Download Unit 7: Binding Up the Nation`s Wounds

The Artios Home Companion Series
Unit 7: Binding Up the Nation’s Wounds
Teacher Overview
The Southerners would have found a friend in Lincoln, but now that friend was lost to them
and the vice-president, Andrew Johnson, became president. President Johnson had a very
hard task before him. He had “to bind up the nation’s wounds” and re-unite the North and the
South.
R e a d i n g a n d A s s i g nm e nt s
Based on your student’s age and ability, the
reading in this unit may be read aloud to the
student and journaling and notebook pages
may be completed orally. Likewise, other
assignments can be done with an
appropriate combination of independent
and guided study.
In this unit, students will:
 Complete two lessons in which they will
learn about President Andrew
Johnson and President Ulysses S.
Grant.
 Define vocabulary words.
 Visit
www.ArtiosHCS.com
for
additional resources.
President Andrew Johnson
L e a di ng I de a s
Honesty is a character quality to be desired.
Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord, and false scales are not good.
— Proverbs 20:23
The Bible provides the ethics upon which to judge people and nations.
— Exodus 20:1-17
God is sovereign over the affairs of men.
And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth,
having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.
— Acts 17:26
Modern: Elementary
Unit 7: Binding Up the Nation’s Wounds
Page 88
V o c a bu l a r y
K e y Pe o pl e , P l ac e s , a n d E v e nt s
Lesson 1:
lenient
loggerheads
cajole
impeach
misdemeanor
verdict
President Andrew Johnson
Secretary of War Edwin Stanton
President Ulysses S. Grant
Treaty of Washington
Lesson 2:
recompense
arbitration
Modern: Elementary
Unit 7: Binding Up the Nation's Wounds
Page 89
Lesson One
History Overview and Assignments
How President Andrew Johnson Was Impeached
For the South, this was a time of bitterness. The Confederate States were divided into five
districts, each district being ruled over by an officer with an army of soldiers under him. From
the men who had led the rebellion, all power of voting was taken away, while at the same time
voting rights were given to former slaves.
President Johnson’s Impeachment Trial
R e a d i n g a n d A s s i g nm e nt s
 Read the article: Johnson – How the President Was Impeached.
 Define each vocabulary word in the context of the reading and put the word and its
definition in the vocabulary section of your notebook.
 After reading the article, summarize the story you read by either:
▪ Retelling it out loud to your teacher or parent.
OR
▪ Completing an appropriate notebook page.
Either way, be sure to include the answers to the discussion questions and an overview of
key people, dates, and events in your summary.
 Be sure to visit www.ArtiosHCS.com for additional resources.
Modern: Elementary
Unit 7: Binding Up the Nation's Wounds
Page 90
K e y Pe o pl e , P l ac e s , a n d E v e nt s
V o c a bu l a r y
President Andrew Johnson
Secretary of War Edwin Stanton
lenient
loggerheads
cajole
impeach
misdemeanor
verdict
D i s c us s i o n Que s t i o ns
1. Who became president after Abraham
Lincoln died?
5. Why did Congress impeach Andrew
Johnson?
2. What were the sources of conflict
between President Johnson and
Congress?
6. When did the state of Nebraska enter the
Union?
3. Who was Edwin Stanton?
8. How was the territory of Alaska added to
the United States?
7. What does the name Nebraska mean?
4. When Johnson removed Stanton from
his position on the president’s Cabinet,
what conflict resulted?
9. Were the people of the United States
pleased with the purchase of Alaska?
Why or why not?
Adapted for Elementary School from the book:
This Country of Ours
by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall
Johnson – How the President Was Impeached
The vice president, Andrew Johnson,
now became president. Like Lincoln, he
came from very poor people. He had taught
himself how to read, but could not write
until after his marriage, when his wife
taught him. In many ways he thought as
Lincoln did, but he had none of Lincoln’s
wonderful tact in dealing with men; he
could not win men’s love as Lincoln had
done.
“I tell you,” said a Confederate soldier,
speaking of Lincoln, “he had the most
magnificent face and eyes that I have ever
gazed into. If he had walked up and down
the Confederate line of battle, there would
have been no battle. I was his, body and
soul, from the time I felt the pressure of his
fingers.”
The Southerners would have found a
friend in Lincoln, but now that friend was
lost to them. Had he lived on, much of the
bitterness of the time after the war would
never have been.
President Johnson had a very hard task
before him. He had “to bind up the nation’s
wounds” and re-unite the North and South.
But he had neither the tact nor the strength
needed for this great task. At first it was
thought he would be too hard on the South.
Then it was thought he would be too lenient,
Modern: Elementary
Unit 7: Binding Up the Nation's Wounds
Page 91
and soon he was at loggerheads with
Congress.
For the South, this time was a time of
bitterness. The Confederate states were
divided into five districts, each district being
ruled over by an officer with an army of
soldiers under him. From the men who had
led the rebellion, all power of voting was
taken away, while at the same time it was
given to African Americans.
