ap us history unit 5 dbq

AP US History Practice Test: Period 5 (1844–1877)

Our APUSH unit 5 practice test features 26 multiple choice questions covering the years 1844–1877. This period is dominated by the nation’s most profound internal conflict: the Civil War. The war’s transformative effects on the nation, from the abolition of slavery to the redefinition of federal and state powers, are emphasized.

Questions 1–2 refer to following excerpt:

What consequences did manifest destiny have in the mid-19th century, what impact did manifest destiny have on the debate about slavery, questions 3–4 refer to the following excerpt:, what consequences did irish immigration have in america during the mid-19th century, which of the following factors influenced german immigration in american during the mid-19th century, questions 5–7 refer to the following excerpt from a campaign song of the free soil party in the mid-19th century:, how did the free soil party reflect the growing sectional differences of the north and south, which of the following statements best summarizes john brown’s attitude towards efforts to abolish slavery through moral suasion, what attitude did the contemporary republican party have towards the outbreak of the civil war, questions 8–10 refer to the following excerpt:, in what way, if any, was the emancipation proclamation so significant, what impact, if any, did the emancipation proclamation have on the outcome of the civil war, which of the following factors did not contribute to the northern victory in the civil war, questions 11–14 refer to the following excerpt:, what was the primary objective of the 14th amendment, the 14th amendment was particularly significant for which of the following groups, which of the following best describes the southern states' initial reaction to the 14th amendment, the 14th amendment can be seen as a response to which of the following, questions 15–17 refer to the following excerpt:, what was the primary objective of "uncle tom's cabin", how did "uncle tom's cabin" impact the national debate on slavery, which of the following groups would most likely oppose the messages conveyed in "uncle tom's cabin", questions 18–20 refer to the following excerpt:, what was a significant provision of the compromise of 1850, how did the compromise of 1850 address the issue of slavery in washington, d.c., which of the following was a controversial aspect of the compromise of 1850, questions 21–23 refer to the following excerpt:, what was the supreme court's ruling regarding dred scott's claim to freedom, how did the dred scott decision impact the missouri compromise, what was the broader implication of the dred scott decision for territories considering statehood, questions 24–26 refer to the following excerpt:, what central idea does lincoln emphasize in the gettysburg address, according to the excerpt, what is the civil war testing, how did the gettysburg address impact public sentiment during the civil war.

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Unit 5: 1844-1877

General timelines, general maps, course content, manifest destiny, post-1850 sectional conflicts, reconstruction, important terms & people, timeline #1: mexican-american war & pre-civil war developments (1836-1861).

Timeline #2: Civil War (1861-1865)

Timeline #3: Reconstruction (1863-1877)

Map # 1: Conflict over Texas Boundary

Map # 2: Mexican-American War

Map # 3: End of Mexican-American War

Map # 4: Manifest Destiny pre-1850

Map # 5: Post-1850 Compromises & Developments

Map # 6: Secession Timeline

Map # 7: battles in eastern theater (1861-1863), map # 8: battles in western theater (1861-1863), map # 9: battles in kansas-missouri region, map # 10: final union attack & confederate surrender (1864-1865).

Map # 11: Timeline of Readmission to Union

Manifest Destiny:

Situation in texas, background situation in texas.

Mexico inherited Texas after receiving independence from Spain in 1821

When US purchased Louisiana from France in 1803, US tried to claim TX but gave up in 1819 as Mexico refused to give it up

Mexico called for Americans to settle in Texas so they could help boost its economy

Passed a law in 1824 to give cheap land to Americans & 4-year tax exemption

Believed American presence in TX would create a buffer between Mexico & US

Didn't happen as the Americans remained loyal to the US & not Mexico

Thousands of Americans migrated there

Many Southerners migrated w/ their slaves to grow cotton

Americans sought to declare autonomy of TX

Stephen Austin established first government in TX in 1822

Austin and others created governments that tried to claim autonomy of Texas

In the Fredonian Rebellion (1826-1827), one gov tried to claim independence of TX, but the Mexican gov crushed the rebellion​

Mexico thus passed laws to prevent more immigration from the US

This failed, so they lifted the ban in 1833

30,000 Americans (including slaves) were in TX by 1835

Independence of Texas (1836)

In 1830, Mexico made slavery illegal. Also, in 1833, Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna became Mexican dictator & passed laws to limit state power & promote national power

Texans hated the ban on slavery & hated the autocratic rule of Santa Anna, so they got mad

Santa Anna imprisoned Stephen Austin for planning a revolt and Mexican troops came to Texas, so Texas declared independence in 1836

Gen. Sam Houston defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto (in Houston). He killed some Mexican army members & imprisoned Santa Anna (Apr 1836)

Mexican army attacked a Texan garrison at the Alamo in San Antonio (Mar 1836)

Mexican army attacked a Texan garrison at Goliad & killed its members (Oct 1835)

Santa Anna signed a treaty to give independence to Texas (1836)

Annexation of Texas (1845)

First Texan president, Sam Houston, sent agents to DC to petition for annexation

Northerners opposed it as they didn't want such a large slave state to join

Jackson didn't want more sectional conflict, and the next 2 presidents delayed looking into it

As it failed to get annexed by US, it sought to develop itself as a powerful independent nation

Negotiated trade treaties w/ Britain & France​

Question about Texas's annexation became important in election of 1844

Election of 1844 was Henry Clay vs James K Polk

Polk supported annexation; Clay didn't​

However, before leaving office, John Tyler (previous president) already presented to Congress a bill annexing Texas

Thus, Texas became a state in Feb 1845

Situation in Oregon, California, New Mexico

Situation in oregon region.

Oregon territory includes present-day Oregon, Washington, parts of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and British Columbia (Canada)

US & Britain both claimed this land, agreed to "joint occupation" for 20 years starting 1818​

Population of the territory was small, mostly fur traders settled there

In 1831, 4 Nez Perce & Flathead Indians mysteriously appeared in St. Louis

Americans believed it was an invitation to expand westward into Oregon territory

Interest grew in the region for missionaries

Marcus Whitman & his wife Narcissa created an unsuccessful mission among Cayuse Indians

In 1840, more Americans settled in the region, causing a measles pandemic among the Indians

Pandemic killed many Cayuse Indians​

Cayuse Indians blamed Whitman for it, so they killed him, Narcissa, and other whites (1847)

Many Americans settled in the region, along the Pacific Coast

Polk wanted to annex Oregon Territory (1846)

Proposed a compromise to Britain: 49th parallel would divide US & British territory

British minister initially rejected it but later accepted it as he didn't want war

This border of 49th parallel exists today

Westward Migration

Many people migrated from the Midwest region to the West

Most were adventurous young men to migrated for new opportunities

Sometimes whole families migrated to settle as laborers in the West

Some speculators came to take advantage of federal land grants

Some people (especially Mormons) went on religious missions

About 300,000 people migrated from 1840-1860

Most gathered in depots in Missouri or Iowa & loaded their stuff on chartered wagons

Traveled mostly via Oregon Trail

Migration was often slow

Wagons were really slow

Snow in the Rockies could delay the journey

Indians were helpful as guides, but some died in conflict with them

Some had conflict with travelmates

Situation in California & Gold Rush of 1849

US initially had some interests in annexing California

Many Mexicans & Indians lived there

Americans went there as whalers along the coast & as merchants to trade w/ Mexicans & Indians

Later, many Americans settled in Sacramento Valley (a rich agricultural region)

In Jan 1848, James Marshall found gold while working in John Sutter's sawmill in Sierra Nevadas

Wanted to prevent the news from spreading to prevent gold rush, but the news somehow spread

100,000s of people came to find gold (these were known as the 49ers as it was 1849)

Many Chinese people migrated during the Gold Rush

Most got loans to migrate

Some came to find gold, others came to work in auxiliary tasks to support the gold miners

Some gold miners exploited the local Indians & made them perform indentured labor

Few people actually found gold, so most returned home unhappy, but others settled in California

Situation in New Mexico

Spanish had long lived closely with the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico

After Mexican independence, Mexico invited Americans to settle in NM to develop its economy

Same situation as Texas

Many Americans settled in New Mexico, so it became more American than Mexican

There was a thriving commerce between Independence, MO, and Santa Fe, NM

This was called the Santa Fe Trail

Polk wanted to annex Mexico along with California

Mexican-American War (1846-1848)

Causes of mexican-american war.

