Unit 4: Civil War and Reconstruction

Unit 4: Civil War and Reconstruction
The Nation Splits Apart (Ch. 10)
I.
Key Terms:
A. Sectionalism – rivalry and conflict due to regional differences between North and South
B. Abolitionist – campaign to end slavery
C. Popular sovereignty – people vote to decide on allowing slavery in a territory
D. Secession – break away from the Union –South Carolina was first
II.
African American Abolitionist Leaders
A. Frederick Douglas escaped slavery at 20
1. powerful speaker, started The North Star
B. Harriet Tubman created and helped organize Underground RR
1. network of hiding places & transportation
C. Sojourner Truth was a former slave who became an active abolitionist
1. fought for women’s rights
D. Dred Scott - slave from St. Louis; owner died so he sued for his freedom
III.
Differences Between North and South
A. North – industry grew and factories & railroad transportation evolved rapidly
1. abolitionist movement grew stronger due to William Lloyd Garrison & Fredrick Douglas
B. South – plantation farming with cotton as the “king” cash crop
1. traditional values supported pro-slavery views
IV.
The Missouri Compromise, 1820
A. Tried to solve the slavery issue by keeping a balance in the Senate between free/slave states
B. Missouri was admitted as slave state, so Maine was admitted as a free state
C. Created equity in the Senate - 11 free states /11 slave states
D. No slavery north of 36/30 – permitted south of the line
V.
Growth During the 1840’s
A. CA Gold Rush led to surge in population - most 49ers came from free states, so they opposed slavery
B. CA joining the Union would shift balance of power in the Senate in favor of free states
C. Southerners opposed CA joining the Union
D. Southerners wanted to keep balance in the Senate by allowing slavery in the new territories in the West
1. Northerners were opposed to this idea – especially Abraham Lincoln
VI.
The Compromise of 1850
A. Proposed by Henry Clay, the “Great Compromiser”
B. CA entered as free state – 12 free /11 slave
C. Utah Act & Texas and New Mexico Act – slavery decided by popular sovereignty (people voted)
D. Slavery abolished in Washington D.C.
E. Fugitive Slave Act (FSA) was the key provision to the Compromise of 1850
1. FSA was more strict – faced jail and $1,000 fine
2. people earned $ for return of slaves - created fear; many blacks rushed to Canada
3. FSA was the main stipulation to get Southern support - abolitionists were outraged
VII. Uncle Tom’s Cabin
A. Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe
B. Powerful novel inspired by narratives and Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
1. published in 1852 - sold 300,000 copies first year & over 2 million before Civil War
2. raised consciousness of the evils of slavery
3. one of the most important books in U.S. history
VIII. Kansas – Nebraska Act of 1854
A. Repealed the Missouri Compromise
B. Stephen Douglas took the lead in the Senate
1. believed slavery issue should be settled popular sovereignty
2. gained Southern support, but was opposed by Northerners
C. Significance of the KS-NE Act was violence in Kansas over the issue of slavery
IX.
The Struggle for Kansas
A. “Bleeding Kansas” had pro-slavery Southerners vs. anti-slavery Northerners
1. fighting for control of Kansas and “…to the Pacific”
2. Two govts. elected and each claimed to be official
B. Sack of Lawrence – May 1855
1. center of anti-slavery activity
2. Lawrence mostly settled by abolitionists from Massachusetts
3. President Pierce declared Free-soil govt. as the rebels
4. pro-slavery posse burned and destroyed the town
C. Border Ruffians stopped Freesoilers from entering KS
D. John Brown exacted revenge in Pottawatomie Massacre – executed 5 pro-slavery leaders
E. Fighting continued in Kansas because of KS-NE Act
X.
Bloodshed in Congress
A. Charles Sumner (Mass.) delivered speech, “The Crime Against Kansas”
1. Sumner said harsh words towards Southern senators, mostly Andrew Butler (SC)
2. Preston Brooks (SC), Butler’s nephew, confronted Sumner & beat him bloody with a cane
3. Sumner was out of the Senate for 3 years due to the beating - seat sat empty as a reminder
XI.