A swarm of greedy adventurers from the
North swooped down upon the South,
cajoled the uneducated African Americans
into voting for them, and soon had the
government of these states under their
control.
These
men
were
called
carpetbaggers. For it was said they packed
all their belongings into bags made from
carpeting. They had no possessions, no true
interest in the South. They came not to help
the South, but to make money out of it, and
under their rule, the condition of the
Southern states became truly pitiful.
But at length this wretched time passed.
The
troops
were
withdrawn,
the
carpetbaggers
followed,
and
the
government once more came into the hands
of better men.
Meanwhile bitterness had increased
between the president and Congress. And
now in 1867 Congress brought a bill to
lessen the president’s power. This was
called the Tenure of Office Bill. By it, the
president was forbidden to dismiss any
holder of a civil office without the consent of
the Senate. The command of the army was
also taken from him, and he was only
allowed to give orders to the soldiers
through the commander-in-chief.
The president, of course, vetoed this bill.
But Congress passed it in spite of his veto.
This can be done if two-thirds of the
members of the House and the Senate vote
for a bill. So the Tenure of Office Bill became
law.
Now the president had grown to dislike
Edwin Stanton, the secretary of war. In fact,
he disliked him so heartily indeed that he
would no longer speak to him, and so he
determined in spite of the Tenure of Office
Bill to get rid of a man he looked upon as an
enemy. So Stanton was dismissed. But
Stanton refused to go. And when his
successor, General Thomas, appointed by
the president, walked into the War Office,
he found Stanton still in possession, with
his friends around him.
“I claim the office of secretary of war,
and demand it by order of the president,”
said Thomas.
“I deny your authority and order you
back to your own office,” said Stanton.
“I will stand here,” said Thomas. “I want
no unpleasantness in the presence of these
gentlemen.”
“You can stand there if you please, but
you cannot act as secretary of war. I am
secretary of war, and I order you out of this
office, and to your own,” cried Stanton.
“I will not obey you, but will stand here
and remain here,” insisted Thomas.
In spite of his insistence, however, he
was at last gotten rid of.
But it was impossible that things should
go on in this fashion. The Senate was angry
because its authority had been set at
nought, but it could do little but express its
wrath. Then the House took the matter in
hand. And for the first time in the history of
the United States, the president was
impeached before the Senate, “for high
crimes and misdemeanors in office.”
But Andrew Johnson was not daunted.
The House sat in judgment on him, but he
Modern: Elementary
Unit 7: Binding Up the Nation's Wounds
Page 92
never appeared before it. He considered the
impeachment a futile effort on the part of
his enemies to try and get rid of him. So he
chose lawyers to defend him, but never
appeared in court himself.
For ten days the trial lasted. The
excitement throughout the country was
intense, and on the last day when the verdict
was given the court was packed from floor
to ceiling, and great crowds, unable to get
inside, waited without.
In tense silence each senator rose and
gave his verdict, “guilty” or “not guilty.” And
when the votes were counted, it was found
that the president was declared not guilty.
There were forty-eight senators, and to
convict the president it was necessary that
two-thirds should declare him guilty.
Thirty-five said guilty, and nineteen not
guilty. Thus he was saved by just one vote.
Stanton then quietly gave up the post to
which he had clung so persistently. Another
man took his place, and the president
remained henceforth undisturbed until the
end of his term.
During Johnson’s presidency another
state was admitted to the Union. This was
Nebraska. It was formed out of part of the
Louisiana Purchase, the name being a
Native American one meaning “shallow
water.” It had been formed into a territory
at the time of the famous Kansas-Nebraska
Bill, and now in March, 1867, it was
admitted to the Union as the 37th State.
This year too, the territory of Alaska was
added to the United States. Alaska belonged
to Russia by right of Vitus Bering’s
discovery. It was from this Vitus Bering that
the Bering Strait and Bering Sea take their
names. The Russians did very little with
Alaska, and after a hundred years or more
they decided that they did not want it, for it
was separated from the rest of the empire by
a stormy sea and in time of war would be
difficult to protect. So they offered to sell it
to the United States. But nothing came of it
then, and for some years the matter
dropped, for the war had come and blotted
out all thoughts of Alaska.
But now peace had come, the subject
was taken up again, and at length the matter
was settled. Russia received $7,200,000,
and Alaska became a territory of the United
States.
A party of American soldiers was sent to
the town of Sitka. They marched to the
governor’s house and were drawn up beside
the Russian troops. Then the Russian
commander ordered the Russian flag to be
hauled down, and made a short speech.
Thereupon the soldiers of both countries
fired a salute. The American flag was run up,
and the ceremony was at an end.
Thus another huge territory was added
to the United States. But at first many
people were displeased at the purchase. It
was a useless and barren country, they
thought, where the winters were so long and
cold that it was quite unfit for a dwelling
place for American settlers. But soon it was
found that the whale and seal fisheries were
very valuable, and later gold was
discovered. It has also been found to be rich
in other minerals, especially coal, and in
timber, and altogether has proven a useful
addition to the country.