Mexico challenged the border with Texas

Mexico believed the border was the Nueces river, but US believed it to be Rio Grande River

Nueces river was far north of Rio Grande

Rio Grande River border would add New Mexico territory to the US (which was what US wanted)

[Map is shown below]

President Polk dispatched Zachary Taylor to guard Nueces River. He also sent John Slidell to buy NM and CA from Mexico

Mexico refused Slidell's offer. Thus, Polk told Taylor to advance from Nueces river toward Rio Grande River

One Mexican army attacked Taylor's army, which marked the start of the war (Apr 1846)

When Polk sent Taylor to Texas, he also told the US Pacific naval squadron to occupy the ports in California in case Mexico declares war

The naval squadron also told American farmers in California to prepare for war

After the Mexican army attacked Taylor's army, Polk really quickly asked Congress to approve war

Lots of people opposed the war effort

Polk supported war as he wanted expansion

So many northerners didn't want to expand southward into potential slave territory

Many believed the war effort was useless & straining resources

Some believed it gave Polk too much power to invade any country he wants for no reason

Transcendentalist thinker Thoreau was briefly jailed for refusing to pay taxes

He hated that his taxes will finance the war

Those who supported war were really enthusiastic about it

Believed in gaining "All Mexico!"

Wanted to annex the entire Mexico

Battles of Mexican-American War

President Polk wanted Taylor to take over Northeast Mexico

Taylor took over Monterrey in Sep 1846

Mexicans negotiated an armistice & retreated. Polk believed Taylor couldn't take over Mexico City due to this armistice

Polk told Col. Stephen W Kearny to take over NM and CA. Kearny easily conquered Santa Fe in Summer of 1846

US navy in CA helped a group of US explorers in California (led by John C Frémont) lead the Bear Flag Revolt against Mexico (Jun 1846). American settlers in CA helped with this revolt

Kearny came to CA and joined the Bear Flag Revolt. He finished conquest of CA by Fall of 1846

End of Mexican-American War

Mexico refused to concede after losing CA and NM, so Gen. Winfield Scott launched a final campaign

Scott assembled an army of 14k soldiers and the navy transported it to Veracruz (in Mexico)

The army marched 260 miles to Mexico City (Sep 1847). Before seizing it, Mexico agreed to peace 

Here is a map of this part of the war:

Polk send diplomat Nicholas Trist to Mexico City to negotiate peace treaty w/ Mexico (Feb 1848)

Known as Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)

Mexico gave California, New Mexico, and Rio Grande Texas boundary to the US

US paid $15 million to Mexico for war reparations

Annexation of "All Mexico!" had failed

This map shows the Mexican cession of land as well as the state of Texas:

Post-War Sectional Conflict

Sectional conflict over former mexican territories.

Rep David Wilmot (D-PA) created a bill called the Wilmot Proviso (Aug 1846)

Believed slavery should be prohibited in former Mexican territories​

Passed in House but not Senate

Debated on for years, a really important bill in the sectional conflict

Polk wanted to extend Missouri Compromise line to the West Coast

Also debated on, but not that popular

This issue was unresolved when Polk left office in 1849

Sectional conflict was an important issue in Election of 1848

Democrats had Lewis Cass (MI), Whigs had Zachary Taylor (LA) (the war hero)

Liberty Party (now called the Free-Soil party) had Martin van Buren

Taylor narrowly won, and Free-Soil party elected 10 seats to Congress

In Dec 1849, Taylor asked Congress to admit CA and NM as states

Believed the 2 states would choose to be either free or slave states after gaining statehood

Congress didn't to pass it as it feared both states might oppose slavery

The North had many more anti-slavery developments that the South hated

North passed laws that prohibit gov officials from returning runaway slaves to the South

Known as Fugitive Slave Law

South also hated that territory of Washington DC might abolish slavery

South hated that admission of the new territories as states would upset the 15/15 balance of free & slave states

Compromise of 1850

California is admitted as a free state

The remainder of the former Mexican territories would be divided into Utah & New Mexico territories. They can choose whether slavery is allowed

Fugitive slave law reinstated in the North: Officials must return runaway slaves in the north to their masters in the South

Slave trade would be banned in DC, but slavery itself wouldn't be banned there

New border between New Mexico & Texas would be made

This map shows the state of CA, territories of NM and UT, and the new TX border as part of the Compromise of 1850:

Debate over Compromise of 1850

During winter of 1849-1850, Henry Clay led efforts to craft a Compromise

He created the Compromise in Jan 1850, with the 5 terms expressed in the section above

This was debated on extensively, in 2 phases

First phase: Clay, Calhoun, and Webster debated on it

These were the 3 old people in Congress

All 3 shared broad ideals of nationalism and sectionalism in support of Compromise

Calhoun even had more radical ideas

Wanted 2 presidents: one each for the South and the North

Believed North should stop attacking Southern slavery

Believed North & South should exist peacefully w/o attacking each other

Congress disapproved the compromise, which led to the 2nd phase of debate

Clay got sick, Calhoun died, and Webster was promoted, so all 3 were out of Congress

Second phase: Younger senators debated​

Believed more in boosting the economy than supporting personal liberty

Passing of Compromise of 1850

Pres. Taylor died in Jul 1850, so Millard Fillmore became president

He was more flexible in compromises​

Senator Stephen Douglas (D-IL) wanted to break up the "omnibus bill" (a bill with multiple parts)

Wanted Congress to vote on each part separately

In Sept 1850, Congress approved all 5 components, and Fillmore signed it

Post-1850 Sectional Conflicts:

Developments in franklin pierce's presidency.

Election of 1852 was between Franklin Pierce (D) and Gen. Winfield Scott (W)

Whigs were divided among themselves as they struggled over the issue of slavery

Pierce won because Whigs were divided

Pierce struggled to enforce the fugitive slave law

Many northerners opposed it, so they organized mobs to prevent its enforcement

White southerners had to come to the north to recapture runaway slaves

Pierce was inspired by European liberal revolutions of 1848 to promote the "Young America Movement"

It was an artistic, cultural, and political movement to expand US influence

Pierce sought to conquer more territory

His envoys wrote the Ostend Manifesto , a document explaining how to seize Cuba

When this was leaked to the public, ​northerners hated it as they didn't want another slave state

Hawaii & Canada had also petitioned to join US, but that failed due to slavery issues

It would mess up North/South balance

Pierce also encountered sectional conflict w/ transcontinental railroad

To settle in the unorganized territory, there needs to be communication between East & West

A transcontinental railroad was needed

Location of transcontinental railroad provoked sectional conflict

Northerners wanted it to connect w/ Chicago

Southerners wanted it to connect Southern cities

His Sec. of War, Jefferson Davis, sent James Gadsden to buy a narrow strip of land from Mexico (just south of New Mexico)

This would allow for railroad construction between the Southern cities​

Situation in Kansas & Nebraska

Kansas-nebraska act (1854).

Sen. Stephan A Douglas (D-IL) wanted to organize the territory west of Illinois

This was west of IL, MO, and IA, but east of the new Utah territory

Wanted to clear up the Indians from the area so he could build a railroad there

He proposed the territory of Nebraska (comprising present-day Nebraska & Kansas)

Southerners hated this they thought Nebraska would become a free state

In response to those concerns, Douglas divided the territory into 2

Lower part (Kansas) and Upper part (Nebraska)

Both territories would choose to be free or slave with popular sovereignty

Popular sovereignty: the residents vote on it

Nebraska would likely be free, Kansas would likely be slave​

This would repeal the Missouri Compromise line

This act, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, passed in 1854

The Republican party was created in 1854 for those who hated the Kansas-Nebraska Act

Both Democrats & Whigs who hated the bill joined the Republicans

The Whigs became super divided & ceased to exist by 1856

This map shows the Kansas & Nebraska territories (in the center of the map) after the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854):

Post-1854 Turmoil in Kansas

In 1855, people in Kansas elected the territorial legislature

Lots of pro-slavery people from Missouri settled in Kansas

This increased the pro-slavery votes

Thus, the legislature became majority pro-slavery

Anti-slavery people were outraged & set up their own constitutional convention

Created an anti-slavery government

Failed to achieve statehood as President Pierce denounced them

Pro-slavery people organized an army & sacked the anti-slavery buildings in Lawrence, KS

John Brown, an anti-slavery man, killed 5 pro-slavery people in one night (May 1856)

Known as Pottawatomie Massacre (1856)

He put their bodies on display to discourage pro-slavery people ​from entering Kansas

There continued to be lots of violence in Kansas

Kansas was known as "Bleeding Kansas"​

Final Decision in Kansas

President James Buchanan (elected in 1856) sought to deal with the Kansas situation​

Kansas residents organized a constitutional convention to write their final state constitution

This convention would determine whether Kansas would be free or slave

Pro-slavery people were the majority because of gerrymandering

In 1857, at Lecompton, KS, the convention wrote a pro-slavery constitution

However, when territorial legislature (different from constitutional convention) was elected, anti-slavery people were the majority

Submitted pro-slavery Lecompton constitution to the Kansas residents, who voted against it

Buchanan still persuaded Congress to admit Kansas as a slave state, but it failed in the House

Congress approved a Compromise in April 1858

Pro-slavery Lecompton constitution would be presented again to Kansas voters

If approved, KS becomes slave state​

If not, statehood would be postponed

In the end, the pro-slavery constitution was voted against, and KS became free state in 1861

Developments in Buchanan's Presidency

Election of 1856 & panic of 1857.

