Civil War Mini-Lessons

http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/sites/memorial.htm

Acquisition of Territory

• Louisiana Purchase 1803 (plains states)

• From Wars

– 1812-Midwest region - Mississippi area

– 1848 Mexican War - Texas area California & SW (also from Gadsden Purchase 1853)

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Results

• Monroe Doctrine

– US will not allow foreign influences in North America

• Manifest Destiny

– US is “destined” to span coast to coast

Economic Cycles

• Era of Good Feelings(1820-30)

– End of War of 1812 - we are awesome!

– Growing demand for goods and trade

– Industrial Revolution brings new growth, products, money

Sectional Division Grows

• Territories - westward expansion yields more space for growth

– New states with votes in Congress

– New governments, new rules, laws for protection

– Requires much more money and

– Conflict over who will decide for territories and who will benefit

Government Concepts

• Strong Federal Government

– Helps trade both interstate and international

– Helps settlement through exploring, protection of people, deeding land, other incentives

– Restricts rights/power of states

favored by North

Strong States Rights

• States have ultimate say within their borders

• Gives state control over issues that are most important to them

• Restricts "equal" treatment (our state is better than yours?), interstate commerce, "fairness"

favored by South

Balance through Compromise

• US Government has relied on compromise to resolve problems.

• Key compromises revolve around territory and new states to keep balance in senate (states enter in pairs)

– Missouri Compromise 1820 (estab. S. boundary line)

– Compromise of 1850 (popular sovereignty and Fugitive Slave Law)

– Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854 (repeals MO boundary, but causes more sectional conflict)

Debates• 1830’s Calhoun/Hayne – Noah

Webster (predict secession)

• 1854: Lincoln – Douglas Debate

Supported Extinction of Slavery

Supported Popular Sovereignty

Slavery Issues

• 1820 Missouri Compromise designed to settle issue permanently

• 1854 Kansas-Nebraska shatters Northern confidence in containing slavery

• Both pro and anti-slavery forces send their people to Kansas to influence popular sovereignty.

Spread of Slavery

“Era of Good Feelings”

States extend to Mississippi River

Slave states appear West of Mississippi River

Texas is added and conflicts arise

over Kansas

Dred Scott

• Test of the “Fugitive Slave Law” that was associated with Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Dred Scott had traveled to free state so argued that he WAS free

• Court rules slaves are property and have not rights under constitution

Slavery as an Industry

• Cotton prices and other economic issues cause owners to sell more slaves

• The market for slaves needed to extend to new territories and states

• Slave families were likely broken up. This leads more to consider running away to North.

Underground Railroad

• Slaves fear new rules and unstable conditions

• Northern Abolitionists organize

• Safe houses are provided by Quakers and others along various routes

• Tubman and other “conductors” lead thousands to freedom in late 1850’s

Fanning the Flames

• Bloody Kansas

• Abolitionists

– Douglas

– Garrison

• “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” Harriet Beecher Stowe. Most widely read book in US and world.

Political Changes

• Early parties: Democrats and Whigs

• Late 1850’s: Split in Whigs over issues of slavery yields new party: Republicans

Moving to Election of 1860

• By election of 1860:

– Whigs have folded

– Democrats Split into North and South

– Four parties have candidates: Rep., N Dem., S Dem., Constitutional Union Party

– Strong feeling and no majority in election!

• Lincoln (R) Wins and then South Secedes!

Election Aftermath

• Dec. 1860 – S. Carolina and other states secede from Union

• Feb. 1861 – Confederate States Congress (6 South States) appoints Jefferson Davis President

• March 1861 – Lincoln sworn into office. He vows to hold property that belongs to the government

The Civil War Begins

• Confederate States start “claiming” forts in their territory (who would stop them?)

• Not claimed were three forts in FL that were not important

• Conflict: Charleston SC – Fort Sumter has strategic importance and “siege” begins in April.

• Sumter bombing last two days. North surrenders for 1st South win