Review

1789-1900

Federalist Era

President : George Washington, no party, 1789-1797 Washington opposed parties - divisive Alexander Hamilton – supported local industry through

subsidies & tax support Excise tax, on distillers, & tariffs, to finance industry Jefferson et al opposed Hamilton – benefit a few at expense

of many (farmers) Beginning of struggle between “big govt” .v. “small govt” Strict interpretation .v. loose interpretation Judiciary Act, 1789, created Supreme Court Whiskey Rebellion, 1794 French Revolution

John Adams, Federalist, 1797-1801

Jefferson, V-P XYZ Affair, 1798 Alien & Sedition Acts Kentucky & Virginia Resolutions Packing the Judiciary – Midnight

Judges

Thomas Jefferson, Republican, 1802-1809

Dream of a nation of yeoman farmers Minimum role for federal governmentt Marbury .v. Madison – Supreme Court has judicial review

over federal legislation “Marshall Court” will be influential for decades to come Louisiana Purchase, 1803 Lewis & Clark expedition, 1804-05 Aaron Burr – secession ? take Mexico, estab new nation -

treason ? Barbary War – pirates in Mediterranean Conflict between France & Britain ~ tension w/ US

(impressments, interference w/ freedom of the seas, i.e. trade) Embargo, 1807

James Madison, Republican, 1809-1817

War of 1812 failed attack on Canada Andrew Jackson (Indians & New Orleans) British burn White House Hartford Convention Era of Good Feelings (1812-1819) – unity,

prosperity – short lived Protective Tariff, 1816

James Monroe, Republican, 1817-1823

High foreign demand for cotton, grain, tobacco Recession of 1819 (worse in West) Dartmouth College v. Woodward, & McCullough v. MD (1819) Missouri Compromise, 1820 Expansion of West Transportation revolution (steamboat, canals, national highway) Cotton Kingdom Urbanization (Erie Canal ~ NYC) Industrialization Monroe Doctrine, 1823 Nationalism in “culture” – Noah Webster, Washington Irving, James

Fenimore Cooper 2nd Great Awakening (begins 1801, Ky, continues into 1830s)

Jacksonian Democracy (1828-1836) 1824 – the “corrupt bargain” election (JQ Adams & Clay “rob”

Jackson) Jackson represents the “common man”. Jackson expands suffrage, so the “common man” can vote =

Jacksonian Democracy. De Tocqueville, “Democracy in America”. Jackson uses the veto and establishes Presidential authority

over Congress. Jackson defies the Supreme Court by Indian Removal Act,

1830 (Cherokees – Worcester .v. Georgia), Trail of Tears results.

Jackson fights a running battle with Henry Clay and his American System.

Whigs (Clay & Webster) v. Democrats (Jackson & Van Buren) – 2 party system becomes established.

Jacksonian Democracy (1828-1836) Jackson stands for small govt, but NOT for nullification

(remember, Jackson is President and nullification or secession reduces the power of the feds.

John C. Calhoun is influential as South-North disputes blow up over slavery, tariffs, BUS, federally funded internal improvements.

Tariff of Abominations (1828 – is slavery the real issue?), SC nullifies the tariff, Jackson responds with the Force Bill (1833) and SC backs down. Civil War is averted for a few more years.

Webster – Hayne Debate, 1830 (Senate, Webster makes stirring speech about the union being “one and inseperable” – again, it’s the nullification / secession issue).

Jackson fights Nicholas Biddle to destroy the BUS. Jackson declares the US “neutral”, but assists Texas break

free from Mexico (1836)

Slavery Issue

Missouri Compromise (1820) Abolitionists active (Wm Lloyd Garrison, 1831, The

Liberator) States’ rights = right to have slaves Therefore the whole nullification / secession thing is

really about slavery. Manifest Destiny; Louisiana Purchase; Texas;

Mexican Land – slavery is issue in each Free Soil Party Slave revolts (Nat Turner, Denmark Vesey) Underground Railroad (Harriet Tubman) Wilmot Proviso

Social Issues

Transcendentalists (Thoreau, Emerson) Utopian movements everywhere, inspired by

Romanticism Beginning of Temperance Movement Feminism movement – Seneca Falls, 1848 Prison reform 2nd Great Awakening (began 1801, but took

off in 1831)

Demographics

Population moving west rapidly East becoming less significant Canals & railroads & national roads assist

westward movement Immigration from Britain, Germany, Ireland Cities growing, as are health issues in cities Mormon migration westward (1846, Great

Salt Lake)

Foreign Policy

Mainly having to do with contiguous territory Obviously foreign policy is driven by

“Manifest Destiny” idea (term coined in 1844)

