AICE US History Chapter 1 - Origins of Civil War

Declaration of Independence

-approved on July 4, 1776

-signed on August 2, 1776

-Thomas Jefferson wrote most of it

Preamble: "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among those are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

27 Grievances: written to King George

Brief Wrap-Up

-to Jefferson, "liberty" = privilege

-to John Adams, "liberty" = freedom

Articles of Confederation (AOC)

-draft completed in 1777

-adopted in 1781

-built during the American Revolution (hence why they didn't give much power to the government; they feared a strong central gov., military, and monarchy just like they had in Great Britain)

Components:

-alliance of nations/states to come together for mutual agreements

-each state is their own country and can dictate themselves

-each state gets 1 vote

-federal government cannot tax

-federal government cannot regulate trade

-federal government cannot raise a military

-has no president

*only lasted 10 years

George Washington

-1st President of the United States

-commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (American War of Independence)

-people wanted to make him king after the revolution; he refused

-never went to college

-warned people of political parties and how they would tear the country apart

-served 2 terms as president

1786

-USA is broke

-Washington states that a meeting about the AOC is needed (barely anyone showed)

-Shay's Rebellion

Shay's Rebellion

-Also known as Farmers Rebellion

-Led by Daniel Shays

-Lasted from 1786-1787

-Mass uprising in Massachusetts, driven by economic hardships faced by farmers (specifically property was being taken by the government, leading to mass debt)

-Farmers protested against high taxes, debt, and the state government's indifference to their plight

-Farmers were also armed while protesting, closing down courthouses to prevent foreclosures and debt collection. -They also freed debtors from jails and tried to get weapons from the Springfield Armory

-Efforts were eventually defeated by state militia

Virginia Plan

-1787

-written and proposed by James Madison

-AKA our constitution today

-proposal of a strong central government and three branches

-written in Philadelphia before the Constitutional Convention (where it was proposed)

The Constitutional Convention

-July 8, 1787

-Purpose was to add two amendments to the AOC

-spent 3 months debating whether or not to create a new government

-president of the convention was George Washington

James Madison

-4th U.S. president

-A Founding Father

-"Father of the Constitution"

-Large role in drafting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights

-Liked slavery

-Presidency: 1809-1817

-Secretary of state under Thomas Jefferson before being president

The Constitution

"We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our prosterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America."

The Northwest Territory

Included:

-Ohio

-Indiana

-Illinois

-Wisconsin

-Michigan

-had to create school systems (the South never had schools systems until after the Civil War)

Puritans

A religious group who wanted to purify the Church of England. They came to America for religious freedom and settled Massachusetts Bay.

(religious fanatics who also brought the Salem Witch Trials)

-brought schools to America, built the first University (Harvard), and believed that everyone had the right to learn, read, and write

South Vs. North

South:

-Agrarian economy

-Heavy on slave trade

-Fearful of the North taking away their slaves (their "peculiar institution" - slavery) because if they could take away slavery then it would lead to all their property rights being taken away

-Eventually hates North; views them as swindlers

North:

-Industrial economy

-wanted to expand industry

-wanted to add science and math to school (led to Southern fears)

-Against slavery (they had moral and religious objections to it)

Federal Negative

-proposed by James Madison

-1787

-Gives Congress the authority to veto any law passed by a state legislature

-basically gave more power to the federal government

-Charles Pinckney viewed it as "the cornerstone of an efficient national government"

-opponents argued that it'd allow Congress to "enslave the states" and let "large states crush the small ones"

1783

Britain formally recognized the former colonies as the independent USA

James Madison's Thoughts & Desires

-thought the USA was weak and in turmoil due to the AOC

-afraid of the majorities because he thought the power given to the majority could lead to tyranny

-desired to create a strong but limited central government with well defined powers, and wanted the government to have the power to veto state laws (federal negative)

George Washington's Thoughts on the USA

Mortified beyond expression due to Americans facing calamities on every front:

