🎖️Civil War and Reconstruction Unit 1 – Civil War: Background and Causes

Key Events Leading to the Civil War

• Missouri Compromise (1820) maintained the balance between free and slave states by admitting Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state
• Nat Turner's Rebellion (1831) led to stricter slave codes and increased tensions between abolitionists and pro-slavery advocates
• Compromise of 1850 included the Fugitive Slave Act, which required the return of escaped slaves to their owners, further polarizing the nation
• Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) allowed popular sovereignty to determine the status of slavery in new territories, leading to violent conflicts known as "Bleeding Kansas"
• Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) Supreme Court decision ruled that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress could not ban slavery in territories, fueling anti-slavery sentiment
• John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry (1859) attempted to incite a slave rebellion, heightening fears of slave uprisings among Southerners
• Election of Abraham Lincoln (1860) as the first Republican president, viewed as a threat to slavery by the South, prompted the secession of Southern states

Economic and Social Factors

• Industrialization in the North led to a more diversified economy, while the South remained primarily agricultural and reliant on slave labor
• Transportation improvements (railroads, canals) facilitated trade and economic growth, but also highlighted regional differences
• Westward expansion and the addition of new states upset the balance of power between free and slave states
• Abolitionist movement gained momentum in the North, with figures like William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass advocating for the end of slavery
• Slave narratives, such as those by Harriet Jacobs and Solomon Northup, exposed the harsh realities of slavery to a wider audience
• Southern society was stratified, with wealthy plantation owners at the top and poor whites and slaves at the bottom
• Northern society experienced rapid urbanization and an influx of European immigrants, leading to social and cultural changes

Slavery and Its Impact

• Slavery was the primary labor system in the South, with millions of African Americans enslaved on plantations producing cash crops (cotton, tobacco, sugar)
• Slave trade brought millions of Africans to the Americas, with the majority ending up in the American South
• Slave codes and laws (Black Codes) restricted the rights and freedoms of enslaved people, treating them as property rather than human beings
• Slave resistance took various forms, including running away, sabotage, and rebellions (Gabriel's Rebellion, Denmark Vesey's Conspiracy)
• Underground Railroad, a network of safe houses and routes, helped escaped slaves reach freedom in the North or Canada
• Slavery's impact on African American families included the separation of family members through sale and the denial of legal marriage rights
• Economic impact of slavery included the immense wealth generated for plantation owners and the overall Southern economy, as well as the stifling of industrial development in the region

Political Tensions and Debates

• Nullification Crisis (1832-1833) centered on South Carolina's attempt to nullify federal tariffs, highlighting states' rights issues
• Wilmot Proviso (1846) proposed banning slavery in territories acquired from Mexico, sparking intense debate
• Compromise of 1850 included the Fugitive Slave Act, which required the return of escaped slaves to their owners, and the admission of California as a free state
• Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed popular sovereignty to determine the status of slavery in new territories
• Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858) focused on the issue of slavery's expansion, with Abraham Lincoln arguing against its spread and Stephen Douglas defending popular sovereignty
• Formation of the Republican Party (1854) as an anti-slavery party further polarized the political landscape
• Secession of Southern states following Lincoln's election in 1860, with South Carolina being the first to leave the Union

Key Figures and Their Roles

• Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. President, opposed the expansion of slavery and played a crucial role in preserving the Union during the Civil War
• Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America, led the Southern states during the Civil War
• Frederick Douglass, former slave and prominent abolitionist, used his oratorical skills and writings to advocate for the end of slavery
• Harriet Tubman, former slave and conductor on the Underground Railroad, helped hundreds of slaves escape to freedom
• John Brown, radical abolitionist, led the raid on Harpers Ferry in an attempt to incite a slave rebellion
• Stephen Douglas, U.S. Senator from Illinois, authored the Kansas-Nebraska Act and engaged in the famous Lincoln-Douglas Debates
• Robert E. Lee, Confederate General, commanded the Army of Northern Virginia and became a symbol of the Southern cause

Sectional Differences

• North and South had divergent economic systems, with the North focused on industry and the South on agriculture
• Cultural differences between the regions included attitudes towards slavery, religion, and education
• Political power struggle between the North and South centered on the balance of free and slave states in Congress
• Tariff policies favored Northern manufacturing interests, while the South preferred free trade to export its agricultural goods
• States' rights debate focused on the extent of federal power over the states, with the South advocating for greater state sovereignty
• Territorial expansion (Mexican-American War, Gadsden Purchase) exacerbated sectional tensions as the North and South competed to establish their preferred labor systems in new territories
• Ideological differences regarding the role of government, with the North favoring a stronger federal government and the South emphasizing states' rights

Immediate Triggers of the War

• Election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, the first Republican president, led Southern states to secede from the Union
• Attack on Fort Sumter (April 12, 1861) by Confederate forces marked the beginning of the Civil War
• Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the Southern rebellion further galvanized the Confederacy
• Secession of four additional Southern states (Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee) after Lincoln's call for troops
• Failure of the Crittenden Compromise, a last-ditch effort to prevent war by extending the Missouri Compromise line and protecting slavery in the South
• Mobilization of troops and resources on both sides as the nation prepared for a long and bloody conflict
• Blockade of Southern ports by the Union Navy, aiming to cripple the Confederate economy and prevent the export of cotton

Legacy and Long-Term Effects

• Abolition of slavery with the 13th Amendment (1865), freeing millions of African Americans and transforming Southern society
• Reconstruction era (1865-1877) aimed to rebuild the South and integrate former slaves into American society, but faced significant challenges and resistance
• Civil Rights Act of 1866 and 14th Amendment (1868) granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to African Americans
• Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups emerged to intimidate and terrorize African Americans and their supporters
• Sharecropping and tenant farming systems replaced plantation slavery, often perpetuating economic inequality and exploitation
• Jim Crow laws and segregation institutionalized racial discrimination and oppression in the South well into the 20th century
• Economic devastation in the South due to the destruction of infrastructure, loss of slave labor, and the collapse of the Confederate currency
• Increased federal power and the supremacy of the national government over the states, as demonstrated by the Union victory and post-war amendments