Election of 1856
A. James Buchanan (D) vs. John Fremont (R)
B. Buchanan became 15th President – he didn’t want to rock the boat
XII. Dred Scott Decision (Scott v. Sanford)
A. Slave in Missouri, but was free when in IL – his owner died while in free state
B. Scott filed a lawsuit to gain his freedom
C. Supreme Court ruling on Dred Scott
1. Slaves were not citizens, but property of their owner
2. Congress had no authority to outlaw slavery
3. Missouri Compromise was ruled unconstitutional
4. Northerners were outraged while Southerners celebrated
XIII. John Brown’s Raid
A. Southerners feared he would start a slave rebellion – he was a hardcore abolitionist
B. Harper’s Ferry, VA – Brown seized a federal arsenal
1. Robert E. Lee & the Marines squashed rebellion
2. Tried, convicted and executed for treason
3. Abolitionists viewed him a martyr (sufferer for a cause)
XIV. Lincoln/Douglas Debates of 1858
A. Campaign in Illinois for the US Senate seat in 1858
B. Abraham Lincoln was a Republican and called “Just Plain Folks”
1. He was relatively unknown when the seven debates started
2. Lincoln stated that the US could not survive as half-slave and half-free states
3. Lincoln viewed slavery as a moral wrong
4. Lincoln did not want slavery to expand into the western territories
C. Stephen Douglas was the incumbent and a Democrat
1. Douglas wanted popular sovereignty to solve the slavery issue
2. Douglas won IL Senate seat, but Lincoln gained national attention
XV. Election of 1860
A. Lincoln (R) vs. Douglas (D), John Breckinridge (Southern Dem) and John Bell (CU)
B. Lincoln became 16th President even though he was not on the ballot in the South
C. Lincoln’s election caused South Carolina to secede from the Union
1. Secession – Southerners feared North controlled govt. would end slavery
2. 10 other southern states followed SC
3. Southerners felt betrayed
D. New nation formed – Confederate States of America
E. Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860 was one cause of the Civil War
XVI. War was Eminent
A. Conflicts that ultimately caused the Civil War
1. Sectionalist views
2. Economic differences
3. Slavery issue
4. Election of Lincoln
B. Lincoln’s stance – preserve the Union!
C. Federal forts and arsenals in the South were under siege
D. Opening shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter, SC on April 12, 1861
1. Union Gen. Robert Anderson led the defense of the fort
2. Confederates attacked w/ massive mounted guns & achieved victory in two days
E. Fort Sumter marked the official beginning to the Civil War
The American Civil War (Ch. 11)
1861-1865
I.
II.
II.
III.
Union vs. Confederacy
A. Confederate advantages
1. Fought a defensive war
2. Defended their homeland
3. Possessed natural skills
4. Biggest advantage was leadership (Robert E. Lee)
B. Confederate weaknesses
1. Few factories
2. Few railroads
3. Smaller population
C. Union advantages
1. 85% of nations industry – greatest resource
2. 70% of nation’s railroads
3. Larger population
4. Stronger navy
D. Union challenges
1. Had to conquer huge area
2. Unfamiliar w/ area
3. Lame generals (early on)
Wartime Leaders
A. President Jefferson Davis - Confederacy
1. Former Secretary of War was highly educated
2. Selected brilliant leaders – turned out to be the South’s greatest advantage early in the war
B. President Abraham Lincoln – Union
1. Strong leader himself, but he needed a great field general
2. Good war planner
3. Highly respected and an inspirational speaker
C. Robert E. Lee’s tough decision
1. Loyalty to his home state of Virginia or Union military and President Lincoln?
2. Lee chose VA over the Union
Strategies
A. Union strategy – developed by Gen. Winfield Scott (Anaconda Plan)
1. Blockade Southern ports
2. Halt the South’s trade with Europe
3. Seize control of Mississippi River – divide Confederacy in half
4. Seize Richmond, Virginia (capital of Confederacy)
B. Confederate strategy
1. Defend Union invasion and wear them out, so they would give up
2. Get support from Europe - $ and supplies
Manassas, Virginia
A. First Battle of Bull Run (July 1861) - spectators enjoyed a picnic
B. General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson led the Confederates
C. Union retreated – literally ran for their lives
D. Battle of First Bull Run proved both sides needed training, especially the Union
1. Demonstrated it was a long and bloody war ahead
IV.
