American History EOC Scholarship Packet Notes

Civil War and Reconstruction

Important Dates and Events (Chronological Order)

Compromise of 1850: A series of laws that attempted to resolve the territorial and slavery controversies arising from the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). It aimed to maintain a balance between free and slave states.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Published: A novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852 that depicted the harsh realities of slavery. It significantly influenced the abolitionist movement and public opinion in the North.
Kansas-Nebraska Act: Passed in 1854, it allowed residents of Kansas and Nebraska to decide on slavery by popular sovereignty, repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and leading to conflict.
“Bleeding Kansas”: A series of violent political confrontations in the Kansas Territory between 1854 and 1861, involving pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions.
Caning of Charles Sumner: In 1856, Congressman Preston Brooks attacked Senator Charles Sumner with a cane in the Senate chamber, due to Sumner’s strong anti-slavery speech.
Dred Scott Case Decided: The Supreme Court’s 1857 decision that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in U.S. territories.
John Brown’s Raid: Abolitionist John Brown led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859, hoping to start a slave rebellion. The raid failed, and Brown was executed.
Abraham Lincoln Elected: Abraham Lincoln's election as President of the United States in 1860, without a single Southern state vote, triggered southern secession.
South Carolina Secedes from the Union: South Carolina formally declared its secession from the United States in December 1860, following Lincoln’s election.
Attack on Ft. Sumter: Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, in April 1861, marking the beginning of the Civil War.
Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg: Both in 1863 these battles marked turning points. Gettysburg was a major Union victory in Pennsylvania, and Vicksburg gave the Union control of the Mississippi River.
Civil War Ends: The Confederate surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, in April 1865, marked the end of the Civil War.
Lincoln Assassinated: President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in April 1865, shortly after the Civil War ended.
Johnson Impeached: President Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1868 for violating the Tenure of Office Act, though he was acquitted by the Senate.
Grant Elected: Ulysses S. Grant was elected president in 1868, and served two terms focused on Reconstruction and combating the Ku Klux Klan.
Rutherford B. Hayes Becomes President: Rutherford B. Hayes became president in 1877 after a controversial election and the Compromise of 1877, which also ended Reconstruction.
Reconstruction Ends: The formal end of Reconstruction in 1877, marked by the withdrawal of federal troops from the South and the restoration of local control.

Definitions and Descriptions

Sectionalism: Loyalty to the interests of one's own region or section of the country, rather than to the nation as a whole, which was a major factor leading to the Civil War.
Abolitionists: Individuals who advocated for the end of slavery. They ranged from peaceful activists to more radical figures like John Brown, who used violence.
Fugitive Slave Act: Part of the Compromise of 1850, it required that all escaped slaves were, upon capture, to be returned to their masters and that officials and citizens of free states had to cooperate in this law.
Dred Scott Decision: The 1857 Supreme Court ruling that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress could not ban slavery in U.S. territories.
John Brown’s Raid: In 1859, John Brown led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, aiming to initiate a slave insurrection. It heightened tensions between the North and South.
Secession: The act of formally withdrawing from membership of a federation or body, especially a political state. Southern states seceded from the Union, leading to the Civil War.
Jefferson Davis: The President of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.
Emancipation Proclamation: Issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, it declared that all slaves in Confederate-held territory were to be freed. It changed the focus of the war to include ending slavery.
Appomattox: The location of the Appomattox Court House in Virginia, where Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant in April 1865, effectively ending the Civil War.
Reconstruction: The period after the Civil War, from 1865 to 1877, focused on rebuilding the South and reintegrating it into the Union, as well as addressing the rights of newly freed slaves.
Freedmen’s Bureau: Established in 1865, this federal agency aided freed slaves and war refugees in the South by providing education, healthcare, and legal assistance.
“Black Codes”: Restrictive laws passed in Southern states after the Civil War to limit the freedom and rights of African Americans.
Hiram Rhodes Revels: The first African American to serve in the U.S. Senate, representing Mississippi from 1870 to 1871 during Reconstruction.
Poll Tax: A tax levied as a qualification for voting. It was used in the South to disenfranchise African American voters.
Grandfather Clause: A provision in Southern state constitutions that allowed white individuals who could not meet voting requirements (like literacy tests or poll taxes) to vote if their ancestors had voted before the Civil War, thus excluding African Americans.

