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Battle of Bull Run
The first bloodshed occurred near the little creek of Bull Run, 25 miles from Washington, D.C. In the morning the Union army gained the upper hand, but the Confederates held firm, inspired by General Thomas J. Jackson (nickname Stonewall Jackson). In the afternoon Confederate reinforcements helped win the first Southern victory. Confederate morale soared, some went home. Lincoln responded to defeat by
stepping up enlistments, appointed General George McClellan -
Missouri Compromise
1818 Missouri request to enter the Union;Arguments on wether Missouri should be free/slaved. W/leadership of Henry Clay, Congress pass Missouri Comp: admit Maine as free state/Missouri slave state; Louisisana Territory split in 2 at 36°30´north latitude where in south slavery is legal and in north slavery banned except Missouri. President: Andrew Jackson -
Harriet Tubman
She was the most famous conductor of the Underground Railraod and she bagan in 1849 when her owner died. In fear that she would be sold, she escaped and ended up in Philadelphia. She pledged to become a conductor shortly after the Fugative Slave Act was passed and she made a grand total of 19 trips and is said to have freed 300 slaves. -
Abolition
movement to abolish slavery; most important of a series of reform mvmts in Amer.; James Forten a strong believer of abolition(was a free man); 1817 American Colonization Society been found to encourage black emigration; -
Santa Fe Trail
settlers use old Native Amer trails SantaFeTrail:stretched 780 miles from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe in the Mexican province of New Mexico; travelers traveled bonded w/100wagons in fear of Native attacks; -
San Felipe de Austin
1821,Stephen F.Austin establish a colony where "no drunkard, no gamble, no profane searer, and no idler" would be allowed; its main settlement of the colony was named San Felipe de Austin; by1825Austin issue 297 land grants to group that later became known as Texas's Old Three Hundred. Each family received either 177very inexpensive acres of farmlad/4428acres for stock grazing,as well as 10yr exemption from paying taxes -
Mexico abolishes slavery
cultural issues intensified btwn Anglos and Mexican gov->Anglo settlers were Southerners->brought slaves to Texas->Mexico had abolished slavery in 1829 so it insisted in vain that Texans free their slaves. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
On eof the prominent rebellions led by Virginia slave Nat Turner; Turner took about 50 followers and attacked 4 plantations killing about 60 white ppl. However, the whites eventually captured and executed most of the members of the group, including Turner. Rebellion frightened many slaveholders and eventually led to stricter rules on slaves. -
The Liberator
William Lloyd Garrison: most radical white abolitionist; establish The Liberatior to deliver an uncompromising demand: immediate emancipation; hated by whites, supported by African Amer. -
Stephen F. Austin goes to jail
Mexican politics become unstable->Austin traveled to Mexico City to present petitions to Mexican prez Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna for greater self-gov for Texas;->Santa Anna imprison Austin for incitin grevolution; -
Oregon Trail
stretched from Independence,Missouri to Oregon City,Oregon; blazed by Methodist missionaries named Marcus&Narcissa Whitman->prove wagons can travel on Oregon Trail by going far as Fort Boise; influenced other pionners to travel; "prairie schooners":wooden wheeled wagons covered with sailcloth and pulled by oxen. -
Texas Revolution
After Santa Anna suspend local pwrs in Texas+other Mexican states, several rebellion broke out->Texas Revolution; Texas gain independence from Mexico; Sam Houston(commander in chief) later become prez of new Republic of Texas. -
Manifest Destiny
manifest destiny:expressed belief that US was ordained to expand to the Pacific Ocean&into Mexican and Native American territory;mvmt westward predestined by God; settlers want abundance of land; merchants+manufactures seek new markets for their goods; panic of 1837 convinced many Amer to start fresh in West. -
Texas enters the United States
Southerners want Texas in order to extend slavery; Northerners fear more slave territoy which would tip the uneasy balance in Senate in favor of slave states and prompt war with Mexico; US presidential campaign focus on westward expansion->winner James K. Polk(slaveholder) favor annexation of Texas. -
Mexican-American War
Prez Polk pursue Manifest Destiny westward->offer to buy southwest of Mexico territory but Mexico refuse->tension; another reason was the Texas Revolution; -
The North Star (newspaper)
Author- Frederick Douglass
Purpose- AN anti-slavery newspaper. It was used to not only denounce slavery, but to fight for the rights of women and other oppressed groups. Hilighted Douglasses veiw that abolition could be achieved without violence. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