In election of 1856, the issue of settlement in the unorganized territory was really important

Democrats chose James Buchanan

Republican party (a new party created in 1854) chose John C Fremont

Native American Party (Know-Nothings) chose Millard Fillmore

Buchanan narrowly won

Buchanan was the 2nd oldest president (after William Henry Harrison)

He was a bit indecisive & timid

There was a financial panic in 1857

Many lower class workers were affected; they switched to Republican party

Arguments For & Against Slavery

Northerners largely opposed slavery

Believed in "free soil" ideology​​

Believed in stopping the westward expansion of slavery

Also believed South promoted the "slave power conspiracy"

Believed South wanted to extend slavery north & threaten North's capitalism

As North sought to attack slavery, the South sought to protect it

Believed the growing cotton economy was crucial to economic success​

Believed slavery was good because slaves had a better life than industrial workers in north​

Believed slavery allowed whites to live a refined life

Believed blacks were biologically inferior

Dred Scott v Sandford (1857)

One of the most controversial court decisions in history

Dred Scott was a Missouri slave who traveled to Wisconsin & Illinois (free territories) w/ his owner

When he returned to Missouri, he believed he was freed as he traveled through free territories

When his owner died, he sued the owner's widow for freedom

Lower courts made Scott free

However, the widow's brother, John Sanford, appealed to state courts, who reversed the decision

Scott then appealed to Supreme Court

Court misspelled Sanford as Sandford

Court was super divided on this issue

Roger Taney (chief justice) believed slaves were property & technically couldn't file a court case

He also b​elieved slaveowners can't be deprived of their property when entering a free state​

Thus, Missouri Compromise was technically unconstitutional

Court ruled that Scott remains in slavery as blacks weren't citizens & don't have the same privileges as whites

This shows that the federal court doesn't have the power to deal with such intimate issues

Republicans sought to reverse this decision

John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry

John Brown (same person who sparked the uprising in Kansas) sought to invade the South

In 1859, he led a group of armed men to invade mountain fortress at Harpers Ferry, VA. Sought to initiate a slave uprising from there

He seized an arsenal, but US troops seized him & sentenced him to death. White southerners feared they wouldn't be safe due to constant uprisings

Emergence of Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln's unsuccessful senate run (1858).

1858 Senate election of IL was Stephen A Douglas (D) vs Abraham Lincoln (R)

Through Lincoln-Douglas debates, Lincoln gained lots of fame & prominence​

Their viewpoints are described below

Each state could decide its own fate for slavery (popular sovereignty)

US will be dominated by whites, and b lacks won't be allowed citizenship

Slavery should be confined to the South & shouldn't spread westward

Westward expansion of slavery decreases opportunities for white immigrants

In the end, Douglas was elected to Senate

Over the next few years, Democrats lost support in Northern cities & Republicans gained support

Lincoln became popular in IL and throughout the nation

Presidential Election of 1860

Democrats were divided by those who supported slavery & those who wanted popular sovereignty for slavery​

Democrats who believed in popular sovereignty nominated Stephen Douglas

Southern Democrats who wanted expansion of slavery nominated John C Breckinridge

Conservative ex-Whigs formed Constitutional Union Party, nominated John Bell

Republicans nominated Lincoln, promoted economic nationalism, believed slavery shouldn't expand

Lincoln appealed to the north by promoting economic nationalism

Believed the south was blocking the north's economic aspirations

Promoted Whig-like ideas: American system, internal improvements, transcontinental railroad

Lincoln wanted no slavery in the West, but he believed he doesn't have the power to regulate slavery in the territories

In the end, Lincoln was elected

Whites in the south believed their position in the US was hopeless as Lincoln was elected

They believed Lincoln was a sectional president & only served the interests of the North

Believed that if Lincoln wanted to stop westward expansion of slavery, pro-slavery South would be a minority in Congress

For these reasons, the South seceded soon after

Secession of the South & Start of War

Election of 1860 & secession of southern states.

Election of 1860 had Abraham Lincoln as Republican candidate

Believed slavery should be confined to the South, didn't want slavery to expand westward

Southern slave states hated Lincoln's vision of America

Since Lincoln opposed slavery in the west, Southern states wouldn't get much influence​

Southern states planned to secede if Lincoln would win

In the end, Lincoln (R) won

Thus, Southern states sought to secede

South Carolina seceded first in Dec 1860; 6 other states seceded by Feb 1861

AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, TX (as well as SC) seceded​

Met in Montgomery, AL, to form Confederate States of America (Feb 1861)

Response from the North was confused

President Buchanan said no state can secede, but there was nothing stopping them​​

Initial Clashes with Confederacy & Failure of Compromise

Confederacy sought to get weapons from all arsenals in their region

Sought to conquer Fort Sumter & Fort Pickens, 2 offshore forts in the Confederacy

Buchanan refused to surrender Fort Sumter to the Confederacy & sent an army there

Confederacy fired at Buchanan's army

Sen. John J Crittenden (KY) proposed the Crittenden Compromise :​

Fugitive slave law reinstated: Runaway slaves would be returned to south

Missouri Compromise line would expand to West Coast (slavery would be allowed south of the line)

All places with slavery currently can keep slavery

This compromise failed:

Republicans in Congress didn't want westward expansion of slavery​

In 1861, when Lincoln was inaugurated, he promoted the vision that the Union can't separate

Believed more in keeping the nation together than in preventing expansion of slavery

Battle of Fort Sumter (Apr 1861)

Major Robert Anderson (Union) was stationed at Fort Sumter. He was running low on supplies, so Lincoln quickly sent supplies to him

Gen. P G T Beauregard (Confederate) bombarded Fort Sumter (Apr 12-13, 1861)

Anderson (Union) surrendered on Apr 14. This was the start of the Civil War

Post-Fort Sumter Secession & Situation in Border States

After the Battle of Fort Sumter, 4 more slave states seceded & joined the Confederacy

VA, NC, TN, AR joined Confederacy

Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware, (& later West Virginia) were border states

They had slavery but supported the Union

Lincoln convinced these states not to secede

They had a high population, so the Union needed them

If Maryland joined Confederacy, Washington DC would be completely surrounded by Confederacy

Here is a map depicting the secession timeline:

Differences in Advantages in North & South

Much larger population

More industrial capacity & weapons

Better transportation & communications systems

Divided opinions about war effort

Much smaller population

Home field advantage (war was mostly fought in south)

More popular support for the war effort

Battles of the Civil War

First battle of bull run (jul 1861).