Causes of the Civil War

Cause	What Happened?	Significance?
Uncle Tom’s Cabin	Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel depicted the harshness of slavery.	Increased Northern abolitionist sentiment, angered the South, and deepened the divide over slavery.
Compromise of 1850	Series of laws addressing slavery and territorial expansion.	Temporarily eased tensions but included the Fugitive Slave Act, which intensified Northern opposition to slavery.
Kansas-Nebraska Act	Allowed popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska territories.	Led to “Bleeding Kansas,” a violent conflict over whether these territories would be free or slave, intensifying sectionalism.
Fugitive Slave Act	Required the return of escaped slaves to their owners.	Intensified Northern opposition to slavery, leading to personal liberty laws designed to undermine the Act, further dividing North and South.
John Brown’s Raid	Abolitionist John Brown attacked Harpers Ferry to incite a slave rebellion.	Heightened tensions between North and South, with Southerners viewing Brown as a terrorist and some Northerners viewing him as a martyr.
Dred Scott Case	Supreme Court ruled that slaves were not citizens and Congress could not prohibit slavery in territories.	Increased Northern outrage over slavery and limited the power of Congress to regulate slavery in the territories, deepening the divide between North and South.
Lincoln’s Election	Abraham Lincoln elected president in 1860 on an anti-slavery platform.	Prompted Southern secession, as Southern states believed Lincoln would abolish slavery and violate their states' rights.
Attack on Fort Sumter	Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in Charleston, SC.	Marked the start of the Civil War, uniting the North to preserve the Union and leading to a protracted conflict between North and South.

Reconstruction

Comparing Presidential Reconstruction and Radical Reconstruction

	Presidential Reconstruction	Radical Reconstruction
Carpetbaggers
Where are they from:	Northerners who moved to the South after the Civil War.	Northerners who went to the South after the Civil War.
What did they do:	Seen as exploiters who came to profit from the South's misfortune. Some sought to modernize the South, while others were accused of corruption.	Sought to enforce civil rights and voting rights for African Americans and implement reforms in the South.
Why were Southerners against them:	Seen as intruders exploiting the South's economic and political turmoil for personal gain.	Perceived as intruders imposing Northern values and control, undermining Southern traditions and way of life.
Scalawags
Where are they from:	Southerners who supported Reconstruction.	Southerners who cooperated with Reconstruction efforts.
What did they do:	Cooperated with federal policies and the Republican Party, often for economic or political advantage.	Backed federal regulations and the Republican Party during Reconstruction, often seeking political or economic advantage but seen as traitors by many white Southerners.
Why were Southerners against them:	Seen as traitors to the South, betraying their heritage and siding with the North.	Considered traitors to the Southern cause by many white Southerners, seen as aiding the North in imposing its will on the defeated Confederacy.

Black Codes

Laws enacted in Southern states after the Civil War that severely restricted the rights and freedoms of African Americans. They were designed to maintain a system of white supremacy and control over the newly freed slaves.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws enacted in the Southern United States from the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries. Enforced racial segregation in public facilities, transportation, education, and other aspects of life.