America&Mexico at war: led by US generals Zachary Taylor+Winfield Scott; the treaty was signed as agreement of Mexico that the Rio Grande as the border btwn Texas+Mexico and ceded the New Mexico+California territories to the US; US agree to pay $15million for Mexican cession; soon Gadsden Purchase happened(bought south of Gila River) under Prez Franklin Pierce. -
Underground Railroad
Who started it- Harriet Tubman
Purpose- It was anetwork of white abolitionists and freed slaves that hid fugative slaves and helped transport them to the North. THey boasted a system of underground roads and hiding spots. Provided food and clothing to the fugative slaves and guided them on every step of their escape. -
Compromise of 1850
Texas(slave state) claimed half of the territory in the New Mexico Territory(which hadnt been formally divided yet) where the issue of slavery had not yet been settled. Texas threatened Secession(withdrawal from the union) so Henry Clay worked out a compromise for the North and South states. The compromise tried to please both sides. To please the North, California would be admitted as a free state. To please the south, a new fugative state law would be instituted(any slave found in the North -
Compromise of 1850 (cont.)
that was a runnaway could be returned to the south. To please both sides, New Mexico and Utah were territories that had the right to vote for or against slavery. Went into effect Sept 1850 -
Fugative Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Acts were a pair of federal laws that allowed for the capture and return of runaway slaves within the territory of the United States. The act basically set harsh restrictions on the capture/returnal of a slave and was not closely monitored, so free blacks often were captured and taken back to slavery. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe published her novel which stressed that slavery was not just a political contest, but also a great moral stuggle. The novel hilighted her lifetime hatred for slavery and stirred Northern abolitionists to increase their protests against the Fugative Slave Act. However, int eh south, it created more controversy and was attacked on by most. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Who proposed- Senator Stephen Douglas
Senate did not now how to determine if Kansas and Nebraska whould be slave states or free states, so they set up a system where the states could vote to determine free or slave state. THis would repeal the Missoui compromise, that said that the territories could not be slave states. Ultimately passed in late 1854. -
Dread Scott vs. Sandford
WHo is Dread Scott- a slave whose owner took him form the slave state of Missouri to free territory in Illinoise and Wisconson and back to Missouri.
Why sue for freedom- Scott appealed to the Supreme court for his freedom in the grounds that living in a free state made him a free man.
Final verdict- the court ruled against him because he was a possession and not a citizen. -
Abe Lincoln and Stephen Douglas Debates
Why were they debating- they were debating for a seat on the US Senate for Illinois.
Individual views on slavery- Douglas and Link bost beleived that slavery should not be instituted, but Douglas beleived that the territoriy would have to vote to keep slavery out while link said that slavery must be abolished through an amendment.
Who won-Douglas won the senateseat, but his response widened the split btwn the democrats.Link's response was widely respectedanddrew nationalattension led 2 prez -
John Brown's raid/Harpers Ferry
John Brown wanted to instigate an uprising to help slaves gain their freedom, so he led a band of 21 men(blakc and white) in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He was able to take over a large arsenal and create a slave uprising. It was put down by US troops and Brown was put to death. THe north was outraged and saw him as a hero while the south hated him and threatened anyone who held anti-slavery views. -
Abraham Lincoln becomes president
Election of 1860; Won because while he pledged to halt further spear of slavery, he reassured the Souththat they would not interfere with their slaves. Link ultimately won with less than half the popular vote and no electoral votes from the south. -
Formation of the Confederacy
Established Feb 1861;
States joined- Mississippi, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas
President- Jefferson Davis(former senator for Mississippi) -
Battle of Bull Run
The first bloodshed occurred near the little creek of Bull Run, 25 miles from Washington, D.C. In the morning the Union army gained the upper hand, but the Confederates held firm, inspired by General Thomas J. Jackson (nickname Stonewall Jackson). In the afternoon Confederate reinforcements helped win the first Southern victory. Confederate morale soared, some went home. Lincoln responded to defeat by
stepping up enlistments, appointed General George McClellan -
Attack on Fort Sumter, first battle of Civil War
As soon as the Confederacy was formed, Confederate soldiers
seizing federal forts in Union hands. The most important was Fort Sumter, on an island in Charleston harbor.
