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Commencement of Civil War
The Civil War started with the Confederate Army attacking Union soldiers in Fort Sumpter South Carolina. This was the start of one of the bloodiest and gruesome wars the world has ever seen. At this point in America there was a division. There were free states that belonged to the Union and there were slave states that belonged to the Confederates There was a massive debate on what the new states joining America should be considered. After much argument finally there was a attack and a war begun -
Ten Percent Plan
Two years into the Civil War and roughly a year after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, President Lincon created this plan that if ten percent of people who had previously voted swore loyalty to the ideas of the Union, their state would become a Union state. This was added so that there was a potentially quicker way to allow southern confederate states to join the Union and try to end the war quicker. -
40 Acres and a Mule
In January 1865, General Sherman of Ohio offered Field Orders No. 15. These orders essentially discussed how if property stretched over multiple states (South Carolina to Flordia), it should be divided into 40-acre land properties... with a mule for each. This land was mainly given to formerly enslaved people, and this proposal is where the term "40 Acres and a Mule" comes from. This was one of the major ways that Republicans committed to the emancipation of slaves. -
The 13th Ammendment
The 13th Amendment is the most influential amendment to be added to the Constitution. I say this because the amendment abolished slavery immediately after the Civil War. This Amendment was significant to the United States because up until then if you lived in America, you essentially owned slaves and they worked for you. Despite losing the Civil War, this was a big deal, and many Southern Confederates were still distraught that this was being added to the Constitution, which they now lived by. -
Freedmen's Bureau Act
In March of 1865, the Freedmen's Bureau Act was established to help former enslaved people with things like food, a place to stay, and even things like a place to stay. This act helped thousands of former slaves and tremendously impacted education. Now that these former slaves were free they had an opportunity and right to education and most of them took advantage of this opportunity. One recognizable university that can be noticed from the Freedmen's Bureau Act is Howard University! -
President Lincoln's Assassination
Just days after the end of the Civil War, President Lincon went to a theatre to see a play. A man by the name of John Wilkes Booth snuck into the president's suite and pulled a gun to Mr Lincoln's head. He then waited for a large applause and assassinated the President. John Wilkes Booth was a big Confederate supporter and thought with his sacrifice and killing of President Lincon that, the South and Confederate army would rise again. -
Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction Plan
What this reconstruction plan meant to do was to help Confederate states move back to the United States as long as they agreed on loyalty and respected the end of slavery. Johnson gave white southerners a Pardons if they fought in the war. Even some leaders in the war were granted this pardon. This, unfortunately, still led to problems. Despite southern states joining, there were quickly things called Black Codes that prevented formerly enslaved people from living their free lives. History.com -
New Orleans Riot
This Riot was caused by the confusion of African American men and how they should be allowed to vote in the state of New Orleans in 1866. A group of supporters, including some white folk gathered to discuss this when a group of white locals attacked the group leading to around 48 African Americans being killed and more hurt. This opened the eyes of people in the Union states and made them realize that the South would not change on its own. This led to stricter Reconstruction laws for the South. -
The Alaska Purchase
Originally Russia owned and had civilization on Alaska for a very long time. It seemed that Alaska would essentially be Russian forever. They were importing foods and resources to its motherland and it was a great grand piece of land to own to its country. However after the Crimean War ended Russia was in debt. This left them no other option than to sell their secret prices possession. A young growing United States jumped on the opportunity and bought Alaska and our country has benefited since. -
First Enforcement Act
These Enforcement acts were passed to stop groups of people from influencing African American voters with violence and death threats. Obouisly, now in America, this is not a problem, but with all of the newly freed slaves in the South, this was a huge problem. These Acts were mainly put in to try and temporarily stop groups like the Ku Klux Klan from getting together and harassing African American voters in the southern states.