AMH2020 Week 1

What developments led to the Civil War?

• Sectionalism - political division based on geography

• Slavery - Should slavery be allowed in the new western states?

• Westward Expansion - Southerners said slavery should be expanded from north to south, Lincoln was against this b/c it meant less jobs for white ppl

What was the Civil War fought over?

The Civil War was initially fought over secession (withdrawal of 11 southern states from the Union), but by the end of the war it became abt slavery once Northerners saw the conditions of slaves in the South.

What were the different plans for reconstruction after the Civil War?

• Prez Andrew Johnson’s Plan

• Congressional Republicans’ Plan

• Former Slaves’ Plan

• Southern White’s Plan

What was Prez Andrew Johnson’s Plan?

• Maintaining state’s rights was the most important thing

  • lenient towards confed leaders, let them regain power

  • No concern for rights of formerly enslave

WHat was the Congressional Republicans’ Plan ?

• - Federal Government needs to guarantee civil rights and equality

  • 14th amnd guaranteed citizenship and protecting civil rights, 15th gave voting rights to blk men

What was the key idea of Former Slaves’ Plan?

Deserving of “equal rights under the law”

What was Southern White’s Plan?

Maintain racial hierarchy w/o slavery + limit black freedoms

• black codes, intimidation and violence

How did the different plans for reconstruction differ?

The Congressional Republicans’ Plan and and Former Slaves’ Plan were both concerned with making black people equal to white people under the law. The Southern whites’ plan had the opposite goal of both the Congressional Republicans’ Plan and Former Slaves’ Plan, since Southern white people wanted to continue the oppression of black people. President Andrew Johnson’s plan was the only plan that was not concerned with assisting or oppressing black people because he was primarily concerned with states’ rights.

Why did Americans expand westward?

On the surface level it was Manifest destiny (“we have a calling”), but really it’s abt $$$

Who expanded Westward? What do they all have in common?

Railroads

Miners

Rachers

Homesteaders

Buffalo Hunters

they’re all abt $$$ (business, selling, etc)

What was the the Homestead Act?

If you went out west, and plotted out and farmed ¼ mile (“improved it”) for 5 years, then u could have the land for free – free land in return for farming p much

What were American attitudes towards NAs?

Americans were violent to NAs (General Sherman), forced them onto reservations in the worst land (Great Sioux War), or tried to make them assimilate to the white American lifestyle (Dawes Act).

What did the Dawes Act do?

gave NAs citizenship if they farmed land