Lincoln neither abandon Fort Sumter nor reinforce it, only send in food. April 12, Confederate batteries seized Charlestown --> battle -->convinces North and South to arm, Lincoln's call for volunteers --> 75,000 volunteers--> 4 more Southern states secede (AR,VA,NC,TN), west VA join union with slave states DE,MD,MO,KY -
Conscription
The war led to social upheaval and political unrest in both the North and the South. As the fighting intensified, heavy casualties and widespread desertions led each side to impose conscription, a draft that forced men to serve in the army. In the North, conscription led to draft riots, the most violent of which took place in New York City -
Income Tax
war’s effect on the economy of the North was more positive. The army’s need for supplies supported woolen mills, steel foundries, and industries. Wages did not keep up with prices, and standard of living declined. When white male workers went out on strike, employees hired free blacks, immigrants,
and women to replace them for lower wages. As the economy grew, Congress help pay for war by collecting the nation’s first income tax, a tax that takes a specified percentage of individual's income -
Battle of Antietam
Spring of 1862 McClellan (Union) vs. Robert E. Lee (Confederate); Lee drives McClellan from Richmond (Confederate capital), Lee tries to go after WA, crossed the Potomac into the Union state of Maryland, McClellan found Lee's plans in cigar fold and read that armies of Lee and Stonewall Jackson are seperated --> try to pursue---> fight at creek Antietam (bloodiest single-day battle, 26k casualties)---> McClellan did not pursue Lee in retreat to VA, Lincoln remove McClellan b/c couldv'e end war -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln disliked slavery, did not believe that the federal government had power to abolish when already existed.
- use his constitutional war powers to end slavery. The Confederacy used the labor of slaves to
build fortifications and grow food. Lincoln’s powers as commander in chief allowed him to order his troops to seize enemy resources. Therefore, he decided
that could authorize the army to emancipate slaves. Emancipation was not just a moral issue; it became a weapon of war -
Emancipation Proclamation (cont.)
The proclamation did not free any slaves immediately because it applied only to areas behind Confederate lines, outside Union control. Nevertheless, for many, the proclamation gave the war a moral purpose by turning the struggle into a fight to free the slaves. It also ensured that compromise was no longer possible -
Effect of Vicksburg
The twin defeats at Gettysburg and Vicksburg cost the South much of its limited manpower. The Confederacy was already low on food, shoes, uniforms, guns, and ammunition. No longer able to attack, it could hope only to hang on long
enough to destroy Northern morale and work toward an armistice.
That plan proved increasingly unrealistic because Southern morale was weakening. Many Confederate soliders had deserted, while newspapers, state legislatures, and individuals want peace -
Battle at Vicksburg
Union general Ulysses S. Grant fought to take Vicksburg, one of the two remaining Confederate strongholds on the MS River: important b/c rested on bluffs above the river from which guns could control all water traffic.
- first weaken Confederate defenses that protected
Vicksburg; Benjamin Grierson lead cavalry brigade through Mississippi: succeeded in destroying rail lines and distracting
Confederate forces from Union infantry working its way toward Vicksburg -
Battle of Vicksburg (cont)
Grant land his troops south of Vicksburg on April 30 and sent
his men in search of Confederate troops in Mississippi. In 18 days, Union forces sacked Jackson, the capital of the state.