-federal insolvency

-widespread economic recession

-armed rebellion in Western Massachusetts

Population in 1600s and 1700s

-1650 to 1750 -> Population increased from 50,000 to 1.2 million

-By 1770, population doubled again to over 2 million

-over 3/4 of the colonial population worked in agriculture

-2/3 white male farmers owned their own land

-1/5 of the colonial population were black individuals, most were enslaved

-most slaves worked in the South, cultivating rice and tobacco

Before the 1760s (Britain and the Colonies Relationship)

-British government controlled trade and foreign policy

-colonies were mostly run by governors (in principle), but in practice the colonies elected assemblies

-colonists had a great deal of authority over their own affairs

-colonists were required to trade with Britain

-colonists were guaranteed markets for their agricultural products, access to English manufactured goods, and protection from the British military

Events Leading up to American Revolution

-(No) Taxation without Representation

-Sugar Act

-Stamp Act

-Townshend Acts

-Boston Massacre

-Tea Act

American Revolution

-April 19, 1775 -> start of war

-September 3, 1783 -> end of war

-Americans distrusted centralized military power, so they formed the "13 militias and the Continental Army"

-in order to help the war effort, $200 million was printed, not backed by gold, causing inflation

Financial Distress During the American Revolution

-paper money, not backed by gold

-certificates given by the government to soldiers to get food, items, etc. (a lot of times the soldiers had to sell their certificates to get money because they couldn't get anything from the government with the certificate)

-insolvency

-AOC cannot enforce tariffs or tax (this leads to states tariffing each other)

-commerce = trade

-Rhode Island starts printing tons of money in order to avoid a rebellion, causing hyperinflation

Debtor (majority) -> creditor (minority)

-a law was passed that says creditors must accept paper money or else the debt is cancelled (meaning the creditors lose everything)

-states violated the Treaty of Paris (one thing said that the states must pay British creditors; British creditors were protected by loyalists)

Loyalists

American colonists who remained loyal to Britain and opposed the war for independence

-often kicked out of states and into Canada, angering Britain

Madison's Diagnosis of the USA

-AOC was flawed

-states had too much independence and power

-laws are unforceable

-states are selfish

-must change or completely renew the Constitution (needed to make federal government stronger/centralized)

-there were no checks and balances

-needed to be able to veto state laws (members voted against this)

-needed to be able to enforce national laws

-believed that the author's of the AOC trusted and had too much faith in the states honorability and justice than the states actually possessed

-Madison wanted Senators to pick members among themselves (elected by the state not by the people), this led to owing favors, bribery, etc.

Narrow Interest Groups

Large majorities of people

Madison's Flip Flop

-argued for federal government to be able to veto state laws (federal negative)

-many say that Madison did this to be able to keep slavery, in order to stop states from creating anti-slavery laws

-the compact theory

The Compact Theory

-1798

-states can nullify a federal law

(Madison flip flops)

-this hastens us to Civil War

Alexander Hamilton's Financial Plan

-1791

-strong central government

-establish public credit, exercise taxes, national bank (BUS), assumption of state debts

*South freaked out

1st National Bank

-BUS (Bank of United States)

-didn't serve as a central bank like today

-could dictate how much money states could make

-South's refusal led to a dinner date with James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton

Hamilton Vs. Jefferson

Hamilton: loose interpretation of constitution

Jefferson: strict interpretation of constitution, paints Hamilton as pathetic after dinner date

Democratic-Republicans

(South)

-led by Thomas Jefferson

-agrarian economy

-state's rights

-strict interpretation of constitution

-lower tariffs

Federalists

(North)

-manufacturing economy

-high tariffs

-strong central government

-loose interpretation of constitution

-didn't want slavery for majority, but needed cotton for manufacturing

Thomas Jeffersons Elections (1801-1809)