Modern: Elementary
Unit 7: Binding Up the Nation's Wounds
Page 93
Lesson Two
History Overview and Assignments
A Peaceful Victory
In 1869 General Grant, who had made such a great name for himself during the Civil War,
became president. Grant was a brave and honest soldier. He knew little, however, about
politics. But now that Lincoln was gone, the people loved him better than any other man. So
he was elected president. He helped to bring peace to his country, and like his great leader, he
tried, after war was past, to bind up the nation’s wounds.
Grant from West Point to Appomattox, by Thure de Thulstrup
Modern: Elementary
Unit 7: Binding Up the Nation's Wounds
Page 94
R e a d i n g a n d A s s i g nm e nt s
 Read the article: Grant – A Peaceful Victory.
 Define each vocabulary word in the context of the reading and put the word and its
definition in the vocabulary section of your notebook.
 After reading the article, summarize the story you read by either:
▪ Retelling it out loud to your teacher or parent.
OR
▪ Completing an appropriate notebook page.
Either way, be sure to include the answers to the discussion questions and an overview of
key people, dates, and events in your summary.
 Be sure to visit www.ArtiosHCS.com for additional resources.
V o c a bu l a r y
K e y Pe o pl e , P l ac e s , a n d E v e nt s
recompense
arbitration
President Ulysses S. Grant
Treaty of Washington
D i s c us s i o n Que s t i o ns
1. Why were England and the United
States quarrelling again?
4. How many terms did President Grant
serve as president?
2. How was this quarrel settled?
5. What state was admitted to the Union in
August, 1876?
3. When this quarrel was resolved this was
the first time in the history of our
country when we did not have disputes
in what area?
Adapted for Elementary School from the book:
This Country of Ours
by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall
Grant – A Peaceful Victory
In l869 General Grant, who had made
such a great name for himself during the
Civil War, became president. Grant was a
brave and honest soldier. He knew little,
however, about politics. But now that
Lincoln was gone, the people loved him
better than any other man. So he was
elected president.
His was a simple, trusting soul. He
found it hard to believe evil of anyone, and
he was easily misled by men who sought not
their country’s good, but their own gain. So
mistakes were made during his presidency.
But these may be forgotten while men must
always remember his greatness as a soldier
and his nobleness as a victor. He helped to
bring peace to his country, and like his great
leader he tried after war was past to bind up
the nation’s wounds.
When Grant came into power, the
echoes of the Civil War were still heard. The
South had not yet returned into peaceful
Modern: Elementary
Unit 7: Binding Up the Nation's Wounds
Page 95
union with the North, and there was an
unsettled quarrel with Britain. The quarrel
arose in this way. During the war the British
had allowed the Confederates to build ships
in Britain; these ships had afterward sailed
out from British ports and had done a great
deal of damage to Union shipping.
The British had declared themselves
neutral. That is, they had declared that they
would take neither one side nor the other.
But, said the Americans, in allowing
Confederate ships to be built in Britain, the
British had taken the Confederate side and
had committed a breach of neutrality. And
for the damage done to their ships, the
Americans now claimed recompense from
the British government. The ship which had
done the most damage was called the
Alabama, and from this the claims made by
America were called the Alabama Claims.
At first, however, the British refused to
consider the claims at all. For years letters
went to and fro between the two
governments, and as the British still refused
to settle the matter, feeling in America
began to run high.
But at length the British consented to
talk the matter over, and a commission of
five British and five Americans met at
Washington. After sitting for two months
this commission formed what is known as
the Treaty of Washington. By this treaty it
was arranged that the Alabama Claims
should be decided by arbitration. A court of
arbitration was to be formed of five
representatives; and of this court the
president of the United States, the queen of
England, the king of Italy, the president of
Switzerland, and the emperor of Brazil were
each to choose a member.
The men chosen by these rulers met at
Geneva in Switzerland, and after discussing
the matter for a long time they decided that
Britain had been to blame and must pay the
United States $15,500,000. Thus the matter
was settled in a peaceful way. Fifty years
before, a like quarrel might have led to war
between the two countries. Even at this
time, with less wise leadership on either
side, it might have come to war. But war was
avoided, and a great victory for peace was
won.
Besides the Alabama Claims, the last
dispute about boundaries between the
United States and Canada was settled at this
time. This was also settled by arbitration,
the new-made German emperor being
chosen as arbiter. “This,” said President
Grant, “leaves us for the first time in the
history of the United States as a nation,
without a question of disputed boundary
between our territory and the possessions of
Great Britain.”
Grant was twice chosen president, and it
was during his second term that Colorado
was admitted to the Union as the thirtyeighth state. The new state was formed
partly out of the Mexican Concession and
partly out of the Louisiana Purchase, and it
was named after the great river Colorado,
two branches of which flow through it. It
was admitted as a state in August l876.
Modern: Elementary
Unit 7: Binding Up the Nation's Wounds
Page 96