causes of the civil war
I. Slavery – not on the minds of Northern soldiers when war started, but clearly an issue that pervaded all of the social, political and economic causes
a. Would there have been a split without slavery – no – root of all conflicts
b. Conflicts existed from birth of nation
II. Economic – two competing industries – industrial north vs. agrarian south – free labor vs. slave labor
a. Tariff battle for almost a century – south wants low, north high
i. Believed in nullification of Congressional laws
1. Goes back to Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions regarding Alien and Sedition Acts
ii. South needed low tariffs because they existed on King Cotton
iii. Recession of 1857 causes bigger divide
III. Political
a. Representation in Senate/Congress
i. Every new state could ruin balance – both sides feared other side would try to mandate their society on the other federally
ii. Ostend Manifesto – slavery in Cuba as well as slavery in West? – bad news
b. State power vs. Federal power
i. Southern states still felt states were sovereign – goes back to Federalist/Anti-Federalist battle
c. Free Soil Party – 1847 – no slavery in territories
IV. Social – North sees south as aristocratic medieval country, South sees North as corrupt immigrant urban
a. AbolitionCIAm – slavery moral wrong – Second Great Awakening
b. Anti-aristocratic ethos – common man better than gentry south
V. Catalysts – events that made both sides look evil, and created larger tension
a. Compromise of 1850 – CA admitted, popular sovereignty, DC no slaves, tougher/enforced fugitive slave act
b. Uncle Tom’s Cabin – Stowe – first glimpse of Europe and North of life in South – kept England out of war – queen allegedly cried
c. Fugitive Slave Act – force Northerners to return blacks to South
d. Kansas-Nebraska Act – 1854 split territories– dissenters create Republican Party
i. Popular Sovereignty – let states decide for themselves – ignore 1820 compromise
ii. Bleeding Kansas – Jayhawkers vs. Bushwackers fight for control
1. Pottawatomie Creek Massacre – Brown hacks bodies - radical
iii. Caning of Sumner – Senate violence after anti-South speech
e. Realignment of Parties
i. Whigs die
ii. Republicans – Northern party to outlaw slavery Free Soil + anti-slavery Whigs and Democrats
f. Dred Scott – Justice Taney – slaves aren’t human/can’t sue – Comp. 1820 illegal
g. Lecompton Compromise – bad Constitution proposal where your only choices were limited slavery or full slavery – anti-slavery people don’t even vote
h. Lincoln Douglas Debates – run for Senator – Lincoln proves more logical for why slavery should not be expanded – loses Senate, but gains prominence
i. John Brown – Harper’s Ferry – tries to take over South – idiot or martyr?
j. Election of 1860 – S.C. threatens and does secede after Lincoln elected
14. The Civil War
I. The Union Homefront
A. Mobilization and Finance
1. First conscription – can buy way out, Lincoln asks for more troops before Congress meets
2. Increased tariffs, income tax, sold bonds, printed currency “greenbacks”
3. War profiteers – industry/manufacturing make a lot of money – some corrupt
B. Suspension of Civil Liberties/Ignoring the Constitution
1. Lincoln thought better to save United States than follow Constitution
A. Blockade, increased army, $2 million to 3 men for army purchases – none of this in Constitution
2. Needs to keep border states
A. Suspends habeus corpus – don’t tell why arrested
B. “supervised” voting – colored ballots – march past armed guards
C. Newspapers/editors influenced/pressured
C. Election of 1864 – Republican Party becomes Union Party for a bit
1. “bayonet vote” – some soldiers return to vote - 49 times/others vote on front
2. Sherman captures Atlanta – gives boost to cause
II. Southern Homefront – President Jefferson Davis declared martial law – suspended habeus corpus
A. Confederate Constitution – can’t have strong fed. gov’t when some states still want to threaten secession
B. Mobilization and Finance – must have conscription – leads to class conflict – poor serve
1. Tariffs hard to collect due to blockade – money made through bonds
2. Prints a lot of money with no value – extreme inflation
III. Foreign Affairs/Diplomacy – must gain European support (South) keep Europe out (USA)
A. Trent Affair – Union takes two diplomats off ship for Britain – looks bad
B. Some Canadians working with South to bomb Northern cities
C. Napoleon III takes opportunity to ignore Monroe Doctrine and take over Mexico
