Chapter 10Sectional Conflicts Intensifies

(1848-1860)

When the nation gained new territory the slavery controversy intensified.

Would new states be slave or free? Who would decide? States that allowed

slavery were determined to prevent free states from gaining a majority in the Senate. Political compromise broke

down by 1860, and when Lincoln was elected president, many Southern

states decided to secede

James K. PolkT Democratic candidate in the election of 1844,

slaveholderT Former Congressman and governor of

TennesseeT Polk promised to annex both Texas and Oregon,

also vowed to buy CaliforniaT Appealed to both Northerners and Southerners

as it expanded the country while maintaining the balance between the states

T Created a situation that would lead to the Mexican-American War

T Mistakenly believed that no one would take slaves to the Southwest because the climate would not support the kinds of farming that made slavery profitable

Know-Nothings/American Party

T Anti-catholicT Nativist (anti-immigrant)T Anger towards the Democrats and

organization of the Republican party allowed the Know-Nothings to make gains in the Northeast

T Fear that immigrants would take away jobsT Eventually the party splits and the

Republicans absorb the Northern Know-Nothings

John BrownT Fervent abolitionistT Initially played a role in the events that

became known as “Bleeding Kansas”T Raid on Harper’s Ferry, VA to arm the slaves

and lead an insurrection – God approved according to Brown

T The raid failed – John Brown was captured, tried, and hung

T BUT – his importance comes with the reaction to his raid

T North = finally have a martyr, finally willing to take ACTION

T South = scared of slave insurrection, scared of Northern determination and use of violence

1849/California

T 1848 discovery of goldT By 1849, more than 80,000 “Forty-

Niners” had arrived to look for goldT The question of California statehood

came to the forefront as the need for government became clear

T Again, the issue of slavery took center stage

Harriet Tubman

T Famous “conductor” on the Underground Railroad

T Born into slavery, she was a runaway slave

T She risked many trips to the SouthT Nickname was “Moses”T No one ever betrayed her whereaboutsT She never lost a “passenger”

Popular Sovereignty

T The citizens of each new territory would decide whether or not slavery was permitted.

T The citizens would vote on the issue.T Proposed by Senator Lewis Cass

Compromise of 1850

T Proposed by Henry Clay1. California enters as a free state2. Remainder of land gained from Mexico would have

no restrictions on slavery3. Settled border between New Mexico and Texas4. Texas compensated for land lost to New Mexico5. Slavery outlawed in the District of Columbia6. Slavery not outlawed elsewhere7. Federal government would not interfere in slave

trade8. Fugitive slave law

Responses to the Compromise of 1850

T CalhounP The South needs acceptanceP If not, no other option but secession

T Daniel WebsterP National unity should come before sectional

loyalties

T Stephen DouglasP Very crafty, carves the compromise into pieces

so ALL will be passed

Dred ScottT Dred Scott sued to end his slavery since he had

lived in free territoryT The Supreme Court ruled against Dred Scott

because, in the opinion of the court, the founders of the nation had not intended African Americans to be citizens

T The court went on to say that the Missouri Compromise’s ban on slavery was unconstitutional.

T This took the power to determine the future of slavery out of the hands of the Federal Government and gave it to the states (STATES’ RIGHTS)

T Democrats = liked, Republicans = opposed

Fugitive Slave Act

T An African American accused of being a runaway was arrested and brought to a federal commissioner.

T A sworn statement saying the captive was an escaped slave, or testimony by a white witness, was all a court needed to send the person south.

T Controversy surrounding financial incentives and the use of ordinary citizens to locate runaways

T Hurt the Southern cause because it created hostility toward slavery among Northerners

Abraham Lincoln

T RepublicanT 1858, ran for Senate in Illinois against

Stephen Douglas (participated in a series of debates)

T Not an abolitionistT Believed slavery was morally wrong and

opposed its spread into the western territories

T Elected President in 1860, 1864T Committed to preserving the Union as he

led the nation through the Civil War

Jefferson Davis and the Confederacy

T The Confederate States of AmericaT Created own Constitution

P Each state = independent (STATES’ RIGHTS!)

P Guaranteed slaveryP Banned tariffs (Think about the Tariff of

Abominations)P Limited the presidency (STATES’ RIGHTS!)

T President = Jefferson Davis

The Border States

T Delaware, Maryland, Missouri, KentuckyT These states could easily go either wayT Maryland – Martial Law imposed by

Lincoln to prevent a move towards the Confederacy and to protect the capital

T Important to Lincoln and the Union

Chapter 11The Civil War (1861-1865)

The Civil war was a milestone in American history. The four-year-long

struggle determined the nation’s future. With the North’s victory, slavery was

abolished. During the war the Northern economy grew stronger; while the

Southern economy stagnated. Military innovations, including the expanded use of railroads and the telegraph, coupled with a general conscription, made the

Civil War the first “modern” war.

Robert E. Lee

T Originally one of the best senior officers in the United States Army

T Remained loyal to Virginia and the South – “I cannot raise my hand against my birthplace, my home, my children.”