Grant ordered two frontal attacks on Vicksburg, neither of which succeeded. So, in the last week of May 1863, Grant settled for a siege: steady barrage of artillery, shelling the city from the river and the land for several hours a day
After food supplies ran so low, city fell on July 4. -
Battle of Gettysburg (Day 1)
town of Gettysburg, southern PA, the most decisive battle of the war: The Battle of Gettysburg: when Confederate soldiers led by A. P. Hill encountered Union cavalry under John Buford. Buford ordered his men to take defensive positions on the hills and ridges surrounding the town. When Hill’s troops marched toward the town from the west, Buford’s men shoot, both sides called for reinforcements. 90,000
Union troops under General George Meade against 75,000 Confederates under Robert E. Lee -
Battle of Gettysburg (Day 2)
By the second day of battle, the Confederates had driven the Union troops from Gettysburg and taken control of town. North still held positions on Cemetery Ridge, the high ground south of Gettysburg. On July 2, Lee ordered General James Longstreet to attack Cemetery Ridge; advanced from Seminary Ridge. The Confederates repeatedly attacked the Union lines. Although the Union troops were forced to concede some territory, their lines withheld the withering Confederate onslaught. -
Battle of Gettysburg (result)
The three-day battle produced staggering losses: 23,000 Union men and 28,000 Confederates were killed or wounded. Total casualties were more than 30 percent. Despite the devastation, Northerners were enthusiastic about breaking “the charm of Robert Lee’s invincibility.” -
Gettysburg address
a ceremony was held to dedicate a cemetery in Gettysburg. There, President Lincoln spoke for a little more
than two minutes. According to some contemporary historians, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address “remade America.” Before Lincoln’s speech, people said, “The United States are . . .” Afterward, they said, “The United States is . . .” In other words, the speech helped the country to realize that it was not just a collection of individual states; it was one unified nation. -
Battle of Gettysburg (Day 3)
Lee ordered an artillery barrage on the center of the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge for two hours. Believing they had silenced the Union guns, the Confederates charged. Confederate forces marched across the farmland between their position and the Union high ground. Northern artillery renewed its barrage, and the infantry fired on the rebels. Devastated, the Confederates staggered back to their lines. Lee gave up any hopes of invading the North and led army back to VA -
Sherman's March
In the spring of 1864, Sherman began his march southeast through Georgia to the sea, creating a path of destruction. His
army burned almost every house in its path and destroyed livestock and railroads. Sherman was determined to make Southerners“ so sick of war that generations would pass away before they would again appeal to it.” By mid-November he had burned most of Atlanta. After reaching the ocean,
Sherman’s forces—followed by 25,000 former slaves—turned north to help Grant fight Lee -
Surrender at Appomattox Court House
On April 9, 1865, in a Virginia town called Appomattox (BpQE-mBtPEks) Court House, Lee and Grant met at a private home to arrange a Confederate surrender. At Lincoln’s request, the terms were generous. Grant paroled Lee’s soldiers and sent them home with their possessions and three days’ worth of rations. Officers were permitted to keep their side arms. Within a month all remaining Confederate resistance collapsed. After four long years, the Civil War was over -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln and his wife went to Ford’s Theatre in Washington to see a British comedy, Our American Cousin. During its third act, a man crept up behind Lincoln and shot the president
in the back of his head.
Lincoln died on April 15:first time a president had been assassinated. After the shooting, John Wilkes Booth—a 26-year-old actor and Southern sympathizer— then leaped down from the presidential box to the stage and escaped. Twelve days later, Union cavalry (in a Virginia tobacco shed) shoot him -
13th Amendment
The Emancipation Proclamation freed only slaves who lived in states behind Confederate lines, and not yet under Union control. The government had to decide what to do about the border states, where slavery still existed. The president believed that the only solution was a constitutional amendment abolishing slavery
The U.S. Constitution stated, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the US"