civil war and reconstruction study guide

8/13/2019 Civil War and Reconstruction Study Guide

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Union navy was active in western theater (between Appalachians and MississippiRiver); transport materials and joined in combat

South lacked significant navy; relied on fixed land fortifications7. Overall effectiveness of Confederate war effort8. The Souths Economy, impact of war, financing of war, womens roe, industrial

workforce Financing of war

oTaxation ineffective; borrowing unsuccessfuloIssued paper currency confusion (no uniform currency), inflation

EconomyoHarm: cut off Southern producers from Northern markets; reduced civilian

labor forceoPlantations ruinedoMass shortages due to blockadeoResistance to conscription, food impressment, taxation

WomenoBecame more involved in agricultural production or supervision of slavesoSchoolteachers, government agency workers, nursesoWomen begin to question social normsoLarge number of unmarried/widowed women had to find jobs

9. Effects of the war in the Norths economy, financing of the war, main source of revenue Financing of war

oTaxes on goods, services; first income taxoPaper currencygreenbacks: not backed by gold/silver; fluctuated

according to war situation; used sparingly; inflationoLoans from citizens: sold bonds; most loans from banks, large financial

interests

EconomyoRepublican promotion of nationalistic economic legislationoCoal production rose; railroads improved; mechanization of agricultureoLoss of purchasing power; wages kept low

New immigrant workers Mechanization of production eliminated skill workers jobs

10.Historians key question about the war Cause of war Irrepressible conflict argument: South was to blame Moderate view: both North and South had reached positions on slavery that were

irreconcilable

Repressible conflict: extremist were to blame Revisionist: slavery was benign; political ineptitude of leaders account for war Ethnocultural: Party system caused war; Republican moreconcerned with

political competition rather than antislavery11.National banking system

1863-1864 National Bank Acts: banks could join national banking system if theywere willing to invest 1/3 of capital in government

Eliminated chaos and uncertainty in currency; created uniform bank notes


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12.Minstrel shows Shows insulting black people and their stereotypes

13.Union generals Winfield Scott McClellan Halleck Grant Grant always submitted outlines of plans for presidential approval

14.The Norths advantages, challenges Larger population Advanced industrial system; could manufacture own material Better railroads Had to fight on unfamiliar land with long lines of communications, deal with

hostile locals, with only access to Souths bad transportation system

North was more divided in support/opposition for war15.Changing roles of women in the North

U.S. Sanitary Commission organized by Dorothea Dix Women nurses faced resistance from male doctors Feminists used war as opportunity to win support for their own cause

oNational Womans Loyal League (Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony)worked for womens suffrage and abolitionism

16.Death Toll17.Northerners interpretation of Lincolns assassination

Northerners believed it was masterminded by unrepentant leaders of the defeatedSouth

18.Involvement of European countries in the war effort Confederacy was hoping that Britain and France would stand on its side Britain didnt dare antagonize the U.S. unless the Confederacy seemed likely to

win, but this didnt happen

Britain and France declared neutrality Trent Affair

oConfederate diplomats board Trent(Brit.) in CubaoAmerican frigate stops Trent, arrests the diplomatsoEventually released the diplomats

British sold six ships to Confederates Union protests19.Greenbacks and supporters thereof

Panic of 1873: Debtors want government to redeem bonds w/ greenbacks, butRepublicans supported sound currency

1875 Specie Resumption Act: Republicans crush greenback mvt.oGreenback dollars would be redeemed by government; replaced with new

gold standard Greenbacker inflationists form National Greenback Party

20.Union soldiers, origins? 1863 draft law: all young adult male could be drafted; could pay $300 or hire a

replacement

Draft greatly increased voluntary enlistments21.Antietam


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Robert E. Lee led Confederate forces north through Marylanda plan that Uniongeneral George B. McClellan had found out. After Lee reassembled his troops atAntietam Creek, McClellan launched multiple attacks on Lees troops on

September 17 that resulted in major casualties on both sides. Confederate troopsreceived reinforcement from Stonewall Jackson. McClellan could have

successfully launched one more assault, but decided to allow Lee to withdraw.McClellan, who had proved himself indecisive and incompetent, was replaced byAmbrose E. Burnside, who also left the position after a short period time.