Changes in Technology and Tactics
A. 620,000 Americans died in the Civil War, more than all other American wars combined
B. The Civil War has often been called the first “modern” war and first “total” war
C. Most obvious change in warfare was the armaments that both sides used in battle
D. Introduction of repeating weapons; Samuel Colt patented a repeating pistol (revolver) in 1835
1. More important was the repeating rifle, introduced in 1860 by Oliver Winchester
E. Greatly improved cannons and artillery
F. Soldiers quickly learned that the proper position for combat was staying low to the ground and
taking cover
1. Tactic that was changed during the war was frontal assaults by infantry
G. Critical to the war, were two relatively new technologies: the railroad and the telegraph
1. RR made it possible for the large armies to be moved from place to place
2. Union and Confederate armies strung telegraph wires along the routes of their troops
V.
Naval Action
E. Union blockades of Southern coastal ports became effective
1. Southerners couldn’t export cotton to Europe – lost $ because cotton was primary export
2. Made it difficult to import goods from Europe
3. Difficult to move soldiers and supplies on coasts & Mississippi River
F. Merrimack (Confederate) vs. Monitor (Union) – first combat between ironclad ships
1. Merrimack unsuccessfully attempted to break Union blockade
G. Confederate Hunley was the first submarine to sink an enemy vessel
VI. Battle of Shiloh – March 1862
A. Union, under Grant’s command, was surprised by Confederates - reinforcements arrived w/ Gen. Buell
B. Brutal battle – Peach Orchard & Hornet’s Nest left behind mass carnage
C. Nearly 25,000 died - more than Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Mexican War combined!
D. Shiloh opened the way for Union forces to split the Confederacy in half and gain control of Miss. River
VII. Battle of Antietam – September 17, 1862
A. First engagement in the North – Sharpsburg, MD
B. Union (75,000), led by Gen. McClellan, outnumbered Lee’s Confederate army (40,000)
C. Confederate battle plans found by Union two soldiers - turned plans over to Gen. McClellan
1. McClellan, ever-cautious, delayed for 18 hours before attacking
H. Union troops continually charged the Confederate defenses
1. McClellan only used 2/3 of his troops – 25,000 waited in reserve
I. Confederates withdrew south to VA - North claimed victory
J. McClellan was ordered by Lincoln to pursue and “destroy the rebel army”
1. McClellan hesitated and refused to pursue
K. President Lincoln relieved the general of his command for the last time
L. Bloodiest single day of the war (and US history) – 23,000 casualties
VIII. Battle of Vicksburg - 1863
A. North controlled both ends of river, but Confederates still held Vicksburg
B. Vicksburg was at a key location on Miss. River – fort was atop a hill 300 feet high
C. Grant tried to take the fort, but was denied time and again
D. General Grant’s brilliant plan
1. Eliminate Confederate reinforcements – Grant won 5 battles in 17 days
2. Launched a surprise attack on Jackson, MI to the east, then attacked Vicksburg from rear
E. Six week siege ended on July 4, 1863 when the Confederates surrendered
F. Two goals achieved w/ this victory
1. Union controlled the Mississippi River
2. Confederacy was split in half – satisfied final piece to Anaconda Plan
G. Vicksburg was one turning point in the war
IX. Emancipation Proclamation
A. Declared all slaves were freed in the rebel states (Confederacy) on January 1, 1863
B. Slaves were not actually freed by their owners!
C. Kept slavery in Union and Border States (Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland & Missouri)
1. Lincoln wanted those slave owners to remain loyal to the Union
D. Restoring the Union was the primary objective of President Lincoln
E. Weakened the Confederacy and changed character of the war
1. Union fighting to end slavery too, so they gained support of Europe
2. Also earned allegiance of free Blacks
X. African Americans
A. 200,000 fought for Union - 40,000 killed and earned ½ pay
B. 54th Massachusetts Regiment was first all-black regiment - led by Col. Robert Gould Shaw
1. Attacked Fort Wagner in South Carolina
2. Hailed as one of the fiercest fighting units in the war
3. Earned respect - Secretary of War Stanton recognized them as heroes
C. Emancipation Proclamation gave them hope
D. Proclamation didn’t actually free slaves
XI.
