History to 1877 FINAL Study Guide

What was "Slave Power," and why did many northerners feel threatened by it?

"Slave Power" was what Republicans called the South's proslavery political leadership system. Republicans claimed that slavery prohibited social mobility, leaving poor whites poor, aristocrats idle at the top, and slaves laboring. Northerners feared losing factory and labor jobs to slaves if slavery were to spread North and West.

ESSAY: What were main causes leading to the Civil War? Which ones you think were the most critical and why? Explain each issue and how they culminated in southern secession and armed conflict.

1. Dred Scott Case - ruled that slaves were allowed in territories in the US (Basically repealed the Kansas-Nebraska Act) 2. John Brown's raid at harpers ferry (abolitionists overran the federal armory and took it over before being put down and executed for treason) It enflamed racial tensions and sectional tensons between the north and south. The South looked at it as the North trying to destroy their way of life (their economy was built on slavery and cotton) 3. The election of an anti-slavery northern, abraham lincoln. Many in the south saw it as their livelihood and entire culture was going to be destroy so GG. formation of the republican party was a threat to southerners 4. Missouri compromise and constant struggle between balance of free and slave states (also cessesion of states)

What were the sources, goals, and competing visions for Reconstruction?

1. Lincoln wanted to reunify the north and south2. 10 percent plan for a southern state to be readmitted into the union once 10% of voters swore an oath of allegiance3. Johnson believed African Americans had no role to play in reconstruction4. Johnson granted free hand and local affairs5. North turned against Johnson due to how he handled the southern governments

What were the social and political effects of Radical reconstruction in the South?

1. Outbusts of political organization2. Action to remedy long standing grievances3. Union league aided blacks in public sphere4. Union had been restored5. Southern states held public majorities6. 2000 african americans occupied public offices, 14 in the house of reps, 2 in senate7. Carpetbaggers who were northerners held office in the south.8. Established the south's first state supported public schools.9. new government Pioneered civil rights legislation10. Republicans took steps to strengthen the position of rural laborers and promote the souths economic recovery

What are the 4 R's of reconstruction?

1. Rights - slave rights 2. Reunification 3. Reconstruction 4. Redemption

Who were the 3 native women we talked about in class and what were the known for?

1. sacagawea - guiding lewis and clark 2. marie dorion - accompanied astoria pacific fur trade which was the group that founded the oregon trail 3. Mae Timbimboo parry - shared the story of the bear river massacre with her grandson, darren parry.

Explain the justifications for the doctrine of manifest destiny, including material and idealistic motivations.

Americans justified manifest destiny with their belief in racial and gender superiority demonstrated through history, which fuelled Americans' motivations to continue to conquer and spread influence.

To what degree was antebellum reform international in scope?

As discussion of abolition of slavery globalized, so did the question of women's rights. Parallel visions of freedom, self-ownership, the right to vote, and the idea of being equals with white men were discussed transatlantic as many people questioned their society's rigid standards.

Describe how President Lincoln's war aims evolved between 1861 and 1863, changing from simply preserving the Union to also ending slavery.

At first, Lincoln thought the war would be short so his only goal was to preserve the Union, especially because Northern textile factories relied on Southern cotton. As the war escalated, it became easier for slaves to run away, and they provided vital information of the Confederate Army's position. It was impossible to preserve slavery in areas where fighting had occurred, and Lincoln found emancipation to be a useful political and military strategy.

What role did blacks play in both winning the Civil War and in defining the war's consequences?

At first, escaped slaves were hired as cooks or laundresses, but after the Emancipation Proclamation the Union started recruiting black soldiers, with over 200,000 black men serving. Because of their bravery and usefulness during the war, black men had earned the right to citizenship for their entire race in America. Their service also changed Lincoln's outlook; he believed blacks and whites should be treated equally, including black enfranchisement.

Given that most northern states had abolished slavery by the 1830s, how is it useful to think of slavery as a national - rather than regional - economic and political system?

Because of how the Constitution was written, slavery gave the South more power in the House of Representatives and, even with slavery outlawed in the North, required runaway slaves to be returned. Northern merchants and manufacturers profited from cotton and the transportation routes created to support the cotton industry.

