Comprehensive Study Guide for United States and South Carolina History
Westward Expansion and Sectionalism in the 1800s
Manifest Destiny
During the 1800s, the United States held strong beliefs regarding westward expansion, central to which was the concept of Manifest Destiny.
This belief held that God had granted the American people the land across the continent and that they had a divine mandate to spread their power and influence from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Sectionalism and Regional Disputes
Sectionalism had a profound impact on the United States, effectively dividing the nation into Northern and Southern regions.
The primary points of contention involved disputes over tariffs and the institution of slavery.
Economic disparities fueled this division: the North was characterized by an industrial economy with more factories, while the South remained primarily dependent on agriculture.
The Nullification Crisis
John C. Calhoun, serving as the Vice President, played a pivotal role in the Nullification Crisis.
He threatened that South Carolina would secede from the Union due to federal tariffs placed on businesses, which he believed unfairly targeted Southern interests.
The Jacksonian Era and the American Frontier
President Andrew Jackson and the "Common Man"
Andrew Jackson earned the title of the "common man" because of his upbringing in modest circumstances rather than among the elite.
He positioned himself as a supporter of hardworking men and claimed to deeply understand the struggles and experiences of the general populace.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830
The Indian Removal Act was enacted with the goal of forcibly removing indigenous people from their tribal lands.
These populations were moved further north into designated Indian Territory.
This policy directly led to the tragic event known as the Trail of Tears.
The Antebellum Era: Conflict and Compromise
The Abolitionist Movement
The primary purpose of the abolitionist movement during the antebellum era was to bring an absolute end to the institution of slavery in the United States.
The Missouri Compromise of 1820
This compromise established a geographical boundary at the latitude line of .
This line was intended to divide free states and slave states: states to the North were designated as free, while those to the South were designated as slave states.
The Denmark Vesey Incident
Occurring in Charleston, South Carolina, this was a failed slave revolt.
The plot was revealed to white authorities when some individuals involved in the conspiracy told their masters.
The aftermath was severe; many people involved in the plot were hanged.
The incident created massive fear among the white population as they realized how impactful the revolt could have been if successful.
The Escalation to Civil War
"Bleeding Kansas"
The Kansas-Nebraska Act resulted in a period of intense violence known as "Bleeding Kansas."
The act opened Kansas to voting on the issue of slavery, prompting both pro-slavery forces and anti-slavery "Free Soilers" to rush into the territory to influence the outcome.
The ensuing violent clashes between these groups resulted in the deaths of 56 people.
Dred Scott v. Sandford
The Supreme Court ruled that African-Americans were not citizens of the United States.
The court also ruled that Congress did not have the authority to ban slavery anywhere in the country.
This ruling effectively turned the United States into a "slave nation," as African-Americans were stripped of their rights and legal standing.
John Brown's Radicalism
John Brown was an abolitionist who believed that the problem of slavery could only be resolved through violence.
He led an unsuccessful slave revolt at Harpers Ferry.
Brown was ultimately caught, captured, and subsequently hanged for his actions.
The American Civil War in South Carolina
Fort Sumter
The Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in 1861 is historically significant as it marked the official beginning of the American Civil War.
Union Military Strategies
The Union employed a strategy of "Total War" in South Carolina.
They aimed to strangle the Confederacy using naval blockades and by seizing vital ports.
The Anaconda Plan and Coastal Operations
The Union seized Port Royal to serve as a base of operations for their naval blockade.
The Anaconda Plan involved:
A blockade of all Southern ports.
Splitting the Confederacy in two at the Mississippi River.
Capturing "the tail" (referring to the Southern regions).
A specific blockade was also maintained at Charleston.
The HL Hunley
The HL Hunley was the first combat submarine in history to successfully sink an enemy ship.
However, after the successful attack, the submarine sank and failed to return to the surface.
Sherman’s March to the Sea
General Sherman’s campaign through South Carolina included burning down most of the capital city, Columbia.
Upon seeing the destruction, the city of Charleston surrendered to Union forces to avoid being burned down.
Reconstruction and the Gilded Age
The Reconstruction Era (Post-1865)
The main goal of Reconstruction was to rebuild the relationship between the Union and the former rebel states.
