Unit 5 IDs: The Civil War and Reconstruction

Freedman's Savings and Trust Company

Bank built to help support freed slaves, but sank money into risky loans and eventual failed. (497) The Freedman's Savings and Trust Company valiant effort to help slaves assimilate into the working American culture helped provide a very temporary safety net for a small number of people. Despite its failure, it helped start organizations to help the needy and displaced African Americans.

Black Codes

Black Codes were laws meant to stop African Americans from the economic liberties that all other Americans shared. They were implemented. They forced former slaves back onto plantations to sharecrop, and their strict contracts meant that plantation owners would make the profit from sharecropping, not the freedmen farmers. (481)

Disenfranchisement of Black Voters

Black people were kept from voting in the south by various paramilitary groups, including the KKK beginning in the late 1860s. This was also reinforced by the supreme court allowing these groups to attack Black people. (505) In the South, black voters were further disenfranchised by the legality of segregation following the court case Plessy v. Ferguson, in which established Jim Crow as a legal practice; the KKK also grew in power, with Klansmen holding positions of authority in the South, especially withing the government and within law enforcement

Land-grant colleges

Colleges given start up money from the selling of large chunks of land in the late 1800's. Helped give accessible education to the Homesteading western farmers. (516) Land-grant colleges formed from the morrill act became State universities, or universities funded by the states land. These universities are very much alive to this day, and one of the reasons public universities exist at all.

Copperheads

Copperheads were Peace Democrats who did not support the Civil War and continuously slandered Lincoln across his presidency. In the Election of 1864, they would attempt to oust him from the White House with General George McClellan but would fail to do so. (469) The copperheads inspired many future groups of politicians who openly criticized and opposed the presidency. These groups who would try oppose the law, fueled political corruption like in the political machines throughout the industrial era.

Credit Mobilier

Credit Mobilier was a fake company created by a railroad company that attempted to sell land to settlers and speculators in the West along railroad routes. It is one of the many scandals that marred the Grant presidency. (498) The Credit Mobilier was another example of political corruptness in the united states. Political Corruptness would remain a rampant problem in the U.S. until progressivism finally took hold and began reforming the government.

Dred Scott v. Sanford

Dred Scott and enslaved man, was brought over to Illinois, a free state. Knowing this, he sued his slave owners on the grounds of the Missouri Compromise line and the case eventually went to the Supreme Court. The Court ruled in favor of the slave owners stating that the dividing line had always been unconstitutional and that the North and West had no right to dictate which land is slave-free. In turn this led to debate over which territories should be considered free and slave states since they rejected Dred Scott's plea in a "free state". (433)

Emancipation

Emancipation is the release of slaves from bondage; supporters of abolition in the North supported either gradual emancipation, where slaves were released slowly and systematically, or they supported radical emancipation, where all of the slaves were released at once. (464) The emancipation of slaves was a blessing to white, middle-class northerners, but not much for the slaves themselves. The emancipation did not do enough: it fulfilled the white sense of purity, but left the black population in the dirt with no jobs, money, or education.

Redeemers

Ex-confederates who emerged after reconstruction and quickly rebuilt the Democratic party in the south. (500) The Redeemers were able to institute Jim Crow laws that suppressed African American voting rights; they also helped the KKK establish itself, and after Plessy vs Ferguson, they were able to separate all areas of life between white and non-white people

Exodusters

Exodusters were freedmen who moved away from the South to homesteads in the dying West to avoid sharecropping and the KKK. (520) Although not directly related, the Exodusters were the spiritual precursors to the Great Migration during the 1910s to 1940s, in where African Americans moved across the country in order to seek more job oppurtunities in the face of discrimination. Both the Exodusters and the Great Migrators attempted to escape a society of total discrimination and move to a society where they would be able to sustain themselves without being exploited.

Hiram Revels

First and only Black senator until the late 20th century, shown a small hope to the others in the downtrodden black communities in the aftermath of the Civil war. African Americans slowly gained more political power, with people such as W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T Washington; in addition, the Universal Negro Improvement Association, led by Marcus Garvey, inspired others to work to equal political and social rights for African Americans

Free Soil

Free Soil was the idea that any land that the United States obtained should ban slavery and encourage settlement by middle-class republican yeoman farmers; Free Soilers would go on to support the Republican Party and Abraham Lincoln. (P.421) The Free Soil Party would go on to become an extremely influential party in the North States that shaped the ideals of abolition. It would become yet another divisive point between the North and the South, and directly conflicted with the viewpoint that "Slavery Follows the Flag". Abraham Lincol, a Free Soiler, would be elected in 1860, sparking the final straw that caused the South to finally split.

Radical Republicanism

Heavily Opposed slavery and used the war to set up rigorous laws against it, appearing as a factional Party. (463) After the war, Republicans were able to run practically unopposed to the political disenfranchisement of Democrats in the federal government during reconstruction; as a result, more more radical Republicans attempting to pass progressive reforms were often stopped by conservative members of their own party

Frederick Jackson Turner

Historian noted for proclaiming that "the frontier is filled!", bringing detrimental effects and romanticizing to the wild west. (535) The romanticism of the west helped promote settlers to move west in search for a better life. This increase of immigrants helped establish the western United States and provided a large portion of the nation's economic industries.

Sand Creek Massacre

In 1864, Soldiers led by Chivington attacked hundreds of helpless Cheyenne women and children in a military camp, killing over 100 (527). The Sand Creek massacre emphasized the fact that America had been taken away from the indians and nowhere was safe. The brutality towards indians shown by Americans was a sad but often fact of Native American life.

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

In the aftermath of the Mexican-American War, America bought the land it was fighting for for 15 million dollars from Mexico, rendering the war seemingly useless. (421) The treaty meant for peace really was made so that the US could make a peaceful negotiation to purchase the mexican session. It somewhat strengthened the bond between Mexico and the US but during the Spanish American War, it was clearly evident that that wasn't really true.

Indian Boarding Schools

Indian children were forcibly taken to boarding schools, where they were taught to behave like white people did. This was the primary component of assimilation, and aimed to answer the Indian question by forcibly integrating them into American society. (528) Indian Boarding Schools served as a symbol of forced American assimilation during the 19th Century, and emphasized the ideal that natives needed to be tought how to be "civilized" in a white society. Many of the children at the boarding school were forced to completely abandon their old way of life, leaving a gigantic mark upon native amerian culture that is still visible to this day.

Indian Wars / Reservation Wars

Indian tribes fought back against pressure from the U.S. govt. forcing them into terrible land plots. The Indian wars emphasized the complete lack of care shown towards the indians and the "out of sight, out of mind" attitude for them that led to battles between aggressive American forces and peaceful indians who only wanted to hold their rightful land.

Emancipation Proclamation

Issued after the Battle of Antietam, this presidential declaration made by Abraham Lincoln declared that all slaves within territories that were rebelling against the Union were free. However, because the South was no longer under Union control, slaves were only freed when the North actively liberated them from their plantations and owners. (463) By liberating runaway slaves, the emancipation proclamation helped the African American communities grow and develop. The increase of rights allowed some African Americans to gain influential power and created institutions aimed towards the aid of fellow African Americans.