North
A. Called Union, Federals, Blue or Yankees
B. Over two million men served for the Union
C. Filled the ranks by paying bounties and enacted a draft
D. Economy – citizens paid income taxes and luxury taxes, but faced inflation
XII. South
A. Called Confederates, Rebels, Gray or Johnny Rebs
B. Central government led by President Jefferson Davis
C. Shortage of soldiers – 750,000 served in the war, so draft law was enacted to raise more troops
D. Blockade hurt the South badly – lacked food & supplies & prices rose 9,000%
XIII. Women at War
A. Served as factory workers, soldiers in limited capacity, spies and nursing
B. Dorthea Dix led the army nurses
C. Clara Barton started the American Red Cross
XIV. Confederate Victories
A. Fredericksburg (VA) December, 1862
1. Robert E. Lee led Confederates
2. Gen. Burnside (Union) ordered attack, so Lee fell back
3. Confederates dug in on hill & Union advanced six times, but Rebels held position
4. One of the Union’s worst defeats in the war
B. Chancellorsville (VA) May 1863
1. Gen. Lee & Stonewall Jackson led Confederates to victory in 3 days
2. Stonewall Jackson killed after the battle due to mistake by Southern troops
3. Lee stated, “I have lost my right arm”
XV. Gettysburg (PA) July 1863
A. Lee invaded Pennsylvania thinking he could win a major victory on Northern soil
1. England and France might come to the Confederacy’s aid
B. Two armies finally encountered one another in the small town of Gettysburg, PA
C. Two sides clashed in town - Confederates drove Union out, so Union took position above Gettysburg
D. On July 1-3, 1863, they fought the most celebrated battle of the war
E. Lee attacked, even though his army (75,000) was outnumbered by the Union army (90,000) at
Cemetery Ridge even though the Union had a strong position on high ground
1. Longstreet (Conf.) argued with Lee – wanted to march south instead & draw Union after him
2. Lee’s plan was to attack from both sides, create a wedge & break the Union line
F. Lee’s first assault on the Union forces on Cemetery Ridge failed & resulted in heavy casualties
G. July 4, Lee ordered a second, larger effort (15,000), remembered as Pickett’s Charge
1. Lee lost nearly a 1/3 of his army on July 4, the same day as the surrender of Vicksburg
2. Failure of Pickett’s Charge meant the Confederates had lost at Gettysburg
H. Turning point in the war because it was the last Confederate attack on Northern soil
XVIII. Honoring the Dead at Gettysburg
A. 40,000 casualties in the three day battle
B. Ceremony held in November 1863
C. Edward Everett and Abraham Lincoln spoke
D. Gettysburg Address was Lincoln’s most famous speech ever
1. Lincoln wrote the speech on a napkin during the train ride there
2. Few listened at the time and many were disappointed
3. Today the speech is viewed as one of the finest speeches in US history
XIX. The Last Stage – 1864-65: “Total War”
A. Ulysses S. Grant was appointed Commander of Union forces after his triumph at Vicksburg
1. He believed in using the Union’s overwhelming advantage in troops and material resources
2. He was not afraid to absorb massive casualties
B. Grant had planned two great Union offensives in 1864
1. In VA, the Army of the Potomac would advance toward Richmond & force Lee into a decisive battle
a) Phillip Sheridan in Shenandoah Valley, VA destroyed farmland & killed livestock
2. In GA, William T. Sherman, would advance east toward Atlanta and destroy the remaining
Confederate force further south
a) Sherman conquered, then burned Atlanta in September 1864
b) Then marched to Savannah, GA to begin the soon-to-be-famous March to the Sea
 Destroyed the infrastructure of the South (RR, telegraph lines, bridges & roads)
c) “War is all hell,” war should be made as horrible and costly as possible for the opponent
 Civilians suffered and felt the pain of war
 Sought to deprive the Confederate Army of war supplies and RR communications
 Broke the will of Southern people by burning towns & plantations along his route
d) Gen. Sherman offered Savannah, GA to President Lincoln as a Christmas gift
XX. The War Ends
A. Lincoln was re-elected in 1864 - he defeated Gen. George McClellan
B. Final battles – Grant pursued Lee
1. Wilderness – Lee turned Grant back in May 1864
a) forest fire erupted the fighting was so intense
b) month-long Wilderness campaign had cost Grant 55,000 men, to Lee’s 31,000
 Richmond still had not fallen
2. Spotsylvania – fierce fighting in May 1864
a) heavy causalities: Union 32,000 / Confederates 18,000
3. Cold Harbor – June 1864, “It was not war, it was murder”
a) Union lost 7,000 men in 30 minutes
4. Union lost 60,000 men in these battles – Grant was committed to victory “at all costs”
C. Battle of Petersburg - Lee dug in, but Grant kept coming
1. Siege ended after 9 months – Union captured a vital railroad junction
2. April 2, 1865 – the Union was finally victorious
D. Confederate capital, Richmond, fell the same day as Petersburg
E. Lee retreated to Appomattox Courthouse, but was trapped by Union forces
1. Lee recognized that further bloodshed was futile
2. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865 at Appomattox Courthouse
F. Unconditional surrender - Lee maintained dignity & the terms were quite generous
G. The war was finally over!
XXI. Aftermath of War
A. Freedom for nearly 1.5 million African Americans
B. Rebuilding the Union was the main priority
C. Effects of the war - end of slavery in the US
1. 620,000 were killed ~ even more wounded
2. Union lost 365,000 troops (1/6) and Confederates lost 255,000 (1/3)
3. The Union was restored!
Reconstruction (Ch. 12)
I.
