The Coming of the Civil War
Analyze and evaluate the early attempts to abolish or contain slavery and to realize the ideals of the Declaration of Independence.
U5.1.1The Coming of the Civil War
Explain the differences in the lives of free blacks (including those who escaped from slavery) with the lives of free whites and enslaved peoples. Chapter 13, Section 2 pages 420 – 423
Population graph 435
1) By 1860 more than half of all free African Americans lived in the South
2) Worked
a. In cities, they worked mostly as skilled artisans, like barber
b. In rural areas often hired out their services to plantations
3) Churches frequently served an important function
a. Center of social life
4) Free African Americans faced constant discrimination from white southerners
a. Most could not vote
b. Travel freely
c. Hold certain types of jobs
d. Had to have a white person represent them in business transactions
e. White southerners argued that free African Americans could not take care of themselves
f. Free African Americans threatened the institution of slavery
i. Proved that African Americans could live outside of the slave system
5) Yeomen
a. Most white southern that were small landowning farmers
b. Some earned enough money to buy a few slaves
i. Slaving holding whites 1% in 1860
ii. Fewer than 10 slaves 72%
iii. 10-49 slaves 25%
iv. 50-99 slaves 2%
v. 100 or more 1%
6) Poor whites lived on lands unsuitable for producing cash crop
a. Survived by hunting, fishing, raising small gardens and odd jobs
U5.1.2 The Coming of the Civil War
1) Describe the role of the Northwest Ordinance and its effect on the banning of slavery (e.g., the establishment of Michigan as a free state) Chapter 5, Section 1, Page 155
1) “There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude (forced labor) in the …territory.’
2) This last condition, which banned slavery in the Northwest Territory, would become an increasing controversial issue in the years ahead as new territories were formed.
U5.1.3 The Coming of the Civil War
2) Describe the competing views of Calhoun, Webster, and Clay on the nature of the Union among the states (sectionalism, nationalism, federalism, state rights)
1) John C. Calhoun – State’s Rights and Sectionalism - South Carolina Senator
a. Declared that the states had the right to nullify, or not to obey, any federal law with which they disagree 328 page
b. Claimed that the admission of California as a free state would destroy the equilibrium between the two sections of the country 478 page
2) Daniel Webster – Nationalism, Preserve the Union, Senator Massachusetts
a. “I wish to speak today, not as a Massachusetts man, nor a Northern man, but as an American … I speak today for the preservation of the Union, Hear me for my cause.” 479pg
3) Henry Clay – Sectionalism, American System, Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, Kentucky Senator pages (478-479pg)
a. Federalism
i. U.S. system of govt. in which power is distributed between a central authority and individual states
U5.1.4 The Coming of the Civil War
3) Describe how the following increased sectional tensions
Missouri Compromise 1820 (305pg)
1) Agreement proposed by Henry Clay that allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state and Maine to enter as a free state
2) Outlawed slavery in any territories or states north of the 36 degree 30 line.
a) Slavery still happened in the south.
b) Balance of power in the Senate Slave States to Free States the same.
The Wilmot Proviso (1846) (476 pg)
1) Proposal to outlaw slavery in the territory added to the United States by the Mexican Cession; passed in the House of Representatives, but was defeated in the Senate
Compromise of 1850 (479 pg)
1. California to enter the Union as a free state
2. The rest of the Mexican Cession was divided into two territories Utah and New Mexico in which the status of slavery would be decided by popular sovereignty
a. The American govt. is ruled by the people through their vote.
3. Texas agreed to surrender its land claims in New Mexico in exchange for financial assistance from the federal govt.
4. The compromise abolished the slave trade in the nation’s capital (Washington DC) and produced a new fugitive slave law that replaced the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 (479pg)
1. Law that made it a crime to help runaway slaves; allowed for the arrest of escaped slaves in areas where slavery was illegal and required their return to slaveholders.
The Kansas – Nebraska Act (1854) and subsequent conflict in Kansas (485 pg)
1) Law that allowed voters in Kansas and Nebraska to choose whether to allow slavery
a) Antislavery and pro – slavery people groups scrambled to get people to Kansas
i) To ensure a proslavery victory, thousands of men crossed the border from Missouri
(1) Voted in Kansas then returned home
(a) Took advantage of vague residency requirements
(b) Proslavery won
b) Proslavery settlers had brought gun
c) The free soilers – anti slavery settlers requested shipments of guns
i) Reverend Henry Ward Beecher sent riffles called Beecher’s Bibles
d) May 1856 Lawrence is Sacks
i) John Brown avenges the attack on Lawrence
(1) Pottawatomie Massacre (487 pg)
(a) Incident in which abolitionist John Brown and seven other men murdered pro slavery Kansans
Dred Scott vs. Sanford (489pg)
1. U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared
a. African Americans were not U.S. citizens,
b. That the Missouri Compromise’s restriction on slavery was unconstitutional, and
c. That Congress did not have the right to ban slavery in any federal territories.