Union Gen. Irvin McDowell was stationed in Washington DC w/ 30k soldiers

Confederate Gen. P G T Beauregard was in Manassas (30 miles from DC)

Both armies went to creek of Bull Run & fought. Union forces dispersed the Confederacy, but Confederacy counterattacked

Union forces retreated as Gen. McDowell couldn't reorganize them. Showed that the Civil War would be much longer & not an easy Union victory

Creation of West Virginia

Union Gen. George McClellan went to Western Virginia to gain support of the people there

The people in western Virginia opposed secession & supported Gen. George McClellan

The people in this region created a new state called West Virginia, admitted to Union in 1863. It was a border state

Union Successes in the West in 1862

Union forces sought to seize control of Mississippi River

Union forces under David G Farragut went to Gulf of Mexico. They defeated Confederate fortifications at Mississippi River's mouth

They did a surprise attack on New Orleans from the south. Gained control of Port of New Orleans, closed it to Confederate trade  (April 1862)

Confederates under Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston made a defensive line from Fort Henry to Fort Donelson in Tennessee

Union Gen. Ulysses S Grant used ironclad ships to take Fort Henry via Tennessee River. He then took over Fort Donelson (Feb 1862)

He gained control of Tennessee River , forcing Confederates out of Kentucky & western half of Tennessee

Union Gen. Ulysses S Grant sought to conquer Shiloh, TN, so he could destroy Confederate railroad infrastructure

Grant marched w/ 40k men (after winning battles in Tennessee) to Shiloh. Confederate Gen. Johnston & Beauregard surprised him & forced him to retreat

Grant got 25k fresh troops and counterattacked, taking over Shiloh, TN , and Corinth, MS , a major railroad hub

Gen. Braxton Bragg replaced Johnston as Confederate General in West. He gathered forces in Chattanooga, TN, wanted to take over rest of Tennessee

Union forces led by Gen. William Rosecrans sought to take over Chattanooga 

Both forces met in Dec 1862 - Jan 1863 at Battle of Stones River . Confederates withdrew, so Union forces won

Union Failures in the East in 1862

Gen. George McClellan (Union) was commander of Northern forces. Brought 100k men via a roundabout to Richmond by sea

Gen. Thomas J (Stonewall) Jackson (Confederate) marched through Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, was coming toward DC

Lincoln sent 30k troops from DC to face off Stonewall Jackson. Jackson defeated Union army in Valley Campaigns of 1862

Gen. Joseph E Johnston led Confederacy to attack Gen. McClellan's Army outside Richmond

Union forces (under McClellan) partially lost in the Battle of Seven Pines (May 1862)

Robert E Lee replaced Johnston & Stonewall Jackson. He attacked McClellan's army in the Seven Days Battle  (Jun 1862)

Robert E Lee attacked Pope's Army in 2nd Battle of Bull Run (Aug 1862) before McClellan got there. Lincoln recalled Pope & put McClellan in charge of all Union forces in north

Pres. Lincoln told McClellan to go to Northern VA and combine with Gen. John Pope's army. From there, they'd do a direct attack on RIchmond

Union forces (under McClellan) retreated to the East

Battle of Antietam (Sep 1862)

After Gen. Robert E Lee defeated Gen. Pope at 2nd Battle of Bull Run, we went offensive in Maryland

He was going to assemble at Antietam Creek, near Sharpesburg

Gen. McClellan (Union) somehow found out that Lee would assemble at Antietam

Both sides fought at Battle of Antietam

The Bloodiest battle in Civil War

About 6,000 died

Additional 16,000 wounded or missing

Stopped potential Confederate invasion of Washington DC

Union technically won, but both sides were significantly wounded & weakened

McClellan allowed Confederacy to retreat instead of attacking them, so Lincoln recalled McClellan

Emancipation proclamation was drafted a week after the battle

Battles of 1863

Gen. Joseph Hooker (Union) was in charge of northern forces. He sought to attack Richmond

Gen. Hooker became nervous and retreated to forest area. Gen. Lee & Stonewall Jackson attacked him, so Hooker retreated

Huge Confederate victory, stopped invasion of Richmond. Stonewall Jackson was wounded & died of pneumonia. Battle of Chancellorsville (May 1863)

Gen. Ulysses S Grant (Union) attacked Vicksburg, MS. Conquered it after 6 weeks of siege (May-Jul 1863)

Another Union army conquered Port Hudson, LA (May-Jul 1863)

Union forces controlled the entire Mississippi River . They split the Confederacy into 2 pieces

Gen. William Rosecrans (Union) sought to pursue Gen. Braxton Bragg's forces (Confederate) after taking Chattanooga.

Unions lost Battle of Chickamauga (Sep 1863) & retreated back to Chattanooga

Gen. Bragg (Confederate) later sought to seize Chattanooga

Union forces now had control of most of eastern Tennessee & entire Tennessee River (in addition to Mississippi river from earlier)

Gen. Ulysses S Grant (Union) came to help Rosecrans. At Battle of Chattanooga (Nov 1863), Union forces took Chattanooga

Battle of Gettysburg (Jul 1863)

Robert E Lee sought to attack Pennsylvania to divert Union troops from the South

Met at Gettysburg, PA

Gen. George C Meade commanded Union troops

They fought at Battle of Gettysburg (Jul 1863)

Meade made a stronghold on the hills near the town, notably Cemetery Ridge

Confederates failed to attack Union forces on the nearby hills

Lee ordered an offensive assault the next day called Pickett's Charge

15k Confederate soldiers charged up the hills while Union forces kept shooting at them

Only 5k made it up the hill & were weakened

Confederacy lost & retreated

This is significant because it showed that Confederacy failed to invade the North​​

One of the only battles fought in the North

Lincoln made Gettysburg Address in Nov 1863

Only 2 minutes, super important speech

Contains lots of important ideas about freedom

Mentions that the soldiers fought to preserve the unity & freedom of the nation's people

Here is a map depicting the Battles in the East from 1861-1863:

Here is a map depicting the Battles in the West from 1861-1863:

End of the Civil War

Grant's final push in virginia.

Ulysses S Grant became general in chief of all Union armies. Finally Union had a smart & trustworthy general

Grant sought to take Richmond by land. He  brought his 115k men into VA & won Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (May 1864)

Grant kept pushing to Richmond & lost more of his soldiers at Battle of Cold Harbor (Jun 1864) near Richmond

Grant sieged Petersburg  for 9 months (Jun 1864 - Mar 1865)

Grant changed his plan & sought to attack Petersburg , a railroad junction south of Richmond. This would cut off communications from Richmond to rest of Confederacy

Sherman's Final Push in the South

Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman commanded Union troops in the South. Gen. Joseph E Johnston was commander of Confederate troops there

Gen. Sherman kept on advancing toward Atlanta. Gen. Johnston kept trying to maneuver & delay him

Gen. Johnston was replaced with Gen. John B Hood. Hood attacked Union army twice, but he weakened himself

Took Savannah in Dec 1864. Continued to march northward into South & North Carolina to pursue Gen. Johnston (Confederate)

Gen. Sherman & Union forces began " March to the Sea." Marched from Atlanta to Savannah, burned all plantations & towns in their path

In Sep 1864, Gen. Sherman took Atlanta. The Union forces & northerners got really happy & started to support the war more

Final Surrender

After 9 months of battle, Gen. Grant (Union) finally sieged an important railroad junction near Petersburg (Mar 1865)

Gen. Lee (Confederate) lost railroad access to the South. Couldn't get more troops without the railroad

Gen. Lee realized he lost. He met Grant at his home in Appomattox Court House , VA, & surrendered (Apr 1865)

President Davis (Confederate) thought war wasn't over yet. He went to south where he was captured. Some white southerners continued to fight but failed

Gen. Johnston (Confederate) surrendered to Gen. Sherman (Union) 9 days later in Durham, North Carolina

Here is a map depicting the final pushes of Grant & Sherman and the Confederate surrender (1864-1865):

Mobilization of the North

Boosting the northern economy.

Southerners were mostly gone from Congress, so Northern Republicans passed economic bills to promote the war effort

Homestead Act of 1862: People could claim 160 acres of public land & buy it after 5 years

Morrill Land Grant Act (1862). Federal gov gives land to the states to sell to individual people

This money from the land sales is used to finance public schools & colleges

Built transcontinental railroad

Union Pacific & Central Pacific Railroad Co build a line from Omaha to San Francisco in 1869

Finished at Promontory, UT, in 1869

Passed National Bank Acts of 1863-1864

Any bank could join national banking system if they had enough capital

Provided banknotes to these banks

Collected income taxes

Created a uniform system of paper money & issued lots of paper money

Fluctuated in price

Encouraged people to invest in bonds to give the government more money

Promoted industrial & economic development

Boosted production of coal, railroads, etc.

