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Unit 5
A Nation Divided and Rebuilt
Think of a time when you had a
disagreement with a friend
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How were you able to
resolve the dispute?
Did you need to ask other
people to help find a
solution? (parents –
friends – teacher?)
Did one of you have to
change your position –
make accommodations to
the other person – make
a compromise between
the two of you?
When you were young…
you were told the Civil War was fought over slavery
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But there's much
more to it than just
that.
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Slavery
States rights
Power in Congress
New Territories
Money / Industry /
Trade
Politics
Remember
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The South
Was mostly pro-slavery –
for it / on the side of it
Had fertile soil and a
warm climate.
This made it an ideal
place to grow cotton,
tobacco, etc…
To grow these, you
needed a large, cheap
labor force.
The North
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Was mostly antislavery – against it
Industry and trade
drove economics.
Immigrants were a
cheap source of labor
for mills and factories.
The issue of slavery did cause a lot of
tension between the North and South
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Abolitionists (N&S) believed
slavery was immoral.
Some Northern workers thought
it was an economic threat to
them – it might take away
business.
Some were afraid they might
someday have to take slave type
jobs themselves.
But even the people who were
against slavery would probably
be called racist today.
Many whites refused to go to
school with, work with, or live
near African Americans.
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Southerners just said that
white people were superior
to black people.
They also said they were
helping them to become
good Christians.
They also said… well…
we’re providing these
people with food, clothing,
and shelter.
By 1848… the country had to decide what to
do about slavery in the new Mexican lands.
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The big change came
with California trying
to be admitted as a
free state.
This could be the
start of a big move to
have more free states
than slave states.
So a compromise was made in 1850 –
(The Compromise of 1850)
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California was a new state
(free) and the slave trade
would be abolished in
Washington D.C.
There would be no new
slavery laws in the new
Mexican lands - and there
would be a new law that
said runaway slaves could
be recaptured.
Both sides agreed to the
plan, but also felt they each
had to give in too much to
the other side
From the Compromise of 1850
came the “Fugitive Slave Act”
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Any runaway slave could
be recaptured and taken
back.
There were fines and
punishments for people
who wouldn’t help.
A “commissioner” (judge)
would decide runaways
fates, but…
The commissioner got $5
for letting them go and
$10 if they were returned
to slavery.
There are 4 major events that
historians feel were immediate causes
leading to the Civil War
A book: “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
 “The Sumner – Brooks Affair”
 The Dred Scott Decision
 John Browns Raid
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One woman who was upset about the
whole idea of slavery wrote a book
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Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote
“Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. about a
slave named “Uncle Tom” and
how badly he was treated.
Northerners: used this as their
main source of knowledge
about slavery.
Southerners felt it made them
look brutal.
The thing was – Stowe had
never been to the South – the
book was “fictional.”
Nebraska was ready to become a new state, but again…
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Should it be a slave state or a free state?
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From this came: The Kansas – Nebraska Act
There ended up being
a lot of violence in Kansas
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It was even called
“Bleeding Kansas”
It was a place where
they were going to
have the residents
vote on whether they
wanted slavery or not
– so both sides had
extra voters come in.
John Brown
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is famous for leading
an attack on some of
his pro-slavery
neighbors (in Kansas)
He even murdered
5 of them.
Violence even spread to Congress
(The Sumner Brooks Affair)
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During an argument in 1856, Senator Preston Brooks (South
Carolina – 37 years old) beat Senator Charles Sumner
(Massachusetts – 45 years old and with a bad hip) with his
walking cane in the hall of the Senate for a speech Sumner had
made three days before.
Brooks hit Sumner repeatedly; Sumner was trapped by his desk,
and was unable to get up or avoid the blows. Brooks continued to
beat Sumner even as he lay unconscious on the floor of the Senate
until his cane broke.
Sumner was unable to return to duty for more than three years
while he recovered