Geronimo

Last Indian to fight against the cruelty of the reservations they were put on through the use of arms, surrendering in the hills in 1886. (533) Geronimo's continued resistance against the United States excellently demonstrates the tense relations that natives share with the United States to this day; across the 19th century, huge groups of native tribes and confederacies would attempt to combat the United States in their expansion across the continent. However, they ended up in defeat, being forced to move to poorly maintained and established reservations and being expelled from the homeland they had lived on for centuries.

Thaddeus Stevens

Leader of the Radical Republicans, a northern party in 1862 that strongly opposed slavery and called for extreme action. (463) Thaddeus Stevens' leadership of the Radical Republicans went on to create a dominant supermajority in the House, allowing the radical Republicans to do what they wished without any serious opposition. As a result, the entire period of Reconstruction was marked by the total political dominance of the Radical Republicans, who were able to get their way due to their chokehold on the political climate.

Election of 1864

Lincoln won his second term against McClellan, who ran against Lincoln and proved a feasible threat against him, as he promised an end to the War, and was supported by Democrats in the North. Lincoln beat McClellan by choosing a Southern running mate to make his plan to unite the Union more feasible; this would later backfire during reconstruction. (468) This election represented how Abraham Lincoln was not universally supported by all parties and groups; there were still people actively campaigning and working against Lincoln during the Civil War. This served as an example of how even during times of crisis, people may not always learn to work together with one another (e.g., wartime elections in the 20th century).

Long Drive

Main introduction of the Cowboy to the public and overly romanticized cattle drive to get Cows to northern railroads and to the slaughter houses.(519) The Cowboy would go on to become the most famous icon of American culture. It was one of the most unique cultures America had to offer, and thanks to romanticization due to the idea of the closing of the frontier, became an immortal icon.

Franklin Pierce

14th President of the United States who viewed Anti-Slavery as a threat to the national unity. Successfully divided the nation in two. Pierce's perception of what the United States should have been really did cause the nation to split into two. The division created by his presidency led to not only war and increased slavery, but bled into the later years of anti-minority/immigrant groups in the future.

Know-Nothing Party

1840's Party that only focused on Anti-immigration and anti-catholic view points. Very northern and very radicalized party. (432) The Know- Nothing Party represents one of many problems of the coming gilded age: Stagnancy. The middle class was so afraid of change, they were willing to attack others and smear Americas open reputation all in the name of saving themselves, but in reality hurting themselves and empowering big businesses.

Tenure of Office Act

1867 Act that "Required Senate consent for removal of any federal official whose appointment had required Senate confirmation," essentially meaning Federal Officials must be voted in and out of office. (484) The Tenure of Office Act represented the deathhold grip the Radical Republicans had on nationwide politics during the Reconstruction era; because of their massive influence over the Houses, their will was essentially unchallenged by their opposers in politics. As a result, they were able to execute many actions and political gambles that would never be possible in this modern day, setting a time-period where American politics were virtually one-sided with a single dominating party.

Wade-Davis Bill

A bill proposed by Congress to refute Lincoln's 10% plan. It required a oath of allegiance to the country and sought permanent abandonment of the CSA officials. (480) The death of Lincoln and his 10% plan led to the disappointment of Johnson's presidency. His ineffectiveness reversed any progress made during the latter end of Lincoln's presidency. This led to the failed reconstruction era and the raised levels of resentment on both sides.

Ghost Dance Movement

A collective Indian movement in the late 1880's based around the vision that Bison would be resurrected and the Whites would be driven back to Europe, and was met with brutal response from the US army. (534) The Ghost Dance Movement was yet another example of organized native resistance against the United States, which was predictably crushed with military intervention. The Ghost Dance movment led to the Wounded Knee massacre, where a village of Lakota natives were brutally slaughtered by US forces in an extremely controversial event that remains obscure in its exact details to this day.

Fugitive Slave Act

A component of the Compromise of 1850 which claimed that all involvement with the Underground Railroad would be illegal. In addition, Henry Clay wrote that it would be mandatory to return all runaway slaves to their respected owners. (430) The Fugitive Slave Act led to the plethora of problems created by the Civil War. Clay's compromise to try and gain the support of the South really hurt the nation's attempt to make progress to end the war. It created further strain and resentment towards whites as african american slaves were being constantly persecuted.

Wounded Knee

A group of 300 Lakota Sioux who left their reserve were mercilessly massacred by the U.S. Army in this tragic event in 1890. (534) The Wounded Knee tragedy emphasized the complete lack of care shown towards the indians and the "out of sight, out of mind" attitude for them that led to completely detestable events, like killing indians that only wanted to move to a different country.

Fireaters

A group of Democrats who supported secession and slavery. These people were the driving factor in the formation of the Confederate States of America and the Civil War. The fire-eaters were unwilling to make an agreement with the North. This type of radicalism would also be seen in the Republican Party during and after the war, as they sought to punish the South rather than make an agreement; the victors of WWI, particularly France and Britain, also sought to punish their enemies in a similar manner, as they did not want to make an agreement

Ostend Manifesto

A plan made by the South that was leaked to the public. They wanted to annex Cuba in the US so that the South could get more political power. However once, known by the public, the Northerners solidified their suspicions of the South wanting more slaves. (431) The Ostend manifesto was yet another spark in the growing flame between the North and South, and also set up the possibilty for Cuba to be interconnected with the United States. During the Antebellum Period, the Manifesto created gigantic outrage in the North against the South, branding the South as attempting to seize political power. During the Spanish-American War, Cuba would become a theater of contention between the US and Spain, and would essentially become a US puppet after the end of the conflict.

William "Buffalo Bill" Cody & Wild West Show

A prominent buffalo shooter that worked for the government to clear land for the railroad. He also fought. (449) The extermination of buffalo allowed for expansion of the railroads but also almost wiped out all buffalo. This was problematic as it damaged the environmental structure of the great plains. However, it allowed for more immigration and helped developed the railroading industry.

Transcontinental Railroad

A railroad proposed to connect the far west to the main united States, which ran into some debates over whether it should go to the north or south. Ultimately went north. The Transcontinental Railroad was the beginning of the linking of the nation through technology. Technology, such as trains and later cars, would create more communication in the US, eventually unifying into large cultures.

Indian Ring

A scam that gave the title of Indian liaison to un-certified people, who then used goods meant to go to the Indians to make profit. This form of corruption led to the further downfall of native americans as they continued to suffer from the US taking advantage of them. It helped them realize that the US government wasn't really doing anything to help them at all.

Whiskey Ring

A scandal during Grant's administration in which his government officials embezzled thousands of the country's money from the excise tax. (498) Grant's corrupt cabinet led to the reform of government positions. Although Grant wasn't involved himself, it still reflected poorly on his presidency and led to his reconstructive reforms.