T Became one of the most famous Confederate officers, he was trusted

T His skills as a military leader allowed his army to achieve many battlefield successes

Habeas CorpusT A person’s right not to be imprisoned unless

charged with a crime and given a trialT A writ of habeas corpus is a court order that

requires the government to either charge an imprisoned person with a crime or let the person go free.

T When writs of habeas corpus are suspended, a person can be imprisoned indefinitely without trial.

T President Lincoln suspended the writ for anyone who openly supported the rebels or encouraged others to resist the militia draft.

Hardtack

T A hard biscuit made of wheat flourT Part of the meals for Union soldiers

during the war

George McClellan

T Led the Union army in the eastT Organized a Peninsula Campaign to push

the Union forces towards RichmondT Overly cautious in his commandT Often allowed the Confederate army to

get in better positions and inflict casualties on the Union

T Involved in the Peninsula Campaign, Seven Days’ Battle, Antietam

John Wilkes Booth

T ActorT Witness to the execution of John BrownT “That is the last speech he will ever

make” – comment made after hearing Lincoln describe a plan that mentioned including African Americans in Southern state governments following the war

T Shot President Lincoln in the head at Ford’s Theater on April 14, 1865

William Sherman

T Took part in the Battle of ChattanoogaT Defeated Atlanta

P Cut the roads and railways leading into the city

P Created “Sherman’s Neckties” by heating the railroad tracks and twisting them

T Marched to the Sea

Winfield Scott

T Led the Mexico City campaign during the Mexican American War

T Early General in Chief of the UST Created the Anaconda Plan

P Blockade Confederate ports and send gunboats down the Mississippi River to divide the Confederacy

P Would take time, but would defeat the South with the least amount of bloodshed

First Battle of Bull Run

T Confederate troops gathering near Manassas Junction, an important railroad center in northern VA

T At first, Union forces slowly pushed Confederates back from their positions behind a stream called Bull Run

T Confederate reinforcements and the actions of “Stonewall” Jackson, convinced Union forces to fall back

T Union defeatT Displayed the need for a large, well-trained army

to defeat the South – led to the Militia Act

Black Codes

T Laws that severely limited African Americans’ rights in the South

T Varied from state to state, but they all seemed to keep African Americans in a condition similar to slaveryP Annual labor contractsP Apprenticeships with whippings and

beatingsP Specific work hoursP Licenses required to work in nonagricultural

jobsT Enraged Northerners

Emancipation ProclamatIonT Many Republicans were strong abolitionists, while

others did not want to endanger the loyalty of the slaveholding border states that had chosen to remain in the Union

T Many Northerners began to agree that slavery had to endP Punish the SouthP Make the Soldiers’ sacrifices worthwhile

T The Union victory at Antietam paved the way for this document

T Issued on September 22, 1862P A decree freeing all enslaved persons in states still in

rebellion after January 1, 1863P Did not address slavery in the border states – needed a

Constitutional AmendmentT Transformed the conflict over preserving the Union

into a war of liberation

Battle of Shiloh

T April 6, 1862 Confederates launch surprise attack on Grant’s troops camped near a small church named Shiloh in Tennessee

T After the first day of attacks, Grant refuses to retreat

T Grant went on the offensive the next morning, surprising the Confederates and forcing them to retreat

T Stunned people in the North and SouthP 20,000 troops killed or woundedP More than in any other battle up to that point

Stonewall Jackson

T Brought reinforcements to the First Battle of Bull Run

T Earned nickname by refusing to retreatT Went on to become one of the most

effective commanders in the Confederate army

David G. Farragut

T February 1862, took command of the Union navyT Veteran of the War of 1812 and the war with

MexicoT Battle for New Orleans made him a hero in the

NorthP After failing to destroy Confederate forts along the

Mississippi, made the daring decision to send his ships upriver at night, exposing them to enemy fire

P All but four survived

T Thus, he was crucial in securing the South’s largest city and a center of the cotton trade for the Union

Ulysses S. Grant

T Union GeneralT Took part in the Battle of Shiloh, the

Siege of Vicksburg, securing TennesseeT Appoint General in Chief, promoted to

Lieutenant General – he now had command of the Union troops

T Instrumental in the surrender of Lee at Appomattox

T Elected President in 1868

Henry Wirz

T Commandant at Andersonville – an infamous prison in the SouthP No shade or shelterP Exposure, overcrowding, lack of food,

and disease killed more than 100 men per day during the summer of 1864

P 13,000 men died

T He was the only person executed for war crimes during the Civil War

Second Battle of Bull Run

T Lee attacks Union troops defending Washington

T The South forced the North to retreatT Confederate forces left only 20 miles

from Washington = the beginning of a Northern invasion

Battle of Antietam

T Lee believed this invasion of Maryland would convince the North to accept the South’s independence

T Also, that a victory in the North would help the South win recognition from the British

T McClellan’s troops gathered near Antietam Creek – ordered attack on Sept. 17, 1862

T This was the bloodiest one-day battle in the war and in American historyP Over 6,000 men killed, 16,000 wounded

T The British decide not to get involvedT Union victory!!

