each other instead of the industrialists from the North and some of the Southern
aristocracy who profited from rock-bottom wages for the next 40 years. Coming off of this
friction, was the establishment of the Ku Klux Klan and its terrorist activity inflicted upon
African-Americans. Additionally, Redemption Southern governments used "work farm prisons"
to secure free labor from African-Americans who resisted or protested the black codes and the
inequality of the sharecropping system.
Another failure of Reconstruction was the interpretation of the 14th and 15th
amendments by the Supreme Court. The narrow interpretation assisted the Southern aristocracy
establish Jim Crow laws that legally separated African-Americans into second-class citizenship.
Plessy V Ferguson was the height of legalized inequality in American history. The Republican
Party that championed the rights of African-Americans was weakened by internal conflict,
scandal, and financial panic in 1873 resulting in a slow withdrawal of support for African-
AMHI Unit 6 1850-1877
J. Michalski
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American equality both in the South and in the North. The strongest example of this was the
Hayes Tilden compromise also known as the Compromise of 1877 in which the Republican
Party withdrew troops and ended Reconstruction so that Hayes could become president. Finally
in the southern states, the Redemption governments made a concerted effort to weaken civil
rights, eliminate public schools as much as possible, and eliminate programs meant to empower
impoverished Whites and African-Americans.
94. What economic factors delayed Southern recovery from the Civil War?
95. Why did the Southern aristocracy and Northern industrialists seek to divide poor
Whites from poor Blacks?
96. What was a "work farm prison"?
97. How did the Supreme Court contribute to discrimination against African-Americans?
98. What Supreme Court decision reflected the height of racial inequity in the United
States?
The legacy of both the successes and failures of the Civil War and Reconstruction are
evident even today. Challenges to the supremacy of the federal government are sporadic and
usually based upon one issue such as president Obama's Affordable Health Care Act
(Obamacare). Racism and racial divides still exist in the United States today. As these American
History reading guides were being constructed in the spring of 2015, numerous police shootings
and killings of young African-American males resulted in protests and made headline news.
Unfortunately for Americans today certain characteristics are automatically assigned to someone
just because of their skin color. This has resulted in fear and misunderstanding and segregation
despite laws ending "separate but equal." Perfect examples are the high schools in CharlotteMecklenburg school district in which the majority now reflect the segregated neighborhoods that
they contain in their attendance zone. When integration does happen it is often met with
suspicion. For example, when a predominantly minority high school in Charlotte was closed and
a portion of those students assigned to a predominantly White school, some White parents
withdrew their children to send to predominantly White private or charter schools. It must be
remembered that just as in the past, there are certain sections of society that profit and gain
power by promoting hatred between Whites and Blacks.
99. What was one example of states protesting federal power during the Obama
administration?
100. How do the high schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District reflect the
racial divide in America 150 years after the end of the Civil War?