William Seward

A senator and one of the Republican nominees in the election of 1860, who lost to Lincoln in the election. (438) Seward would eventually go on to become Secretary of State, and negotiated the purchase of Alaska with Russia. What was originally considered to be a stupid move on Seward's part would eventually be praised when it was discovered that Alaska was filled with natural resources and gold for America, which would help alleviate the Gold-Silver Crisis during the late Gilded Age.

Personal-Liberty Laws

A set of laws that were enacted by the Northern States which said that all residents and alleged fugitives have the right to a fair trial. (431) These laws helped set the foundation to an equal legal system for all American citizens. Despite the many instances of courts blatantly ignoring such laws, it helped lead to the indoctrination of the constitutional amendment to have the right to a fair trial apply to all citizens.

Gadsden Purchase

A small portion of land that was bought by Franklin Pierce in order to expand the Transcontinental Railroad to go further West to Los Angeles in California. (431) The Gadsden Purchase expanded the reach of American railroads, but only created problems with Mexico as they still had control over the Mexican Session. This land purchase was one of many predicaments with Mexico as the Civil War neared.

Total War

A term coined by General Sherman's march to the sea. Acts include the burning/destruction of buildings, pillaging supplies, ruining railroad systems and putting violence upon citizens as well as troops. (452-460) America would experience total war once again in WWI; the government utilized railroads, factories, and personnel for the war effort; people rationed to conserve food for soldiers. The government was granted extra power as it mobilized America for war in Europe

Oregon Trail

A trail originally carved by Fur traders leading from Independence to Oregon. Many Migrants took this trail beginning in 1842 to reach the promised, beautiful land on the other side of the harsh plains.(413) The Oregon Trail was an example of the hardships that Americans would go through to find beauty and become successful, idolizing the idea that "anything is possible if you put effort into it!", or the American dream.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was a republican president who led the union during the Civil War. He gained recognition during the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, loosing the Senate seat but gaining the Presidency in 1864. During his presidency, Lincoln tried to unite the union at all costs, conquering the rebellious South in his effort to preserve the Union. He is also credited with freeing the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation. (437, 446) Lincoln's presidency served as a pivotal role in the progression of people's rights. His establishment of the 13th amendment allowed for African Americans to join the American society. As later generations emerged and working classes emerged, ethnic enclaves formed and so were reformists. They advocated for equality and ultimately led to the civil rights movement.

Andrew Johnson

After Lincoln was assassinated, Johnson, a Southerner, became president, and was tasked with Reconstructing the South. Under his plan for Reconstruction, the New South would have looked exactly like the Old South, however, he was not able to implement any of his ideas because he was blocked by a Republican super-majority in Congress (480) Andrew Johnson's presidency represented the overall failure of Reconstruction to do its job of creating a New South; Johnson's policies failed to properly "reconstruct" the South, leaving them extremely similar to how they were during the Antebellum period. Johnson's influence in office was minimal however; the power of the Radical republican Supermajority was able to effectively silence Johnson's attempts at vetoeing bills passing in Congress. His failure to act against the South during Reconstruction may have helped lead to Reconstruction's overall failure, allowing the Old South to survive into the 20th Century.

Cult of Mourning

After Lincoln's death, the citizens of the United States created a standard of how to mourn death. This set the president of how people responded to death and created a national unity over death. The cult of morning helped connect the nation together due to Lincoln's assassination. The negative portrayal of the South helped reunify the post-war Americans as the nation underwent reconstruction and progressive movements.

Gold Standard

After the Civil War, the U.S. decided to retrieve all old "greenbacks" and replace them with gold-backed up currency. The gold standard would come under review in regards to currency during the debate over silver after the Reconstruction; farmers and other debtors wanted money to be freed from the gold standard so that inflation would occur and they could pay off their debts, while creditors wanted to keep money on the gold standard in order to be paid back in full.

Reconstruction

After the End of the Civil War, this era of American History would be created in an attempt to reform the South into a society much like the eyes of the North. However, this would fail in the long run, and the South eventually reverted back to its Antebellum ways. (478) After the Civil War, the Reconstruction era proved to be effective as reforms were being made to combat problems that it created. While it temporarily helped minority groups, the reconstructive mentality was still evident in Americans through the 20th century as segregation and racial discrimination became even more prevalent in the post-progressive time period.

Panic of 1873

After the War, most of the collected tax dollars went to support the reconstruction of the South. Outraged, the North withdrew funding and set companies into a economic downward spiral. The the bankruptcy of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, many other companies collapsed too. In addition to this, President Granted refused to print any new currency to prevent any hyperinflation. (334)

Secession

After the election of 1860, Lincoln's decisive victory meant that the North was not only in control of the presidency, but also the House and Senate. The South felt that their lack of power within the government was an act of tyranny. South Carolina seceded first and the rest of the South soon followed in suit. (446) As a result of secession and the following war, the South maintained its distinct divide from the north; while divisions were not prominent within politics, the South was filled with the KKK, and African Americans were still oppressed and largely unable to leave the South

Sharecropping / Tenant Farming

Although sound on paper, this social policy following the Civil War essentially kept former slaves within the control of their owners through continuous debts that would build as the worker was forced to keep borrowing money from the plantation owner. Many African-Americans who were unable to find a new job were forced to resort back to sharecropping. (491) Many African Americans, threatened by their creditors and the KKK(who were often one and the same), fled the South and moved North into the cites, which promised opportunity and change; this movement was known as the Great Migration and started in 1916

General Zachary Taylor

An American army general in 1846 sent into disputed territory to spark a war against the Mexicans near the Rio Grande River. (419) Taylors march into disputed territory continued the idea of "well he shot first" morality that many nations tried to have in those times. This ideology was one of the last signs of Napoleonic warfare and would soon be destroyed by industrial war.

Literacy Test

An Idea proposed by the Know-Nothing party to limit the number of foreign voters through a literacy test, would go on to be used by the South as a Grandfather Clause. (432) The Literacy test was an example of the extents Southern Americans would go through to simply deny blacks of their civil rights as citizens. These biased tests became a staple of all treatment towards african- americans.

Stephen Douglas

An Illinois senator who desperately wanted to become president who became a part of the prominent new senators. Notably he passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act and ran against Abraham Lincoln in the Election of 1860. (439) Douglas' campaign and plans against Lincoln led to the voting reform and plans to regulate the voting fraud occurring during elections. This eventually blossomed into a larger ordeal as more voting and political related problems kept occurring.

James Polk

An expansionist president who embraced Manifest Destiny, engineered the Mexican American War, and won huge swathes of land for America. He was not as sectional as his contemporaries, as he was focused on getting land for the Northerners and Southerners. (418) In order to win land from Mexico, he arguably used gunboat diplomacy by positioning his army on the Mexican border; this would later be used the Theodore Roosevelt's Great White Fleet; Polk's expansionist policies would also be re-defined with American imperialism at the turn of the century

Iron Clad Oath

An oath promoted by Radical Republicans during the civil war that would only allow non confederate- affiliated men legally vote. This oath created by radical republicans wanted to segregate voting rights from those who opposed the topic of slavery. While they had somewhat good intentions, it proved to be very biased as only like-minded individuals were allowed to vote.

