AICE US History - The Road to Civil War and Reconstruction

AICE US History - The Road to Civil War and Reconstruction

Failed Compromises and Sectional Tensions

• Democrats (South):
  • Advocated for states' rights over federal jurisdiction.
  • Feared that stopping the expansion of slavery would lead to its eventual end and loss of Southern control in Congress.
• Republicans (North):
  • Emerged from a split in the Whig party.
  • Represented the North.
  • Supported halting the expansion of slavery, with some advocating for abolition.
• Election of 1860:
  • Lincoln's victory was due to solid Republican support in the North.
• Source Analysis:
  • Crucial to identify the author's bias based on their affiliation (North/Republican vs. South/Democrat).

Key Vocabulary

• Peculiar Institution: A euphemism used in the South to refer to slavery.
• Federal: National government formed by independent states.
• Platform: A political party's principles and goals.
• Tariff: Tax on goods traded between countries, also known as "custom duty".
• Patronage: Granting jobs or privileges to supporters.
• Agrarian: Relating to land and farming.
• Egalitarian: Belief in equality.
• Yankees: Northerners

North vs. South - Beliefs and Economy

• South:
  • Agricultural economy dependent on slavery.
• North:
  • Industrialized economy with no need for slavery.
• Lower South:
  • Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, and Mississippi.
• Planters:
  • Men who owned plantations with 20 or more slaves.
• King Cotton:
  • The South’s dependence on cotton and slavery.
• Plantation Agriculture:
  • Cash crops like cotton, tobacco, rice, and sugar.

Abolitionism and Moral Issues

• Abolitionists:
  • Advocated for the abolishment of slavery due to moral concerns.
• Abolitionist: Someone who wanted to end slavery
• Evangelical: Passionate belief in Christianity and a desire to share that belief with others
• Segregation: separating groups on the grounds of race.

Impact of Territorial Expansion

• Westward Expansion:
  • Fueled the battle in Congress over free vs. slave state balance.
• Missouri Compromise:
  • Established the $36^{\prime}30^{\prime}$ line, north of which slavery was prohibited.
  • Proved to be a weak compromise that failed to resolve disputes as America expanded west.
• Manifest Destiny:
  • The belief that the USA had a God-given right to take over North America
• Sovereignty: Ultimate power
• Gross National Product: Total value of all goods and services produced within a country.
• Proviso: A provision or condition
• Mid-term elections: The elections of the HOR and the Senate come half way through president’s terms.

Wilmot Proviso and Calhoun Doctrine

• Wilmot Proviso:
  • Proposed law to ban slavery in territories acquired from Mexico (Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, California).
  • Reflected Northern concerns about the expansion of "Slave Power" in government.
• Calhoun Doctrine:
  • Argued citizens could take their property (slaves) to any territory.
  • Supported the idea of popular sovereignty.
• Popular Sovereignty:
  • The concept that settlers should decide on the slavery issue, not Congress.
• Mormons: members of a religious sect. founded in the 1820s by Joseph Smith, a visionary who claimed that an angel appeared to him. The main religious beliefs in the new territories acquired from Mexico. Utah especially.

Compromise of 1850

• Key Provisions:
  • California admitted as a free state.
  • Utah and New Mexico territories could decide on slavery via popular sovereignty.
  • Congress relieved Texas of $10$ million in public debt.
  • Enactment of the Fugitive Slave Law.
• Architect:
  • Henry Clay, a slaveholding Whig Senator.

Origins of the Civil War (1820-1850)

• Core Issue:
  • The South aimed to expand slave states to protect its economy.
  • The North sought to limit slavery’s spread to maintain political power and preserve its industrial economy.
• Balancing Act:
  • The U.S. tried to maintain an equal number of free and slave states to retain balance in the Senate.
• Westward Expansion:
  • New territories intensified debates over the expansion of slavery.
• Population Dynamics:
  • The North’s population grew faster, increasing its representation in the House and political influence.
• Missouri Compromise (1820):
  • Allowed Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, with slavery banned north of the $36°30′$ line.
• Compromise of 1850:
  • California as free state, Utah and New Mexico with popular sovereignty, and a stricter Fugitive Slave Law that deepened divisions.

Widening Sectional Divisions (1850-1856)

• Fugitive Slave Act:
  • Increased Northern opposition as they were compelled to aid in the return of slaves.
• Dred Scott Decision:
  • Ruled that enslaved people were not citizens and had no protection under the Constitution.
  • Outraged the North, demonstrating the power of the "Slave Power" in the South
• Kansas-Nebraska Act:
  • Allowed popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska, leading to violence in "Bleeding Kansas".
• Fall of the Whig Party / Rise of Republican Party:
  • The Whig Party collapsed due to disagreements over slavery, and the Republican Party emerged.
• States’ Rights vs. Federal Power:
  • The South emphasized states' rights to decide on slavery, while the North favored a stronger federal government to limit it.
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852):
  • Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel increased Northern abolitionist sentiment and was condemned in the South.
• Abolitionist Movement Growth:
  • Increased activity and advocacy by figures like Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison.

Republican Victory in 1860

• Abolitionism Growing:
  • Increased Northern support.
  • Fueled Northerners' fears of "Slave Power”.
• Division of the Democratic Party:
  • Split between Stephen Douglas (North), John Breckinridge (South), and John Bell (middle).
• Lincoln-Douglas Debates:
  • Lincoln’s stance on preventing the expansion of slavery clarified his position.
• Divided Votes Helped Lincoln:
  • Lincoln won primarily with Northern votes due to the split in the Democratic Party.