Reconstructing the Union
A. Rebuilding the South’s infrastructure and government would take time
B. Freedmen’s Bureau provided food and shelter to former slaves; also assisted poor Whites
1. Schools and educational opportunities – led by Charlotte Forten
C. Ten Percent Plan – Lincoln’s forgiving plan showed leniency toward the South
1. 10% of voters in a state had to pledge loyalty to the Union
2. New govt. required to ban slavery and also support emancipation
3. Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee came back first
D. Wade-Davis Bill – response to Lincoln’s 10% Plan
1. Felt 10% was too lenient
2. Required a majority of White male voters to pledge loyalty to the Union
3. Lincoln vetoed the bill
II. Lincoln’s Assassination
A. April 14, 1865 (5 days after surrender) – simultaneous assassinations were planned
1. George Atzerodt was assigned to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson
a. Got drunk in the hotel bar, lost his nerve and wandered off
2. Lewis Powell stabbed Secretary of State William H. Seward repeatedly, but he survived
B. Ford Theater had no security – Lincoln gave his security detail the night off
1. Enjoyed the comedy, Our American Cousin with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln
C. John Wilkes Booth pulled the trigger
1. Booth believed killing Lincoln would help the Confederacy win the war
2. He was a Southern sympathizer who was a famous actor
3. He expected to be hailed as a hero in the South, but Southerners turned on him
a. They knew President Lincoln was their biggest ally in Washington DC
4. Booth was caught at Garrett’s farm on April 26th and shot in the neck by Boston Corbett
III. Andrew Johnson
A. Vice President took over as President – former Governor of Tennessee (loyal to Union)
B. Mild reconstruction plan – Johnson showed the same mercy towards the South as Lincoln
C. Johnson faced rebellion in Congress
1. Republicans disagreed w/ Johnson’s plan
2. Southern leaders & aristocrats had to apply for pardon
3. Congress vs. President – battle ensued
IV. Black Codes
A. Laws that limited rights of freedmen – goal was to keep Blacks in near slave conditions
B. Blacks couldn’t vote, own guns, or serve on juries
C. Worked mainly as servants or farm laborers
D. Gained some new rights – able to marry and own property
V. Radical Republicans
A. Opposed President Johnson
B. Led by Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania and Charles Sumner of Massachusetts
1. Stevens gave a famous speech on Reconstruction in 1865
C. Main goals of Radical Republicans
1. Southern states must come in as new states or remained conquered
2. Only Congress had the authority to let states back in the Union
3. Break the power of southern planters & give blacks the right to vote
VI. Amendments
A. 13th - Banned slavery in the U.S.
B. 14th - Granted citizenship to all persons born in US and promised “equal protection of the law”
C. 15th - African American men over 21 could vote
VII . Radical Reconstruction
A. Reconstruction Act threw out Southern state governments & divided the South into five military districts