-won the presidential election in 1800

-beats John Adams in election of 1800

-won the presidential election in 1804

1st Constitutional Crisis: The Supreme Court v. Jefferson

-federalists lost the election of 1800 badly

-federalists pass the Judiciary Act of 1801 (added more federalists to judges, who are in office for life)

-this was declared unconstitutional by Madison -> act is trashed

-leads to Marbury v. Madison -> establishment of Judicial Review

The Louisiana Purchase

1803

-purchased the land from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains from Napoleon for $15 million

-Jefferson was interested in the territory because it would give the U.S. room to expand as well as valuable land for trading and shipping

-the Constitution did not give the federal government the power to buy land, so Jefferson used loose construction to justify the purchase. (he found loopholes so that the president could negotiate treaties)

-James Monroe made the deal

-this purchase begins western expansion and Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny

1800s belief that Americans had the right to spread across the continent of North America

2 Types of Manifest destiny could be found in America:

South - expansion of slavery throughout country

North - expansion of industry throughout country

The Market Revolution

-1820s-1850s

-drastic changes in transportation (canals, railroads), communication (telegraph), and the production of goods (more in factories as opposed to houses)

-Samuel Slater

-Eli Whitney

-Robert Fulton

-Dr John Gorrie

-Frederic Tudor

-the national road (created smoother roads with crushed up gravel in 1811)

-first railroad in 1828; railroads were everywhere in the North within 10 years, however not so much in the South due to their plantations taking up most of the land

-telegraph in 1844, created by Samuel Morse

-economy was strong because of the BUS

-thousands of jobs opened up

Samuel Slater

-"Father of the American Factory System"

-"Slater the Traitor"

-sketched out the textiles technology of the British

-showed the sketches to Moses Brown

Eli Whitney

-invented the cotton gin in 1794

-cotton gin could clean up to 100 pounds of cotton in one day; he thought it'd end slavery

-got a paten, didn't make money

-credited for interchangeable parts in firearms in 1798

-holds a demonstration of interchangeable parts to the military in 1801; got a contract but doesn't really use it

Robert Fulton

-invented the steamboat

-didn't invent the steam engine, instead he stole the designs from Britain

-had the idea to put the steam engines on a boat

-shows his idea to Napoleon, (he says "begone you dreamer")

-many people were shocked at the steamboat, some even calling it witchcraft

Dr. John Gorrie

-physician and scientist

-discovered that running air through water could cool the air

-practically created A.C.

Frederick Tudor

-"The Ice King"

-found out a way to preserve ice and keep it from melting

-his discovery led to ice drinks, ice cream, and ice railroad cars

Abolitionists = Reformers

Era of Good Feelings

-a period of strong nationalism, economic growth, and territorial expansion.

-since the Federalist party dissolved after the War of 1812, there was only one political party and no partisan conflicts

Party Patronage

-Rewarding faithful party workers and followers with a political favor

-leads to corruption

example: laws getting passed, job opportunities

Dissolving of the Federalists

-isolated as a party

-no party patronage system (no one was loyal)

-almost none in the South

-war of 1812, federalists commit treason by secretly selling stuff to Britain and letting British soldiers deploy in Rhode Island (this was considered treason)

-election of 1816 <- last election of federalist party

-many federalists joined the opposition party

War of 1812

-1812-1815

-second war against Great Britain

-Hamilton gets Congress to grant a charter for the BUS (20 years) in 1811

-Madison is no longer a democrat

Henry Clay

-"The Great Compromiser"

-ran for 3 presidential elections, lost all 3 times

-Andrew Jackson hated him

-came up with the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, ended the Nullification Crisis

Main Parties After Era of Good Feelings

-National Republicans (northerners/federalists who switched parties

-Democratic Republicans (southerners)

Panic of 1819

-end of Era of Good Feelings

-widespread economic panic due to recession, depression, and economic downturn

-low banking practices allowed for too many banking notes and credit to be released than were firmly backed by gold

-land speculation

-inflation (led to uncollected debt/insolvency)

-slowdown in global economy following the end of the Napoleon wars in Europe

*Economies were heavily based on war, when normal people didn't by weapons, the economy fell

2nd Great Awakening

-a series of religious revivals starting in 1801

-believed in abolition of slavery, women's rights, civil rights, limited drinking, etc.