Many workers formed labor unions as they hated new working conditions & lower wages

Raising the Union Army

Union army was very small & weak

Lincoln sought to increase its size

Most soldiers were in state militias & volunteer armies

Congress passed national draft law in Mar 1863

Any young adult male could be drafted

Draftees could escape service by hiring someone else or paying $300 to gov

Many people rioted against the draft law

Immigrants, poor laborers, & most Democrats opposed this

Peace Democrats opposed the war, were known as "Copperheads"

Most famous were July 1863 New York Draft Riots

People burned black businesses, blamed them for the war

Irish immigrants believed blacks would replace them as low-income laborers

Opposition to the War & Wartime Politics

Lincoln hired a cabinet to represent every possible faction & viewpoint of Republican party

Many people opposed the war

Many Democrats (called Peace Democrats) opposed it

Some believed the national gov had too much power & states should get the power to secede

Lincoln used authoritarian methods in his presidency, mostly to suppress opposition

Raised an army & declared war on the South w/o Congress's approval

Believed it was a domestic insurrection, not a real war against another country

Ordered naval blockade of the South w/o Congress's approval

Ordered the military arrest of those who opposed the war

Suspended habeas corpus , the right to report an unlawful detention​

Arrested more than 13k dissidents

Even defied Supreme Court orders

In a case called Ex Parte Merryman , Court ruled Lincoln must free ​a MD secessionist leader who was imprisoned

Lincoln ignored this

In another case ( Ex Parte Milligan ), Court ruled that military arrests were unconstitutional

Lincoln sought to boost popular support for the war

Made pro-war speeches pamphlets, etc.

Told people to take photos of the war to show the sacrifices being made to preserve the Union

Election of 1864

Union party was created

Combined Republicans with pro-war Democrats​

Had Lincoln as president, Andrew Johnson of Tennessee as running mate

Johnson was formerly a Democrat, he was meant to gain support of Democrats​

Democrats had George McClellan (former Union military general)

Wanted peace & truce in the war​

Since the US was in a bad military position in 1863, most supported Democrats (which were anti-war)

After capture of Atlanta (Sep 1864), people realized the Union was in a good military position

More people supported the Republicans / Union party​

In the end, Lincoln won, Andrew Johnson was VP

Women's Involvement in the War

As men went to battlefield, many women took their places

Often teachers, office clerks, mill & factory workers, etc.​

Dorothea Dix was in the US Sanitary Commission, sought to bring women into nursing

Same person in the mentally ill reform movement

By 1900, nursing became almost all female

Many resented having women in the nursing field

Believed women to be incompetent to care for complete strangers

Many women helped care for soldiers at the battlefield

Helped decrease mortality of soldiers​

Many women believed helping in the war was a liberating experience for themselves

Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B Anthony founded National Woman's Loyal League (1863)

Wanted suffrage for themselves in addition to blacks​

Clara Barton founded American Red Cross, promoted women in nursing profession

Emancipation Proclamation

Radical Republicans wanted immediate emancipation for slaves

Conservatives wanted gradual emancipation

At first, Lincoln just wanted to preserve the Union, didn't care much about emancipation

Later, he passed 1st Confiscation Act (1861)

Hated that many slaves were forced to fight for Confederacy

Freed all slaves who fought for the Confederacy

Passed 2nd Confiscation Act (1862)

All slaves whose masters were in Confederate military were free​

Lincoln used these slaves in the Union army

Now, northerners learned that emancipation was the general goal of the war

In Sep 1862, Lincoln signed Emancipation Proclamation

Signed after Union victory at Antietam, needed more blacks to serve in his army

All slaves in Confederacy were free

Didn't apply to border states

Gave moral purpose to war: Showed that war was for emancipation, not just preservation of Union

Allowed European nations to support the Union as they opposed slavery

After Emancipation Proclamation (1863), Union army worked to liberate all slaves in its path

Role of Blacks in the Union War Effort

About 180k former slaves joined Union army

Often faced discrimination from generals as there were few black regiments

Gained popularity after Emancipation Proclamation

Often did behind-the-scenes work like digging trenches, transporting resources

Had unsanitary conditions

Had lower pay than whites (until Congress changed this in 1864)

Robert Gould Shaw was a white man who commanded the 54th Massachusetts regiment

A very famous all-black regiment

The movie  Glory  is based on this regiment

They risk being caught by Confederacy at battle & being returned to their masters

Mobilization of the South

Confederate government.

Confederate constitution gave more rights to the states (much more decentralized)

Jefferson Davis was president

Alexander H Stephens was VP

Limited the power of national government

States had lots of power​

Pres. Davis couldn't declare martial law

Had very strong governmental support for the war

Almost all whites supported war

Still, not everyone supported war

All blacks opposed war (obviously)

Some whites in the poor backcountry opposed war & didn't recognize Confederacy

Most notably West Virginia, which became a separate state in 1863

Raising the Army & Revenue for Confederacy

Generating revenue was hard since they didn't have stable banking system

Most money was invested in slaves → little money left for war

Didn't want to tax the citizens → encouraged them. to invest in bonds

These bonds fluctuated in value

Thus, Confederacy issued lots of paper money

There was widespread inflation as there was no centralized currency system

To raise the army, Confederacy enacted draft law for white males (18-35 y/o)

Like the north, they could hire a substitute

Many slaves would perform auxiliary tasks (laundry, chores, etc.)

Thus, whites were free to serve in front lines​

Sometimes, they took slaves from plantations w/o their masters' approval to work in the military

Confederacy enacted "food draft" where soldiers can feed on any crops from any plantation in their path

Many people opposed this​

Effects of the War on the Confederacy

Economy declined significantly in the South

Cotton lost its markets as it couldn't trade w/ industrial north

Plantation owners w/o slaves lost their workforce since many whites went to battle

Most fighting was in the South → Southern infrastructure, crops, etc. were destroyed

US imposed a naval blockade in the South in 1862 → Food shortage in the South

South had less food as most of its crops were cotton (which wasn't edible)

Many white men served in military → less workforce to harvest food crops at plantations

Naval blockade made this worse → food riots

Many rioted against draft law, food shortage, etc.

Many men were away at war → Women had important managerial roles at home

Some were in charge of plantations

Masters imposed stricter restrictions on slaves as they were scared of slave revolts

Still, many slaves managed to escape to the Union w/ the help of Union troops

Other Wartime Developments

Untrustworthy military commanders.

Lincoln struggled to find a trustworthy military commander for the Union army

George McClellan kept missing opportunities to win, which delayed the Union victory

Lincoln recalled him

Lincoln kept firing & replacing his northern military commanders

Finally, he found Gen. Ulysses S Grant to be trustworthy & smart enough

The smart commanders knew that you need to capture enemy resources to win, not just enemy people

Confederate army was also disorganized, but its commanders were much smarter

Pres. Davis named Robert E Lee as his principal military advisor

However, Lee left the job to command forces on his own​

In 1864, Davis named Braxton Bragg as military advisor, but he didn't do much

In 1865, Davis created formal position of General in chief & made Robert E Lee that role

Most Confederate commanders were graduates from West Point or US Naval Academy​

Still they weren't as smart or capable​

Advantage of Sea Power

North had a very powerful navy

​North imposed a naval blockade of the South​

Very few Confederate ships were able to slip through

Prevented food from getting to Confederacy

Confederacy used ironclad warships to try to breach the naval blockade

Used US ship  Merrimac  and retrofitted it with iron

Renamed it to  Virginia

In March 1862,  Virginia  set sail to attack Union's naval blockade

However, U​nion created its own ironclad ship called  Monitor , which attacked  Virginia

Union's navy took control of Mississippi River in 1863

With this, it could easily transport supplies throughout the Union

South didn't have a good navy, so it could only defend from its fortifications on land

Attempts to Forge European Alliances

Union & Confederacy sought to gain the support of Britain & France

Both European nations were somewhat neutral but kind of supported the South more

Needed southern cotton for its textile mills​

Sought to weaken industrial centers of northeast US

Popular opinion in Britain supported the North

Believed in antislavery

Believed Britain has other cotton markets like Egypt & India

South sought to use "King Cotton Diplomacy" to gain support of Britain (but it failed)

Tried to convince Britain that the South ​had access to cotton which Britain would need

Trent Affair (1861) hurt diplomatic relations between Union & Britain

US warship,  San Jacinto , stopped an English ship,  Trent , in Havana, Cuba, and arrested 2 Confederate diplomats on board