Section 3: Slavery Dominates Politics
Section 4: Lincoln’s Election and Southern Secession
There used to be a political party called
“The Whigs”
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After the Kansas –
Nebraska Act, the
Northern and Southern
Whigs couldn’t
compromise and split into
2 groups.
Some joined the
Democrats.
Others started their own
political party – called the
Republicans
Another of those problems that helped
cause the Civil War was what to do with…
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Dred Scott
The Dred Scott Decision
(A famous court case – 1847)
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His case was based on the fact that Dred Scott –
a slave - and his wife Harriet had once lived,
while slaves, in states and territories where
slavery was illegal, including Illinois and parts of
the Louisiana Purchase.
The court ruled 7 to 2 against Scott, stating that
slaves were property, and the court could not
deprive people of their property without due
process of law according to the Fifth
Amendment.
There was also a series of political
debates between Stephen A. Douglas…
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And Abraham Lincoln.
Both were running for a
state Senator position in
Illinois.
Even though he lost, it’s
the first time the country
began to hear Lincoln’s
ideas and views about
slavery.
The last of those 4 “sparks” to
ignite the Civil War
John Brown’s Raid
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One of the first white abolitionists to
advocate, and to practice, guerrilla
warfare as a means to the abolition of
slavery.
Brown's most famous deed was the raid
he led on the federal armory at Harpers
Ferry, Virginia.
Brown had been considering an invasion
of the South, and began to collect arms
and men for that purpose in 1857.
His idea seems to have been to raid the
United States arsenal at Harpers Ferry,
Virginia (now West Virginia), and then
encourage slaves to rebel
John Brown was caught, tried, and
hanged. He’s seen as a martyr in the
anti-slavery movement.
In this famous painting he’s even
shown as a “Moses” type leader
In the election for president (1860):
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Candidates: Lincoln and
Stephen Douglas
competed for votes in
the North.
John Breckenridge and
John Bell competed for
votes in the South.
(You know who won)
The South had said all along that if Lincoln won,
they would secede from the Union (north)
Quit and leave
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South Carolina was first,
followed by Mississippi,
Florida, Alabama,
Georgia, Louisiana, and
Texas.
These states formed the
Confederate (southern)
States of America and
chose Jefferson Davis as
their president
The North had to do something
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There was an attempt at
compromise – which
didn’t work.
It was clear the South
had no intention to either
abolish slavery, or rejoin
the Union.
Lincoln didn’t want to
invade the South – and
tried to appeal to them to
change their minds.
Chapter 16: The Civil War Begins
Section 1: War Erupts
Even though both sides wanted to
avoid a fight – they couldn’t
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One of the things the
Confederacy did was
to take over
government places –
like post offices,
banks, forts,
newspapers, etc…
One of the forts the South hadn’t taken over was:
Fort Sumter – an island fort off South Carolina
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Fort Sumter was still held
by the Union, but they
were running low on
supplies.
Abraham Lincoln decided
to send them the supplies
they needed.
On the way, the supply
ships were attacked.
The South then began to
attack the fort – and the
Civil War had begun
The 2 sides
sign up for
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The North
Lincoln tried to get 75,000 men
to enlist in the militia (to put
down the uprising).
The Civil War is the reason we have
a Virginia and a West Virginia.
People west of the mountains
didn’t have slaves. People east of
the Appalachians did.
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The South
More and more states decided to
break away.
Getting Virginia was big for the
South (a wealthy state with a lot
of people).
Convinced Robert E. Lee to
resign from the Union army and
he became the commanding
general of the South.
Northern Advantages
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Had a lot more people 22 million to 9 million
(3.5 million slaves).
Had a lot more railroads.
Had most of the ships and the naval power.
Had most of the nation’s factories.
Fighting to uphold the constitution.
Had a strong political leader (Lincoln).
Had a stronger government.
Fighting to “preserve the Union.”
The North’s Plan: The Anaconda Plan – to
slowly squeeze the south (militarily and
economically).
Sometimes the Civil War is also called “a war
of attrition”
Southern Advantages
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Fighting for a cause.
Didn’t need as many soldiers
to defend as they would have
needed to attack – fighting a
defensive war.
Knew their own land better.
Had better military leaders who knew more about war
strategy.
Could ride and shoot better (more northerners lived in
cities).