Gettysburg

T Battle in PennsylvaniaT Union forces inflict 7,000 casualties in less

than half an hour of fighting. T Lee retreats quicklyT The Union suffered 23,000 casualties, but the

South lost an estimated 28,000 troops, over one-third of Lee’s entire force

T Turning Point in the WarP Strengthened Republicans politicallyP Ensured that the British would not recognize

the ConfederacyP Lee remained on the Defensive

Gettysburg Address

T November 1863, Lincoln came to Gettysburg to dedicate a portion of the battlefield as a military cemetery

T His speech became one of the best-known speeches in American history

T The war was not a battle between regions but a fight for freedom

Vicksburg

T May 1863, Grant launches two assaults but the city’s defenders repulsed both

T The only way to take the city was to put it under siege – cut off its food and supplies and bombard the city until its defenders gave up

T Confederate commander at Vicksburg surrenders on July 4, 1863

T The Union had cut the Confederacy in two

13th Amendment

T January 31, 1865T Bans slavery in the United States

Life During the War

T The South’s economy suffers

T Transportation system collapses

T Southern morale hurt

T Food shortagesT Riots

T North experienced an economic boom

T Growing industries supplied the troops

T Mechanized farming allowed it to continue

T Women filled labor shortages

Chapter 12Reconstruction (1865-1877)

The nation faced difficult problems after the Civil War. The first issue was how to

bring the South back into the Union. Lincoln had wanted to make reunion

relatively easy. After he died, Congress designed a plan that focused on

punishing the South and ensuring that African Americans had the right to vote.

These policies increased hostility between the regions. Pressures on the

South to reform eased with the Compromise of 1877.

Lincoln’s Reconstruction Plan

T Appointed military governors and developed a plan to restore regular governments for Southern regions now under Union control

T Wanted a moderate policy that would reconcile the South with the Union instead of punishing it for treason

T Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction reveals planP Offered a general amnesty, or pardon, to all

Southerners who too an oath of loyalty to the US and accepted the Union’s proclamations concerning slavery

P 10% of voters in 1860 Presidential election take oath = could organize new state government

Tenure of Office

T Required the Senate to approve the removal of any government official whose appointment had required the Senate’s approval

T Passed to prevent Johnson from bypassing the Radical Republicans

T Johnson challenges and three days later the House of Representatives voted to impeach Johnson

Carpetbaggers

T Northerners who moved to the South during Reconstruction

T Many were elected or appointed to positions in the South’s new state governments

T Southern Democrats called them “carpetbaggers” because they arrived with suitcases made of carpet fabric

T They were viewed as intruders working to exploit the South

Enforcement Acts

T Three acts passed to combat the violence in the South

T The first act made it a federal crime to interfere with a citizen’s right to vote

T The second put federal elections under the supervision of federal marshals

T The third act – also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act – outlawed the activities of the Klan

T Local authorities and federal agents arrested more than 3,000 Klan members as a result of these acts – although fewer were convicted or saw jail time

Fourteenth Amendment

T Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the US and declared that no state could deprive any person of life, liberty, or property “without due process of law.” No states could deny any person “equal protection of the laws.”

T Violence in the South convinced moderate Republicans to support this

Scalawags

T White Southerners who worked with the Republicans and supported Reconstruction

T They were called scalawags – an old Scotch-Irish term for weak, underfed, worthless animals

T A diverse group – former Whigs, small farmers, business people

Election of 1868

T Johnson was demoralized and did not run for reelection

T Republicans choose Ulysses S. Grant – the most popular war hero in the North

T Violence convinced Northern voters that the South could not be trusted to reorganize without military supervision

T Presence of Union troops in the South allowed large numbers of African Americans to vote

T Grant won 6 Southern states and most of the Northern

T Republicans retain majorities in Congress

Military Reconstruction

T March 1867 – Congressional Republicans pass the Military Reconstruction Act, which essentially wiped out Johnson’s programs

T Divided the former Confederacy into 5 military districts – A Union general was placed in charge of each district

T Each former Confederate state must hold another Constitutional Convention to draft an acceptable constitutionP All male citizens must be given the right to voteP 14th Amendment must be ratified

T Military supervision of voter registration allowed for new elections

T By 1868, NC, SC, FL, AL, LA, and AK had all met the requirements

Civil Rights Act of 1866

T An effort to override the black codesT This act granted citizenship to all persons

born in the US except Native AmericansT Allowed African Americans to own

propertyT Africans Americans were to be treated

equally in courtT Federal government given power to sue

those who violate these rights

Fifteenth Amendment

T The right to vote “shall not be denied…on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

T Southern politics changedT Hundreds of thousands of African

Americans brought into the political process for the first time

T Southern Society also began to change

Plessy vs. Ferguson

T 1896 – creates the doctrine of “Separate but Equal” in terms of facilities for African Americans

T Established the legal basis for discrimination in the South until 1954

T Shows the results of the failure of Reconstruction

Jim Crow Laws

T Laws that enforced and perpetuated the discrimination against African Americans in the South

T Again, an example of the lasting effects of Reconstruction’s failure