Texan independence (1836), Canada (Webster-Ashburton Treaty, 1842), Oregon Treaty (1846), Mexican War (1846)

Industrialization

Growth of cities as a result Lowell System of employment in NE Tariffs to protect American industry

(Clay’s Am. System)

Economic Issues

Panic of 1837

Sectional Conflict & Causes of Civil War, 1850-60 Politics

Growing concerns and disputes regarding slavery Wilmot Proviso, 1846 (re. Mexican Cession land). Free Soil Party, 1848 & 1852 Abolitionists, Underground Railroad 1850 Compromise (Clay, Calhoun, Webster,

Douglas) N. got California ; slave trade abolished in DC Popular Sovereignty in rest of Mexican Cession land S. got tougher Fugitive Slave Law ; Texas’ debt paid by

feds Wm Seward : “a higher law” than the Constitution National joy that a Compromise had been reached Joy was short-lived

Sectional Conflict & Causes of Civil War, 1850-60 Politics

“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” whipped up the slavery issue – H.B. Stowe’s response to Fug Slave Law

Kansas-Nebraska Act, 1854 (Douglas) popular sovereignty trans-continental railroad repealed Missouri Compromise Bleeding Kansas (Free Soilers, John Brown), 1856 Preston Brooks “canes” Charles Sumner, 1856 Dred Scott v. Sanford, 1857 Chief Justice, Roger B. Taney, Md. Delivered extreme Southern position on slavery issue North outraged (refused to accept decision) Lincoln - Douglas Debates, 1858 Lincoln = slavery should be extended Douglas = popular sovereignty Freeport Doctrine – Douglas defied Dred Scott ruling

Sectional Conflict & Causes of Civil War, 1850-60 Politics Decline of the 2 party system (split by slavery issue ; also by

“nativism” – Know Nothing Party took votes from Whigs) – tougher to deal with slavery when there is no opposition party to support

Growth of Republican Party (Lincoln) to replace Whigs – result of opposition to Kansas-Nebraska Act. Ran Millard Fillmore in 1856 (lost)

Democrats split into North & South. John Brown’s Raid, Harper’s Ferry, 1859 South convinced that all North was fanatically anti-slavery Hinton Rowan Helper’s book “The Impending Crisis in the

South” argued that slavery was economically harmful to South South outraged

Fear that poor whites in South would turn against slavery Election of Abraham Lincoln, 1860 Crittenden Compromise, 1860 - failed

Presidents

General Zachary Taylor, Whig, 1848-50 (died) ; Millard Fillmore, 1850-52

Franklin Pierce, Democrat, 1852-56 James Buchanan, Democrat, 1856-60 Abraham Lincoln, Republican, 1860 ~

Economics

Growth and prosperity Tremendous growth of railroads ~ national market ~ big

business Steamboat trade inland, clipper ships at sea ~ tremendous

trade Textile industries booming in NE (inventions) South profiting due to cotton sales – King Cotton – slave labor

the key Free labor in North = expensive ~ incentive to use machines Agriculture shifting to Midwest (grain, livestock) ~ railroads

help Cyrus McCormick, mechanical reaper & thresher Panic of 1857 (over-speculation, bad banking practices,

Crimean War cut European investments to US)

Foreign Policy

Commodore Perry pressures Japan to trade, 1853

Westward expansion – tried to annex Hawaii ; Gadsden Purchase 1853 (for transcontinental railroad); tried to buy Cuba

Civil War, 1861-65 Numerous causes, but SLAVERY the most obvious. Desire of South to secede is the catalyst. North says secession is

unconstitutional. North claims it is fighting to preserve the Union. Emancipating slaves won’t

become a war goal until 1863. South opens fire on N. troops at Fort Sumter, Charleston harbor, SC, April 12,

1861. North has numerous advantages – greater wealth to finance war, 3-to-1

population advantage (plus new immigrants during war), industrial might, superior transportation /railway network, superior navy which can partially blockade South, and astute President in Lincoln.

South has advantage of superior military leaders (Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, Johnston). North is hampered for first couple of years by timid or aged generals (McDowell, McClellan, Winfield Scott). Later promote younger more determined generals such as U.S. Grant, Sherman, Sheridan.

South is physically large, thus difficult for North to conquer. South’s President, Jefferson Davis, proved indecisive. Much of fighting conducted in South, giving advantage to South of knowing the

terrain, and having friendly civilians. South’s population is one-third slave (can’t use in army, can’t trust not to rebel).