Used the American Revolution as an example that the
stronger side doesn’t always win (and as an example that it
was OK to go to war to break away from a country).
The South thought that could
maybe get some help from
France and/or Britain… who
they thought depended on
Southern cotton for their
textile mills.
 But they decided to stay out
of it.
 At first the South was going
to fight a defensive war, but
soon decided to take the
offensive
(go after the other side /attack)
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One of the first battles:
The Battle of Bull Run (or… Manassas)
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Close to Washington D.C.
Some people even came
to watch (sat up on a hill)
Some of the men not
fighting came by and did
“play by play” for the
people.
This battle made people
in Washington realize the
war was going to take a
long time
Manassas was so close to Washington D.C. that many people came
out from the city to watch the battle. They came on horseback or
in carriages, to watch the battle as if it were a play. The onlookers
included several senators and congressmen. When Union troops
began to retreat and Confederate artillery shells came closer, the
spectators suddenly realized that war was dangerous. They joined
the withdrawing soldiers, adding greatly to the general confusion as
the retreat became a rout.
Section 2: Life in the Army
Section 3: No End in Sight
The Soldiers:
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Both sides
Most were between 18-30 years old
(but some very old and some very
young).
About half of all soldiers had been
farmers – and most of them had
never been very far from home.
Most were American by birth, but
there were some immigrant soldiers.
Even from the beginning African
Americans wanted to fight – but
didn’t get to until later (in the
North).
Most were volunteers – many of
whom wanted to get off their farms
and look for some “adventure.”
Some signed up for the money
they’d make as a soldier.
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2 million men
soldiers fought for
the North.
1 million soldiers
fought for the
South.
Life as a soldier was unpleasant
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Most soldiers lived in
heavy tents – in all
weather.
Drill, drill, drill, drill,
drill, drill, drill….
“Extra” time? Cut
wood, clean up camp,
check guns and
equipment, dig
latrines….
But, they got a uniform
(usually either blue or grey)
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Sometimes it might even
fit.
Clothes were not as
comfortable in the 1860’s
as they are today.
Shoes were sometimes
scarce.
After battles, soldiers
would go through the
bodies and look for
shoes/clothes they could
use.
At first, food was not an issue
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But, later in the war, as
more farms were
destroyed, there might
not be as much food - or
supply lines cut off.
Soldiers need to be fed
(drilling, fighting, working
ADL).
Even still, it was army
food and you can
probably guess what
that’s like.
Again – just like the miners…
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If it’s only men (and a lot
of them) – who have little
hope of any
“companionship” for any
reason, they might not
always be living very
nicely.
Weeks without bathing or
washing their clothes.
Bodies, clothing, and
bedding often had lice an
fleas.
And they didn’t understand about diseases
(they come from germs you know)
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They didn’t have that figured
out.
Their was a lot of widespread
sickness.
Most soldiers had chronic
“intestinal disorders.”
Doctors would not wash their
hands.
Instruments would be used
over and over again (without
being cleaned).
The same bandages might be
used over and over.
Next slide: you may not want to look at…
During the civil war, new technology
also affected the fighting
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The were new
kinds of muskets,
bullets, and
cannonballs.
And they decided
to start using iron
on their ships
(called
“ironclads”)
There were a lot of famous battles
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The Southern general in
charge: Robert E Lee
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The Northern General in
charge: many…
Lincoln was not too
happy with most of the
union generals, and he
kept replacing them with
new generals.
One of the better Union
generals was Ulysses S.
Grant
Another famous Union
general: George
McClellan – but he
“drilled” too much and
didn’t actually fight
enough.
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The Fall of New
Orleans…
…is a famous battle
because when the
Union won their, it
split the South into 2
parts.
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Antietam is another.
It was the “bloodiest
battle of the Civil
War.”
25,000 men dead or
wounded.
Neither side really
was victorious, but
the South lost a lot of
soldiers
Chapter 17: The Tide of War Turns
Section 1: The Emancipation Proclamation
Section 2: War Affects Society
During the Civil War there were many people that
insisted Lincoln simply needed to free the slaves.
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But it wasn’t that simple.
There were still 4 slave