1. New constitutions required for the former Confederate states
2. States must ratify 14th Amendment before joining Union
3. All Blacks were allowed to vote in South
B. Main goal of Congressional Reconstruction was to punish the South
VIII. Impeachment of President Johnson 2/24/1868
A. Primary reason for impeachment was his power struggle w/ Congress over Reconstruction
B. Congress opposed him by impeaching him and putting him on trial
C. Charges unsubstantiated (Senate 35-19)
1. President Johnson was not convicted
IX. President Ulysses S. Grant
A. Defeated Seymour (NY) in 1868
B. 700,000 blacks voted
C. Ineffective leader in Washington DC, but still considered as one of our greatest generals
X. Southern Politics
A. Scalawags – Southern whites who joined Republican Party
1. Viewed as traitors by Confederates
B. Carpetbaggers – economic opportunists from North
1. Moved to the South for cheap land & helped rebuild South’s economy
C. KKK, scalawags and carpetbaggers prospered during Reconstruction
D. Freedmen, blacks who were freed, struggled to find their place in the South
XI. White Southerners
A. Conservatives experienced little or no change
B. KKK – Ku Klux Klan
1. Wanted to keep blacks & white Republicans out of office
2. Used verbal threats & burned crosses
3. Used violence to intimidate - lynching
XII. Rebuilding the South
A. Infrastructure – schools, RR, telegraph lines, bridges & roads
B. Economy - cotton recovered slow, but industry grew
C. Taxes and corruption
1. High taxes created discontent
2. Dishonest governments & representatives scammed the system
D. Poverty - blacks had “…nothing but freedom”
E. Sharecropping – poor whites & black farmers worked for share of crops
XIV. Radicals (1870)
A. Lost power in Congress due to widespread corruption during Grant’s presidency
C. By 1876, only three Southern states were Republican – Florida, Louisiana & South Carolina
XV. End of Reconstruction
A. Election of 1876
1. Samuel Tilden (D) NY vs. Rutherford B. Hayes (R) OH
2. Hayes promised to end Reconstruction
3. Tilden had 250,000 more popular votes and 184 Electoral College votes – 1 shy of getting elected
a) Congress appointed committee
b) All disputed votes went to Hayes, so Hayes was declared the winner
B. Compromise of 1877
1. Rutherford B. Hayes decided to remove all federal troops from the South
2. Hayes also promised to end Reconstruction
3. Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina were the last to return
C. Reconstruction was finally over - all states were back in the Union
XVI. Separate, but not equal
A. Voting Restrictions – kept freedmen from voting
1. Poll taxes, literacy tests & the grandfather clause were used to deny blacks their right to vote
2. KKK intimidated blacks at the polls
B. Jim Crow Laws – created a segregated society in America
1. Placed major restrictions on the rights of African Americans
2. Separation in schools and playgrounds, restaurants, restrooms, etc.
C. Plessy vs. Ferguson – segregation was legal
 Supreme Court ruled “Separate, but equal” public facilities were legal