The government sought to bring the country back together as quickly as possible.
Sharecropping
Sharecropping was a system where laborers provided work in exchange for a share of the crops produced on the land.
This impacted both Freedmen and poor whites by creating a new form of slavery through debt.
Landowners forced sharecroppers to pay high prices for materials, which trapped them in an ongoing cycle of debt.
The Freedmen’s Bureau
This agency was crucial in managing the transition from slavery to freedom.
The bureau helped build schools, provided food and clothing, and assisted former slaves in locating family members who had been separated during slavery.
The Reconstruction Amendments
13th Amendment: Abolished slavery.
14th Amendment: Established birthright citizenship and guaranteed equal protection under the law.
15th Amendment: Granted the right to vote to all men in the United States.
Voting Restrictions in the "Solid South"
Despite the 15th Amendment, literacy tests and poll taxes were implemented in the South specifically to prevent freedmen from exercising their right to vote.
The Second Industrial Revolution and Progressivism
Gilded Age Government and Business
The government maintained a close relationship with big businesses, providing companies with land grants.
This gave the impression that the government favored the interests of the wealthy over the common people.
Monopolies and Robber Barons
Monopolies occurred when one business completely overrode all smaller competitors within a specific industry category.
"Robber Barons" were powerful businessmen known for using "dirty tactics" to eliminate or consume small businesses.
Lack of government control led to low wages, dangerous working conditions, and long work hours for employees.
Women’s Suffrage
The right for women to vote was federally protected in 1920 with the passage of the 19th Amendment.
Black Progressive Era Leaders
These leaders operated under the extreme disenfranchisement of Jim Crow laws and the threat of lynching.
Booker T. Washington: Advocated for Black people to secure jobs and economic stability gradually over time.
W.E.B. DuBois: Demanded immediate equality and civil rights.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett: Focused her activism on ending lynching, improving education, and addressing segregation.
World War I and the Great Depression
Outbreak of World War I
The specific incident that triggered the war in Europe was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which occurred while he was traveling in a car to visit a hospital.
M.A.I.N. Causes of WWI
Militarism: The buildup of military forces in preparation for war.
Alliances: Complex networks of countries agreeing to join one another in conflict.
Imperialism: The desire of nations to acquire more land and territory.
Nationalism: An expression of extreme national pride.
United States Entry into WWI
The U.S. Congress voted to enter the war due to the Zimmerman Telegram and the practice of unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany.
The Great Migration
In the early 1900s, many people moved West and North seeking jobs vacated by soldiers and hoping for a better life free from Southern racism.
A significant cultural effect of this movement was the Harlem Renaissance.
WWI Homefront in South Carolina
The war created high demand for textile mills (producing uniforms) and led to the establishment of military bases, though it also brought political tensions.
Isolationism Post-WWI
America's return to isolationism weakened the League of Nations and contributed to the growth of Nazi parties globally.
The Great Depression Causes
Misuse of credit: People spent more money than they actually possessed.
Corporate deception: Companies lied about their financial health.
Bank mismanagement: Banks invested people's money without permission.
Stock market speculation: Buying stocks on credit.
Modern History: New Deal to Civil Rights
The New Deal
President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the New Deal with three primary goals: Relief, Recovery, and Reform.
World War II
The immediate cause for America's entrance into WWII was the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The Doolittle Raiders: Six months after Pearl Harbor, they flew planes to bomb Japan, proving that Japan was not "invincible."
Civil Rights in South Carolina
Briggs v. Elliott: A significant South Carolina case that became part of the larger Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling, leading to the desegregation of U.S. schools.
Orangeburg Massacre: A protest against segregation at a bowling alley near South Carolina State University resulted in 3 deaths and 27 injuries.
Confederate Flag: Governor Nikki Haley signed the order to have the Confederate flag removed from the South Carolina State House following the tragic killing of 9 Black men.
Modern Economy
South Carolina's modern economy is heavily influenced by international business, specifically Boeing, the world's largest commercial jet producer, which operates a major plant in Charleston.
Westward Expansion and Sectionalism in the 1800s
Manifest Destiny
During the 1800s, the United States held strong beliefs regarding westward expansion, central to which was the concept of Manifest Destiny.