Strategy North wants to capture South’s capital, Richmond, Va., Southern capital. 2 Battles of Bull Run. South successful, but both armies raw & poorly trained. Peninsula Campaign to capture Richmond. (Spring, 1862, McClellan loses his nerve, and retreats). North wants to starve the South – hence naval blockade (Anaconda Plan). But coastline too long to

adequately blockade. North wants to split South in 2, along the Mississippi R., thus dividing and conquering. Need to capture New

Orleans (April 1862). Meanwhile, Western campaign, Tennessee. Battle of Shiloh. US Grant first noticed here. Northern diplomacy. Stop South being recognized by Britain or France. South hoped that cotton would lure

allies. It didn’t. Slavery was a stronger issue, and neither Br nor France would support the institution of slavery.

Naval battles ? Ironclads. “Virginia” (South) fights “Monitor” (North), May 1862. Stalemate. Finish. Lee invades the Pennsylvania, to relieve pressure on Richmond. Lee’s army meets Meade’s Army of the

Potomac at Gettysburg, July 1863. Decisive battle, bloodiest of the entire war. Lee is defeated, but Meade allows Lee to escape back to Virginia.

Grant captures Vicksburg, Mississippi, July, 1863, thus giving North control of entire Miss. R. South cut in two.

1864, Grant sends Sherman to capture Atlanta, Ga., while Grant himself leads Army of Potomac on another assault on Richmond.

Sherman takes Atlanta, then marches to the sea at Savannah, cutting a swath of destruction (Dec. 1864). Lee forced to surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, Va., April 9, 1865. Lincoln assassinated, April 14, 1865, in Washington D.C.

Homefront Public morale hard to maintain in North. Copperheads were Southern supporters in North. Conscription in North, 1863, caused discontent. Draft-dodging and desertion problems in N. and S. High tariffs & income tax (constitutional) in North to pay for war. “Greenbacks” issued by feds. South issued their own paper money. Inflation. Scarcity of food, and men, in South. Lincoln suspended “habeas corpus”. Stretched his Constitutional powers to the

limit, and beyond. Davis (in South) met opposition from state governors who wanted to keep “states

rights”, and who saw Richmond as a threat to their liberty. Emancipation Proclamation from Lincoln, 1 January, 1863. Gave North the moral

high ground. Desperation from Lincoln ? Waited until after “victory” at Battle of Antietam. No Proclamation earlier in war for fear of upsetting Border states, who could have swung their allegiance to South.

Northern public tired of war and continuing casualties. Low morale. 1864 Election in North. Lincoln re-elected with V-P Andrew Johnson (Tennessee).

Sherman captures Atlanta, lifts Northern spirits, gives big boost to Lincoln. McClellan runs for Democrats, calling for a negotiated peace with South.

The Gilded Age: Politics Period of Republican Party supremacy President 1868-1876, Ulysses S Grant- good soldier, not a

great president. Waving the bloody shirt = reviving glorified memories from

war, and reminding the electorate as to who was “the enemy.” Corruption – an embarrassingly large number of Grant’s

cabinet members were guilty of corruption. Did Grant know, or was he out of touch with reality ?

Horace Greeley (influential NY editor) first Republican, then switched to Democrats. Republicans re-nominated Grant.

Election of 1876 R = Hayes, D = Tilden, 19 contested states, FL, LA and SC all

sent in 2 sets of ballots, one Republican and one Democrat. Constitutional crises, who counts the ballots, House under D control Senate under R control , which ever one counted would favor in the interests of their party.

Compromise of 1877 set up an electoral count act and an electoral commission to count the votes. D accepted Republican returns and in return Federal troops removed from SC & LA.

The Gilded Age: Social Issues

U.S moral stature was in question, bred waste, extravagance, speculation & graft.

Because of compromise of 1877 black rights suffered, federal troops were gone, southern states added literacy requirements, voter registration laws and poll taxes, blacks can no longer vote.

1880 California has 75,000 Asian newcomers, 9% of pop, racism against Chinese. Irish especially racist, lead by Denis Kearney resented competition of cheap labor. 1879, Congress said no more Chinese laborers in the country.

The Gilded Age: Economic Issues

Paralyzing economic depression, 1873, based on over-speculation, huge inflation, problems with silver, no more silver being sold to treasury to mint, then silver production goes up, people now want silver dollars

Bland-Allison Act, states the treasury will buy $2 –4 million worth of silver a month.

Basic economic agreement between Democrats and Republicans.

Corruption

Jay Gould & Jim Fisk = two millionaires tried to corner gold market, 1869, day named black Friday tried dive the gold price up the wall, treasury compelled to release gold, this was unexpected to the con artists.

Tweed ring NYC mayor Boss Tweed, cheated the books pocketed much of the cities money. Thomas Nast NYT cartoonist exposed Tweed. Samuel L Tilden, was prosecutor for case.

Credit Mobilier scandal, hired to build, union pacific railway, hired themselves to do the job made extra $20,000 per mile of track laid.