Group 2Dallas SmithMicah Reis

Jeremy TabuyoKupono Chang

Chapter 12

War with Mexico• War broke out due to the expansionist spirit. The USA was bullying

due to a lack of recognition of Texas as part of the USA and some defaulted debts.

• Polk sent Zachary Taylor to Texas to defend the border, but the border was not defined, therefore differing opinions of borders logically lead to conflict.o Taylor arrived and went past the Nueces River (Mexico's Border) to the Rio Grande (USA's

border), occupying the disputed area.• Polk sent John Sidell to Mexico to buy Texas, New Mexico, and

California, but he was not received by the Mexicans.• Polk was angered and had Taylor press on to the Rio Grande. A

skirmish broke out, and Polk asked for a declaration of war.• Abe Lincoln tried to pass the Spot Resolution, daring Polk to cite

on a map the location of the skirmish. Lincoln felt the attack was on Mexican soil or fabricated to start a war in order to expand slavery.

Slavery: Fire Bell in the Night Rings Again• With peace and prosperity the issue of slavery rose

again in regard to the status of new territory. • Interestingly, there seemed little hope for slavery in

California, Oregon, and New Mexico, but pro-slave and abolitionist politicians began to posture politically.

• Few congressmen, north or south, supported equal rights for blacks, free or slave, but the institution of slavery was more fundamental and volatile.

• Southern view was that slavery was part of the economic, political, and social fabric of the region and represented huge capital investments. Therefore, southern congressmen fought every attack on the institution and pressured for expansion.

The Election of 1848• Great opportunity to call the question of slavery in the

territories. Unfortunately, Whigs and Democrats avoided this.

• The Whigs nominated Zachary Taylor- he refused to even comment on any political positions and had no platform.

• Democrats split. Polk drove northern Democrats out due to Texas, and political fighting led to a fractured campaign.

• Van Buren created the Free-soil Party and gained 300,000 votes.

• Taylor won by a narrow margin. The issue of slavery was avoided and continued to fester.

The Gold Rush• By 1849, the US government was in awe of the mass

migration to California. • Gold fever was being reinforced by numerous discoveries,

easy access to surface gold, and sensationalized stories traveling the world.

• White males dominated the area, and Hispanic residents were a minority facing racism - "greasers". Blacks also faced racism, and the Native American population was in the way of capitalism and dramatically dropped in the area.

• Zachary Taylor, a slave holder, made a surprise decision to allow California to make the decision of free or slave state. California chose.

• Talk of secession began. Radicals and extremists in the South used this imbalance to extend their crusade for slave states.

Compromise of 1850• A. The "Great Compromiser", Henry Clay, rose to save the day.

The aging Clay found support from an old Whig, Webster, to help avoid crisis.

• B. Clay postponed the Civil War for 11 years. The Compromise of 1850 admitted California as a free state and used popular sovereignty as a standard to guide slave territories

• C. Webster will give his famous March 7th speech calling for compromise and support of Clay's proposal - again choosing property rights over individual rights.

• D. Calhoun, old and dying, defied the compromise and called for the North to appease the South on all points, including slavery. 

Key terms• Manifest Destiny - the belief that God wanted the U.S. to continue

expanding, and by doing so, the less fortunate people in the western hemisphere could enjoy the blessings of a democratic institution

• Whig party - past National Republicans calling themselves Whigs to suggest affinity with revolutionary radicals. The party was composed of industrialists and merchants from the northeast, wealthy farmers from the west, and southern planters.

• Distribution Act 1836 - allotted all federal revenues in excess of $5 million to the states (according to their population)

• Santa Anna - president of Mexico during the Texas War for Independence and the Mexican War. After both of these wars, he ceded the northern provinces of Mexico and Texas to the U.S.Alamo

• 1835 - a church in San Antonio and was the site of a battle between Mexican and Texan armies.

Chapter 13

Plantations• The increased importance of cotton in the South

strengthened the hold of slavery on the region. • Mississippi took in some 10,000 slaves annually;

by 1830 the black population of the state exceeded the white.

• Well-managed plantations yielded annual profits of 10 percent and more, and, in general money invested.

