Standard 3
Regional and ideological differences leading to the Civil War and the impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on democracy in
America.
Day 1Monday
3.1 13 slides
• Political events and issues that divided the nation and led to civil war– Compromises reached to maintain the balance of
free and slave states– The abolitionist movement– The Dred Scott case– Conflicting views on states’ rights and federal
authority– Emergence of the Republican Party– Formation of the Confederate States of America
The Abolitionist Movement• Though the abolitionist
movement ensured slavery would remain a national conversation, it did not significantly impact the actions of the national government
• The numerous petitions abolitionists sent to Congress were stopped by the ‘gag rule’– Gag rule- a rule limiting or
preventing debate on an issue
The Abolitionist Movement• Though the abolitionist movement
involved whites and blacks in the North and the South, it was not extremely popular nor successful– William Lloyd Garrison’s The Liberator
was banned in the South– Most northerners were not abolitionists– The Underground Railroad was not very
successful in the deep south – John Brown’s raid on Harpers’ Ferry
made slave owners determined to protect slavery and fearful of northern intentions
• Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin was successful at gaining support for abolition and resentment of the fugitive slave law
Struggle for Power• Democracy expanded in
the US as new states entered the Union
• Expansion led to the greatest challenge to democracy and the Southern elite became increasingly determined to maintain slavery
Struggle for Power• As new western states applied for admission
to the Union, sectionalism increased as the divisions between the interests of the regions grew
• The struggle to maintain the balance of power between slave and free states in the federal government was rooted in the compromises at the Constitutional Convention– Equal representation of the states in the Senate– Representation based on population in the House
• Due to increased immigration in the North and westward expansion, southern states were losing power in the House– This led Southerners to fight to maintain an equal
number of slave and free states in the Senate
Maintaining Balance• In 1820, the Missouri
Compromise was passed to regulate the states entering the Union in the Louisiana Territory– Maine entered as a free state– Missouri entered as a slave
state– The 36˚30’ line was
established to divide the remaining territory• North of the line was free• South of the line was slave
Day 2Tuesday
Maintaining Balance• The annexation of Texas
was delayed for almost a decade because of the divisiveness of admitting another large slave state
• Northerners saw President Polk’s willingness to give up the 54˚40’ in Oregon, while provoking a war with Mexico over southwest territories as favoring slavery
Maintaining Balance• The Wilmot Proviso was
proposed to regulate the states entering the Union in the territories gained from the Mexican War– All states would be “free soil”, not
open to competition of slave labor with that of free white labor
• The Proviso passed in the House but was stopped in the Senate– This was further evidence to
southerners that they must maintain the balance of slave and free states in order to protect their ‘peculiar institution’
Maintaining Balance• The gold rush in 1849 sped the population
of California and its application for statehood as a free state– This would upset the balance in the Senate
• The Compromise of 1850 was passed to regulate the states entering the Union in the territories gained from the Mexican War– California entered as a free state– All other states would be determined by
popular sovereignty• Popular Sovereignty- a system in which the
residents vote to decide an issue
– Sale of slaves was prohibited in DC– A fugitive slave law was to be enforced by the
federal government• Fugitive slave law- designed to ensure that escaped
slaves would be returned into bondage
Maintaining Balance• The Kansas-Nebraska Act
overturned the Missouri Compromise’s 36˚30’ rule– Established popular sovereignty
in the region
• Pro-slavery and anti-slavery supporters rushed to Kansas to populate and fix votes– The confrontation turned
“Bleeding Kansas” into a battleground
• The violence that occurred led to the forming of the Republican Party
Slavery and the Supreme Court• In 1856, Dred Scott, a slave who had
previously been taken north of the 36˚30’ line, sued for his freedom based on the conditions of the Missouri Compromise– The Supreme Court ruled against Dred
Scott declaring the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional
• The Supreme Court determined that because slaves were property and the Constitution protected the right of slave owners to their property regardless of where they took their slaves– Congress could not make a law
restricting the expansion of slavery
Slavery and the Supreme Court• The Dred Scott decision split
the Democratic Party– Northern Democrats feared that
the Supreme Court, dominated by southern Democrats, might rule state laws against slavery unconstitutional
– This meant popular sovereignty would not be effective in restricting the spread of slavery
• This split allowed the Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln, to win the election of 1860
Day 3Wednesday
Republican Party• The Republican Party’s platform
of free soil did not mean complete abolition of slavery– Free soil means stopping the
spread of slavery into territories– Non slave-owning whites did not
want to compete with slave labor in the territories
• With the election of Abraham Lincoln, many southerners began to fear slavery would be abolished throughout the country
Republican Party• Lincoln’s election in 1860 led southern
states to meet in a convention and pass articles of secession– They believed their rights as states were
being violated by the federal government
• Secessionists believed that Lincoln and the federal government would not allow slavery to expand into the territories– This would upset the balance of power in
the Senate, allowing for Congress to vote to abolish slavery