Start of the Civil War (April 1861)

• Reaction to the Election of 1860:
  • Seven Southern states seceded following Lincoln's election.
  • South Carolina was the first to secede.
• Battle of Fort Sumter (April 1861):
  • Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter, initiating the Civil War.
• Lincoln's Aims:
  • Preserve the Union, initially without abolishing slavery.
• Jefferson Davis' Aims:
  • Create a separate republic to continue slavery.

Why the Civil War Lasted 4 Years

• Confederate Strategy Shift:
  • From defense to offense, leading to prolonger battles (e.g., Gettysburg).
• War of Attrition:
  • Heavy losses on both sides prolonged the war, with each army needing time to recover.
• Weak Union Generals:
  • Early Union generals were slow and ineffective, failing to capitalize on victories.
• Anaconda Plan:
  • Union strategy to cut off Southern supplies, a process that took years.
• New Weapons, Old Tactics:
  • Advanced weaponry combined with outdated tactics led to increased casualties and prolonged battles.
• Conscription (Draft):
  • Massive drafts on both sides prolonged the war and prevented a quick conclusion.

Union Advantages

• More Soldiers: Larger population available for military service.
• Federal Money: Superior financial resources to fund the war effort.
• Better Resources: More industrial output and better supplies.
• Control of Railroads: Efficient troop and supply movement.
• Willingness for a Long War: Union leaders, like Ulysses S. Grant, believed a prolonged conflict would favor the Union due to its superior resources.

Confederate Advantages

• Knew the Terrain: Defensive strategy.
• Skilled Military Leadership: Well-trained generals and soldiers.
• Strong Cause: Preservation of slavery motivated resistance.
• Limited Resources: Couldn't sustain a prolonged offensive war.
• Foreign Influence Limited Support: Support from Britain and France was limited.
• Refused Recognition: No recognition of Confederacy as independent nation.
• No Military Help: Britain or France did not send troops

Limitations on Civil Liberties

• Habeas Corpus Suspended:
  • Lincoln suspended habeas corpus to suppress disloyalty and rebellion.
• Divided Opinions:
  • Supporters saw it as necessary, while critics feared executive overreach.
• Davis and Civil Liberties
• Confederate Promise vs. Action: Jefferson Davis (confederate president) said he would protect civil liberties, but still took actions that limited them during the war.
• Martial Law: He authorized martial law (military control over civilian areas) in regions threatened by Union forces, limiting civilian freedoms.
• Habeas Corpus Suspended: Davis also suspended the right to due process (habeas corpus) for draft evaders, allowing them to be jailed without trial.
• Land Confiscation: The Confederate government seized private land to use for military camps, supplies, food (from farmers’ land) and other war-related resources.

Emancipation Proclamation (1863)

• Didn’t End Slavery:
  • Did not immediately free all slaves but declared slaves in Confederate states as free.
• Changed the Purpose of the War:
  • Shifted the war's focus to ending slavery.
• Confiscation Act & Contraband of War:
  • The Confiscation Act and the concept of contraband of war allowed the Union to seize slaves as property when they captured Confederate territory.
• Impact of the Proclamation:
  • The Emancipation Proclamation declared slaves in Confederate- controlled areas to be contraband of war, meaning the Union could free slaves as they conquered Confederate territory.
• Lincoln the Great Emancipator
• Avoiding the Slavery Question: He avoided talking about slavery early in the war to keep support from the border states (states that were on the fence & Lincoln didn’t wanna lose them to the other side)
• Emancipation Proclamation 1863: This military strategy freed slaves in Confederate-held areas; as commander-in-chief, Lincoln gets credit for changing the war’s purpose to include ending slavery.
• Gettysburg Address: Lincoln's 1863 speech honored fallen soldiers and redefined the war as a fight for unity and equality, strengthening Union morale.

Life in Confederate States

• Widespread Poverty:
  • Union blockades and battles disrupted daily life and the economy.
• Government Control:
  • The Confederate government controlled factories and production.
• Total War Economy:
  • Resources were directed toward supporting the military.
• Increased Taxes:
  • Jefferson Davis raised taxes to fund the war.
• Destruction from Battles:
  • Battles damaged cities and farmlands.
• Loss of Faith:
  • Worsening conditions led to declining morale.
• Lack of Nationalism:
  • The South struggled to maintain strong national unity because of hardships increased

Aims and Outcomes of Reconstruction

• Aims of Reconstruction

• Lincoln’s 10% Plan: Quick reunification with minimal punishment for the South.

• Radical Republicans: Protection of African American rights and punishment for the South.

• Military Reconstruction Act: Division of the South into military districts.

• President Andrew Johnson: Lenient approach to restoring the Union.

• Outcomes of Reconstruction:

  • 13th Amendment: Abolished slavery.
  • 14th Amendment: Granted citizenship and equal protection.
  • 15th Amendment: Gave African American men the right to vote.

Success and Failures of reconstruction

• Successes:

  • 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments:
  • Freedmen's Bureau: Provided aid to formerly enslaved people.
  • Freedmen could leave the South:
    African Americans gained the freedom to move north for jobs and education.

• Failures:

  • Black Codes & Jim Crow Laws: Legalized segregation and discrimination.
  • Sharecropping: System of debt and economic dependence.
  • Ku Klux Klan (KKK): Intimidation and violence against African Americans.
  • Racism: This period marked a rise in racism and discrimination against African Americans in America.

• The Compromise of 1877: Ended Reconstruction, removing federal troops and restoring Southern Democratic control.