USH

Essay Questions

14th Amendment

The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, adopted in 1868, is divided into four sections:

1. Definition of Citizenship: Defines citizenship and guarantees equal protection under the law for all citizens, including former slaves.

2. Apportionment of Representatives: Penalizes states that deny voting rights to male citizens by reducing their representation in Congress.

3. Disqualification from Office: Disqualifies individuals who have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States from holding public office.

4. Public Debt: Validates the public debt of the United States and prohibits claims for compensation for slaves freed during the Civil War.

Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared all slaves in Confederate territory to be free. This bold strategy:

1. Changed the war's objective from preserving the Union to also fighting for the abolition of slavery.

2. Allowed African American soldiers to join the Union Army, significantly increasing its manpower.

3. Weakened the Confederacy by depriving them of their slave labor force.

4. Paved the way for the eventual abolition of slavery with the 13th Amendment.

Review Questions

• . President of the Confederacy: Jefferson Davis

• 2. Events following Lincoln's election:

  • Several Southern states seceded from the Union.

  • The Confederacy was formed.

• Lincoln's plan after secession: To preserve the Union and end slavery.

• States that seceded: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

• Start of the Civil War: The Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861.

• Significance of the 1866 Congressional election: Republicans gained control of Congress, allowing them to pass Reconstruction legislation.

• Reconstruction leadership: President Andrew Johnson, later replaced by President Ulysses S. Grant.

• 13th Amendment: Abolished slavery throughout the United States.

• 15th Amendment: Guaranteed African American men the right to vote.

• African American rebuilding efforts: Established schools, churches, and communities; participated in politics.

• End of Reconstruction: The Compromise of 1877, which withdrew federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction.

Significant Terms

1. Freedmen's Bureau: A federal agency established to provide assistance to former slaves.

2. Ku Klux Klan: A white supremacist organization that terrorized African Americans during Reconstruction.

3. Radical Republicans: A faction of Republicans who advocated for harsh punishment of former Confederates and equal rights for African Americans.

4. Carpetbaggers: Northerners who moved to the South during Reconstruction, often to participate in politics or business.

5. Scalawags: Southerners who collaborated with the Radical Republicans and supported Reconstruction efforts.