22.Lees Surrender In April 1865, Grants Potomac Army, having captured a strategic railroad

junction near Petersburg, successfully cut off Lees forces from other Confederatetroops. Lee attempted to move westward but as blocked by the Union Army.Having realized that he had few choices left, Lee surrendered his forces to Grantat Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia.

Reconstruction

1. Northerners view of necessity of reconstructing the South Conservatives: South must accept abolition of slavery; proposed few other

conditions for readmission

Radicals: Confederates must be punished, their land be confiscated andredistributed; protect blacks rights

Moderates: supported some concessions from South on black rights2. Wade-Davis Bill

Appoint provisional governor for each conquered state Majority of voters required to pledge allegiance to Union in order for readmission Delegates to State constitutional convention must swear they had neverborne

arms against U.S. State constitutions: abolish slavery, disenfranchise Confederates, repudiate debts

3. Johnsons and Lincolns plan for reconstruction Lincoln

o10% planoExtend suffrage to educated, land-owning, or Union veteran blacksoLA, AR, TN rejoin under Lincoln formula (1864)

JohnsonoHostile to slaves, but resented wealthy Southern plantersoResoration: grant amnesty to oath-takers, but former Confederate

officials and wealthy land-owning Southerners would have to apply for

presidential pardonsoWade-Davis Bill-like policyoRadicals gave Johnson a hard time and did not recognize Johnson state

governments in the South4. Frequency of lynching after Reconstruction

Blacks were the most common lynching victims Blacks prisoners were sized from jail by well-organized mobs; public lynching Public lynching less common than lynching by small vigilante mobs


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5. Booker T. Washington on education Blacks should focus on education; concentrate on self-improvement and

preparation for equality instead of agitating for political rights

Industrial, not classical, education Adopt standards of white middle class Atlanta Compromise: blacks must make economic gains in order to win the rightsand privileges of citizenship

6. Post-Reconstruction industry in South Supporters of southern industrialization promoted thrift, industry, progress Southerners were unable to break with the past Growing textile sector due to abundance of water power, cheap labor, low taxes Tobacco-processing industry Lower South: iron, steel industry grew rapidly Railroad development

oRailroad trackage more than doubledoWidth of trackage changed to correspond to Northern standards

Growth was limitedoSouthern share in national manufacturing only returned to prewarpercentageoWages much lower in the South than in the NorthoMuch capital had come from NorthoEssentially a colonial economy

Convict-lease systemoConvicted criminals leased as cheap laboroConvicts received no payoTook away opportunities for free labor force

7. 14th, 15thAmendments 14thAmendment

oEveryone born in U.S. and everyone naturalized was automatically acitizen

oPenalties (reduction of congressional representation) on states denyingsuffrage to adult males

oProhibited former Confederates from holding offices withoutcongressional pardon

oOnly TN ratified it immediately; by 1868, 7 of 10 former Confederatestates had ratified it

15thAmendmentoForbade denial of suffrage on basis of race or previous condition or

servitude8. Subjugation of blacks9. Southern blacks: per capita income, Black Codes, FreedmensBureau10.Per capita income of southern blacks rose more than whites, which declined

Black CodesoVagrancy lawsoBlacks could not own/lease farms; only work as workers or servants


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Freedmens BureauoProvide assistance for black freedmen; help them settle

11.Congressional response to the Black Codes Extend life of Freedmens Bureau (nullify work agreements forced on blacks by

Black Codes)

1866 Civil Rights Act: blacks are U.S. citizens; fed. gov. has power to intervenein state affairs to protect citizens rights12.Educational reform in the South

Reconstruction governments est. public school systems Black academies created network of black colleges Segregation

oFreedmens Bureau schools open to all racesoIntegrated school system in New Orleans was open to all, but whites

stayed awayoSouthern Democratic govs. That replaced Republican govs. Abandoned all

integration efforts

13.Plessy v. Ferguson: separate education was still equal14.Credit Mobilir scandal Crdit Mobilier invested in Union Pacific Railroad Crdit Mobilier gives Congress members stocks to avoid investigations 1872 investigation reveals involvement of top-level Republicans