Freedmen's Bureau

An organization created to give aid to displaced former slaves and war refugees. It helped educated and provided social welfare to these people as well. (481) The Freedman's Bureau ability to help teach war veterans knowledge about how to reincorporate themselves helped establish a stable working force and alleviated some of the stresses created by the war and the chaotic political aftermath.

John C Fremont

Army Captain that was strategically "exploring" California with a platoon of soldiers before the Mexican war broke out, and quickly took over California. (418) John C Fremont's exertion of military pressure to take California is reminiscent of the taking of the canal zone: there just happened to be American vessels in the vicinity of Columbia just in time to convince the Colombians to free Panama and give America the canal zone.

Romantic Notion of the Cowboy

As the Western expansion came to a close, cowboys were seen as the stereotype of the West as they were a wild rag-tag group of men. The cowboys weren't really that important, but they played a larger role in the development of the West. As time would go on, the cowboy would go on to become one of the only unique american cultures, and although the era of the cowboy was relatively short, the culture is still kept as a symbol of america to this day.

Assimilation (Native Americans)

Assimilation refers to the process of integrating Native Americans into American society by forcibly teaching their children United States culture and values, as well as by teaching them how to live like white people, with heavy emphasis on converting the natives to Christianity at a young age. The idea was, by teaching the native's children to behave like white people, Native American culture could be eliminated within a generation, with the people themselves integrated into American society (227, 406,528-532) Middle Class Americans in the latter part of the Gilded Age attempted to reform and assimilate immigrants in much the same way; they held no regard for the immigrant's own culture as they tried to have the immigrants live like they did

Causes of the Civil War

Many factors helped decided the fate of the Civil War. While the idea of war had circulated around Congress for many months, the division of political parties, Uncle Tom's Cabin and the new additions to the United States heightened the tension between the West/North and South which led to escalated violence. The factors of the Civil war showed America how the separated ideologies would come into conflict and complete separation when pushed too far. While the boundaries would remain, new technologie would rescue the nation by speeding up communication and unifying the nations culture.

Radical Republicans

Members of the Republican Party who opposed slavery and used their wartime powers to abolish slavery. (463) The heightened desire to end slavery and the war helped give the final push towards a unified and democratic nation once again. The radical republicans helped the nation progress and move away from its former materialistic and slavery driven roots.

Sectionalism

Politicians in the years leading up to the Civil War tended to have the interests of the region they represented regarded with greater importance compared to the nation as a whole. For example, politicians from the North acted on Northern interests rather than ones that benefited the whole Union. Sectionalism exacerbated the divisions caused by slavery and led to conflict between the North and the South. (413) After the war, in the modern era, the sectional divide persisted, with major differences between the cities and rural areas; the South still maintained its own identity, which was exacerbated by the activity of the KKK and Jim Crow laws; this difference between the North-West and the South was a direct result of the outcome of the Civil War; politics was not as sectional as before, and tended to focus on progressive issues and foreign affairs.

General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

President of Mexico throughout the early 1800's. Was very smart militaristicaly but ultimately was defeated by the American army in the Mexican-American war. (420) Santa Anna was the last idea of mexican strength in North America. With his defeat, America became the sole power of North America and conquered most of the continent mercilessly.

Morrill Act

Put aside 140 million acres of land for states to raise money for universities. (516) The Morrill Act created the State university, or universities funded by the states land. These universities are very much alive to this day, and one of the reasons public universities exist at all.

Edmund G. Ross

Ross was the last deciding vote in the decision to impeachment of Andrew Johnson. The Kansas senator voted for no for impeachment, allowing President Johnson to stay in office. Edmund G. Ross' decision to not impeach Johnson was able to save Johnson's presidency from being forcefully erminated by the US. However, Johnson's political power was completely crippled after this, making his virtually mute in the political realm. After Johnson's term, Ulysses S. Grant was able to easily take office and take the lead on Reconstruction.

Civil Rights Cases

Several cases arose in regards to the power of the Civil Rights acts passed by radical Republicans. In the Slaughterhouse Cases, the Supreme Court would reject equal rights for everyone, allowing the South to quash African American lives through loopholes in the law. This would not be remedied until nearly one century later. (500) The case of Plessy v. Ferguson continued the theme of the South using the court to bypass anti-racism laws, as it ruled that "separate but equal" was a valid rule regarding civil rights; this case basically legalized Jim Crow, and set the stage for another 50 years of institutionalized African American oppression

Fetterman massacre

Sioux warriors ambushed American forces and wiped them out, closing an army road known as the Bozeman trail. (528) The Fetterman massacre served as a major sign to the United States that the native americans were not willing to give up their homeland without a serious fight, sparking a period of warfare against the native across the 19th Century. The United States would succeed in expelling the majority of natives, but did so utilizing brutal and inhumane strategies that would be heavily frowned upon today.

Slavery

Slavery is the process where people are treated as property and forced to work; its implementation and institutionalization in the South ultimately split the Union during the civil war, partially due to tensions created by the expansion of slavery into the West. (434-435) Slavery morphed into sharecropping after the war, and, while it was no longer seen as a prominent issue, African Americans still felt its effects, particularly in the KKK backlash against them throughout the Gilded Age, and in the marginalization of African Americans in regards to political, social, and economic issues.

Contrabands

Slaves who freed themselves in the chaos of war were referred to as contraband by the Union troops whom they approached to ask to join in the Union cause, as there was no policy until the emancipation Proclamation that could deal with the slaves trying to join the Union Army. (463) This established the precedent of African Americans fighting in the American Army, and African Americans would continue to fight in segregated battalions to advance America's foreign policy in Europe and in Cuba

Grandfather clause

Southern freed blacks who were blocked from education were forced to take extremely hard tests to even be allowed to vote starting in the late 1860's (505) The Grandfather clause was instrumental in preventing African Americans from voting; when combined with poor schools, it meant that, under Jim Crow, very few African Americans could vote in the South

National Park System

System started by Roosevelt that protected public land from any exploitation and development. The National Park System would be one of the first strong Egotarian pushes that would be continued with the City Beautiful movements and the Sierra club.

Annexation of Texas

Texas, controlled by Mexico, was home to many Americans, who wanted to be a part of America. They fought a war against Mexico, and gained independence from Mexico. However, Texas was not admitted to the Union to avoid the free-or-slave debate, and was finally annexed just before the Mexican American War. (412, 417)

Battles of the Civil War

The American Civil War was mostly centered on the border states between the North and the South but also spread into the Western regions of the country. These battles would be focused with crippling one side or the other and attempt to establish strategic points and blockades so that they would be able to gain a long-term advantage over the other. (449) The Battles of the Civil War were the first of many to come industrialized wars. The brutality of this wars would begin to tear down the Napoleonic ideas of war being glorious and a grand adventure, but rather a living hell.