British gov demanded release of the prisoners, so Lincoln agreed as he wanted to avoid conflict

This affair hurt relations between Union & Britain

Wartime Violence in the West

There was a lot of fighting between Unions & Confederates in the West

All western states (except Texas) were in Union

William C Quantrill was captain of Confederacy & organized guerillas to attack Missouri-Kansas border

Sacked Lawrence, KS, in Aug 1863, killing 150 people​ (Lawrence Massacre)

Union troops killed Quantrill afterward

Union guerillas called Jayhawkers attacked Confederates throughout Missouri to get revenge

Battle of Wilson's Creek (Aug 1861) was another major battle in Missouri

Missouri governor Claiborne Jackson sought to secede & conspired w/ pro-slavery forces

Governor Jackson organized an army under Confederate Gen. Ben McCulloch

Union Gen. Nathaniel Lyon attacked Confederate forces led by Gen. Ben McCulloch

Unions were defeated but Confederates were weakened

Some sought to gain support of the 5 Indian tribes in the Indian Territory

Indians were divided among themselves

Some hated slavery & supported north

Others hated the way US treated them & even owned slaves themselves → Supported South

Indians didn't formally ally w/ either side

Here is a map depicting the Battles in Kansas & Missouri:

Wartime Technology

Some new technologies were invented

Samuel Colt invented revolver (repeating pistol) in 1835

Oliver Winchester invented repeating rifle in 1866

These repeating weapons caused so many deaths

People created trenches & fortifications

Used hot air balloons to see enemy fortifications​

Submarines, torpedoes, ironclad warships

Railroad & telegraph were super important

Railroads would transport soldiers

Telegraphs would be used to communicate soldier movements

Often unreliable due to lack of infrastructure & trusted operators

Reconstruction:

Post-civil war situation, emancipation proclamation (jan 1863).

1st Confiscation Act

All slaves used in Confederate military are freed

2nd Confiscation Act

All slaves whose masters are in Confederate military are freed

All slaves in Confederacy are freed

Abraham Lincoln's 10% Plan (Dec 1863)

10% of white voters in Confederate states must take oath of loyalty to the Union & US Constitution

After that, constitutional convention would make a constitution w/o slavery & with Black voting rights. 

Attempted to reconcile the South during the Civil War to avoid more violence. Never really succeeded

Wade-Davis Bill (Jul 1864)

Also attempted to reconcile the South during Civil War. Vetoed by Lincoln as it was too radical

Instead of Lincoln's proposed 10%, it wanted >50% of white voters in the South to take an oath of loyalty to US & give black voting rights

Proposed by Radical Republicans in Congress. Vetoed by Lincoln as it was too radical. Didn't pass

13th Amendment (Jan 1865, ratified Dec 1865)

Abolished slavery throughout the US

Passed in Congress in Jan 1865

Ratified by all states in Dec 1865

Freedmen's Bureau (est. Mar 1865)

Congress was dominated by Republicans as the Democrats of the South seceded & lost their seats

These Republicans (most were Radical) enacted many laws to promote black rights

Congress created Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands

Known as "Freedmen's Bureau"​

Sought to ease transition of blacks into society

Established schools for blacks

Acted as courts to settle disputes between blacks & whites

Assisted the poor

US Army accompanied them

End of Civil War (Apr 1865)

In Apr 1865, Confederacy surrendered to the Union, ending the Civil War

Congress needed to figure out how to readmit former Confederate states to Union & help newly-freed Blacks adapt to society

The Reconstruction is a series of acts enacted by Congress from 1863-1877 to readmit Confederate states to the Union & help former slaves adapt to society

Lincoln's Assassination & Johnson's Ascendance (Apr 1865)

In Apr 1865, Pres. Lincoln was assassinated

VP Andrew Johnson (D) became president​

Johnson was a Democrat & didn't fully support Black rights

He was Lincoln's running mate in 1864 election to gain support of Peace Democrats

Opposed the policies of Lincoln (R) and Radical Republicans in Congress

Sought to prevent Radical Republicans in Congress from enacting the Reconstruction​

Kept vetoing Congressional bills

Johnson's policies were more moderate

Gave many pardons to former Confederates & allowed them to serve in Union gov again

Sought that former Confederate states only reject secession & don't fully give Blacks civilian rights

Only wanted abolition of slavery​

His policies were bad as Southern states only repealed their secession & didn't do much else

Black Codes (1865-1866)

Governments in the South enacted "Black Codes"

Sought to limit the power of Blacks in society after their emancipation as slaves

Mississippi was first state to enact "Black Codes"

Blacks can only rent land within the cities

​Blacks can't do independent farming

Can only work as sharecroppers on White farmers' land

Blacks must be able to show proof of employment or will be arrested

South Carolina was 2nd state to enact "Black Codes"

Had stricter guidelines

Also made sure blacks sign yearly labor contracts as proof of employment

Most blacks were servants or sharecroppers​

Ku Klux Klan (KKK) (Est. Dec 1865)

A group of white supremacists that sought to attack blacks

Founded by 6 ex-officers of Confederate army

Founded in Tennessee​

Attacked, lynched, and assassinated Blacks

State militias were generally unreliable in suppressing the KKK's actions

Many KKK members didn't receive punishment

Freedmen's Bureau Act of 1866 (Feb 1866)

Gave more funds to Freedmen's Bureau

Gave it military authority to persecute civil rights violations

Vetoed by President Johnson as it gave national gov too much power.  Senate failed to override the veto

Civil Rights Act of 1866 (Apr 1866)

Protects Black citizenship rights

Gives Blacks all civil liberties of whites. Gives Blacks right to sue in court

Vetoed by Pres. Johnson as it favors blacks over whites. Senate overrode it

14th Amendment (Jun 1866)

Officially gives citizenship to Blacks born in the US

Gives equal protection under law to Blacks & Whites

Johnson hated this. He can't veto an amendment, so he instead encouraged states not to ratify it. Finally ratified in Jul 1868

Tennessee Readmitted to Union (Jul 1866)

Tennessee was the only ex-Confederate state to ratify 14th amendment ​

Congress rewarded Tennessee by readmitted it to the Union

Memphis Race Riot (May 1866) & New Orleans Massacre (Jul 1866)

Memphis Riots were when mobs of white people started attacking black neighborhoods

Black Union soldiers were partying in the streets & police were called to disperse them

Black soldiers refused to leave, so police called reinforcements & opened gunfire

One officer accidentally shot himself

One Black soldier shot & killed another officer

All the Whites in Memphis blamed those shootings on the Blacks

Mobs of Whites started attacking & looting Black homes, attacked the Black soldiers, etc.

Federal troops came later to end the violence

New Orleans Massacre was when armed whites started attacking anti-"Black Code" blacks

Many Blacks were part of the convention to create the reconstructed Louisiana constitution

Sought to give blacks equality & abolish the "Black Codes​"

As those Blacks were leaving their convention's building, white armed men came & fired at them

Federal troops came to end the violence

These 2 events showed Congress that the South needs to be in stricter control to protect the Blacks

Republican Win in Congressional Election of 1866 (Nov 1866)

Northerners hated growing violence against Blacks in the South. They hated Johnson for vetoing the civil rights acts

Republicans easily won 2/3 majorities in both houses of Congress

This ensured that the Republicans can override any presidential veto & enact their Reconstruction plans

Reconstruction Act of 1867 (Mar 1867)

10 ex-Confederate states in the South (all but Tennessee) would be divided into 5 districts, each ruled by a US army general 

Each state would create a voter registration board & allow black men to vote. Ex-Confederate officials can't hold office

The voters would create a constitutional convention that would create a constitution & ratify 14th amendment

Once enough states have ratified 14th amendment, the state can elect people to Congress. Then, the state is fully Reconstructed

Tenure of Office Act (Mar 1867) & Johnson's Impeachment (Feb 1868)

Republicans relied on Edwin Stanton (Secretary of War) to support US Army's involvement in the South

Congress passed Tenure of Office Act (1867), preventing the president from firing federal officials w/o Senate's approval

Johnson defiantly fired Stanton, so Congress impeached him. Senate narrowly acquitted him. 