This belief held that God had granted the American people the land across the continent and that they had a divine mandate to spread their power and influence from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Sectionalism and Regional Disputes
Sectionalism had a profound impact on the United States, effectively dividing the nation into Northern and Southern regions.
The primary points of contention involved disputes over tariffs and the institution of slavery.
Economic disparities fueled this division: the North was characterized by an industrial economy with more factories, while the South remained primarily dependent on agriculture.
The Nullification Crisis
John C. Calhoun, serving as the Vice President, played a pivotal role in the Nullification Crisis.
He threatened that South Carolina would secede from the Union due to federal tariffs placed on businesses, which he believed unfairly targeted Southern interests.
The Jacksonian Era and the American Frontier
President Andrew Jackson and the "Common Man"
Andrew Jackson earned the title of the "common man" because of his upbringing in modest circumstances rather than among the elite.
He positioned himself as a supporter of hardworking men and claimed to deeply understand the struggles and experiences of the general populace.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830
The Indian Removal Act was enacted with the goal of forcibly removing indigenous people from their tribal lands.
These populations were moved further north into designated Indian Territory.
This policy directly led to the tragic event known as the Trail of Tears.
The Antebellum Era: Conflict and Compromise
The Abolitionist Movement
The primary purpose of the abolitionist movement during the antebellum era was to bring an absolute end to the institution of slavery in the United States.
The Missouri Compromise of 1820
This compromise established a geographical boundary at the latitude line of .
This line was intended to divide free states and slave states: states to the North were designated as free, while those to the South were designated as slave states.
The Denmark Vesey Incident
Occurring in Charleston, South Carolina, this was a failed slave revolt.
The plot was revealed to white authorities when some individuals involved in the conspiracy told their masters.
The aftermath was severe; many people involved in the plot were hanged.
The incident created massive fear among the white population as they realized how impactful the revolt could have been if successful.
The Escalation to Civil War
"Bleeding Kansas"
The Kansas-Nebraska Act resulted in a period of intense violence known as "Bleeding Kansas."
The act opened Kansas to voting on the issue of slavery, prompting both pro-slavery forces and anti-slavery "Free Soilers" to rush into the territory to influence the outcome.
The ensuing violent clashes between these groups resulted in the deaths of 56 people.
Dred Scott v. Sandford
The Supreme Court ruled that African-Americans were not citizens of the United States.
The court also ruled that Congress did not have the authority to ban slavery anywhere in the country.
This ruling effectively turned the United States into a "slave nation," as African-Americans were stripped of their rights and legal standing.
John Brown's Radicalism
John Brown was an abolitionist who believed that the problem of slavery could only be resolved through violence.
He led an unsuccessful slave revolt at Harpers Ferry.
Brown was ultimately caught, captured, and subsequently hanged for his actions.
The American Civil War in South Carolina
Fort Sumter
The Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in 1861 is historically significant as it marked the official beginning of the American Civil War.
Union Military Strategies
The Union employed a strategy of "Total War" in South Carolina.
They aimed to strangle the Confederacy using naval blockades and by seizing vital ports.
The Anaconda Plan and Coastal Operations
The Union seized Port Royal to serve as a base of operations for their naval blockade.
The Anaconda Plan involved:
A blockade of all Southern ports.
Splitting the Confederacy in two at the Mississippi River.
Capturing "the tail" (referring to the Southern regions).
A specific blockade was also maintained at Charleston.
The HL Hunley
The HL Hunley was the first combat submarine in history to successfully sink an enemy ship.
However, after the successful attack, the submarine sank and failed to return to the surface.
Sherman’s March to the Sea
General Sherman’s campaign through South Carolina included burning down most of the capital city, Columbia.
Upon seeing the destruction, the city of Charleston surrendered to Union forces to avoid being burned down.
Reconstruction and the Gilded Age
The Reconstruction Era (Post-1865)
The main goal of Reconstruction was to rebuild the relationship between the Union and the former rebel states.
The government sought to bring the country back together as quickly as possible.
Sharecropping
Sharecropping was a system where laborers provided work in exchange for a share of the crops produced on the land.