Compromise of 1850

The Compromise of 1850 was proposed by Henry Clay in an attempt to settle the dispute of the newly acquired Mexican territories during the Mexican American War. California became a free state, while the Fugitive Slave Act was heavily enforced by the North. (429) The Compromise was ineffective, as it did not resolve sectional tensions, and instead led to greater divisions and conflicts, including Bleeding Kansas, and the American Civil War

Crime of 1873

The Crime of 1873 was an effort to control inflationary greenbacks printed to support the war effort. it redistributed money according to a gold standard. It succeeded in stopping runaway inflation, but farmers hated it, as they were always in debt, and would rather pay worthless money to pay off their debts than the valuable, redefined dollars. (515) The farmers found that a policy of free silver could alleviate their debt, as silver would lead to inflation; the Democrats, attempting to finally have a president after the Civil War, elevated a free silver plank on their platform to try and convince farmers to vote for them; big businesses and creditors saw this as a threat, and, through their influence, combined with the finding of gold in Alaska, stopped the Free Silver movement and the Democratic Presidential nominee, William Jennings Bryan

First Battle of Bull Run / Manassas

The First Battle of the Civil war, this battle took place near Manassas, Virginia, just outside Washington. the battle was a Southern victory, and proved to both sides that the war would not be a quick or easy war. The Union troops were sent scrambling back to Washington after a successful Confederate counterattack. (449) The First Battle of Bull Run set up the pretense for how the general Civil War would play out; long, bloody, and at times evenly matched. The battle shocked the general public with its bloodshed, and would go on to become an ominous foreshadowing of the conditions of the Civil War and the conflicts coming after it.

Homestead Act and Homesteaders

The Homestead Act granted free land in the Midwest to anyone who would work and improve it for three years. However, the life of a homesteader was rough; The challenges of farming while staying out of debt, as well as the lack of comfort, led many Homesteaders to leave before their three years were finished. (516) Homesteaders and other farmers and ranchers in the Midwest spurred the Grange movement, which sought railroad regulation and more economic and political capital for farmers; this was in light of the increasingly unsustainable lifestyle of farmers due to mechanization the growth of cities

Mexican-American War

The Mexican American War was a war engineered by President Polk that aimed to extend the reach of the United States from coast to coast; the war managed to do so, but it also raised tensions between the North, who opposed the war, and the South, who supported it, as the war opened vast tracts of land to slavery; popular sovereignty would be used to determine slavery's legality in these areas, effectively invalidating the Missouri Compromise Line (P. 418) The Mexican-American War initially began as a way to obatin more land for the United States. However, as the war concluded, politicians from the North and South began to debate heavily over whether the newly acquired territory from Mexico should be slave states or free states. Although the issue would be "resolved" by the Compromise of 1850, the Mexican American War helped to lay the foundations for the sectionalist tensions that would arise during the prelude to the Civil War.

The New South

The New South was the South after Reconstruction; African Americans were promised land and opportunity in the new South. However, Northern interest waned, and the New South became very similar to the old South, except sharecropping replaced Slavery, African Americans still didn't have rights, and white paramilitary groups such as the KKK terrorized freedmen across the South, threatening them with lynchings. (478) The New South represented the failure of Reconstruction to meet its goal in the long run of the end of the 19th century; what was supposed to be "New" ended up extremely similar to what was the Antebellum South. As a result, Southern society would continue to be rather split socially, industrially, and economically from the North as the country moved on into the Gilded Age and the early Progressive Era.

Jefferson Davis

The President of the Confederacy, who staunchly supported the South and Slavery. He moved the capital to Richmond, just 100 miles away from Washington, but was captured after the war. (446) Davis' presidency of the Confederacy symbolized the South's iron-willed desire to completely break away from the Union and form their own country, prompting the Union to take immediate military action against the South. Davis' overconfident decision to move the capital to Richmond proved to be fatal in the long run, when Union Forces were able to eventually recapture Virginia and siege Richmond, leading to the collapse of the Confederacy.

Red Cloud

The Sioux, under the leadership of Chief Red Cloud, Successfully beat and negotiated with the U.S. to abandon their forts in Montana. (528) Red Cloud's successful push towards Native rights allowed for the increase of Native American outcry. Although the US didn't really do anything, it was brought to the spotlight; the inequality and mistreatment of Native Americans and their land.

Cotton Diplomacy

The South tried to use cotton to persuade European powers to join their cause. However, Europe valued Union wheat more than Confederate cotton, so the Confederacy did not receive much help with their cause. (466) The South retained its reliance on cotton, and many sharecropping families on old plantations farmed cotton to try and survive; they often had to give up some of what they produced to pay rent for their share of land, which disenfranchised the sharecroppers economically, as they could not pay off their debts

Southern War Strategy

The South, early in the war, was able to win victories against the Union in a defensive war. However, as the war entered the later years, the South would become much more hardpressed to defend itself after blockades and its diplomatic relationships had been essentially cut off from the rest of the world. (468) The southern strategy became an stellar example of how to fight defensively. Brilliant generals such as Lee and Jackson were able to win battles in which they were outnumbered and outgunned. However, they south itself couldn't be sustained and fell.

Wilmot Proviso

The Wilmot Proviso was a piece of failed legislation that attempted to declare all land ceded to the U.S. after the Mexican-American War as closed to slavery. While it did not succeed, it spawned the Free-Soil movement among northerners and westerners. (421) The Wilmot Proviso helped to lay the foundation for the tensions between the North and the South, and introduced a problem that would quickly expand into a national debate in the 1840s and 50s. Although it failed, the goals and mindset that it carried with it continued on to become a major divisive point between the North and South that would lead to the eventual split in the Civil War.

Shiloh

The bloodiest day of the war: in February 1862, Grant committed full force over a small log church at this location. (452) Shiloh was another glimpse into the horrors of industrialized war. America was able to understand this horror through this war, and smartly backed out from becoming entrenched in the most gruesome war that the world had ever seen, the Great War.

Compromise of 1877

The compromise that enabled Hayes to take office in return for the end of Reconstruction. It caused controversy as it appeared to be very shady and lucrative. Since the compromise ended Reconstruction before the North and South could fully reconcile, the "New South" was socially, economically, and politically identical to the Old South; the early end of Reconstruction also allowed the KKK to take control over much of the South's political scene

Johnson's Impeachment

The congress Accused Andrew Johnson of Bribery and stealing in 1867, leading to him almost being kicked out of office and adding popularity to U.S. Grant due to his contribution. Johnson's lack of competency and popularity led to the super majority's ruling of Johnson's impeachment. Although he wasn't impeached, his trial allowed for Congress to witness corruption within legislation and led to further acts of impeachment such as Nixon and Clinton.

Dawes Severalty Act

The desire to make Native Americans act more like white people in order to assimilate them into the white community. The government decided to break up their Indian reservations and made them live the "yeoman farmer" life. (532) This attempt to assimilate Native Americans would be echoed by middle class attempts to assimilate immigrants during the Gilded Age; this movement, however, was not put into law, and many immigrants did not assimilate

Gold Rush

The discovery of gold in the Sacramento valley led to a boom of gold seekers in the late 1840's, and heavily contributed to the settlement and acquiring of the west by the U.S. (425) The gold rush invigorated the economy of Western America, particularly California; it helped to increase the economic power of cities such as San Francisco, which brought new immigrants to America, particularly from China

Forty-Niners

The group of miners who came to California in search of gold in 1849. The desperation they brought created an entire industry out of mining. The need for certain materials not only populated and ratified California, but it also created a chain of co-dependent industries that made California's economy flourish. (425) The sudden push to the west created by the 49ers would create a boom culture that would bloom and fade away. The gold-striking miner and outdoorsman adventurer and cowboy would create an image about the west that would last throughout time, romanticized by the idea of the west becoming filled.