Southern pro slavery arguments

• (Apologist View)o Religion-Does NOT say it is "wrong”o The Bible had cited slavery and the condition of the

Israeliteso Negroes were descendants of Canaan, son of Ham,

condemned by Noah to be servants of servants.o Neither prophets of the Old Testament or Christ

condemned slaves.

Argument of Omission• Historically slavery had always existed, even in great

cultures of Greece and Rome• Some apologist's suggested that slaves were better off than

Northern immigrants in the industrial areas of New England. The fact that whites can move and improve, as well as holding the ability to vote, was ignored.

• The traditional argument of Black inferiority to blacks coupled with the time less argument that lower classes allow dominate classes to rise to new intellectual heights by providing labor.

Constitution and law• Slavery is cited 3 times in the constitution-1808

termination of slave trade and "Southern Compromise" 3/5 clause for voting , South had to pay 3/5 more taxes for added representation.

• Fugitive Slave Lawo George Fitzhurg "It is a Common Remark". A southerner authored a

book supporting the above arguments of slavery helps the more worthy class excel to new heights.

o Cannot generalize about the institution of slavery because individual masters behaviors varied.

o Slaves that broke laws or the master's wishes did not go to jail or prison, but were beaten to modify their behavior.

Psychological Effects of Slavery

• A. Slavery was clearly a gross injustice but covert influences on blacks and whites were often corrosive

• B. Whippings and beatings were common actions taken against blacks for defiance, some blacks faced death for their attacks against the oppression of slavery

• C. Denmark Vessy was perhaps the most dramatic example. p. 350. He bought his freedom and preached resistance to blacks. Vessy planned an uprising for five years only to be betrayed by his recruits.

• 1. Maleo a) Sambo -lazy and docileo b) Buck - superpontent and aggressive

• 2. Femaleo a) Mammy - nurturing and faithfulo b) Jezebel- seductive and wanton

Manufacturing in the South

• Southern prejudice against manufacturing did not stop manufacturing and industrialization.

• 15% of the industrial output of the USA came from the South, with a focus on textiles, lumber, and iron works.

• Much of the industry in the South was dependent on northern technology and machines.

The Northern Industrial Juggernaut

• A. Northern region industrial production grew dramatically after the War of 1812.

• B. This explosion in growth was due to numerous factors:o 1. Inventions and technology-RR, deep plowo 2. Natural resources-coal and steelo 3. New Transportation RR, steamships, canalso 4. Immigration-laboro 5. Entrepreneurso 6. 1830-1860 A huge increase in immigration

A Nation of Immigrants

• All in America are immigrants but due to Nationalism of the USA a new concept of Nativism emerged. Huge Concept and part of racism for 150 years.

• Ironically White Americans or WASP referred to themselves as "true natives" rather than the Native Americans.o Social and racial rivalries occurred against immigrants like Irish or blacks.

• Also inherent in this is anti-Catholicism and anti-Semitism.

• Conditions and wages dropped in mills, less young farm women worked in factories, a shift in the labor force resulted.

Foreign Commerce• Cotton was #1 export and ironically textiles and

iron were the one and two greatest imports largely from England like the old days.

• Whaling boomed for oil, blubber and perfume. Huge profits 100% per voyage.

The Economy on the Eve of the Civil War

• 1840 to the mid 1850's marked one of the greatest periods of industrialization in USA history. Henry Clay's American System arrived as he passed.

• Russian wheat returned to the markets in 1857 as an agriculture depression hit the upper Midwest.

• The Panic of 1857 gave this economic growth a measure of reality.

• Although the South escaped the pain of the Panic of 1857. Cotton prices remained high and the South felt that the antebellum period would continue forever-"Cotton is King.”

Key Terms• WASP: White Anglo-Saxon Protestant Apologist

View: manipulating the Bible to further the purpose.

• Nativism: prejudice against foreign born.• Commonwealth v Hunt: established labor

unions.• Black Inferiority: fuel for southern argument

that the Declaration of Independence does not apply to blacks.

• Mountain Whites: people living in near poverty in the hills of the Appalachia living in ignorance and squalor.

Chapter 14

Know-Nothings, Republicans, and the

Demise of the Two-Party System

• 91 free state democrats in House of Representatives when the Nebraska act was passed.