15.Redeemers After the 1877 withdrawal of federal troops, white Democrats took over southern

state govs; control by conservative oligarchy

New ruling class: merchants, industrialists, railroad developers, former planters Commitment to home rule & conservatism as well as economic development Lowered taxes, reduced spending, cut services, such as public school system Redeemers wanted to pay off Reconstruction debts in full by reducing spending Many opposed to service cuts

oVirginia: Readjusters demand state to revise debt payment procedures;make more money available for state services

oDemands for greenbacks, debt reliefoDissenting mvts. Destroyed by conservatives

16.Increasing hostility of northerners to the South in 1865-1866, sources Lincolns death Northerners not happy that southerners refuse to grant blacks suffrage Alarmed by election of former Confederate leaders as officials and congressional

representatives (former Confed. VP Alexander Stephens elected GA senator)17.Civil Rights Act of 1866, Congressional Reconstruction Acts of 1867 1866 Civil Rights Act: blacks are U.S. citizens; fed. gov. has power to intervene

in state affairs to protect citizens rights

Congressional Reconstruction ActsoEstablishment of 5 military districts inSouthoVoters would elect conventions to prepare state constitutions ratifying 14th

Amendment


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18.Split in southern branch of the Republican Party, results Scalawagssouthern white Republicans, including former Whigs in the

Democratic Party and wealthy planters/businessmen.oEconomic development

19.Sources of opposition to Grants administration Grant continued to support Radical policies despite the publics disillusionment Grant relied on party leaders, who used the patronage and spoils system blatantly Scandals: Crdit Mobilier, whiskey ring, Indian ring Panic of 1873

oDebtors pressured gov. into using greenbacks to redeem war bondsoGrant supported sound currency,which favored interests of banks and

creditors20.Crop-Lien system

Black and whites depended on general stores for supplies, but could not pay withcash

Purchasers paid by credit With no competition, stores set interest rates as high as 50%-60% Farmers gave merchants a claim on crops (lien) as collateral for loans Most blacks and some white small landowners lost their lands due to debt Southern farmers became reliant on cash crops to escape from debt Southern

agriculture became one-dimensional; exhaustion of soil by cotton

Contributed to general decline in Southern agricult. Econ.21.Andrew Johnsons impeachment, Tenure of Office Act

Johnson removed Edwin Stanton, a supporter of Radical military occupation ofthe South; this was violation of Tenure of Office Act

Johnson was acquitted by the Senate in part because of his argument that Stantonhad been appointed by Lincoln, so the Act didnt apply to him

22.Specie Resumption Act of 1875 Greenbacks would be redeemed by government and replaced with gold standard

currency

Debtors worried about being paid in uncertain paper currency23.Presidential election of 1866, Compromise of 1877

Tilden was in the lead, but disputed 20 votes from LA, SC, FL, OR could allowHayes to win

Special electoral commission had 8 Republicans & 7 Democrats Hayes won Compromise

oRepublicans agreed to withdrawal of troopso

Appointment of at least one Southerner to Hayes cabinetoControl of federal patronageoGenerous internal improvementsoFederal aid for Texas & Pacific Railroad

24.Revisionists view of Reconstruction, name of the historian Johnson Hope FranklinsReconstruction After the Civil War(1961): post-war

Republicans truly wanted to protect freedmen

Reconstruction governments had been bold in interracial politics


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Andrew Johnson was racist and resisted reasonable compromise Blacks were minimally involved in politics Reconstruction governments brought progress Corruption in the South was just as bad as in the North Unfortunate that Reconstruction reforms didnt go far enough to ensure Southern

blacks equality25.Radical Republicans, objective26.Southern Blacks serving in government

Mainly Republicans Created their own colored conventions Served as delegates to constitutional conventions Blacks never controlled any state legislature

oHeld a majority in SC legislature lower house brieflyo% black officeholders lower than % blacks in population

Critics denounced black politicians for corruption and financial extravagance27.Black middle class in the South, late 1800s28.Situation for most Southern Blacks by the end of Reconstruction29.Assessment of Grants presidency30.Radical Republicans, who were they, on voting in the South31.Reemergence of white supremacy, manifestation32.The Black vote, progress, challenges to33.Most positive legacy of reconstruction34.Radical Reconstruction

civil war and reconstruction study guide

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