Popular Sovereignty

The idea that the inhabitants of a particular territory should vote for the legality of slavery when that territory was to be admitted to the Union as a state; this policy was used in places such as Kansas and Nebraska, where the government needed to quickly and easily resolve the question of slavery; despite their best intentions, the supporters of popular sovereignty were unable to use it to settle slavery peacefully in Kansas, raising the tensions that would later lead to war (P. 428) Popular Sovereignty seemed like a good idea at the time, to truly give power to the people, but ended up failing miserably. The bloodshed in Kansas ended up creating much more tension between the north and the south, and ultimately act as a catalyst in speeding up the beginning of the civil war.

Fort Sumter

The initial battle of the Civil War which the South attacked first. Despite the Confederacy taking over the fort, the North was able to retaliate and emerge victorious in other decisive battles. (448) Fort Sumter was the idea of "well he shot first" morality that every nation tried to have in those times (except france). This morality was one of the last signs of Napoleonic warfare and would soon be destroyed by industrial war.

Sam Houston

The leader of Texas during the Texas-Mexico War. Along with Steven Austin, they fought for their independence with the hope of unionizing with the United States. (391) The establishment of Texas created a new problem, as Texas was seen as its own little nation. However once admitted to the Union, Texas served a vital resource of cotton and cattle. It's vast land helped serve a spacious reserve and allowed for industry to flourish.

Stephen Austin

The other leader of Texas who led Texas during their wartime. He as well helped Texas earn the nation's respect through their victory against Santa Ana. (391) The establishment of Texas created a new problem, as Texas was seen as its own little nation. However once admitted to the Union, Texas served a vital resource of cotton and cattle. It's vast land helped serve a spacious reserve and allowed for industry to flourish.

Poll Tax

The poll tax was a tax placed on voting in Southern states that prevented poor, African American Freedmen from voting, despite the constitutional amendments that supposedly gave everyone equal rights. (484) The Poll Tax in the South showcased how Reconstruction was failing to do its job; the right granted to all citizens, including African Americans, was being denied through legal loopholes that specifically targetted African Americans. As a result, the black population would be subjugated to discriminatory laws that attempted to establish the black race as "inferior" to white, which would carry on all the way into the 1960s.

James Buchanan

The president before Lincoln, he was ineffective, and did not attempt to stop the South from seceding. He did not take a stance against sectionalism, and sat still as the North and South became more divided. He also did not handle the Bleeding Kansas situation, which exacerbated sectionalism, as he merely advocated popular sovereignty as a means of outsourcing the problem to the states. (433) Buchanan was a failure of a president and allowed conflict to escalate into the formation of the civil war. While the civil war was gruesome, it taught the US many lessons that european states wouldn't learn until WW1. However, at the time the good in no way out-weighed the bad.

Closing of the Frontier

The wide spread belief that the West was completely filled and the idea of the loss of a culture, causing detrimental effects and romanticizing the west. The frontier was considered truly settled in the start of the Modern Era in the 20s, where, due to mechanization and large agricultural corporations, farming became less profitable, and the frontier held less promise when compared to the modern cites.

Reconstruction Acts

These Acts were designed to Reconstruct the South after the Civil War. Although they managed to integrate the South into the Union, the South remained culturally isolated, and the Acts were not able to help the oppressed freedmen of the South (478) The unwillingness of the South created a growing divide among the north and south. This opposition carried over as more people began to pour into suburban and large city areas. Reconstruction Acts set the foundation for a societal flaw among the racially divided population.

Enforcement Acts

These acts allowed Union soldiers to occupy the South, and prosecute terrorist activities in occupied Southern States. Once these states were reconstructed, the Union soldiers would go home, and terrorist groups would no longer be suppressed, resulting in mass lynchings and other strife for African Americans.(499) The enforcement acts attributed to the rise in tension between the North and South. As tensions grew, more and more resentment formed and strained relations formed which carried into the progressive, industrial and gilded age.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

These debates took place between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglass as the competed for the Senator Seat in Illinois. although Douglas won the seat, these debates elevated Lincoln's fame and allowed him to win the Presidency (437) The Lincoln-Douglas Debates gave a sharp boost of popularity to lincoln, creating the world we have today. Without Lincoln in power, it is likely the war would have gone much differently, emphasizing the importance these debates had on history.

Border Ruffians

These people moved into the Kansas territory while it was holding its Free State vs. Slavery elections, and attempted to hijack the voting process so that Kansas would flip to whatever side was favorable for them. (433) These annoying guys who caused trouble brought to light the corruptness of the American government of the time, and the depth of the rivalry between north and south of America.

Carpetbaggers and Scalawags

These terms referred to, respectively, Northerners who moved to the South to exploit the financial gains of Reconstruction for their own gain, and Southerners who turned Republican against the traditional Southern Democratic Party. (493) Carpetbaggers and scalawags were examples of how the tight-knit society of the confederacy was unopen to new ideas and changes. This closure would be the main reason for the failures of reconstruction, and the retaliation to these "threats" would be social terror organizations.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

This Act created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, so that a railroad could go through them. The issue of slavery in the two states would be decided through popular sovereignty, which inadvertently led tot he Bleeding Kansas crisis. (432) The Kansas-Nebraska Act would set up the intense escalation of violence between the North and South before the Civil War; what was originally thought to be a quick election for slavery or not was eventually plagued by corruption, voting scandals, and mass violence in Kansas, which would become known as Bleeding Kansas. In a way, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was the Civil War before the Civil War.

13th Amendment

This Amendment completely abolished slavery within all areas of the United States, ending the century-long question about Slavery within the South. In order to be readmitted to the Union, all Southern States were forced to ratify this. (480) Most African Americans were forced to sharecrop to earn a living after slavery was abolished, which in many ways was like slavery, and with the threat of the KKK, it was an unpleasant experience; the hope, however, of moving up in society and living the American dream that they had been denied so long still made sharecropping preferable to slavery.

14th Amendment

This Amendment defined what exactly American citizenship was (anybody born or naturalized in America). Any citizen is entitled to equal protection of the law, regardless of their gender, race, or age. The South was forced to ratify this. (481) This Amendment affected immigrants to America, seeking to become citizens in the Gilded Age, as it defined what citizenship was, and shaped the tactics immigrants used to try and enter America, such as "paper sons"; the amendment also attempted to stop legal discrimination of minorities, but was ultimately unsuccessful, and racial discrimination under the law is evidenced by the KKK and Jim Crow, and is seen in other forms such as police brutality and biased court proceedings to this day.