This impacted both Freedmen and poor whites by creating a new form of slavery through debt.
Landowners forced sharecroppers to pay high prices for materials, which trapped them in an ongoing cycle of debt.
The Freedmen’s Bureau
This agency was crucial in managing the transition from slavery to freedom.
The bureau helped build schools, provided food and clothing, and assisted former slaves in locating family members who had been separated during slavery.
The Reconstruction Amendments
13th Amendment: Abolished slavery.
14th Amendment: Established birthright citizenship and guaranteed equal protection under the law.
15th Amendment: Granted the right to vote to all men in the United States.
Voting Restrictions in the "Solid South"
Despite the 15th Amendment, literacy tests and poll taxes were implemented in the South specifically to prevent freedmen from exercising their right to vote.
The Second Industrial Revolution and Progressivism
Gilded Age Government and Business
The government maintained a close relationship with big businesses, providing companies with land grants.
This gave the impression that the government favored the interests of the wealthy over the common people.
Monopolies and Robber Barons
Monopolies occurred when one business completely overrode all smaller competitors within a specific industry category.
"Robber Barons" were powerful businessmen known for using "dirty tactics" to eliminate or consume small businesses.
Lack of government control led to low wages, dangerous working conditions, and long work hours for employees.
Women’s Suffrage
The right for women to vote was federally protected in 1920 with the passage of the 19th Amendment.
Black Progressive Era Leaders
These leaders operated under the extreme disenfranchisement of Jim Crow laws and the threat of lynching.
Booker T. Washington: Advocated for Black people to secure jobs and economic stability gradually over time.
W.E.B. DuBois: Demanded immediate equality and civil rights.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett: Focused her activism on ending lynching, improving education, and addressing segregation.
World War I and the Great Depression
Outbreak of World War I
The specific incident that triggered the war in Europe was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which occurred while he was traveling in a car to visit a hospital.
M.A.I.N. Causes of WWI
Militarism: The buildup of military forces in preparation for war.
Alliances: Complex networks of countries agreeing to join one another in conflict.
Imperialism: The desire of nations to acquire more land and territory.
Nationalism: An expression of extreme national pride.
United States Entry into WWI
The U.S. Congress voted to enter the war due to the Zimmerman Telegram and the practice of unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany.
The Great Migration
In the early 1900s, many people moved West and North seeking jobs vacated by soldiers and hoping for a better life free from Southern racism.
A significant cultural effect of this movement was the Harlem Renaissance.
WWI Homefront in South Carolina
The war created high demand for textile mills (producing uniforms) and led to the establishment of military bases, though it also brought political tensions.
Isolationism Post-WWI
America's return to isolationism weakened the League of Nations and contributed to the growth of Nazi parties globally.
The Great Depression Causes
Misuse of credit: People spent more money than they actually possessed.
Corporate deception: Companies lied about their financial health.
Bank mismanagement: Banks invested people's money without permission.
Stock market speculation: Buying stocks on credit.
Modern History: New Deal to Civil Rights
The New Deal
President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the New Deal with three primary goals: Relief, Recovery, and Reform.
World War II
The immediate cause for America's entrance into WWII was the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The Doolittle Raiders: Six months after Pearl Harbor, they flew planes to bomb Japan, proving that Japan was not "invincible."
Civil Rights in South Carolina
Briggs v. Elliott: A significant South Carolina case that became part of the larger Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling, leading to the desegregation of U.S. schools.
Orangeburg Massacre: A protest against segregation at a bowling alley near South Carolina State University resulted in 3 deaths and 27 injuries.
Confederate Flag: Governor Nikki Haley signed the order to have the Confederate flag removed from the South Carolina State House following the tragic killing of 9 Black men.
Modern Economy
South Carolina's modern economy is heavily influenced by international business, specifically Boeing, the world's largest commercial jet producer, which operates a major plant in Charleston.
Flashcard Questions
What is Manifest Destiny?
How did sectionalism impact the United States during the 1800s?
Who played a pivotal role in the Nullification Crisis?
What was the Indian Removal Act of 1830?
What were the primary goals of the Reconstruction Era?
What does the 14th Amendment establish?