• To protect slavery, South Carolina secessionists led other southern states in seceding from the Union– The Confederate States of America was
formed and soon occupied federal forts that were located in the South
3.2 9 slides
• The Civil War and its impact on democracy– Major turning points– Impact of the Emancipation Proclamation– Unequal treatment of African American units– Geographic, economic, and political factors of the
Union victory– Defeat of the idea of secession
Split of a Nation• Secession challenged
democracy• President Lincoln
pledged to preserve the Union and democracy
• Confederates fired on federal troops stationed at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, SC
Influences during War• Economic Resources
– The Union had greater industrial capacity, miles of railroad tracks, manpower, and navy
– The Confederacy depended on “King Cotton” and Britain to provided manufactured goods and ships
• Strategy based on Geography– The Union’s Anaconda Plan included
splitting the South at the Mississippi River, taking the capital at Richmond, and blockading southern ports
– The Confederacy’s strategy was to seek support from Britain and defend their region until the North tired of the war
Influences during War• Military Leadership– South had an advantage in
both military leadership and geography• Robert E. Lee effectively
moved the men and material via railroads between battle fronts in the East and the West
• Southerners were also more familiar with their home terrain
Influences during War• Political Leadership
– President Jefferson Davis was not able to get the Confederate states to effectively work together
– President Lincoln was able to articulate the purpose of the war as the preservation of the Union and retain sufficient public support to continue the fight despite military defeats• Emphasized a “government of
the people, by the people and for the people”
Day 4Thursday
The Emancipation Proclamation• Lincoln feared freeing slaves would
undermine the unity of the North by irritating the border states– Border states- slave states that did not
secede from the Union
• Emancipation was originally promoted as a ‘military measure’ against the Confederacy but it took on a greater role– Diplomatic- Britain could no longer
support the South due to opposition of slavery
– Political- the South had the chance to make peace and keep their slaves prior to the enactment of the Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation• The Proclamation did not immediately
free all slaves– Slaves in regions under Union control and
border states were not included– Confederate states were likely to ignore
President Lincoln
• Slaves fled to Union lines– African Americans were allowed to enlist
in the US Army– African Americans served in segregated
units under the command of white officers– The 54th Massachusetts regiment attacked
Fort Wagner in Charleston Harbor, SC
• Slaves were freed as their homeland was captured by Union forces
Influential Battles• Fort Sumter
– Apr. 12, 1861 in S.C.– Confederate troops attacked the
Union fort• Bull Run/Manassas
– July 21, 1861 in V.A.– Confederates defeated the Union
• Antietam– Aug. 29-30, 1862 in M.D.– Union defeated the Confederates– 26,000 casualties
• Vicksburg– May 18- July 4, 1863 in M.S.– Union defeated the Confederacy
gaining control of the Mississippi River
• Gettysburg– July 1-3, 1863 in P.A. – Union defeated the Confederacy
over 3 days with 100,000 casualties
• Atlanta– July 22, 1864 in G.A.– General Sherman burned the city
to the ground
Influential Generals• General Ulysses S. Grant commanded the Union
forces and began the strategy of ‘total war’– Total war- a war in which every available weapon is
used and the nation’s full financial resources are devoted
• General William T. Sherman’s ‘March to the Sea’ destroyed the South – Burning cities, farms and crops, destroying up railroad
tracks, killing livestock, and salting fields
• General Robert E. Lee commanded the Confederate forces and had a superior military knowledge – As the war progressed, the South lost their support
from Britain, faced dwindling supplies, and devastating losses
• General Lee surrendered to General Grant on April 9, 1865 at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia
Impacts of War• The outcome of the Civil War
had a profound impact on the course of democracy– It preserved the Union while at
the same time liberating an enslaved minority
• Even with the Union’s defeat of the Confederacy and the federal courts ruling secession null and void, the idea of states’ rights was never defeated
3.3 7 slides
• The effects of Reconstruction on southern states and the federal government
• Impact of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments on African Americans
Beginning of Reconstruction• Southern states suffered
devastating damage to factories, farms and transportation systems, and heavy loss of men– The federal government
believed it was the responsibility of individuals and state governments to rebuild southern infrastructure
• The goal of Reconstruction was to re-establish full participation of southern states in the Union
Beginning of Reconstruction• Reconstruction policies of
the federal government expanded democracy and significantly impacted southern society– The federal government
took an active role in protecting the rights of the freedman against the dominate white southern society
Day 5Friday
Radical Reconstruction• Southern actions “radicalized”
Reconstruction policy– Determined to retain their way of life,
despite the military defeat– States passed Black Codes to replace slave
codes– Former Confederate officers and officials
were elected to Congress– Citizens and vigilante groups engaged in
violence against the freedmen
• Congressional Reconstruction plan– Passed by the “Radical Republicans”– Split the former Confederacy into five
military districts– Enforced the Reconstruction Amendments– Impeached President Andrew Johnson
Reconstruction Amendments• By amending the Constitution, Congress expanded democracy to
protect the rights of the freedmen– The 13th Amendment freed slaves throughout the US
• Southern states were required to recognized this before forming new governments
• Black Codes were passed to limit the rights of the newly freed slaves
