Civil War / Reconstruction (DOCUMENTS)

Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (1863)

Delivered at the dedication of a national cemetery after a pivotal battle, this brief address redefined the Civil War as a struggle to fulfill the promise of equality stated in the nation’s founding documents. It reframed the conflict as not just a fight for the Union, but as a test of the nation’s commitment to liberty and justice for all.

Emancipation Proclamation (1863)

Issued during the Civil War, this executive order declared that all slaves in rebellious states were to be set free, contingent upon a Union victory. It transformed the character of the conflict by linking the war effort with the cause of freedom and paved the way for African Americans to join the Union forces.

Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address (1865)

Delivered as the Civil War neared its end, this address called for national healing and reconciliation. The speech emphasized mercy and charity, urging citizens to bind up the nation’s wounds and to reflect on the moral costs of the conflict, particularly regarding the institution of slavery.

First Reconstruction Act (1867)

This legislation divided the former secessionist states into military districts and mandated that they must rewrite their state constitutions to abolish slavery, ratify a new amendment guaranteeing equal protection, and extend voting rights to former slaves before rejoining the Union. It laid the groundwork for Reconstruction and the reformation of Southern society.

Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)

This infamous Supreme Court decision ruled that an enslaved person was not a citizen and therefore had no right to sue in federal court. The ruling also declared that the federal government had no authority to regulate slavery in the territories, effectively nullifying parts of an earlier compromise and deepening sectional tensions.