Download Diplomacy and Wartime Reconstruction

DIPLOMACY AND WAR
TIME RECONSTRUCTION
VALERIA MARTINEZ
IB HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS
FALL 2013
KING COTTON
Cotton Gin
•  Created by Eli Whitney in 1793.
•  Allowed cotton fibers to be separated from their
seeds much faster than by manual separation.
•  Single invention that most dramatically changed
the cotton industry.
•  Produced 138,000lbs of cotton the first year after
it was invented, increased to 1,600,000lbs within
two years.
KING COTTON
Effects of cotton gin
•  As a result of the cotton gin, the Southern
economies became even more dependent on the
production and exporting of cotton.
•  The number of slaves in the South increased
from 700,000 in 1790 to just over 3,200,000 in
1850.
KING COTTON
“King Cotton” – slogan used by Southerns in 1860
to support the succession from the Union.
The main argument was that the money made on
the cotton exports would be enough to support the
Confederacy.
Thought that global dependency on cotton would
force European powers such as England and
France to help them.
PRIMARY SOURCE
DOCUMENT
“If we never acquire another foot of territory for the South, look
at her. Eight hundred and fifty thousand square miles. As large
as Great Britain, France, Austria, Prussia and Spain. Is not that
territory enough to make an empire that shall rule the world?
With the finest soil, the most delightful climate, whose staple
productions none of those great countries can grow, we have
three thousand miles of continental sea-shore line so indented
with bays and crowded with islands, that, when their shore lines
are added, we have twelve thousand miles. Through the heart of
our country runs the great Mississippi, the father of waters, into
whose bosom are poured thirty-six thousand miles of tributary
rivers; and beyond we have the desert prairie wastes to protect
us in our rear. Can you hem in such a territory as that? You talk
of putting up a wall of fire around eight hundred and fifty
thousand square miles so situated! How absurd.”
PRIMARY SOURCE
DOCUMENT
“Cotton is King” speech made by Senator James Henry
Hammond before the United States Senate.
O: Speech made by South Carolina Senator on the admission of
Kansas.
P: The purpose of this document is state how much more money
the South makes than the North, and to talk about all the
prosperity in the South.
V: It showcases all the exports made in the South, especially that
of cotton, which was considered the most important export. It
also shows the way in which Southerners viewed themselves in
comparison to the North.
L: It was a speech given by a senator from the South, so it was
incredibly biased, and of course, favored slavery.
TRENT AFFAIR
James Mason
•  US Representative and US Senator from Virginia
•  Represented the Confederacy and served as
commissioner of the Confederacy to England
and France during the Civil War.
John Slidell
•  American lawyer, politician, and businessman.
•  Moved to Louisiana as a young man, and become and
strong supporter of Southern rights – became a
Representative and Senator.
•  Represented Confederacy overseas in France.
TRENT AFFAIR
Trent Affair (also known as Mason and Slidell
Affair) – On November 8, 1861, USS San Jacinto
intercepted the British ship, RMS Trent, and
removed two Confederate diplomats (Mason and
Slidell).
They were headed to England and France to try
and get Confederate diplomatic recognition in
Europe.
This unauthorized seizure angered the British a
great deal, many of the citizens called for war.
IMPORTANCE OF
TRENT AFFAIR
The unauthorized seizure violated England’s
stance on neutrality during the war.
British government demanded an apology from
Union government, and for the Confederates to be
released.
The Union had no wish to be in two wars at once,
so they issued the apology, and had no choice but
to release the Confederate diplomats.
BATTLE OF ANTIETAM
On September 16, 1862, Major Gen. McClellan and
the Union Army of the Potomac confronted Lee’s
army at Sharpsburg, Maryland.
Single bloodiest day in American military history.
Considered a draw from a military point of view,
although Lincoln and the Union claimed a victory.
Gave Lincoln the “victory” that he needed before
delivering the Emancipation Proclamation.
NORTHERN BLOCKADE
NORTHERN
BLOCKADE
At the beginning of the war, Southerners thought
that their supply of cotton to the rest of the world
would bring them natural allies.