-people pretended to be slave owners to free slaves

Quackers (Society of Friends)

-believed in total equality of race

-very friendly with Indians

-tried everything to abolish slavery

Abolitionists

-anti-slavery activists who demanded the immediate end of slavery

-hated by Southerners

-Northerners didn't like them at first

Abolition Movement

-the campaign against slavery and the slave trade

-started around 1830

-exposed the extent of white prejudice

-David Walker

-Frederick Douglas

-William Lloyd Garrison

David Walker

-black abolitionist who called for the immediate emancipation of slaves

-wrote the "Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World" -called for a bloody end to white supremacy

-believed that the only way to end slavery was for slaves to physically revolt

-violent overturn of slavery

Frederick Douglas

-end slavery through political means

-didn't want a war but accepted it

-wanted whites and blacks to work together side by side

-runaway slave as a teenager

-trained by William Lloyd Garris

-wrote "The Meaning of the 4th for the Negro"

William Lloyd Garrison

-abolitionist

-Christian anarchist

-social reformer

-suffragist

-trained young Frederick Douglas

-huge falling out with Douglas because Douglas saw promise working with politicians

-rejected the inherent validity of the American government on the basis that its engagement in war, imperialism, and slavery made the government corrupt and tyrannical

-wrote "The Liberator" in 1831 (a magazine)

-says people should turn to God instead of the government to end slavery

The Liberator

-written by William Llyod Garrison in 1831

-a magazine/newspaper

-advocated for the immediate and complete emancipation of enslaved people

-known for its uncompromising stance against slavery

-also supported other social reforms like women's rights

Nat Turner

-slave

-preacher

-allowed to travel to different plantation to preach

-has a vision to kill his master

-leads Turner's Rebellion

Turner's Rebellion

August 1831, Nat Turner leads an insurrection that killed between 55 and 65 people, at least 51 of whom were white. In those people, he killed his master, the wife, their baby, their daughter, and 2 men sleeping in the barn.

-the rebellion gets shut down within a few days, but Turner survived in hiding for more than 2 months afterwards

-was found sneaking back to his hiding place by another slave, and he's taken to stand trial, and is executed

Turner's Rebellion's Effects on Enslaved People

-Retribution is carried out on hundreds of both free and enslaved black men, many of whom have never heard of Nat Turner

-Eventually becomes against the law for slaves to be allowed to learn how to read or write

Sectionalism

Loyalty to your own section rather than the nation

-rooted in slavery and differences in economy in the North and South

-free state vs slave state

Louisiana Purchases Influence on Sectionalism

Tensions between North and South grew:

North:

-wanted railroads, industry, canals, roads

-didn't want expansion because the South would gain Congress, meaning there'd be more slave states

-tolerated slavery because of cotton for manufacturing ("necessary evil")

-didn't want African Americans in their region (job competition)

-anti-slavery came from tariffs

South:

-wanted more agriculture and no more interference in their practices of slavery

-believed they'd build a larger empire (they accepted the small amount of territory with slaves because they thought they'd expand more)

Why Was The Missouri Compromise Needed?