More States Readmitted to Union (Jun-Jul 1868)

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina were readmitted to the Union (Jun-Jul 1868)

In Georgia, Democrats removed 28 black congressmen from state legislature. Thus, Georgia was put again under military rule until Jul 1870

Presidential Election of 1868 (Nov 1868)

Republican Congressmen hoped they could have a president that doesn't veto all their plans

Former Union Gen. Ulysses S Grant (R) beat Horatio Seymour (D)

The margin was only 300,000 votes, so Congress wanted to give universal voting rights to Black men to boost their support

15th Amendment (Feb 1869)

Prohibits depriving citizens the right to vote based on color or race

Proposed by Republicans in Congress to boost Republican support in future elections

Forced the 4 unreconstructed states (GA, MS, TX, VA) to ratify it before readmission to Union. Ratified in Feb 1860

Republican Governments in the South

Many Blacks participated in Southern republican governments

Many were elected to local & state offices

Some were even elected to national office

Black voters were a majority of the electorate in AL, FL, LA, MS, and SC

Some whites were also Republican

"Carpetbeggars" were Whites ​who migrated from North to the South to find work

"Scalawags" were native Southern Whites who were Republican

Most were poor & supported centralized Yankee vision of life​

Black Republicans in the South passed laws to end discrimination

Created public schools, railroads, etc.​

Had few factions among them (compared to other political parties)

There was lots of violence toward Republicans

People would refuse to go to their businesses, they'd be attacked, etc.

Most Whites were Democrats & opposed Black equality

First Redeemer Governments (late 1869 - early 1870)

Tennessee becomes the first state to replace its Republican-dominated government with an all-white Democratic one (late 1869). 

Georgia and North Carolina soon create all-white Democratic governments (early 1870). 

US military returns to Georgia

Final Batch of States Readmitted to Union (Jan - Jul 1870)

Virginia, Mississippi, Texas, and Georgia were readmitted to the Union in 1870

This was the 2nd time Georgia was readmitted because US army had to go back there after White Democrats unseated the Black Republicans from state congress. 

The Enforcements Acts / KKK Acts (1870 - 1871)

Meant to preserve Black voting rights & prevent voter intimidation (especially by KKK). Known as Enforcement Acts, Force Acts, or Ku Klux Klan Acts

Enforcement Act of 1870:

Banned discrimination of voter registration based on race or color. Allowed federal marshals to enforce the act

Enforcement Act of 1871:

Allowed federal government to supervise state & local elections in a town of >20k residents

Ku Klux Klan Act (1871):

Allowed president to use militias to suppress any anti-Black activity. Gave federal courts the right to incriminate anti-Black discrimination

End of Reconstruction

End of freedmen's bureau (jul 1872).

Freedmen's Bureau had many successes but was unsuccessful in the long term

White southerners still believed Blacks to be inferior & wouldn't respect Black equality

You cannot change the opinion of millions of White southerners in a few years (obviously)​

Many of the achievements made toward Black integration were undone

Some Whites reacquired the land given the Blacks

Many White Democrats retook Southern governments

Whites still had lots of violence toward Blacks

In Jul 1872, White Southerners pressured Congress to abolish the Freedmen's Bureau

It was also too expensive to maintain & had little reward, so Congress sought to abolish it

Election of 1872 (Nov 1872)

Liberal Republicans hated economic effects of Radical Reconstruction. They supported Democrats

Incumbent Ulysses S Grant (R) beat Horace Greeley (D)

After this, Democrats & Liberal Republicans gained support from those who opposed Radical Reconstruction

"Redemption" of Southern Governments by White Democrats (1872 - 1877)

White Southerners (Democrats) started to take over ("redeem") their state governments

Wanted to return to "home rule" of whites

Believed Radical Republicans to be corrupt

Believed Radical Reconstruction was hurting the economy​

Started in 1869 with Tennessee, but redemption gained momentum in 1872

Bands of white people (notably White Leagues and Red Shirts) invaded Republican capitol buildings

Louisiana witnessed lots of violence between Democrats & Republicans since 1872

In Governor election of 1872, both sides (Dems & Republicans) claimed victory​

Democratic Whites then killed hundreds of Blacks in the Colfax Massacre (1873)

In 1874, "White Leagues" (bands of White Democrats) invaded the capitol building

Pres. Grant used Federal troops to restore Republican government there

Most other states started "redeeming" their governments & returning White Democrat rule

All states had been "redeemed" by 1877

Slaughterhouse Cases (Apr 1873)

Louisiana gave a monopoly to a slaughterhouse. Other slaughterhouses filed a lawsuit against the monopoly, claiming the 14th amendment allows them to freely conduct their labor

Court ruled in favor of the monopoly. Said that 14th amendment is limited to what's written in Constitution & doesn 't include states' privileges to certain individuals

Thus, states can do things that favor certain people over another, and this wouldn't violate 14th amendment

Panic of 1873 (Sep 1873) & Congressional Election of 1874 (Nov 1874)

Panic of 1873:

Collapse in US railroad industry triggered huge financial panic that caused the stocks to fall. People blamed this on the Radical Reconstruction & the Republicans

Congressional Election of 1874:

Democrats took a majority in House of Representatives for the 1st time since Civil War

Significance:

This was a significant event in decline of Reconstruction. Panic of 1873 made many people support Democrats over Republicans in favor of the economy

Civil Rights Act of 1875 (Mar 1875)

Equality of men before the law. Prohibited racial discrimination in public facilities, public transportation, & jury selection

Last federal civil rights law until Civil Rights Act of 1957

Declared unconstitutional by Supreme Court in 1883

Situation in Louisiana & Mississippi (1875)

After the situation in Louisiana with the "White Leagues" in 1874 (described above), Democrats tried to take control of the state gov by putting 5 assembly members in legislature

Louisiana's Republican governor ordered the US army to remove those unelected Democratic assembly members from their seats

This incident provoked backlash in the North as Northern Democrats (and even Republicans) were horrified by the idea of having troops forcibly ejecting legislators

In late 1875, "White Leagues" of Mississippi terrorized the Republican party there & sought to take control of the Republican state government

President Grant refused to send an army there to avoid the political backlash that happened when an army was sent to Louisiana earlier that year (described above)

Thus, Democrats took control of the Mississippi government. Just like this, Democrats took control of many Southern governments

Election of 1876 (Nov 1876) & Compromise of 1877 (Mar 1877)

Rutherford B Hayes (R) vs Samuel J Tilden (D)

Hayes was a Liberal Republican, believed in reforming Republican corruption & enacting​ laws that favor both Blacks & Whites

Tilden was similar to Hayes

Election result was disputed in 3 Southern states

South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana were the 3 only states where US army still remained

In these 3 states, the election result was disputed

If all 3 states voted for Hayes, he'd win by one electoral vote

"Red Shirts" sought to intimidate Blacks & prevent them from voting

However, enough Black voters turned out to give Hayes the victory in all 3 states

In the end, all 3 states gave electoral votes to Hayes, so he won by 1 point

Democrats dominated Congress & tried to slow down the inauguration & transition process

Sought to slow down electoral vote counting

Democrats & Republicans created a political compromise at Wormley's Hotel in DC

Democrats would allow Hayes (Republican) to win the election

However, federal troops must be removed from the 3 remaining Southern states (SC, FL, LA)

This is known as the Compromise of 1877

This Compromise ended Reconstruction as the last federal troops were removed from the South

Link to flashcards:  https://quizlet.com/557729773/apush-unit-5-flash-cards/

The Manifest Destiny was a period in the 1840s when the US acquired lots of land in the West. Mexico called for Americans to settle in Texas to boost the Texan economy, but Texans wanted independence, so after a few battles, Sam Houston won independence for Texas in 1836. Texas was annexed by the US in 1845. Also, the US got half of the Oregon territory in 1846 after a compromise with Britain. The bigger problem was the land in the West: Many Americans settled in the West, and the US sought to annex it as well. A dispute over the boundary of Texas caused the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), and in the end, the US gained so much more territory in the West. The problem was whether these new lands should be free of slavery or not, and this led to the Compromise of 1850. 

The Compromise of 1850 didn't fully resolve the sectional conflict. The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) caused more sectional conflict over the issue of slavery in the unorganized territory east of Missouri & Iowa. Anti-slavery activists caused a lot of turmoil in Kansas as they hated that Kansas as a slave state would repeal the Missouri Compromise. Thus, after a lot of violence (known as "Bleeding Kansas"), Kansas became a free state in 1861. Furthermore, there was more sectional conflict, especially caused by the Dred Scott Supreme Court Case (1857), which provoked lots of controversy about the status of Blacks. Finally, these issues led to political realignment, which ended the Whig party and created the Republican party, a sectional party that advocated for free-soil (no expansion of slavery in the West). The election of Lincoln in 1860 angered the south, which sought to secede from the Union. 