2. Slaves were property
Changes in the party system (e.g., the death of the Whig party, rise of the Republican Party and division of the Democratic Party)
1) Whig Party (330pg)
a) Political party formed by opponents of Andrew Jackson in 1834 who supported a strong legislature
b) Constitutional Union Party formed from many former Whigs 1860 Presidential Election (495pg)
i) John Bell Presidential Candidate 1860
ii) 12.6% Pop. Vote
iii) Slaveholder
iv) Opposed the Kansas – Nebraska Act in 1854
2) Republican Party (488pg)
1) Political party formed in the 1850s to stop the spread of slavery in the West
a) Abe Lincoln Presidential Candidate 1860
i) 39.8% Pop. Vote
ii) Moderate who opposed the spread of slavery
iii) Promised not to support abolishing it where it already existed
3) Northern Democrat (495pg)
a) Senator Steven Douglas Presidential Candidate 1860
i) 29.5% Pop. Vote
b) Wanted railroad to the Pacific starting in Chicago
i) Southern wanted railroad starting in New Orleans to California
(1) Kansas – Nebraska Act
(a) Spread slavery
c) The Freeport Doctrine (492pg) page
i) Statement made during the Lincoln – Douglass debates that pointed out how people could use popular sovereignty to determine if their state or territory should permit slavery
4) Southern Democrat (495pg)
a) Current Vice Pres. John C. Breckinridge
i) 18.1% Pop. Vote
ii) Strongly supported the spread of slavery
iii) Did not believe that a Republican victory would justify dissolving the Union
“The sectional election results angered many southerns. Lincoln did not campaign in their region and did not carry a single southern state, but he won the election. This was a strong reminder of how the South was losing its political power on a national level.” 570 page
U5.1.5 The Coming of the Civil War
5) Describe the resistance of enslaved people
1) Nat Turner’s Rebellion (1831) (428pg)
a) Rebellion in which Nat Turner led a group of slaves in Virginia in an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow and kill planter families
b) Started August 1831
i) Killed master’s family first
ii) Killed almost 60 whites in area
iii) 100 slaves killed
c) Nat Brown executed Nov. 11, 1831
d) Many states strengthened their slave codes to increase control over slaves
2) Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad (456pg)
1) Daring conductor on the Underground Railroad
2) Escaped Slavery
3) Reward for Capture $40,000
1) Underground Railroad
a) Network of people who helped thousands of slaves escape to the North by providing transportation and hiding places
3) John Brown (1859) (493-494pgs)
1) Incident in which abolitionist John Brown and 21 other men captured a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in hopes of starting a slave rebellion.
a) Brown sent several of his men into countryside to urge slaves to come to Harpers Ferry
i) None came
ii) Worried about punishment
Analyze and evaluate the early attempts to abolish or contain slavery and to realize the ideals of the Declaration of Independence.
U5.1.5 The Coming of the Civil War
5) Describe the resistance of enslaved people
1) Nat Turner’s Rebellion (1831) (428pg)
a) Rebellion in which Nat Turner led a group of slaves in Virginia in an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow and kill planter families
b) Started August 1831
i) Killed master’s family first
ii) Killed almost 60 whites in area
iii) 100 slaves killed
c) Nat Brown executed Nov. 11, 1831
d) Many states strengthened their slave codes to increase control over slaves
2) Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad (456pg)
1) Daring conductor on the Underground Railroad
2) Escaped Slavery
3) Reward for Capture $40,000
1) Underground Railroad
a) Network of people who helped thousands of slaves escape to the North by providing transportation and hiding places
3) John Brown (1859) (493-494pgs)
1) Incident in which abolitionist John Brown and 21 other men captured a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in hopes of starting a slave rebellion.
a) Brown sent several of his men into countryside to urge slaves to come to Harpers Ferry
i) None came
ii) Worried about punishment
iii) White southern attacked
2) Federal Troops arrived
3) Colonel Robert E. Lee
i) Future Confederate Army General
4) Michigan’s role in the Underground Railroad
a) Windsor Canada is the southernmost tip of Canada. So, geographically Michigan plays a major role
5) Effects of their actions before and during the Civil War.
5.1.6 The Coming of the Civil War
Describe how major issues debated at the Constitutional Convention such as
• Disagreements over distribution of political power (Free States and Slave States)
Great Compromise (165pg)
1) Agreement worked out at the Constitutional Convention establishing that a state’s population would determine representation in the lower house of the legislature, while each state would have equal representation in the upper house of the legislature
a) Free states and slave states had equal power in the Senate until Compromise of 1850, CA a free state
b) Free states had more power than slave states in the House of Reps. because free states had more population
2) Rights of Individuals (liberty and property) Bill of Rights (173pg)
a) Fifth Amendment (204-204pgs)
i) “Nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law: nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation
ii) Dred Scott vs. Sanford (489pg)
1. U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared
a. African Americans were not U.S. citizens,
b. That the Missouri Compromise’s restriction on slavery was unconstitutional, and
c. That Congress did not have the right to ban slavery in any federal territories.
d. Slaves were property
3) Each state has representatives in the House of Reps and Senate voted in by the people of that state. Legislative Branch (167pg)
4) 10th Amendment (205pg)
a) The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to States, are reserved to the States respectively.
b) The morality or wisdom of slavery … are considerations belonging to the states themselves.” Oliver Ellsworth
5) Popular Sovereignty
a) The American Govt. is ruled by people through their vote.
i) Compromise of 1850 (479pg)
ii) The Kansas – Nebraska Act (1854) and subsequent conflict in Kansas (485pg).