15th Amendment

This Amendment, ratified in 1870, provided universal male suffrage or voting rights to everybody in America, regardless of whether they owned property or not and regardless of their skin color. (485) Ultimately, this amendment had limited effectiveness; in the south, the KKK and Jim Crow blocked African Americans from voting; in the North, African Americans could now vote, as the threat from the KKK was not as severe

General William Sherman

This Union General was renowned for his role in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, in where he spearheaded the March to the Sea by razing Atlanta and Savannah in Georgia, emphasizing the idea of Total War against an enemy. (467) Sherman's brutal yet effective strategies during the Civil War would serve as the basis for modern day generals in the advent of industrial warfare; Sherman left a devastating legacy of the brutality and destruction that warfare can bring in Georgia. His campaign against the South crippled their economy, industry, and overall society during the entirety of Reconstruction.

Massachusetts 54th Regiment

This Union Infantry unit was comprised of African-American soldiers willing to take up arms against the Confederacy and was led by a white officer named Robert Gould Shaw. They led a near-suicidal charge against Fort Wagner, in where they took Heavy Casualties but demonstrated their courage and bravery to the American media. (466) African Americans would continue to serve in America's army in segregated divisions; they would fight in WWI, and they fought in the Spanish American war, where they saw the integrated Cuban battalions and questioned the segregation in their own army

March to the Sea

This Union campaign was spearheaded by General Sherman and burnt a massive path of destruction from Atlanta to Savannah. This cut the Confederacy apart and crippled some of their most important industrial complexes and produces, essentially dealing the final death blow to the Confederacy. (470) The March to the Sea is a prime example of the brutality that modern warfare had to offer; the near razing and destruction of Georgia's major cities across the campaign would leave a legacy of ashes and destruction that carried over throughout the entire Reconstruction period. The destruction that the march created would be heavily repeated in future wars to come, such as the World Wars and the Vietnam War.

Civil Rights Act of 1875

This act guaranteed voting access to all citizens, regardless of ethnicity. However, due to a Supreme Court ruling, its effectiveness was also diminished in the South. (500) The KKK used terror to suppress voting access in the South, and equal civil rights remained a major issue throughout the Gilded Age and the early Modern era, with movements such as UNIA emerging to combat Jim Crow

Civil Rights Act of 1866

This act proclaimed freed slaves as citizens, and gave them all of the rights that white men enjoyed. However, terror groups such as the KKK, as well as black codes, limited its effectiveness. (481) Due to its limited effectiveness, African Americans largely did not gain the rights that the act would grant, and remained separated from other citizens through segregation after Plessy v. Fergusson

Battle of Little Big Horn

This battle, also known as the Battle of the Greasy Grass or Custer's Last Stand, was the final major Native American victory against the US, in where Custer was surrounded by natives and was slaughtered in the ensuing battle. (533) These Native American victories sadly gave a worse impression of Native americans as Savages and evil killers, when in fact most were trying to protect their rightful land. Sadly, discrimination and american culture would turn these victories into evil and strengthen the idea that they must be cleared out of the way.

Election of 1860

This election saw the election of Lincoln, who would take over for Buchanan. Lincoln won without a single Southern vote, and because of this, the South declared tyranny by the North, and, starting with South Carolina, seceded from the Union, quoting the same rhetoric that the colonists quoted when they separated from Britain (438) The election of 1860 would prove to be a pivotal event in the History of the United States, in where politics became so divided that secession became the only option to many Southern politicians. The election served as a symbol of America's total divide in history, and how it shaped the coming half-decade (and perhaps even the entire course of America's history).

Bleeding Kansas

This event, which was spurred by the Kansas-Nebraska Act, was filled with massive amounts of bloodshed and general unrest by foreign voters attempted to hijack this namesake's states votes in regards to whether it should have been a Free State or a Slave State. (433) Bleeding Kansas was the true spark that ignited the civil war. The north and the south were so separated to the point where they were willing to kill each other. This fight would show the corruptness of America and push progressivists to make it better.

Brooks-Sumner fight

This fight occurred after Charles Sumner openly insulted a relative of Preston Brooks in the Senate, Brooks proceeded to beat down Sumner in public. This strained the relations between the North and the South even further than before and would be one of the primary instigators of the Civil War. (n/a) The Brooks-Sumner fight literally displayed the battle in Kansas and the ferocity of the political scene. This served as bellows to ignite the spark created by bleeding kansas and the govt. friction functioned as kindling, and in the end everything blew up with help from the canning of sumner.

Ku Klux Klan

This group was formed after the end of the Civil War, with its grand master Nathan Bedford Forrest creating it to ensure that the South remained a "white man's land" against the newly freed African-Americans and would actively lynch and assault its targets across the South. (499) The Klan would grow in size and power until it reached nearly 4 million active members in the early 1920s; they terrorized African Americans and ensured that racism stayed deep-rooted in America well past the Civil Rights Era; they could not be fought, as. in the South, much of the police and government were part of the Klan as well

Northern War Strategy

This idea included the usage of the Anaconda Plan against the Confederacy, which would act to suffocate and create a blockade across the South. Because the South relied so heavily on their cotton farming rather than actual agricultural sustenance, this would slowly choke out the South and eventually force them to surrender. The North would also embrace Total War, which directed the war across the entirety of the Confederacy, not just its military assets and units. (468) The Northern War Strategy was a lesson for U.S. commanders. The early incompetence and complatancy would be mirrored by the french in WW2, and led to many deaths. However, the North was able to understand the idea of an industrialized war, and learned to fight in swift strikes, an idea mirrored to this day.

Appomattox Courthouse

This location marked the de-facto end of the American Civil War, where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Grant and the Union Army. After this, the Confederate Armed Forces was essentially destroyed in the South. (474) After their defeat in the civil war, the South saw the ideals they fought for as a "Lost Cause", and romanticized the ideas of slavery and racism through paternal slavery; the "lost cause" would fuel support of the KKK, which felt anger at the Confederate surrender to the Union

Ten Percent Plan

This post-civil war Reconstruction plan was set forth by Abraham Lincoln so that the Confederacy may quickly be assimilated back into the Union government by ratifying the 13th Amendment and forcing 10% of voters to take an oath of loyalty to the Union. However, many felt that this was much too lenient. (480) If passed Lincoln's plan would have hastened the pace of progressive reform in the newly "united" states. His vision to reunify the states as peacefully as possible was stymied by his assassination rendering the plan obsolete, as nobody was left to push for its passing.

Crittenden Compromise

This proposed government policy attempted to reestablish the Missouri Compromise line in a last-ditch effort to keep the South from splitting off from the Union but was rejected by Lincoln due to the fact that it would encourage future wars against other countries. (446) The compromise led to secession and the civil war, but ultimately set the precedent of how wartime diplomacy should be carried out. This way of thinking was seen in the way World War 1 was carried out, as it was seen as the "war to end all wars". Despite this not being the case, a more pacifist approach was seen as Woodrow Wilson didn't want to go to war.

