Standard 3

Regional and ideological differences leading to the Civil War and the impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on democracy in

America.

Day 1Monday

3.1 13 slides

• Political events and issues that divided the nation and led to civil war– Compromises reached to maintain the balance of

free and slave states– The abolitionist movement– The Dred Scott case– Conflicting views on states’ rights and federal

authority– Emergence of the Republican Party– Formation of the Confederate States of America

The Abolitionist Movement• Though the abolitionist

movement ensured slavery would remain a national conversation, it did not significantly impact the actions of the national government

• The numerous petitions abolitionists sent to Congress were stopped by the ‘gag rule’– Gag rule- a rule limiting or

preventing debate on an issue

The Abolitionist Movement• Though the abolitionist movement

involved whites and blacks in the North and the South, it was not extremely popular nor successful– William Lloyd Garrison’s The Liberator

was banned in the South– Most northerners were not abolitionists– The Underground Railroad was not very

successful in the deep south – John Brown’s raid on Harpers’ Ferry

made slave owners determined to protect slavery and fearful of northern intentions

• Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin was successful at gaining support for abolition and resentment of the fugitive slave law

Struggle for Power• Democracy expanded in

the US as new states entered the Union

• Expansion led to the greatest challenge to democracy and the Southern elite became increasingly determined to maintain slavery

Struggle for Power• As new western states applied for admission

to the Union, sectionalism increased as the divisions between the interests of the regions grew

• The struggle to maintain the balance of power between slave and free states in the federal government was rooted in the compromises at the Constitutional Convention– Equal representation of the states in the Senate– Representation based on population in the House

• Due to increased immigration in the North and westward expansion, southern states were losing power in the House– This led Southerners to fight to maintain an equal

number of slave and free states in the Senate

Maintaining Balance• In 1820, the Missouri

Compromise was passed to regulate the states entering the Union in the Louisiana Territory– Maine entered as a free state– Missouri entered as a slave

state– The 36˚30’ line was

established to divide the remaining territory• North of the line was free• South of the line was slave

Day 2Tuesday

Maintaining Balance• The annexation of Texas

was delayed for almost a decade because of the divisiveness of admitting another large slave state

• Northerners saw President Polk’s willingness to give up the 54˚40’ in Oregon, while provoking a war with Mexico over southwest territories as favoring slavery

Maintaining Balance• The Wilmot Proviso was

proposed to regulate the states entering the Union in the territories gained from the Mexican War– All states would be “free soil”, not

open to competition of slave labor with that of free white labor

• The Proviso passed in the House but was stopped in the Senate– This was further evidence to

southerners that they must maintain the balance of slave and free states in order to protect their ‘peculiar institution’

Maintaining Balance• The gold rush in 1849 sped the population

of California and its application for statehood as a free state– This would upset the balance in the Senate

• The Compromise of 1850 was passed to regulate the states entering the Union in the territories gained from the Mexican War– California entered as a free state– All other states would be determined by

popular sovereignty• Popular Sovereignty- a system in which the

residents vote to decide an issue

– Sale of slaves was prohibited in DC– A fugitive slave law was to be enforced by the

federal government• Fugitive slave law- designed to ensure that escaped

slaves would be returned into bondage

Maintaining Balance• The Kansas-Nebraska Act

overturned the Missouri Compromise’s 36˚30’ rule– Established popular sovereignty

in the region

• Pro-slavery and anti-slavery supporters rushed to Kansas to populate and fix votes– The confrontation turned

“Bleeding Kansas” into a battleground

• The violence that occurred led to the forming of the Republican Party

Slavery and the Supreme Court• In 1856, Dred Scott, a slave who had

previously been taken north of the 36˚30’ line, sued for his freedom based on the conditions of the Missouri Compromise– The Supreme Court ruled against Dred

Scott declaring the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional

• The Supreme Court determined that because slaves were property and the Constitution protected the right of slave owners to their property regardless of where they took their slaves– Congress could not make a law

restricting the expansion of slavery

Slavery and the Supreme Court• The Dred Scott decision split

the Democratic Party– Northern Democrats feared that

the Supreme Court, dominated by southern Democrats, might rule state laws against slavery unconstitutional

– This meant popular sovereignty would not be effective in restricting the spread of slavery

• This split allowed the Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln, to win the election of 1860

Day 3Wednesday

Republican Party• The Republican Party’s platform

of free soil did not mean complete abolition of slavery– Free soil means stopping the

spread of slavery into territories– Non slave-owning whites did not

want to compete with slave labor in the territories

• With the election of Abraham Lincoln, many southerners began to fear slavery would be abolished throughout the country

Republican Party• Lincoln’s election in 1860 led southern

states to meet in a convention and pass articles of secession– They believed their rights as states were

being violated by the federal government

• Secessionists believed that Lincoln and the federal government would not allow slavery to expand into the territories– This would upset the balance of power in

the Senate, allowing for Congress to vote to abolish slavery

• To protect slavery, South Carolina secessionists led other southern states in seceding from the Union– The Confederate States of America was

formed and soon occupied federal forts that were located in the South

3.2 9 slides

• The Civil War and its impact on democracy– Major turning points– Impact of the Emancipation Proclamation– Unequal treatment of African American units– Geographic, economic, and political factors of the