How was the abolition movement affected by other social and economic changes such as the rise in literacy, new print technology, and ideas associated with the market revolution?

Because of the common school system, educating children with abolitionist views became much easier and more widespread. The new invention of the steam printing press allowed millions of copies of abolitionist pamphlets to be printed. Echoing ideas of the market revolution, abolitionists preached words of freedom, self-ownership, and the American dream, social mobility.

How did the market revolution contribute to the rise of the Republican Party? How did those economic and political factors serve to unite groups in the Northeast and the Northwest, and why was that unity significant?

Because of the market revolution, areas of industrialization along the East coast and the Great Lakes were connected through railroads that united the major areas of rapid political and social change. Republicans glorified the North as the home of progress, opportunity, and freedom, which rested in the hearts of immigrants, free blacks, and lower class industrial workers or farmers.

The women's movement split into two separate national organizations in part because the Fifteenth Amendment did not give women the vote. Explain why the two groups split.

Because the Fifteenth Amendment didn't give women the right to vote the women's movement split because some denounced their former abolitionist allies and moved to sever the women's rights movement from its earlier moorings in the antislavery tradition.

Compare and contrast women's efforts in the North and South to support the war effort and their families.

Both Northern and Southern women were forced to mobilize to support soldiers but through different ways. Northern women filled typical male roles in white-collar jobs or fields. Southern women were forced to maintain their farms and manage business affairs. Southern women were also more likely to be alone because the South was forced to draft more of its population than the North. Southern women faced more difficulty because their self-sufficient farms were hard to manage before the men left, and their discouragement caused a decline in civilian morale.

What instigated the compromise of 1850?

California wanted to be entered as a free state

How did federal policies undertaken during the Civil War transform the United States into a stronger nation-state economically, politically, and ideologically?

Congress protected economic growth as Northern factories worked harder than ever to produce enough materials for the war effort. Because men were serving in the army, women stepped in to fill in at jobs like nursing or clerks in government offices, giving women more status and power. Congress also gave huge grants for internal improvements like railroads. However, the need to pay for the war also altered the financial system, including new taxes, and new printed money called "greenbacks." A few individuals, like Andrew Carnegie and John Rockefeller, took leadership in reshaping and consolidating power and money.

Why did many Americans criticize the Mexican War? How did they see expansion as a threat to American liberties?

Critics of the Mexican War and American expansion feared that those who supported the expansion only wanted to expand slavery. Others believed the U.S. was becoming more like an over-powering European monarchy, rather than a democratic republic. Abraham Lincoln, a major critic of the war, believed that the President was beginning to have the power to "make war at pleasure."

How were natives involved in the Civil War?

served as generals and soldiers

How did the failure of land reform and continued poverty lead to new forms of servitude for both blacks and whites?

Despite small improvements in wages and working conditions, African Americans could not justify having better jobs on plantations as their wish to own land was not surfacing. Their plight for land was only further diminished as Andrew Jackson in 1865 ordered all land previously distributed by the Bureau to be returned to its original owners causing many African Americans to be evicted and instilling a deep sense of betrayal as it would appear that any efforts to rise in the social ladder would be impossible.Forms of ServitudeBlacks: task system, closely supervised wage labor, share cropping...Whites: share cropping, growing of cotton instead of other crops to make money, "crop lien."Vagrance laws- provided free labor to plantation owners as a consequence for not being employed.

Why did Stephen Douglas, among others, believe that "popular sovereignty" could resolve sectional divisions of the 1850s? Why did the idea not work out?

Douglas believed popular sovereignty allowed people to choose for themselves if slavery would be legal in their state, and that if a state didn't want slavery at all they could create laws that prohibited or restricted the institution. This didn't work because most people either didn't care about slavery, or really wanted slavery, so only proslavery people would come out to vote, often visiting from other states and skewing the results of what the actual state's population wanted.

