Chapter 20-23

What was the political situation as the election of 1864 approached and how did Lincoln win reelection?

At the onset of the election, Lincoln's own Republican party didn't trust his ability to lead and opposed his view on emancipation. The Northern Democrats at the time were largely divided following the death of Stephen Douglas. However, what allowed him to be reelected was a joint force of radical republicans and war democrats, which were encouraged with Lincoln's joining with Andrew Johnson.

Why were the political times so prone to corruption in the post civil war era?

Big businesses were granted the opportunity to rise up and control government monopolies because the reconstruction era was largely focused on politics. This allowed them, in a sense, to abuse the system through bribes and corruption. The new wide open market created a motive for people to fight for personal gains, which also resulted in the manipulation of immigrants for votes.

After gaining suffrage, how successful were blacks politically?

Blacks created the Union league in the South and attempted to run, with the help of northern blacks, as republican candidates. Black women assembled informal town hall meetings. Black delegates were by far the most powerful at convention meetings, and some even went on to serve in the House or Senate.

Once he was put in charge of the entire Union army, how did Grant prosecute the war until its end?

Grant was able to capture both Fort Henry and Fort Dorelson on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, which brought Kentucky closer to the union, as well as the entire Ohio River Valley area. His reputation was largely damaged in his loss at the Battle of Shiloh, but he remained in office and won the battle of Vicksburg, which greatly helped his political prowess.

What did Lincoln do that provoked South Carolina to bombard Fort Sumter, and what did Lincoln do immediately following the attack?

He sent an expedition to provision the garrison of Fort Sumter, and the South thought that he was sending them as a reinforcement. After the attack, Lincoln called for 75,000 troops and volunteers to fight, as well as blockading the southern coast.

What circumstances led to the impeachment and trial of President Johnson and what was the outcome?

Johnson was held for impeachment on the grounds of his violation of his tenure of office by removing Edward Stanton, the secretary of war, from his cabinet. Since this was a violation of federal law, high crimes and misdemeanors, a trial was held with lots of bribes and corruption. Johnson was eventually not impeached and was just one vote short of ending political office.

How successful was Lee as commander of the confederate army?

Lee ultimately lost, but made a good run before doing it. He had great military expertise and battle strategy, and was able to allocate certain sections of his work to other Confederate generals. Lee helped inspire southern troops, and made the poor South into a legitimate contender.

How had Lincoln hoped to accomplish reconstruction and what modifications did Johnson make to Lincoln's original plan?

Lincoln held the belief that the South actually never did legally secede from the USA. He pushed for the 10% reconstruction plan in which 10% of the voters in each state had to pledge allegiance to emancipation for the state to be readmitted to the Union. Lincoln then created a formal government. Johnson ended up disenfranchising certain Confederate leaders and called for states to repeal ordinances of secession, repay for their debts, and ratify the thirteenth amendment to allow them into the Union.

How successful was McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac?

McClellan was a very brilliant young man that came straight out of West Point. He was especially good at organizing and inspiring his troops, who idolized him by the nickname "little mac". However, problems existed when he was surprisingly unwilling to go into battle, which was fatal to him. He was defeated by Lee in his trek up to Richmond, making him incapable of ending the long and arduous war.

Which states were border states and how did they influence Lincoln's statements and actions?

Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia. Most of Lincoln's statements aimed at keeping these border states part of the union. To do this, he had to repeatedly claim that his fight was one to save and preserve the Union rather than free the slaves. He also sent soldiers to Maryland, West Virginia and Missouri, declaring martial law.

At the outbreak of war, what advantages did the North and South have?

The South were able to fight from home, had much better military leaders, were more accustomed to fighting, and had a sort of moral advantage. The North was able to exploit the already weak southern economy, had many factories and railroads, had a far superior naval power, and had more manpower.

What were the biggest challenges facing post-construction South?

The South's issues mainly dealt with blacks. The economy was failing without the security of slavery so they decided to hire cheap immigrants and sharecroppers, with the intent to stop blacks from gaining any sort of land territory. Additionally, segregation and Jim Crow laws were created and those who broke these laws were penalized harshly.