After the election of Lincoln in 1860, the South hated that he only served the interests of the North, so the Southern states seceded from the Union & formed the Confederacy. Lincoln was angered and sought to preserve the Union, but after failing to protect Fort Sumter, the Civil War began. Both the Union & Confederacy mobilized their economies and armies and passed laws to promote the war. The Battle of Antietam (1863) was the deadliest battle, and soon after, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves in the Confederacy. This added a moral cause to the war: The War wasn't just to preserve the Union; it was also to abolish slavery. Lincoln made many pro-war speeches, most notably the Gettysburg Address, which all sought to promote the war effort & restate the causes to preserve the Union. The Emancipation Proclamation also allowed Blacks to flee from the South & join the Union armies, which helped the Union forces win in the end. The Union victory led to many questions about how to assimilate the freedmen (former slaves) into society. 

The Union victory in the Civil War led to the question of how to assimilate the former slaves (freedmen) into society. The Reconstruction was a series of events led by Radical Republicans in Congress that helped assimilate the Blacks into society. After Lincoln's assassination in April 1865, his VP, Andrew Johnson, took over, and he was a white supremacist who tried to sabotage the reconstruction efforts of Congress, but Congress kept overriding his vetos. Congress drafted the 14th amendment, which gave citizenship to all Blacks born in the US. The Reconstruction Act of 1867 put the South under US military control and established a framework for states to be readmitted to the Union, which included giving voting rights to Blacks. Congress passed many more acts, such as the 15th amendment, preventing discrimination of voting rights based on race or color. However, Democrats & Liberal Republicans believed the reconstruction agenda to be too radical as it focused too much on Blacks' rights and not on the economy, and especially after the Panic of 1873, support for the Republicans declined. In 1874, Democrats took majority control of the House of Representatives, and a political bargain in 1877 removed the military from the South, ending the Reconstruction. Throughout the early 1870s, White Southern Democrats had been taking over the Southern Republican governments, reestablishing White rule in the South. Overall, the Reconstruction was unsuccessful in the long term. 

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APUSH Unit 5 LEQ (African Americans in 1840-1880) with Feedback

4 min read • november 18, 2021

Caleb Lagerwey

APUSH Unit 5 DBQ on African-Americans in 1840-1880

Evaluate the extent to which the lives of African Americans changed in the United States from 1840 to 1880.

Student Sample Theses and Feedback

Note : The following student submissions are just of thesis statements, NOT the entire response.

Practice Submission 1

In the period, 1840-1880, through the emancipation of the slaves in the Emancipation Proclamation, 13 Amendment, and the Civil War, the African-Americans were freed from slavery, however, due to efforts of the KKK, Jim Crow Laws, and the wage gap with the African Americans compared to white citizens, the African Americans’ lives were barely changed in the 19th Century.

Teacher Feedback

You clearly know a lot about this time period, but make sure that you’re saving some of your vocab evidence for your body paragraphs. You need evidence to support your thesis, and if you blow all your evidence within the thesis, it’s hard to support your argument with outside evidence later. Your thesis should thus be a bit broader: talk about emancipation as your counterargument, then mention “violent intimidation, segregations, and second-class economic status” instead of your “KKK, Jim Crow Laws, and the wage gap.” (The wage gap was probably fine since you’d mention Sharecropping in a body paragraph as evidence; I just thought I’d widen it a tad).

Practice Submission 2

From 1840, the lives of African Americans somewhat changed as politically, African Americans were freed from enslavement. However, through sharecropping and a crop-lien system, African Americans remained in poverty, were considered socially insubordinates, and economically, had little success.

Nice work on most of your thesis. Make sure you’re saving your evidence for your body paragraphs, so try to avoid using “sharecropping” and “crop-lien system” and just talk about continued rural poverty. Other than that, your thesis made sense and would earn the point!

Practice Submission 3

Although the reconstruction period of the 1860-70’s that characterized the improvement of African American political rights, ultimately the consistencies in economic systems that prohibited slaves and freed African Americans from experiencing true agricultural freedom and the creation of black codes that prevented African Americans from developing a long term political voice defined the limitations that did not allow for a large amount of change in the lives of African Americans in the United States from 1840 to 1880.

Your thesis would earn the point and was well done. Make sure you’re saving your evidence for your body paragraphs–if at all possible–so try to avoid using “black codes” and just talk about continued political discrimination. Other than that, your thesis made sense and would earn the point!

Practice Submission 4

In 1840, African Americans faced discrimination and if they were in the South, were subjected to slavery. By 1880, these situations did not improve much. While African Americans were emancipated and given the right to vote by 1880, African Americans’ lives, especially in the South, changed little, as people found new ways to enslave African Americans and deprive them of their rights by instituting sharecropping system that were essentially slavery by another name, and using methods such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses to deny their suffrage.

Make sure you’re saving your evidence for your body paragraphs–if at all possible–so try to avoid using “literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses” or “Slaughterhouse Cases and the Black Codes” and just talk about continued political discrimination. Other than that, your thesis made sense and would earn the point! You want vocab during the Contextualization part of your introductory paragraph. Where you  don’t  want vocab is in your actual thesis, which is usually the last sentence or two of your intro paragraph. Your thesis needs to specifically answer the question, but it shouldn’t be so detailed that you cannot prove it later in body paragraphs with vocab, thus why you want to save the vocab for later. In your paragraph, for example, it seemed like you were already answering the question via a thesis–which was the prompt on this thread, so good job!–but your thesis listed a bunch of vocab that you should save for later body paragraphs. You actually did this really well with your counterclaim: you talked about emancipation and voting rights and NOT the 13th and 15th amendments, which you can later use to prove that counterclaim.  For the rest of your thesis, I’d suggest talking about categories to argue the same things: African Americans’ lives, especially in the South, changed little, as people found new ways to  keep them in debt and stuck doing farm work for white people  , and using  a variety of political tactics and intimidation to deny them actual suffrage.

Practice Submission 5

Although the legal status of African Americans changed during 1840 to 1880 with the introduction of the Reconstruction Amendments, the lives of African Americans changed to a little extent because of persistent discrimination and rural poverty.

That was a great thesis. Nice usage of categories such that you can support them later with specific evidence. Plus, you set yourself up for complexity!

Practice Submission 6

African-Americans have pretty much always, to some extent, been abused by their lighter-skinned counterparts. However, during the mid- to late-1800s, this mistreatment had the appearance of a bell curve. In this period, African-American life greatly improved during the Reconstruction Era, then dramatically worsened after the Compromise of 1877 due to many factors including a decrease in the influence of the Radical Republicans, the end of martial law in the South and the enfranchisement of Confederate veterans.

Make sure that you’re not getting too specific during the thesis. Save evidence like “Radical Republicans” and the “Compromise of 1877” for later in your thesis. You want to use categories and then add direction or magnitude: talk about how AA gained and lost economic status on their agricultural farms even as they gained political rights and participation on a national level.

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• US History Prediction Bellworks!
• 9 Presidential Decisions Activities BUNDLE! Washington to Lincoln!
• Full US History I Video Curriculum
• Colonial America
• Revolutionary America
• A More Perfect Union
• The Age of Jackson
• Westward Expansion 1800-1850
• Civil War Unit
• Civil War Spies
• Holiday Lessons
• Full Year Bundle
• Unit 1 Gilded Age
• Unit 2 Progressive Era
• Unit 3 American Imperialism
• Unit 4 World War I
• Unit 5 The Roaring 1920s
• Unit 6 Great Depression and New Deal
• Unit 7 America in World War II
• Unit 8 The Cold War
• Unit 9 The Civil Rights Movement
• AP US History WORKBOOKS
• AP US HISTORY DBQ SHEETS
• APUSH DBQ Review Bootcamp!
• APUSH LEQ Review Bootcamp!
• APUSH Exam MEGA Review Activities
• Online Courses
• Presidential Decisions Activities
• AP Human Geography Workbooks
• Start of the School Year Lessons
• Activity Templates & Graphic Organizers
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