Union victory– Defeat of the idea of secession

Split of a Nation• Secession challenged

democracy• President Lincoln

pledged to preserve the Union and democracy

• Confederates fired on federal troops stationed at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, SC

Influences during War• Economic Resources

– The Union had greater industrial capacity, miles of railroad tracks, manpower, and navy

– The Confederacy depended on “King Cotton” and Britain to provided manufactured goods and ships

• Strategy based on Geography– The Union’s Anaconda Plan included

splitting the South at the Mississippi River, taking the capital at Richmond, and blockading southern ports

– The Confederacy’s strategy was to seek support from Britain and defend their region until the North tired of the war

Influences during War• Military Leadership– South had an advantage in

both military leadership and geography• Robert E. Lee effectively

moved the men and material via railroads between battle fronts in the East and the West

• Southerners were also more familiar with their home terrain

Influences during War• Political Leadership

– President Jefferson Davis was not able to get the Confederate states to effectively work together

– President Lincoln was able to articulate the purpose of the war as the preservation of the Union and retain sufficient public support to continue the fight despite military defeats• Emphasized a “government of

the people, by the people and for the people”

Day 4Thursday

The Emancipation Proclamation• Lincoln feared freeing slaves would

undermine the unity of the North by irritating the border states– Border states- slave states that did not

secede from the Union

• Emancipation was originally promoted as a ‘military measure’ against the Confederacy but it took on a greater role– Diplomatic- Britain could no longer

support the South due to opposition of slavery

– Political- the South had the chance to make peace and keep their slaves prior to the enactment of the Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation• The Proclamation did not immediately

free all slaves– Slaves in regions under Union control and

border states were not included– Confederate states were likely to ignore

President Lincoln

• Slaves fled to Union lines– African Americans were allowed to enlist

in the US Army– African Americans served in segregated

units under the command of white officers– The 54th Massachusetts regiment attacked

Fort Wagner in Charleston Harbor, SC

• Slaves were freed as their homeland was captured by Union forces

Influential Battles• Fort Sumter

– Apr. 12, 1861 in S.C.– Confederate troops attacked the

Union fort• Bull Run/Manassas

– July 21, 1861 in V.A.– Confederates defeated the Union

• Antietam– Aug. 29-30, 1862 in M.D.– Union defeated the Confederates– 26,000 casualties

• Vicksburg– May 18- July 4, 1863 in M.S.– Union defeated the Confederacy

gaining control of the Mississippi River

• Gettysburg– July 1-3, 1863 in P.A. – Union defeated the Confederacy

over 3 days with 100,000 casualties

• Atlanta– July 22, 1864 in G.A.– General Sherman burned the city

to the ground

Influential Generals• General Ulysses S. Grant commanded the Union

forces and began the strategy of ‘total war’– Total war- a war in which every available weapon is

used and the nation’s full financial resources are devoted

• General William T. Sherman’s ‘March to the Sea’ destroyed the South – Burning cities, farms and crops, destroying up railroad

tracks, killing livestock, and salting fields

• General Robert E. Lee commanded the Confederate forces and had a superior military knowledge – As the war progressed, the South lost their support

from Britain, faced dwindling supplies, and devastating losses

• General Lee surrendered to General Grant on April 9, 1865 at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia

Impacts of War• The outcome of the Civil War

had a profound impact on the course of democracy– It preserved the Union while at

the same time liberating an enslaved minority

• Even with the Union’s defeat of the Confederacy and the federal courts ruling secession null and void, the idea of states’ rights was never defeated

3.3 7 slides

• The effects of Reconstruction on southern states and the federal government

• Impact of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments on African Americans

Beginning of Reconstruction• Southern states suffered

devastating damage to factories, farms and transportation systems, and heavy loss of men– The federal government

believed it was the responsibility of individuals and state governments to rebuild southern infrastructure

• The goal of Reconstruction was to re-establish full participation of southern states in the Union

Beginning of Reconstruction• Reconstruction policies of

the federal government expanded democracy and significantly impacted southern society– The federal government

took an active role in protecting the rights of the freedman against the dominate white southern society

Day 5Friday

Radical Reconstruction• Southern actions “radicalized”

Reconstruction policy– Determined to retain their way of life,

despite the military defeat– States passed Black Codes to replace slave

codes– Former Confederate officers and officials

were elected to Congress– Citizens and vigilante groups engaged in

violence against the freedmen

• Congressional Reconstruction plan– Passed by the “Radical Republicans”– Split the former Confederacy into five

military districts– Enforced the Reconstruction Amendments– Impeached President Andrew Johnson

Reconstruction Amendments• By amending the Constitution, Congress expanded democracy to

protect the rights of the freedmen– The 13th Amendment freed slaves throughout the US

• Southern states were required to recognized this before forming new governments