– The 14th Amendment recognized the citizenship of African Americans• Overturned Dred Scott• Provided ‘equal protection’ and ‘due process’
– The 15th Amendment ensured the right of all male citizens to vote• Male citizens could not be denied based on ‘race, creed or previous condition
of servitude’ • Resulted in some African Americans being elected to state legislatures and
Congress
• Federal troops attempted to protect these rights against terrorist tactics of the Ku Klux Klan
Reconstruction Governments• White Republicans from the North were
known as ‘carpetbaggers’ by southern whites
• Southern-born ‘scalawags’ wanted to rebuild the South in cooperation with the Republican Reconstruction governments
• Newly enfranchised African Americans made up a majority state legislatures, just as they made up a majority of the population in some southern states
• State governments created social service programs and public schools to improve conditions for all people
Changes for Freedmen• The Reconstruction Amendments
allowed African Americans to create some social freedom– Many left the plantations to look for
sold family members, but most were unsuccessful and soon returned
– African Americans formed their own churches
– The Freedmen’s Bureau established schools for the former slaves who had been denied the right to an education under slavery
– Black colleges were established
Challenges for Freedmen• Freedmen made significant social
and political progress during Reconstruction, but they made little economic progress– The Freedmen’s Bureau-
• Helped negotiate labor contracts between former slaves and landowners
• Provided a system of courts to protect the rights of former slaves
• Negotiated sharecropping agreements– Sharecropping left former slaves in a
position of economic dependence and destitution
3.4 4 slides
• End of Reconstruction– Role of anti-African American factions– Competing national interests– Removal of federal protection for freedmen– Jim Crow laws– Voter restrictions
The End of Reconstruction• When the federal government
abandoned their role of protector, democracy was compromised and the rights of African Americans were limited by southern state governments– Anti-African American factions (Ku Klux
Klan) were organized to intimidate black voters in the South
– African Americans were able to vote only with the protection of federal troops
– There were never enough troops to protect African Americans from intimidation, violence, and lynchings
– The ‘Solid South’ would remain under the control of white Democrats until the Civil Rights Era
The End of Reconstruction• The nation’s interest shifted to the corruption in
the Grant administration, economic depression in the North, western settlement, and economic growth
• Reports of violence against African Americans made Northerners believe nothing would ever change in the South
• Resistance of southerners in granting equal citizenship to African Americans lessened the public and Congress’ resolve to protecting freedmen
• The disputed election of 1876 led to the Compromise of 1877– Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was elected– Federal troops, and their protection, were removed
from the South– Officially ended Reconstruction
• The effect of Reconstruction was temporary and African Americans were left to fend for themselves
Day 6Monday
Post Reconstruction• Southern whites used race to drive a
political wedge between poor black farmers and poor white farmers
• Southern states passed laws requiring African American and whites to use separate facilities– Segregation was upheld by the Supreme
Court in the ‘separate but equal’ ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
– Negated the equal protection provision of the 14th Amendment
– African Americans were relegated to second class citizenship in a society that was separate but not equal
– Jim Crow Laws replaced black codes and restricted African Americans in the South
Post Reconstruction• Poll taxes and literacy tests all but
eliminated the effectiveness of the 15th Amendment– The grandfather clause assured that whites
who could not read or pay the tax were able to vote
• Sharecroppers and tenant farmers faced increasingly difficult economic conditions when cotton prices fell
• African Americans were discriminated against in hiring when textile mills opened in the late 1880s
• Many African Americans fell farther into poverty and some migrated to the cities of the North
3.5 4 slides
• Varied responses of African Americans to the restrictions imposed on them in the post-Reconstruction period– Booker T. Washington– W.E.B. DuBois– Ida B. Wells-Barnett
African American Leaders• African Americans responded to
the restrictions placed upon them by the Jim Crow laws and their loss of the vote through poll taxes and literacy tests
• African American leaders emerged who were united in their determination to attain full citizenship but were divided as to the best strategy to pursue
• The strategies each advocated depended on personal background and the audience that each addressed
Booker T. Washington• Born a slave• Received an education during
Reconstruction• Founded the Tuskegee Institute
– Provided vocational training for African Americans
– Blue Collar: welders, blacksmiths, skilled laborers
– George Washington Carver developed new crops to aid poverty-stricken farmers while at the Institute
• Equality comes from contributing to the economy
• Did not speak openly against Jim Crow and Segregation
W.E.B. DuBois• Born free (north)• Educated (PhD from Harvard)• African Americans should gain
educations that suit their talents– White Collar: doctors, lawyers,
professionals
• Opposed Washington’s strategy• National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)– Full social and political equality
• Popular in the black community, but not white
Ida B. Wells-Barnet• Born a slave• Educated in a “freedom school”
during Reconstruction• Became a teacher and newspaper
writer• Forcibly removed from a railroad
car and forced to sit in a colored-only car
• Outspoken and critical of Jim Crow • Anti-lynching crusade
– Considered a militant
• Raised awareness of the conditions for African Americans in the nation