states in the Union (on the
North’s side) and he didn’t
want to lose them to the
Confederacy.
He knew there were many
Northerners who opposed
complete emancipation for
slaves.
By 1862 though he decided
he had to do it.
freedom
On January 1st, 1863 Lincoln issued:
the Emancipation Proclamation
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This had a huge impact on the
public, but…
It didn’t really free too many
slaves.
And it didn’t free any slaves in the
border states.
It was more symbolic than
anything.
It wasn’t like people in the South
(who considered themselves an
independent country) would follow
the laws and rules of someone
they weren’t a part of anymore.
Slaves in the South were still
slaves in the South.
African-American soldiers
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Those willing to fight “will
be received into the
armed service of the
United States.”
Before the Emancipation
Proclamation: joining
was discouraged.
After: African Americans
rushed to join the army.
By the wars end:
180,000 Union African
American soldiers
But it wasn’t all great for them
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They were usually given
the worst jobs and were
often paid less than white
soldiers.
Many would even fight
for no pay rather than be
paid less than an all white
regiment.
If caught in battle, were
often shot, or taken back
to the South and made a
slave
Maybe one of the most famous African
American Regiments: The 54th
Massachusetts
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One of the 1st African
American regiments
in the North.
Best known in war for
leading an attack on
fort Wagner.
The regiment is best
known today from the
movie “Glory.”
Veterans of the 54th
Massachusetts Infantry
at the dedication of the
memorial to Robert
Gould Shaw and the
men of the 54th, May
31, 1897
Both sides had soldiers who were getting
tired of the war and tired of all the sacrifices.
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In the South more than the
North.
Some protest riots even broke
out in the South.
Confederate soldiers began
deserting.
In the North those who didn’t
like Lincoln were sometimes
called “copperheads” – after
the poisonous snake that often
attacks without warning.
Lincoln even had some people
that protested against him
arrested.
Getting picked to fight:
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Both sides were running out of
men, so they each had a draft
(conscription)– that’s usually not
too popular in any time.
Most men were between 18-30
years old (some others too)
Men who owned more than 20
slaves didn’t have to fight.
You could also hire a substitute if
you had enough money ($6,000 in
the South).
The North would pay $300 to men
who volunteered, so many did that
to get the money they wouldn’t
get if they were drafted.
The war caused a lot of economic problems
(in the South even more than the North)
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Food shortages were
common – many farmers
were fighting and many
train lines were
destroyed.
Soldiers need to eat.
Inflation got to be a big
problem.
(When prices rise a lot
faster than money
supply)
Inflation: when products / services increase in
value very quickly – faster than the money supply.
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Average 1861 family food bill
in the South: $6.65 a month.
Average 1863 family food bill
in the South: $68.00 a month.
9,000% inflation rate in the
South from the start to the
end of the war (90 times
higher).
They even started to charge
people an income tax for the
first time
Paying the government a
percentage of what you
make each year
Women helped any way they could during the war
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Plowed fields and ran farms /
plantations.
Took jobs in offices and
factories when men left to
fight.
Washed clothes, gathered
supplies, cooked food for
soldiers.
Nursing began to be
something women would do –
before then it was only a
man’s job.
Some were even spies (Belle
Boyd and a woman named
Harriet Tubman)
And the soldiers who were captured and put
in prison camps had it REAL bad
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As many as ¼ might die each
year (sickness and cold).
The worst in the south was at
Andersonville:
Had 33,000 men (built for
10,000)
Had little shelter from heat or
cold – most slept in holes
scratched in the dirt.
Drinking water came from the
creek (also used as a sewer).
As many as 100 men died each
day
About 50,000 men died while in
prison camps.
Section 3: The North Wins
Section 4: The Legacy of the War
There were hundreds of small battles in the
Civil War – and several more famous ones
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Fort Sumter
Bull Run
New Orleans
Antietam
Fredericksburg
Chancellorsville
Vicksburg
Gettysburg
Chattanooga
Atlanta
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All Civil War Battles
Famous Civil War Battles
General Civil War information
Gettysburg
is the one many people think of 1st
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Gettysburg happened
about half way through
the war.
The first half: the South
was a little ahead.
At Gettysburg the North
rallied, won the battle,
and started to take a little
more control over the