Harpers Ferry

This was the location of a federal armory that was the target of a raid by John Brown, a radical Northern Abolitionist who was attempting to steal weapons to start a massive slave revolt within the Southern territories. The attempted insurrection was stopped by a group of Marines and Colonel Robert E. Lee. (438) Harper's Ferry represented the escalation of tensions between the North and the South ebfore the start of the Civil War, and demonstrated what lengths people were willing to go to in order to have their goals met. The extremely polarized reaction to the attempted raide emphasized this as well; the North considered John Brown to be a hero, while the South considered John Brown to be a radical terrorist. These clashing viewpoints would eventually be set alight once the Civil War broke out.

Clara Barton

This woman was an influential Union nurse who was in service during the American Civil War and who would later go on to create the American Red Cross. (456) Clara Barton's influence over modern battlefield medicine helped to set up the early beginnings of modern hospitals and medicine in the United States; proper cleaning, maintenance, and greater knowledge of how to care and treat the human body would play a vital role in the development of medicine across the 20th century.

Manifest Destiny

Under Polk's office, the desire to expand North exploded. Talks of acquiring California, Oregon and other Mexican Session territory led to the Americans wanting to move West. Manifest Destiny's purpose was to spread "Americanism" and religion from sea to shining sea meaning that it was necessary to spread West. (412-413) Manifest Destiny initially began as a way to start a fresh life. The new land establishments quickly led to agricultural development and created a large farming community. This quickly led to larger waves of foreign immigration as Angel Island was established to provide labor workers for the railroad. More industries began to emerge and more states began to be admitted to the Union as problems were beginning to get "resolved".

Millard Fillmore

Whig President in 1850 after Zachary Taylor died, and helped pass the Compromise of 1850 Acts. (429) Fillmore's passing of the Compromise of 1850 Acts helped solidify the stance towards slavery. The fugitive slave act and the dred scott case both shed light on the pervasive disagreement about slavery in the North despite all established guidelines.

Gettysburg

This location served as the battlefield for one of the largest and most famous battles of the Civil War, and the Union victory here caused Confederate support from foreign countries to dwindle massively. According to legend, the battle occurred after scouts approached the town in an attempt to find a shoe factory, and the resulting three-day confrontation took place mostly to the south of the city with Confederates attempting to assault the "hook" formation formed by the Union through multiple hills and the peach orchard, culminating in the last-ditch Pickett's Charge against the Union held Cemetery Ridge from the Confederate-held Seminary Ridge. (465) The Battle of Gettysburg, alongside with the Fall of Vicksburg, was the beginning of the end for the Confederacy in the South. Not only was Robert E. Lee's advance into the North completely crippled and blunted, but the Confederacy suffered a major diplomatic defeat. Other countries, such as Britain, began to lose all faith within the Confederacy's ability to fight a war against the Union, and began to withdraw their support for the rebels. Because the Confederacy relied so heavily on foreign support due to how underdeveloped their own industry and economy was in comparison to the North, this caused them to begin struggling with logistics and supplies for the remainder of the Civil War.

Antietam

This location served as the battlefield for the US Civil War's bloodiest day, with Union forces meeting Confederate forces in the border state of Maryland. General McClellan's failure to exploit the Union numerical superiority in the battle as well as pursue the Confederate forces in their retreat led to Lincoln sacking him as Commander of the Army of the Potomac, but the battle provided the political capital required by Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. (450) Antietam was but a glimpse into the horrors of industrialized war. America was able to understand this horror through this war, and smartly backed out from fighting the most gruesome war that the world had ever seen, the Great War.

Vicksburg

This location was the location of the final Confederate holdout on the Mississippi River and was sieged by the Union Army. The city would eventually fall to the North at the same time as the Battle of Gettysburg and allowed the Union to complete its "Anaconda" across the Confederacy. (464) The fall of Vicksburg, alongside the Union Victory at the Battle of Gettysburg, was the beginning of the end for the Confederacy. Because the Southern Confederacy had extremely limited industrial capacity in comparison to the North, they were forced to rely on foreign support and trade to keep themselves supplied across the war. However, the fall of Vicksburg allowed the Union to complete a blockade across the Confederacy, placing it in a several year long death strangle and draining it of the logistical supplies desperately needed to fight any war. Vicksburg's long lasting effects upon the Confederacy displayed a shining example of how logisticics can decide the victor in a war of bloody brutality.

General Ulysses S Grant

This man was a famed Union General during the American Civil War who, despite performing rather poorly in his classes, was able to win multiple victories against the Confederates. In addition, he would later become President of the United States, albeit with a heavily scandal-ridden term. (449) U.S. Grant was an important factor that began the end of the Civil war. He left a legacy of rebuilding a ruined America. However, he also became a factor in the continuation of political corruptness, and his stiff-armed way of dealing with the south was unable to mend many of the wounds.

General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson

This man was a famous Confederate General during the American Civil War, who performed admirably during the First Battle of Bull's Run and would become an iconic symbol of the South against the Union. During the Battle of Chancellorsville, he would accidentally be shot by forward scouts and die. Jackson's outstanding performance during the Battle of Bull's Run epitomized the overall Southern superiority in leadership against the Union; when he was killed by friendly fire during the Battle of Chancellorsville, the South would be dealt a permanent blow to its war effort, contributing to the Confederacy's decline and defeat. To this day, Stonewall Jackson remains a popular figure in the South.

General George McClellan

This man was a prominent Union General during the American Civil War, who is known for his general incompetence in leading the Union Army against the Confederacy. After being sacked by Lincoln after the battle of Antietam, McClellan would run against him in the Election of 1864 in an attempt to end the Civil War without recapturing the South. (448) McClellan's disasterous leadership during the opening days of the Civil War represented how poorly prepared the Union was against the honor-driven and militaristic society that was the Confederacy. Because many of the best American generals were Southern, the majority of quality commanders were stripped away from the Union. It would take several years for the Union to scramble together a new leadership so that they would be able to effectively combat the Confederacy's military.

John Brown

This man was a radical Northern Abolitionist who played a critical role in Bleeding Kansas, in where he massacred a group of people in the Pottawatomie Massacre and also attempted to stage an uprising against Southern Slave Plantations by raiding Harpers Ferry and arming the slaves. (433) John Brown served as one of the most polarizing and divisive figures during the Antebellum period; his acts of violence and attempted raids were seen by the majority of the North as "heroic", while the majority of the South viewed them as "barbaric". Regardless of his reputation, it is indisputable that John Brown's legacy helped to pave the foundation between the total split between North and South in their beliefs over slavery.

Chief Joseph

This man was the leader of his Native American tribe, the Nez Perce, and attempted to lead his people to the safety of Canada to escape being forced into reservations in South Dakota by the US Government. However, he was captured and forced to lead his tribe into the reservation; he would eventually die from heart failure, or by his doctor's own words, "A Broken Heart". (525) Chief Joseph's story shows how the United States was willing to resort to near atrocities in order to expel the native americans from their homeland for the sake of Manifest Destiney; to this day, natives remain on reservations that are typically poorly maintained in comparison to the rest of the United States, presenting a haunting reminder of the US' actions during the 19th century.