However, after they declared succession, the North
declared a blockade on all Southern ports.
In order to get cotton supply, the blockades would
have to be broken, thus provoking a war with the
North.
The blockade meant the war was not merely an
internal issue, as Lincoln insisted, it has
international implications.
EUROPEAN REACTION
After the Battle of Antietam, European powers saw
that the Confederates had a much lower chance of
winning than originally thought.
France was of the opinion that Britain, France, and
Russia propose a six month armistice, during
which the blockade would be suspended.
This greatly favored the South, and Russia turned
it down immediately, and the British after short
deliberation did as well.
EUROPEAN ATTITUDE
TOWARDS WAR
The Civil War mirrored the issues of class conflicts in
Britain:
•  The Union stood for popular government, equal
rights, and dignity of labor.
•  The South stood for aristocracy, privilege, and
slavery.
British upper class disliked the Northerners, they really
wanted to see their cherished Democracy destroyed.
They obviously favored a Southern win.
EUROPEAN ATTITUDE
TOWARDS WAR
Englishmen had supported the Greek fight for
independence, the struggle of Hungary, and Italian
states to throw off Hapsburg rule.
They viewed the South’s rebellion against the North in
the same light.
The catch with supporting the South was of course
slavery. The English prided themselves in their role of
suppressing transatlantic slave trade, and abolishing
slavery in the West Indies.
SOUTHERN
RECOGNITION
The Confederacy spent lots of time and effort throughout the war
trying to get diplomatic recognition from European powers.
Recognizing the South as an independent country would mean two
things:
1.  Supporting a country that was essentially fighting for slavery,
despite their protests that they were not.
2.  It would cause conflict with the Union, which was highly
inconvenient because of the diplomatic and trade relationships.
10% PLAN FOR
RECONSTRUCTION
Also called the Proclamation of Amnesty and
Reconstruction. It had three parts:
1.  Allowed for full pardon and restoration of property
to all those engaged in the rebellion, with the
exception of the highest ranking Confederate
officials and military leaders.
2.  Allowed Southern states to be readmitted into the
Union when 10% of the eligible voters had taken an
oath of allegiance to the United States.
3.  All southern states that were readmitted in this
fashion were encouraged to enact plans to deal with
the freed slaves, so long as these plans
compromise the freedom of the freed slaves.
OPPOSITION TO THE
BILL
The Radical Republicans did not agree with Lincoln’s
plan because they thought it was “too mild.”
Proposed the Wade-Davis Bill:
•  This bill proposed that 50% of the state’s white males
be required to take loyalty oath in order to be
readmitted into the Union.
•  Also required that the states give blacks the right to
vote.
The bill passed in Congress, but was killed when
Lincoln vetoed it.
He repeatedly stated that he wanted tolerance, not
speed, in order to reconstruct the Union.
WORKS CITED
McPherson, James. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. New York:
Oxford University Press, 1988. Print.
Selections from the Letters and Speeches of the Hon. James H. Hammond, of
South Carolina (New York: John F. Trow & Co., 1866), pages 311-322.
"Lincoln Issues Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction." History.com.
A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://www.history.com/this-day-inhistory/lincoln-issues-proclamation-of-amnesty-and-reconstruction>.
Gates, Henry L., Jr. "Why Was Cotton King?" Theroot.com. The Root, 4 Feb.
2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://www.theroot.com/articles/history/2013/02/
why_was_cotton_king.2.html>.
"The Trent Affair." Britannica.com. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 10
Nov. 2013. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/604278/Trent-Affair>.
"The Crowning of King Cotton." The Crowning of King Cotton. U.S History
Online Textbook, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/27a.asp>.
Handwritten copy of Wade-Davis Bill as originally submitted 1864; Records
of Legislative Proceedings; Records of the United States House of Representatives
1789-1946; Record Group 233; National Archives.
"Antietam." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d.
Web. 11 Nov. 2013. <http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/antietam.html?tab=facts>.