• One of those parties were the American, AKA “Know-Nothing” party. Grew out of secret society

• American party was important in the South and North

• Abolitionist often interfered with the enforcement of the law

The Dred Scott Decision

• Dred Scott was John Emerson’s body servant/slave• When Emerson died both Dred Scott and his wife went

to court for their liberty• Missouri Compromise outlawed slavery, which made

them free• Blacks were not citizens, therefore Scott could not sue

in federal court.• In the constitution it says that all citizens of each state

should be entitled to all privileges and immunities.• Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional which

didn't make Dred Scott free. 

Lecompton Constitution

• Proslavery leaders in Kansas managed to convene a constitutional convention at Lecompton.

• Drafted a proslavery constitution and didn't submit it to a fair vote.

• All but one out of the 56 newspapers in Illinois had declared against the Lecompton constitution

• Douglas and Buchanan had a dramatic confrontation at the White House.

• October 1857 a new legislature was chosen in Kansas, antislavery voters participated.

• Buchanan persisted in pressing Congress to admit Kansas under the Lecompton Constitution.

The Emergence of Lincoln

• Abraham Lincoln was chosen to the Republican of Illinois

• He was chosen to go against Stephen A. Douglas• Dissolution threatened the Union• Lincoln wasn't unknown in 1858 • When he was 7 years old his family moved to Indiana• He almost received no formal schooling• He always had a good mind and was very ambitious.• At the age of 25 he won a seat in the Illinois legislature

as a whig.• Remained in legislature until 1842• In 1846 he was elected to congress

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

• Lincoln seemed the logical man to pit against Douglas in 1858

• In July Lincoln challenged Douglas to a series of seven debates.

• Both men were campaigning for candidates for the legislature who were pledge to support them the Senate seat

• They both maintained a high intellectual level in there speeches

• Douglas’s strategy was to make Lincoln look like an abolitionist

• Lincoln tried to picture Douglas as a proslavery and a defender of the Dred Scott decision.

The Election of 1860• By 1860 the nation was teetering on the brink of disunion• The constitutional unionist ignored the conflicts• Western and Northern states had majority of the electoral

votes• Republicans were sure to come out on top• Lincoln avoided campaign and made no public

statements• Douglas recognize that Lincoln would win certainly• Lincoln had 1.866 million votes• Lincoln swept the north and west • Douglas received 1.383 million votes• Douglas only carried Missouri and part of New Jersey  

The Secession Crisis• Days after Lincolns victory South Carolina’s

legislature ordered and election of delegates• December 20 the convention voted unanimously to

secede• In Montgomery, Alabama, a provisional government

of the Confederate states of America was established• Arkansas threatened if the federal government

attempted to use force against the Confederacy they would also secede

• All northerners were known as “Yankee Abolitionists”• Not every slave owner could contemplate secession

with such bloodthirsty equanimity.

Key Terms• Popular sovereignty: Designed to pacify both the North and the

South. It allowed the people of the territory to decide if they were going to legalize slavery or not.

• Ostend Manifesto: This was a policy to acquire Cuba as a slave state.

• Fugitive Slave Law: This law denied fugitives a jury trial, prevented them from testifying on their own behalf, and allowed ex-slaves to be returned to the South if their master recognized them.

• Free Soilers: Party against spread of slavery, but not against the institution of slavery.

• Know-Nothing Party: Party against immigrants and was formed around Nativism.

• New Republican Party: Party of freedom, keep slavery out of territories.

• Personal Liberty Laws: Laws passed in the North and inhibited the extradition of runaway slaves. Reaction to the Fugitive Slave Law.

Chapter 15

Cabinet Making• Lincoln's cabinet was greatly anticipated because

it would reveal much regarding the intentions of the new Republican leader.

• William Seward, Secretary of State, was hoping to conciliate the south which made him controversial with the radical Republicans.

• Senator Solomon Chase from Ohio, a radical Republican, was appointed Secretary of Treasury by Lincoln. Lincoln's Inaugural Address was revealing; he called for unity and the protection of the Union.

Fort Sumter – The First Shot

• Lincoln debated how to deal with the secession of the deep South and vowed not to push southern seizures of arsenals.

• Lincoln took a moderate course and attempted to resupply Fort Sumter and General Anderson.

• The South, under General Beauregard, attacked Fort Sumter. After 34 hours a surrender was issued by Anderson.

• Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers. Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas seceded. Middle States remained torn.