Based on the Lincoln-Douglas debates, how did the two differ on the expansion of slavery, equal rights, and the role of the national government? (pp 498-499 for reference)

Douglas believed that people should choose for themselves on the issue of the expansion of slavery through popular sovereignty which "guarantees to each state and territory the right to do as it pleases on all things local and domestic instead of Congress interfering." Lincoln was opposed to the expansion of slavery and believed that the idea of popular sovereignty would only lead to the eventual spread of slavery throughout the country even though the founding fathers had put slavery on the path to "ultimate extinction." Both candidates did not believe in equal racial rights with Lincoln even saying "I, as well as Judge Douglas, am in favor of the race to which I belong having the superior position," though Lincoln did not use racist rhetoric to gain votes and believed that blacks deserved the unalienable human rights put forth in the Declaration of Independence. Douglas supported self-government and states' rights, letting the people decide on slavery and how to protect or prevent it and believed that Congress could not impose moral standards on society. Lincoln supported federal law that restricted slavery because the new territories were to be an outlet for the growing population and wished for better conditions for everyone.

How was the North's victory over the South tied to the different ways the revolution had developed in the two regions?

During the Market Revolution, the North built a ton of railroads so they had better transportation than the rural south. Also, the North was a lot of cities so they had more people which means a bigger army. Also the South depended on slavery and the North didn't so the north just had to take that away.

How was racism evident even in the abolitionist movement, and what steps did some abolitionists take to fight racism in American society?

Even abolitionists could be racist as they saw leadership roles only fit for whites and gave secondary positions to black members of abolitionist organizations. Abolitionists messages called upon whites to see blacks as equal human beings, but still showed that blacks needed assistance from whites. Freed blacks fought hard to show their worth and make a difference in abolitionist societies. Some white members fought legal battles to end school segregation and overturn other racist laws.

What was the impact of the Civil War on civil liberties?

Even though the draft applied to both rich and poor men, rich men were able to avoid actually serving by paying a fee or hiring a substitute, causing people to call the war "a rich man's war but a poor man's fight."

What visions of freedom did the former slaves and slaveholders pursue in the postwar South?

Former slaves had a vision of a reconstructed South, emancipated blacks, enjoying the same opportunities for advancement as northern workers, would labor more productively than they had as slaves.Former slaves tried to find their loved ones that they had been separated from during slavery. Former slaves also wanted to own their own land. They also desired education. Former slaves sought out their political freedom as well and pushed for their freedom to vote

Describe the difference between gang labor and task labor for slaves, and explain how slaves' tasks varied by region across the Old South.

Gang labor is labor by large groups of slaves supervised by an overseer who may give punishment. Gang labor was most common in the Cotton Belt on larger plantations and on Louisiana sugar plantations. Slaved performing task labor were assigned daily tasks and allowed to set their own pace of work with personal free time to follow. Task labor was used on rice plantations in South Carolina and Georgia because white owners did not want to go into the swamps to oversee the slaves' work.

What were the similarities and differences between the common school and institutions like asylums, orphanages, and prisons that were created by reformers?

Institutions like asylums, prisons, common schools, and orphanages sought to equalize the gap between social classes and help the less fortunate. The goal was to prepare citizens to become productive and self-disciplined members of society.

Why did ownership of land and control of labor become major points of contention between former slaves and whites in the South?

Land: Slaves idea of freedom directly related to land ownership and the opportunity to build up communities free of white control. African Americans felt they deserved land because they were the ones who kept the land alive which led to some cases of slaves claiming to be "join heirs" and seizing land. The fight for land was part of the continual, open ended process to obtain the same sorts of freedom White people were simply and undeniably given at birth.Labor: Whites used and implemented a very narrow definition of labor that supported their interpretation of freedom that is tied to them being able to create hierarchy and be "masters" of their own land and the people on it. African Americans interpreted labor freedom as economic autonomy in addition to civil/political equality but were not granted this freedom due to Whites continuous battle to keep "free labor" as close to slave labor as possible.**Freedmen's Bureau failed at land distribution and advocating equal treatment

ESSAY:Explain the strategies and tactics of the Civil War. What advantages and disadvantages did the North possess? The South? How did each of these factor into determining the end result? Finally, critique the successes and failures of the North & South in achieving their aims.