• Black Codes were passed to limit the rights of the newly freed slaves

– The 14th Amendment recognized the citizenship of African Americans• Overturned Dred Scott• Provided ‘equal protection’ and ‘due process’

– The 15th Amendment ensured the right of all male citizens to vote• Male citizens could not be denied based on ‘race, creed or previous condition

of servitude’ • Resulted in some African Americans being elected to state legislatures and

Congress

• Federal troops attempted to protect these rights against terrorist tactics of the Ku Klux Klan

Reconstruction Governments• White Republicans from the North were

known as ‘carpetbaggers’ by southern whites

• Southern-born ‘scalawags’ wanted to rebuild the South in cooperation with the Republican Reconstruction governments

• Newly enfranchised African Americans made up a majority state legislatures, just as they made up a majority of the population in some southern states

• State governments created social service programs and public schools to improve conditions for all people

Changes for Freedmen• The Reconstruction Amendments

allowed African Americans to create some social freedom– Many left the plantations to look for

sold family members, but most were unsuccessful and soon returned

– African Americans formed their own churches

– The Freedmen’s Bureau established schools for the former slaves who had been denied the right to an education under slavery

– Black colleges were established

Challenges for Freedmen• Freedmen made significant social

and political progress during Reconstruction, but they made little economic progress– The Freedmen’s Bureau-

• Helped negotiate labor contracts between former slaves and landowners

• Provided a system of courts to protect the rights of former slaves

• Negotiated sharecropping agreements– Sharecropping left former slaves in a

position of economic dependence and destitution

3.4 4 slides

• End of Reconstruction– Role of anti-African American factions– Competing national interests– Removal of federal protection for freedmen– Jim Crow laws– Voter restrictions

The End of Reconstruction• When the federal government

abandoned their role of protector, democracy was compromised and the rights of African Americans were limited by southern state governments– Anti-African American factions (Ku Klux

Klan) were organized to intimidate black voters in the South

– African Americans were able to vote only with the protection of federal troops

– There were never enough troops to protect African Americans from intimidation, violence, and lynchings

– The ‘Solid South’ would remain under the control of white Democrats until the Civil Rights Era

The End of Reconstruction• The nation’s interest shifted to the corruption in

the Grant administration, economic depression in the North, western settlement, and economic growth

• Reports of violence against African Americans made Northerners believe nothing would ever change in the South

• Resistance of southerners in granting equal citizenship to African Americans lessened the public and Congress’ resolve to protecting freedmen

• The disputed election of 1876 led to the Compromise of 1877– Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was elected– Federal troops, and their protection, were removed

from the South– Officially ended Reconstruction

• The effect of Reconstruction was temporary and African Americans were left to fend for themselves

Day 6Monday

Post Reconstruction• Southern whites used race to drive a

political wedge between poor black farmers and poor white farmers

• Southern states passed laws requiring African American and whites to use separate facilities– Segregation was upheld by the Supreme

Court in the ‘separate but equal’ ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

– Negated the equal protection provision of the 14th Amendment

– African Americans were relegated to second class citizenship in a society that was separate but not equal

– Jim Crow Laws replaced black codes and restricted African Americans in the South

Post Reconstruction• Poll taxes and literacy tests all but

eliminated the effectiveness of the 15th Amendment– The grandfather clause assured that whites

who could not read or pay the tax were able to vote

• Sharecroppers and tenant farmers faced increasingly difficult economic conditions when cotton prices fell

• African Americans were discriminated against in hiring when textile mills opened in the late 1880s

• Many African Americans fell farther into poverty and some migrated to the cities of the North

3.5 4 slides

• Varied responses of African Americans to the restrictions imposed on them in the post-Reconstruction period– Booker T. Washington– W.E.B. DuBois– Ida B. Wells-Barnett

African American Leaders• African Americans responded to

the restrictions placed upon them by the Jim Crow laws and their loss of the vote through poll taxes and literacy tests

• African American leaders emerged who were united in their determination to attain full citizenship but were divided as to the best strategy to pursue

• The strategies each advocated depended on personal background and the audience that each addressed

Booker T. Washington• Born a slave• Received an education during

Reconstruction• Founded the Tuskegee Institute

– Provided vocational training for African Americans

– Blue Collar: welders, blacksmiths, skilled laborers

– George Washington Carver developed new crops to aid poverty-stricken farmers while at the Institute

• Equality comes from contributing to the economy

• Did not speak openly against Jim Crow and Segregation

W.E.B. DuBois• Born free (north)• Educated (PhD from Harvard)• African Americans should gain

educations that suit their talents– White Collar: doctors, lawyers,

professionals

• Opposed Washington’s strategy• National Association for the

Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)– Full social and political equality

• Popular in the black community, but not white

Ida B. Wells-Barnet• Born a slave• Educated in a “freedom school”

during Reconstruction• Became a teacher and newspaper

writer• Forcibly removed from a railroad

car and forced to sit in a colored-only car

• Outspoken and critical of Jim Crow • Anti-lynching crusade

– Considered a militant

• Raised awareness of the conditions for African Americans in the nation