-When Missouri was applying to join the Union as a slave state in 1819, it tilted the balance of slave states and non-slave states (and would then tilt the balance of power in Congress)

-Northern states resented the uneven balance, and opposed the admittance of Missouri

-Southerners = state's rights

-Northerners = political power issue

-This was during the era of good feelings, so having only 1 political party but more focus on slavery, creating even more sectional tension

The Missouri Compromise

-1820

-legislation approved into a law

-created by Henry Clay

-allowed Missouri to become a slave state under the conditions that a new state (Maine) was to be created in order to balance out the expansion of slavery-allowing territories

-no slavery could occur in the territory north of the 36 30' latitude line of the Louisiana Purchase

-temporary solution to a large problem

-South feared the North would use it to end slavery and promote an economic policy contrary to theirs

-1854, repealed by Kansas-Nebraska Act

-1857, declared unconstitutional

James Tallmadge

-New York senator

-Northerner

-anti-slavery (especially because of taxes)

-abolitionist

-strict moral code regarding slavery

-proposed the Tallmadge Amendment

Tallmadge Amendment

-proposed on February 13, 1819

-prohibited slaves in Missouri and granted the slaves who were already there freedom once they reached the age of 25

-passed through the HOR (northern support), dismissed in the Senate

-if it was passed, it would have sped up the Civil War

Kansas-Nebraska Act

-1854

-created Nebraska and Kansas as states and gave the people in those territories the right to chose to be a free or slave state through popular sovereignty

-Missouri Compromise was repealed through this act

President James Monroe & the Missouri Compromise

-spread support to the public discretely

-encouraged senator Barbour to promote the compromise legislation

-used Democratic-Republican fear of a new federalist party to quiet hardcore Democrats of Virginia

-didn't interfere in decision making because he saw that this would tear the Union apart

-keeping Union together was more important than getting involved in controversial topics

Nullification Crisis Timeline

-From 1816, tariffs keep rising until the worst one: The Tariff of Abominations (Tariff of 1828)

-1828: Tariff of Abominations

-1828: Release of "The South Carolina Exposition and Protest" by Calhoun

-1830: Reopened debate of the tariff between Webster and Hayne

-1832: Congress replaces the Tariff of 1828 with a lower tariff (doesn't satisfy South Carolinians)

-1832: Jackson's reelection

-1832: South Carolina forms a convention that denounced the Tariff and it's 1832 revision and formally adopts an "Ordinance of Nullification"

-1833: Jackson's Force Bill

-1833: Clay and Calhoun come to an agreement on a tariff reduction (Congress passed it)

Tariff of 1828

-aka the Tariff of Abominations

-raised duties to 30-50% on certain raw materials

-left Southern states unprotected (especially with the block of American cotton overseas)

The South Carolina Exposition and Protest

-written in 1828 by Vice President Calhoun (who supported states' rights)

-purpose was to protest/criticize the "Tariff of Abominations"

-laid the groundwork for the nullification theory

Nullification Theory

-US States have the right to invalidate any federal law which that state deems unconstitutional or infringes their rights

-inspired by the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798 written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison

Jackson's Force Bill

-1833

-bill that allowed Jackson to use force to ensure the execution of U.S. laws

Ordinance of Nullification

Declared the tariffs as null and void, and forbade the collection of duties within the boundary of the state following February 1, 1833

Robert Hayne

-South Carolina Senator

-argued secession in order to preserve state and personal liberty

Daniel Webster

-Massachusetts Senator

-believed that people compromised the Union, not states

-"liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable"

Silas Write

-representative

-ally of Jackson

-proposed the 1828 tariff as a ploy to help Jackson's presidential campaign

Andrew Jackson

-President during Nullification Crisis

-aka "Old Hickory"

-supported states' rights but not at the expense of the Union

-ordered Cass to prepare for war against South Carolina

-maintained Southern support for his campaign, and, by backing this tariff, got support from other states which helped him win the presidency

Lewis Cass

-Secretary of War

-prepared for war over the course of a few months by compiling arms and enlisting a militia to enter South Carolina

The End of the Era of Good Feelings

-1824

-rise of mass Democracy

-John Quincy Adams wins the presidential election

-Jackson is very upset, he's the father of personal, attacking campaigns

Jacksonian Democrats

-led by Andrew Jackson

-Supported a bigger role for the public in the government

-Allowed all white men to vote instead of just those who were landowners

-Union of sovereign states

-opposed the Whigs

Whigs

-led by Henry Clay

-Favored the BUS and the American System; strong legislative branch

-Nation as a whole

-opposed the Jacksonian Democrats

Jackson & the BUS

-deems it unconstitutional

-vetoes the Charter Bill (Clay's attempt to recharter the BUS since the economy was great during the Market Revolution)