North: Advantages: Larger Population, greater industrial economy, more wealth, and an established working government Disadvantages: Harder to get supplies (longer distances), attacking and sucky leaders Strategy (blockade their supplies via ocean, they ran out of everything) and attrition. as well as take the capitol They achieved their gains, reunification, and the emancipation of slaves (sorta) but with great cost. South: Advantages: Knew the local terrain well, defending their homeland and way of life, best military leaders were from the South (robert E. Lee) Disadvantages: Lack of what the North had, way less industrial power, Not alot of railroads.

Why did so many prominent white Americans, from both the North and South, support the colonization of freed slaves?

Northerners supported colonization of freed blacks because they thought it was the only way to truly rid the country of slavery. Southerners supported colonization because freed blacks were seen as a threat to white society. In general, people supported colonization because they believed the United States was a fundamentally white society.

Identify the basic elements of proslavery defense and those points aimed especially at non-southern audiences?

One argument of pro-slavery was that black people could not function on their own in the world and needed the institution of slavery to protect them. More aimed towards Europeans, Southerners argued that slavery was necessary for human progress as the Greeks and Romans used slaves to build their greatest achievements. Southerners believed that slavery prevented black people from taking on menial jobs that would limit slaves' freedom as well as the Southerner's economic autonomy.

How did the supporters and opponents of temperance understand the meaning of freedom differently?

Supporters of the temperance movement thought true freedom came with self-discipline like not drinking alcohol. Through self-discipline, people would become virtuous and free of sin. Critics saw temperance as an attack of personal freedom and believed that sin was inevitable. Many of them Catholics, they promoted individual independence.

Compare slaves in the Old South with those elsewhere int the world, focusing on health, diet, and opportunities for freedom.

Slaves in the Old South were provided with food like cornmeal, pork, or bacon and food they raised themselves like chicken or vegetables. The South is outside the geographical region susceptible to diseases likes malaria, yellow fever, and typhoid, unlike the Caribbean where slaves suffered under dangerous living conditions. However, slaves in the Old South had little freedom unlike slaves in Brazil who were often freed as a form of celebration.

How did enslaved people create community and a culture that allowed the to survive in an oppressive society?

Slaves often practiced their religion, a combination of traditional African beliefs and Christianity, secretly with their own ministers. Their religions included hopes of freedom which united the slaves toward the ultimate goal.

How did the actions of slaves themselves, as well as northern military strategy and the Emancipation Proclamation, combine to end slavery?

Slaves were running away at any opportunity they had, making it difficult to preserve slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation only freed slaves in states that were in rebellion, not border Union states where slavery was still legal, making it a military strategy without much effect because the slaves in Confederate territory would not be free until the Union won. However, the proclamation gave the Union something to fight for and eventually freed all slaves when the war was over.

How did the concept of "race" develop by the mid-nineteenth century and how did it enter into the manifest destiny debates?

Some people believed that the successful expansion achieved in the past was evidence of "Anglo-Saxon race" superiority. Race in the mid-nineteenth century involved color, culture, origin, class, and religion. Some people feared expansion and total annexation because they did not believe the United States could assimilate so many non-white and Catholic people who were supposedly unfit for citizenship.

Explain how sectional voting patterns in the 1860 presidential election allowed southern "fire-eaters" to justify secession.

Southerners believed that Lincoln's win solely in the North would lead to a Republican era of power that was anti-slavery. Southerners believed their entire way of life was at stake and subject to Northern control, similar to how Great Britain had controlled the colonies as if they were one in the same.

What made the American Civil War the first modern war?

The American Civil War was the first modern war because it was the first time two armies faced each other both using weapons produced from the Industrial Revolution.

What do the California gold rush and the opening of Japan reveal about the United States involvement in a global economic system?

The Japanese had been concerned about European power and influence and as a result closed the country to foreigners. The American's success in opening the country to trade showed American power and also allowed Americans to establish full diplomatic relations that gave the Americans an advantage in Pacific and Asian trading. The gold rush in California not only opened up a new land of opportunity for Americans, but also for many immigrants who came also searching for gold. Combined with gold mined in Australia, these two regions produced 80% of the gold across the globe.

What caused the confrontation between President Johnson and Congress over Reconstruction policies?