6) Election of the Executive (Electoral College (234pg)
a) Group selected by state legislatures to represent the popular vote in federal elections
b) Since the North had population majority or more electoral votes, the 1860 Presidential Election was won by Abe Lincoln by winning all of the Northern States.
Slavery
1) The 3/5 Compromise (166pg)
a) Agreement worked out at the Constitutional Convention stating the three fifths of the slaves in each state should be counted as part of the state’s population for determining representation in the lower house of Congress
2) Foreign Slave Trade (166pg)
a) Compromise, Northern delegates agreed to let the slave trade continue without inference for 20 years
3) The word slavery or slave (166pg)
a) Omitted or left out of the Constitution
b) Referred instead to “free Persons” or “all other persons”
help explain the Civil War.
1. Bull Run/Manasses – First Battle of Bull Run (July 21,1861) P.516-517
Key Events/ People
General Irvin McDowell – Union Commander, General Pierre T Bearugard – Confederacy General, Joseph E. Johnson –Confederacy General, Thomas Stonewall Jackson –Confederacy General
McDowell was headed to Manasas to capture an important railroad junction. This was the best route to the capital of the confederacy.
Who Wins the Battle and why?
The confederacy wins the battle. They receive reinforcements and the union gives out eventually. Stonewall Jackson receives his nickname because his troops are able to hold when the north crosses the creek.
Why is this battle important? What is the effect of this battle?
The north realizes this will not be a quick war. “This will not be a weekend war” Prior to the battle, they were hoping to put down the rebellion quickly.
2. More Battles in Virginia – Peninsular Campaign, Seven Days Battle, Second Battle of Bull Run - pg.517 -518
Key Events/ People
George McClellan – Union General – Trains 100,000 soldiers, the army is much more prepared. Hesitates to attack the south. Believes they have more troops than they actually do.
Peninsular Campaign – March to Richmond (The confederacy capital) Instead of marching south, he uses the bay to transport his troops. This takes a lot of time. South fears reinforcements are coming and Stonewall Jackson attacks to prevent reinforcements.
Sevens Day Battle – McClellan poised outside of Richmond, VA the South’s capital.
Robert E. Lee – Lee needs to take risks to keep McClellan from taking Richmond. Launches an attack called Seven Days Battles that forced the Union to retreat from near Richmond.
Abraham Lincoln – Lincoln is frustrated by the lack of aggression by McClellan. Sends General John Pope to march directly on Richmond from Washington.
Second Battle of Bull Run – Pope Troops march directly toward Richmond.
Who Wins the Battle and why?
The Confederacy wins the Second Battle of Bull Run. The Confederates are able to push back the Union’s offensive on Richmond. Geography plays a role. Lee forces McClellan back at the James River. McClellan overly worried over losing life. McClellan is not aggressive enough
Why is this battle important? What is the effect of this battle?
Lincoln is growing increasingly frustrated at the North’s inability to win a battle and McClelland’s tentativeness Confederacy decides it is time to go on the offensive and attack the north in their territory. Lincoln is waiting until a Northern victory to deliver the Emancipation Proclamation. He is still waiting for this victory.
3. Battle of Antietam – (September, 1862) (P.519)
Key Events/ People
General Robert E Lee – Leading an army of Confederate soldiers who begin crossing into Maryland.
George McClellan – Leading the defense. A battle plan of Lee’s is found
The two armies met along Antietam Creek in Maryland. Bloodiest single day battle in the Civil War.
Who Wins the Battle and why?
North wins the battle. Forces the confederacy to retreat. Lees army was devastated. McClellan could have went on the offensive but fails to do so.
Why is this battle important? What is the effect of this battle?
Lee’s army is devastated.
Lee’s Northward advancement was stopped.
Emancipation Proclamation is delivered. Lincoln was waiting for a Union win. This changes the focus of the war.
No European intervention. Europe is anti-slavery.
Strategic Defeat for the South.
4. Breaking the Union’s Blockade – Clash of the Ironclads (March, 1862) (P.520-521)
Key Events/ People
Ironclads – Ships heavily armored with iron. “A tin can on a shingle”
Virginia – Confederate Ironclad “Huge half submerged crocodile”
Monitor – Union Ironclad
Virginia sinks two of the Union’s wooden warships in Hampton roads.
Who Wins the Battle and why?
When the Virginia returned to Hampton roads the Monitor was waiting. The Monitor caused the Virginia to retreat.
Why is this battle important? What is the effect of this battle?
This kept the blockade in place. This was a key part of the Union strategy.