What incidents threatened peaceful relations between the Union and Britain?

The Trent Affair affected the US-British relations when a union ship halted the path of a British ship in order to remove two confederate diplomats on their way to Europe. This completely outraged the British. Additionally, the British built powerful naval ships, one notably named the Alabama, and captured union ships with them, enraging the North. Some of these ships even had iron rams that could sink wooden Union ships. These conflicts almost escalated to the point of war, but the Union had to deal with the Confederacy first.

How did the war impact the North and South economies?

The economy of the South suffered tremendously. They couldn't partake in the cotton trade due to the North's blockade, which they were once very dependent on. It spiraled into an incredible amount of debt and inflation. The North's economy, on the other hand, thrived. A new millionaire class was created, new factories were able to succeed protected by tariffs, and petroleum was discovered.

What were the main issues surrounding the election of 1876? Did the compromise of 1877 resolve these issues?

The main issues that existed were that Tilden only had 184 out of the necessary 185 electoral votes to become president. Hayes and Tilden both sent representatives to swing states for the purpose of gaining additional votes. Nothing changed as a result, so a compromise was created saying that Hayes would be president only if he removed all troops from the South. Hayes ended up winning the presidency in a very close race.

In what ways was congressional reconstruction different than presidential reconstruction?

The reconstruction through president was far more lenient, granting the South sufficient time to readjust their policies. However, reconstruction run by congress, mainly consisting of radical republicans, was much more unforgiving. They put in place a military law in the South, and limited the civil rights while adding amendments to the Constitution, radically changing the southern social structure.

What were some of the reasons for the depression of 1893 and how did Cleveland deal with it?

There was a ton of overbuilding and speculation, labor disorders and agricultural shortages, which resulted in very angry debtors and workers. Grover Cleveland ended up turning to JP Morgan and other Wall Street bankers to get $65 million in gold as a loan, which restored the people's confidence in the nation's finances. However, this move was largely looked at as a sellout corrupt move.

Why did the South believe they would be able to enlist foreign intervention and why were they unable to do so?

They believed they would be able to get help from Europe and other foreign countries because they held a large share in the world cotton market, which these countries' economies were partially dependent on. However, this aid didn't come because these nations couldn't reach the South due to a large blockade in the North. They also simply didn't want to see the South winning the war.

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do and how did it affect the Union cause?

This proclamation freed all the slaves in the Union's loyal border states and other lands owned by the federal government. Now, the North could use these free slaves in their army, while attempting to discourage southern slaves to fight for the Confederacy. This helped the North gain European support, and vastly hurt the Southern economy.

What are some pivotal battles of the civil war and what were the outcomes of each?

Fort Sumter was the first battle of the war in which the South attacked a fort with Union troops inside of it. This provoked the North and allowed them to declare war. The 7 days battle was when Robert E Lee beat McClellan at Richmond, resulting in Lincoln beginning to draft the Emancipation Proclamation. The Battle of Antietam occurred when the Union found Robert E Lee's battle plans and defeated him in the bloodiest battle of he war. This marked an important turning point in the war, leading up to the final showdown at Gettysburg, in which the Union sealed their victory.

How did blacks respond to freedom and what black organizations flourished?

Responses throughout the slave population were extremely varied. A select few remained loyal to their master, refusing to leave, while others took out their full anger on the masters. They soon celebrated their freedom, and the Black Baptist Church and African Methodist Episcopal Church thrived.

What were the main reasons for Chinese immigration in the second half of the nineteenth century?

The Chinese came mostly from Guangdong for the purpose of digging in goldfields and creating transcontinental railroads. Racists discriminated against them heavily, and to top it all off, Congress created the Chinese exclusion act to prohibit any new Chinese immigrants.

What were the costs of the Civil War?

The Civil War resulted in over 600k deaths due to combat or disease. Many babies were unborn and young leaders perished. The literal cost of the was around one billion dollars. States lost their rights and slavery was finally ended. Lincoln was also assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.