The Tenure of Office Act was enacted, which prohibits the president from removing certain officeholders, including cabinet members, without the consent of the Senate. Johnson considered this unconstitutional and proceeded to do exactly that. In February 1868, he removed Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, an ally of the Radicals. He then faced Congress and was impeached. At first the vote was only 35-19, one vote short of 2/3 to impeach him, and then 7 republicans joined democrats in acquitting him, so he was not impeached.

What national issues and attitudes combined to bring an end to Reconstruction by 1877?

The huge economic depression the nation was in distracted attention away from Reconstruction, as well as a desire to reduce the power the national government gained during and after the Civil War. An inability for people to accept former slaves voting and holding office prompted escalating levels of violence spearheaded by the KKK. Eventually, through the Bargain of 1877, Rutherford B. Hayes agreed to recognize Democratic control of the South and removed national troops from the former Confederate states.

Identify the different types of resistance to slavery. Which ones were the most common, the most effective, and the most demonstrative?

The most common form of slave resistance was "day-to-day" resistance which included doing poor work, breaking tools, abusing animals, or creating other disruptions so that the slaves were given less work. More dangerous forms of resistance were violent crimes like arson or assault against white owners or people. Slaves would also run away to free regions, usually Canada, which, if successful, was probably most effective.

How did the planters' paternalism serve to justify the system of slavery? How did it hide the reality of life for slaves?

The paternalistic view of slavery argued that it was the responsibility of the masters to care for the slaves, to provide them protection, guidance, and attention. Masters saw themselves as kind and it disguised the brutality of slavery as a rehabilitation or improvement to slave's lives.

Although some poor southern whites resented the dominance of the "slavocracy," most supported the institution and accepted the power of the planter class. Why did the "plain folk" continue to support slavery?

The planter class had more political power so it was in the best interest of poorer whites to be friendly with those who made decisions about their region. Non-slaveowners could rent slaves from planters to help with work. Racism and economic freedom bonded the white Southerners.

How did western expansion affect the sectional tensions between North and South?

The question of whether newly acquired land should be free or not split parties and deepened the sectional divide because neither party could come to a consensus on the position of slavery.

In what ways did the outcome of the Civil War change the United States's status in the world?

The rest of the world viewed Union generals as heroes for saving their country, just as some European generals saved their countries from Napoleon. More progressive countries hailed the Union as "heroes of freedom" for ending slavery. The war also hastened the industrialization and growth in the North, making the U.S. a more modern and more powerful country in the global sphere.

In 1865, the former confederate general Robert Richardson remarked that "the emancipated slaves own nothing, because nothing but freedom has been given to them." Explain whether this would be an accurate assessment of Reconstruction twelve years later.

This would be an accurate assessment of Reconstruction twelve years later because the majority of rural freed people remained poor and without property, men doing hard labor, women working in homes without the way to rise in the social scale through work, still giving the ex-slaves nothing but freedom.

How did white women's participation in the abolitionist movement push them to a new understanding of their own rights and oppression?

Through abolitionist movements, women realized their own oppression because they're freedom was limited and they too were seen as property. Like abolitionists, women were highly criticized for speaking out against institutions that were the norm in American society.

By what methods did Southern whites seek to limit African-American rights and civil liberties? How did the federal government respond?

Through the Black Codes, blacks were not allowed to testify against whites, serve on juries or to vote. Blacks who did not sign yearly labor contracts with planters could be arrested. Some states limited job opportunities, barred them from acquiring land and even allowed judges to assign black children to work for their former owners without their parents consent.

How did the utopian communities challenge existing ideas about property and marriage?

Utopian societies found new methods to replace former gender relations and marriage. Some societies completely prohibited sexual relations and others allowed people to change partners freely. Almost all societies agreed that the abolition of private property also came with the abolition of women being seen as property.

How important were black families, churches, schools and other institutions to the development of African-American culture and political activism in this period?

With the stabilization of home life by women being able to spend more time taking care of their families, a new type of pride developed for the black man based on how well he was able to provide for his loved ones. This ability to focus on family life for both men and women became central to the newly freed black community, Being able to have independent black churches allowed blacks to have a place to worship however they liked without white control dictating what is or is not appropriate. Churches also served as buildings that could serve as schools, house social events and political gatherings. Schools gave blacks an opportunity to learn to read which empowered them to able to participate in politics.