Confederates.
The fighting at Gettysburg
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Lasted for 3 days.
90,000 Union troops
against 75,000
Confederate troops.
The Union was trying to
hold some ground
(Cemetery Ridge) and the
South kept trying to take
it from them.
There was very intense
fighting from both sides.
On July 3rd (the 3rd day)
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Confederate General George
Picket decided to directly
attack the middle of the Union
line.
13,000 Rebel troops charged
up the ridge into enemy fire.
It was a terrible tactical
mistake – the South’s men
were torn apart.
The North actually had a
chance to “finish them off”,
but Lincoln’s generals let them
retreat.
One third of general Lee’s
army was dead or wounded.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on
this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and
dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
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Now we are engaged in a
great civil war, testing
whether that nation, or any
nation so conceived and so
dedicated, can long
endure. We are met on a
great battlefield of that
war. We have come to
dedicate a portion of that
field, as a final resting
place for those who here
gave their lives that that
nation might live. It is
altogether fitting and
proper that we should do
this.
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But in a larger sense, we cannot
dedicate - we cannot consecrate - we
cannot hallow - this ground. The brave
men, living and dead, who struggled
here, have consecrated it, far above
our poor power to add or detract. The
world will little note, nor long
remember, what we say here, but it
can never forget what they did here. It
is for us the living, rather, to be
dedicated here to the unfinished work
which they who fought here have thus
far so nobly advanced. It is rather for
us to be here dedicated to the great
task remaining before us - that from
these honored dead we take increased
devotion to that cause for which they
gave the last full measure of devotion
- that we here highly resolve that
these dead shall not have died in vain that this nation, under God, shall have
a new birth of freedom - and that
government of the people, by the
people, for the people, shall not perish
from the earth.
One of the more devastating attacks came
with General Sherman’s / “march to the sea”
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Sherman (Union) started his
men on a march from
Atlanta – to “deal with”
anything they came up
against in Georgia.
His men went from Atlanta
all the way to the Atlantic
Ocean.
On the way they destroyed
everything in their path –
rail lines, crops, livestock,
looted and burned towns.
This really angered and
destroyed morale in the
South
After some other battles, the Confederates felt
they had no other choice – than to surrender
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On April 9th, 1865,
General Lee (S) and
General Grant (N) met
at Appomattox Court
House (in Virginia) to
arrange the surrender.
Grant and the North
were very kind to the
Confederates.
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They got to go home in
peace.
They got to take their
private possessions (and
horses) with them.
The hungry soldiers got
food.
Most of them walked
home.
When the Civil War was over
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3,000,000 men had
fought on both sides
(about 1/10 Americans)
620,000 soldiers had
died.
535,000 soldiers had
been wounded.
A LOT of money had
been spent (in 5 years - 5
times the amount of
money the country had
spent in its entire history)
The 13th Amendment was passed
(banned slavery in the United States)
5 days later… Abraham Lincoln
went to watch a play with his wife
Lincoln was feeling pretty good about everything –
he even thought he’d relax a little bit.
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And he thought he’d
go watch a play – just
about 6 - 8 blocks
from the White House.
A man named John
Wilkes Booth stopped
by…
And… you know… the
rest of the story
Consequences of the Civil War
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People started to talk
about the United States
as one big country (not
sections of America).
The federal government
grew larger and more
powerful.
Northern industries
continued to grow (they
hadn’t been ruined by
the war).
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In the South:
Farms and plantations were
destroyed.
40% of the livestock were
destroyed.
50% of farm machinery was
destroyed.
Factories were demolished.
Railroad tracks had been torn
apart.
The South’s economic system
was torn apart (no more
slaves).
What should they do with 4
million newly freed people?
At this point in history – we finally
start to see photographs of events
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And not paintings or
drawings anymore.
Photography had been
invented.
But… still very basic – for
example people had to be
very still or the picture
would be blurry.
Matthew Brady is
generally accepted as the
best / most famous of the
Civil War photographers
Chapter 18: Reconstruction
Section 1: Rebuilding the Union
Right after the Civil War is over the
job of rebuilding the country begins