• Washington D.C. and the Baltimore region had numerous southern sympathizers that were willing to try and subvert the efforts of the Union.

The Blue & The Grey• The North had huge advantages over the

Confederacy, especially in a protracted war of attrition.

• Earlier, in 1858, Senator Hammond from South Carolina taunted his northern colleagues stating, "no power on earth dares to make war against King Cotton".

• The Northern advantage was dramatic:o 1. Population - North 20 million v. South 9 million (3.5 million were slaves).

(excluding Missouri and Kentucky)o 2. Manufacturing - North approx. 85% v. South approx. 15%o 3. Fire arms production - North 97% v. South %o 4. The north had a much more advanced railroad system5. The north

controlled the Merchant Marines and Navy.

The Test of Battle: Bull Run

• 1st Battle at Manasass Jct. in the Eastern Theater of war. A revealing conflict.

• The Union army, under McDowell, and the southern army, under Beauregard, clashed 20 miles south of Washington DC on a branch of the Potomac, known as Bull Run.

• The retreat by the north was a disaster, numerous sightseers and others who watched the battle were over run, and the South, tired and unorganized.

• Lincoln changed his strategy moving to incorporate Scott's Anaconda Plan of a naval blockade. He created a new 3 year army of 500,000 and appoint General McClellan already successful in west Virginia.

Key Terms• 1. Conscription Act: Confederate government gave exemptions to

slave owners with 20 or more slaves, college professors and mail carriers and also allowed hiring substitutes

• 2. Copperheads: Extreme Northern Democrats believed the Union could be preserved if slavery was not attacked hard money advocates.

• 3. Anaconda Plan: North used this plan to strangle the south's economy and end the civil war. Plan was to block southern shipping, cut off Louisiana and Texas from the rest of the south and Mississippi river, and divide the remaining southern states in half.

• 4. Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan: Lincoln's plan provided for forgiving reconstruction policies that allowed southern states to restore their old government after ten percent the voters had given an oath of loyalty to the union.

• 5. Radical Republicans: Strong advocates of abolition, Lincoln distanced himself from the radicals.

Chapter 16

Reconstruction and the South

• Presidential Reconstructiono The civil war caused less intersectional hatred than expectedo Invading armies treated the southern population politely, during and

after Appomattox.o Northerners threatened to hang Jeff Davis on sour apple tree. o In 1867 the military turned Davis over to the civil courtso 1861 Charles Sumner and Congressman Thaddeus Stevenso Process or readmission began in 1862.o Senator Charles Sumner and Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, insisted

that the Confederate States had "committed suicide" and should be treated like "conquered provinces.

Republican Radicals• a. Republican radicals were split into two groups• b. Ultra Radicals-Senator Charles Sumner• c. Demanding immediate and absolute civil and political

equality for blacks.• d. Moderate Radicals- Thaddeus Stevens and Senate Ben Wade.• e. Agreed with the Ultras objectives but willing to win the

support of less radical colleagues.• f. The moderate Republicans wanted to protect the former

slaves from exploitation and guarantee their basic rights.• g. Southern voters had further provoked northern resentment by

their choice of congressman.• h. So called Black Codes enacted by southern governments to

control former slaves alarmed the North.

Black Republican Reconstruction

• Radicals succeeded in imposing there will on the south

• Former slaves receive their privileges/immunities by the fourth amendment

• In South Carolina blacks proved in the main able and conscientious public servants

• In the Prostrate South 1874 James S. Pike wrote The rule of South Carolina should not be dignified.

• During Reconstruction, 14 blacks won election to the House of Representatives.

Key Terms• Reconstruction- The post-civil war period up to the election of

1876 which marked Congress's attempted reconstruction of the South

• Black Codes- blacks could testify in court cases, marry, and some other rights, but could not bear arms or do anything other then farming.

• Force Acts (1872)- this would break up the KKK and other intolerant groups so blacks could vote13th amendment- Ended slavery

• 14th amendment (1868)- (most important of the 3) Established due process under law; Stopped states from passing laws that denied personal privilege.

• 15th amendment (1870)- secured suffrage for black males; sent to the states for ratification

• Wade-Davis Bill (1864)- first attempt at Reconstruction by Congress; pocket-vetoed by Lincoln

• Civil Rights Act (1866)- protected newly freed black population and invalidated the black codes

Activity