-sees it has a monopoly, controlled by foreign investors, that hurts the people

-tries to take out money, but the secretary of treasury declares it unconstitutional

-someone else illegally takes out money, bank goes bankrupt, leading to depression & an unregulated economy

Indian Removal Act

-1830

-Andrew Jackson signed this act into a law

-300,000 to 400,000 are told to leave

-America's first gold rush was found on Cherokee land (Dahlonege, Georgia)

-The gold rush was the reason for Martin Van Buran to order this act

Trail of Tears

-stemmed from the Indian Removal Act

-20,000 Cherokee Indians were forced to leave

-2,000 die

-Henry Clay opposed this and saw this as barbarok

Know-Knothings

*Northern Dems -> aka Know Nothings

-Anti Catholic

-Nativist

-Opposed Immigration

-Anti slavery

-hated free masons

Nativism

the policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants

Texas Revolution

-1836

-rebellion in which Texas gained its independence from Mexico

-Mexico did not see Texas independance as valid

Leading up to the Mexican-American War

-USA's annexation of Texas angered Mexico

-disputed boundaries/borders (ex: north of the Rio Grande River)

-Polk's designs on California and New Mexico

-efforts to reach a negotiated agreement failed

-Polk sent troops to the disputed border area to provoke an incident that would result in war (it did)

-1846 -> Mexican troops ambushed American troops, killing/wounding 16 men (due to Polk's instigation)

Mexican-American War

-1846-1848

-The war between the United States and Mexico in which the United States acquired half around (55%) of the Mexican territory

Mexican-American War Gains

Territory:

-around 500,000 square miles total

-California

-Arizona

-New Mexico

-Utah

-Nevada

-Parts of Wyoming and Colorado

-Texas was officially added to the U.S.

*Led to the finding of gold in California (gold rush), as well as the opening of new ports in CA

Mexican-American War Losses

-lots of casualties (13,000 deaths of soldiers)

-costed around $100 million total ($15 million was paid to Mexico)

Advantages the U.S. had over Mexico

-2x more people in their army

-stronger industrial base

-superior artillery

-naval supremacy

-enthusiastic volunteers

-well trained junior officers (most likely trained at West Point)

Mexican-American War's Impact

-Sectionalism became even worse

-politicians couldn't agree if slaves created from Mexican land should determine if the land became a slave or free state

-large money loss

-lots of casualities

Wilmot Proviso

-1846

-proposal that outlawed slavery in any territory gained from the War with Mexico

-proposed by David Wilmot

-added to Southern fears since this was a "rallying cry" for anti-slavery sentiment

-many northern democrats supported this

-passed the HOR but not the Senate

David Wilmot

-Northern Democrat

-served as Representative and a Senator for Pennsylvania

-became part of an informal group of anti-slavery Democrats (barnburners)

-proposed the Wilmot Proviso

-fearful and resentful of President Polk's pro-southern policy

Barnburners

something that someone will do to stop a problem but causes other problems in doing so

Calhoun Doctrine

-1847

-created by John C. Calhoun

-series of resolutions

-created to prevent congress from being able to place restrictions on slavery

-claimed that citizens from every state could take their property to any territory and that Congress had no authority to place restrictions on slavery in those territories

Popular Sovereignty

-A belief that ultimate power resides in the people

(people get to vote/decide on things)

-the notion that settlers should decide whether a territory should or should not allow slaves

Problems with popular sovereignty

-went against previous practice (Congress used to make the decisions for slaves vs. free states)

-practical difficulties

-opposed by southerners who believed in Calhoun's Doctrine

-opposed by northerners who believed that slavery shouldn't be allowed to expand under any circumstances