This time period is called: Reconstruction (rebuilding)
(Both physical
and political
reconstruction)
One of the groups which helped the most was a
government group called: The Freedmen's Bureau


Set up schools and
hospitals for African
Americans.
Distributed clothes,
food, and fuel
throughout the South
Lincoln had a plan to try and unite the North
and South, but when he was assassinated,
the job went to Andrew Johnson



Johnson was even a former
slaveholder.
He was more stubborn and not
as well respected as Lincoln.
But in his plan he did offer
amnesty to white Southerners –
if hey would promise to be loyal
to the United States.
(An official pardon or freedom)
A lot of people in the South just
didn’t deal well with…


Having to again be told
what to do by Northern
States.
They felt like these
Northern states might try
and overpower and
destroy the South when
they got back together.



Having to accept African
Americans as free.
Some even passed
“black codes”.
These were laws that
limited the rights of exslaves (like anyone
without written proof of
work could be put to
work on a plantation, or
they were forbidden to
meet in groups – or carry
guns).
There were some groups who weren’t
thought too well of after the Civil War.
Two of those are:

Scalawags
was just another name for
poor white farmers who
were seen as lowlifes,
scoundrels, rats, and
those kinds of people.

Carpetbaggers
Were White Northerners
who rushed to the South
after the war and tried to
get rich or get political
power
Congress did try and pass a bill
promoting civil rights


These are rights all
people should have “regardless of race,
color or creed”
And President Jonson
vetoed it.
It did pass when it
went back to
congress (2/3 vote)
And, Congress did pass
the 14th Amendment


All people born in the
United States are
citizens and have the
same rights.
A delegate: is someone
who’s named a
representative (28)
But there were some “control issues”
between President Johnson and Congress




President Johnson fired
his Secretary of War.
He wasn’t supposed to
be able to do that without
the approval of Congress.
Congress decided to
impeach him.
Means: to accuse of
wrongdoing – not convict
(it means there’s going
to be an investigation)
(Only one other president has ever been impeached)
Chapter 18: Reconstruction
Section 2: Reconstruction and Daily Life
Section 3: End of Reconstruction
One of the first things many did was to try and
find a way to get an education (read and write)

But there will still
some Southerners
who tried to prevent
this by burning down
schools and
threatening/killing
teachers of African
Americans.
Most of all people wanted to own land


There was even a
thought to try and
give each ex-slave 40
acres of land (and a
mule).
That plan didn’t work
out.
Since most ex-slaves didn’t have their own
property, many only had one place to go:



Back to their old
plantation.
They knew the people in
the area – and there
were farms their just
sitting empty (without
anyone to work them).
They did work for money
this time (even though it
wasn’t much).
Many Southerners ended up living under a
system called sharecropping





African Americans needed
a place to live and work.
Plantation owners needed
people to work their
farms.
Ex-slaves would work the
farms and instead of
paying rent, would give
the owner a share of the
crop they grew.
They’d even live in the
“homes” of the ex-slaves.
These workers never
ended up getting ahead.
There were specific groups which used terror
and violence to keep African Americans
and their supporters “in their place”



The Ku Klux Klan is the
most famous and long
lasting.
Others: The Knights of the
Rising Sun, The White Line,
and many without historical
names.
Eventually, when General
Grant was elected, he did
some things to slow that
down, but it never stopped
– and later on even got a
lot worse for a while.
In 1868 General Grant
became President




There were worries that
Southern states might try to
keep African Americans from
voting.
So, the 15th Amendment was
passed – and everyone could
now vote.
Wait – everyone?
Not women yet – and they
were mad that ex-slaves
could now vote on decisions
that affected them
So here are some slaves before the
civil War and before Reconstruction
And here are some
ex-slaves and sharecroppers
The nation



Did rebuild and re-unite.
Did not yet have true
equality for African
Americans – most still
lived in poverty and
didn’t participate too
much in politics.
African Americans still
faced widespread
violence and prejudice.
But there were positives





African Americans made
lasting gains.
Protection of civil rights
became part of the
Constitution.
The 13th, 14th, and 15th
Amendments were
passed.
Black schools and
churches were built.
The first steps towards
equality were taken.