IV. Military strategy – Mississippi River, Capitals, Blockade “Anaconda”, Attrition, Wait
V. Ending Slavery – Confiscation Act – army seizes property of South – slaves
A. Emancipation Proclamation – after Antietam – frees none – only in seceding states
B. Freedmen’s Bureau – gov’t sponsored agency – goes South to educate blacks
C. Thirteenth Amendment – frees slaves
VI. Major effects – slavery banned, secession issue finally ended, industry can now expand
A. Industry/North decides future path of nation – no longer aristocracy/agrarian
B. Role of Central Government expanded
1. 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments – first amendments that don’t take power away
2. Taxation – printing currency – National Banking System
3. Standing army
4. Freedmen’s Bureau – American sponsored welfare program – precedent
C. Labor Saving Devices – change occupations – move to petroleum/coal jobs
1. Labor moves West looking for jobs
D. Women – took jobs of men – gov’t workers
1. Fighting – spies, impersonating men
2. Nurses – Clara Barton – starts Red Cross later
3. Raised money for cause – soldiers – organized bazaars/fairs/made goods to sell
15. Reconstruction – 1865-1877
I. Presidential Plans – tough to be successful with Radical Republicans demanding revenge
A. Lincoln – if lived – impeached like Johnson or more sensitive to the South?
1. Believed South never legally withdrawn – 10% plan + create new state gov’t
2. Congressional fear that South would return to aristocracy and re-enslave blacks
a. Wade-Davis Plan – 50% sign oath + emancipation guarantees
1. Lincoln pocket vetoes and allows states to choose either plan
3. Congress is a majority moderate Republicans with some Radical Republicans
B. Johnson – surprised Congress – followed 10% plan and some states reentered
1. State constitutions only have to 1) repeal secession, 2) repudiate debts, 3) ratify 13th
2. Johnson pardoned many aristocrats
II. Congressional Reconstruction
A. December 1865 – Southern delegates arrive in D.C. – many of same Confederate leaders
1. Republicans outraged at seeing these elected Confederate aristocrats return
a. December 4, 1865 – Congress closes doors – fears too much Democrat power
1. Can’t be enemies one minute – peers the next
2. South actually has more power – more electors/Reps due to cancelled 3/5
3. If Southern Dems. Join with Northern Dems. – they control gov’t and can repeal laws passed during Civil War and re-enslave blacks
B. Pass through 14th Amendment – gives freedmen (former slaves) citizenship +
1. Any state that refuses black voting rights – loses reps
2. Former Confederate leaders can’t run for U.S. Congress
3. Repudiates Southern debts
C. Andrew Johnson “Sir Veto” starts vetoing Radical Republican Congress laws
1. 1866 election vetoproofs Congress – they now have 2/3 to overrule
D. Military Reconstruction – Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner – lead Radicals
1. 5 Military Districts run by Union General + 20,000 soldiers – Supreme Court allows
2. Blacks must be allowed to vote – 15th Amendment makes voting permanent
3. Because only forced on them, as soon as soldiers leave “white redeemers” return South
III. Realities of Radical Reconstruction
A. Benefits – Blacks in South AND North can now vote – Union League organized blacks
1. New Southern constitutions written
2. Black participation in Congress – 14 black Congressmen, 2 black senators
3. Improved Southern infrastructure – schools, public works, property rights for women
IV. Impeachment of Johnson – Congress passes laws they know he will have to disobey
A. Tenure of Office Act – Senate approval before any Presidential firings
B. Johnson impeached after firing Secretary of War Stanton – he was spying for Radical Republ
1. Almost impeached, but luckily Senate didn’t because 1) replacement bad 2) would hurt country, 3) Johnson said he’d stop vetoing
V. Overall Assessment of Reconstruction
A. Theory – failed because North cared about helping Republican Party and free slaves quickly
B. Fails because most Northerners stop caring
C. Fails -US beliefs in personal property, self-govt, state control conflict with Reconstruction
D. Opinions – North wronged South through Reconstruction – just as bad as Civil War
1. or…Noble attempt to give equal rights to slaves – blacks received unprecedented freedoms initially
VI. Reconstruction ends - Hayes-Tilden corrupt election 1876 – Hayes wins but agrees to pull out troops
Notes