Challenges to the American Farmer and the West

Important Dates and Events (Chronological Order)

California Gold Rush: Beginning in 1848, the discovery of gold in California led to a massive influx of settlers, transforming the region’s demographics and economy.
Treaty of Fort Laramie: 1851 treaty between the U.S. government and various Native American tribes, aiming to establish peace and define territorial boundaries. It often failed due to violations by both sides.
Homestead Act: Passed in 1862, granted 160 acres of public land to settlers who agreed to live on and cultivate it for five years, encouraging Western settlement.
Massacre at Sand Creek: In 1864, Colorado militia attacked and killed over 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho Native Americans, mostly women and children, leading to increased conflict.
Battle of Little Big Horn: In 1876, the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes defeated General Custer's 7th Cavalry, a significant victory for Native American resistance.
Dawes Act: Passed in 1887, it aimed to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal lands into individual allotments. It resulted in the loss of significant Native American land and the disruption of tribal structures.
Oklahoma Land Run: In 1889, the U.S. government opened up unassigned lands in Oklahoma, leading to a rush of settlers claiming land, and further displacing Native Americans.
Wounded Knee Massacre: In 1890, U.S. soldiers massacred over 200 Lakota Native Americans at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, marking the end of the major Indian Wars.
William McKinley Versus William Jennings Bryan in the Presidential Election: The 1896 election pitted Republican William McKinley, who supported the gold standard, against Democrat William Jennings Bryan, who advocated for bimetallism (silver standard), a key issue for farmers. McKinley won.

American Farmer and the American West: Definitions and Descriptions

Sitting Bull: A Lakota chief and holy man who led his people during years of resistance against United States government policies. He was killed during an attempt to arrest him.
George Armstrong Custer: A U.S. Army officer and cavalry commander who was killed along with his command at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.
Populism: A political movement that sought to represent the interests of ordinary people, particularly farmers, against the established elite. It advocated for reforms like bimetallism, government regulation of railroads, and direct democracy.
Assimilation: The process by which a person or group's culture comes to resemble those of another group. Often used in the context of Native Americans being forced to adopt American customs and lifestyles.
Exoduster: African Americans who migrated from states along the Mississippi River to Kansas in the late 1870s, seeking to escape racial discrimination and violence in the South.
Grange: A farmers' association founded in 1867 to advance the social and economic needs of American farmers. It played a significant role in advocating for state regulation of railroads.
Morill Act: Federal laws passed in 1862 and 1890 that provided land grants to states to establish agricultural and mechanical colleges.

Gold Standard and Silver Standard Supporters

	Gold Supporters	Silver Supporters
Who?	Bankers, industrialists, and business owners.	Farmers, miners, and debtors.
What they wanted?	A monetary system based on gold.	A monetary system based on both silver and gold (bimetallism).
Why?	Believed it would maintain a stable economy and prevent inflation.	Believed free coinage of silver would increase the money supply, raise crop prices, and ease debt burdens.
Effects?	Favored creditors and those with fixed incomes but limited economic growth potential.	Would have led to inflation, benefiting debtors but destabilizing the economy.

Homestead and Dawes Acts

	Homestead Act	Dawes Act
Who was the Act aimed at?	American citizens, including freed slaves, and immigrants willing to settle and cultivate Western lands.	Native Americans living on tribal lands.
What did the Acts offer?	Offered 160 acres of public land to any adult who agreed to live on and cultivate it for five years.	Divided tribal lands into individual allotments, typically 160 acres for heads of household and 80 acres for single adults. Aimed to assimilate Native Americans into American society.
What was the purpose of these Acts?	To promote Western settlement and agricultural development by providing opportunities for land ownership.	To break up tribal lands, assimilate Native Americans into mainstream American society by encouraging individual land ownership and farming, and open up additional land for white settlers.

Rise of the Populist Party (Effect)

Increased agricultural output, leading to lower prices and economic hardship for farmers, which fueled the Populist movement.

Causes	Effects
High railroad rates	Increased government regulation of railroads
Deflation and limited money supply	Called for bimetallism (free silver)
Farmers’ debt	Advocated for government-owned storage facilities
Economic hardship for farmers	Political mobilization of farmers
Lack of political representation for farmers’ interests	Formation of the Populist Party

Industrial Revolution

Timeline of Events

Transcontinental Railroad Complete: Finished in 1869, it connected the East and West coasts, promoting trade, settlement, and economic growth.
Munn v. Illinois: In 1877, the Supreme Court upheld the power of state governments to regulate private industries that affect the