How did advocated for women's rights in these years both accept and challenge existing gender beliefs and social roles?

Women challenged the idea that it was a woman's job to stay at home to care for the family, to remain isolated from political discussion and activity, and the standard of clothing that restrained women from much activity at all. However, women did not intend to redefine what it meant to be a woman, only to expand their boundaries to be equal with men. Independence and rationality were still viewed as naturally male traits that women aspired to have.

How could antebellum women participate in the public sphere even though they were excluded from government and politics?

Women circulated petitions, attended meetings, marched in political parades, delivered public lectures, and raised money for political causes. Women fought the idea of "modesty and delicacy" by delivering political speeches and creating a powerful voice in the public sphere.

What political movements were women most involved in?

abolition, temperance, suffrage, education

what are the three basic slavery systems?

chattel slavery - one person has total control of another person (typical slavery) governmental/state driven enslavement enslavement as a means of incorporating outsiders

what invention made slavery worse instead of ending it?

cotton gin, eli whitney

What role did women play in the civil war?

creation of red cross (clara barton), spies, nurses, soldiers, aid on the battlefield, underground railroad

what were the traditional women's roles in the Cult of True Womanhood?

domesticity, piety, purity, submissiveness

ESSAY: Discuss antebellum slavery after the American Revolution. Topics might include: how did state and national constitutions address it? What inventions and circumstances encouraged its spread? Evaluate several African American responses to enslavement, including Frederick Douglass. How did anti-slavery, abolitionist, and abolition efforts help end it? How do the Civil War and Reconstruction eras factor in its abolition?

frederick douglas - said slavery makes people cruel and changes their nature from good to bad

What was the dred scott decision?

made the restricting the expansion of slavery unconstitutional and that only whites could be citizens

What was the importance of the battle of gettysburg?

major victory for the north and a turning point for the war

fredrick douglas noted in his writings that owning slaves does what to people?

makes them cruel and changes their nature from good to bad

what indian tribe was involved in the long walk?

navajo

List one advantage and one disadvantage that each side of the war had

north - advantage - larger population disadvantage - leaders sucked South - Advantage - great leaders disadvantage - not a lot of factories

ESSAY: Explain the Reconstruction Era and evaluate its aims and objectives, its successes and failures. Evaluate the roles of the three branches of the government during Reconstruction. Analyze the transition from slave labor to free labor in the South after the Civil War and examine experimentation with free gang labor, tenancy, and sharecropping. Discuss unique aspects of each labor method and whether they differed significantly from slavery.

objectives: 1. Restore the Union 2. set up southern governments loyal to the union that would help abolish slavery and repudiate secession 3. black codes (rules in the south to give blacks rights, southerners hated it..obvi) (not very successful in any of them tbh) but the 14th and 15th amendments were passed (14 everyone is free regardless of race, 15 everyone can vote regardless of race so those were good) Klu Klux Klan came from it too so not too great Roles of the branches of Gov't: 1. Congress was largely northern republicans, they were mostly moderates. They put forth 2 bills that both basically tried to give blacks rights and make it clearer. 2. Executive branch (Vetoed both bills, president Johnson) He said it would give the fed. gov too much power and he wanted states to sort it out. 3. judicial - also tried to impeach a president, Civil rights act of 1875 - couldn't segregate schools or public things. 1. sharecropping - came out of a desire for whites needing workers and blacks needing land. it was supposed to be good because blacks didn't have to have white supervision but it was bad and oppressive as time went on. 2. Free gang labor - blacks laboring in groups under white supervision - it was almost the same as slavery, they were mistreated, not good 3. Tenancy - same as sharecropping except they only paid rent to them. They used their own supplies and equipment so they were way less dependent on the land owning whites, it was the best of the 3 but hard to do since blacks were so poor.

Sagwitch was the chief of the shoshonne tribe during this massacre?

the bear river massacre

what was the official decision of the kansas-nebraska act?

the public got to determine whether they wanted slavery or not (State by state)

How did the pre-civil war nation have balance between states that supported or didn't support slavery?

they tried to make an equal amount. (Missouri compromise)