Patterns of Wealth in Society (1830s-1840s) -101
During the 1830s and 1840s there was an increase in the workingclass, especially with immigrants from Germany and Ireland. As moreimmigrants came to the Americas from Europe, factories and otherindustries grew because of the influx of workers. These immigrantscontributed to a large and growing working class, and were willing towork for less than native-born Americans, making it hard to organizeindustrial workers into unions or other organizations. Date: TB page: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww1.assumption.edu%2Fahc%2FIrish%2Foverview.html&ei=HXWvVLKeDsuZNt-Bg5AN&psig=AFQjCNHLgyr44kqnWMasp724KcRFWC9OCg&ust= Cult of Domesticity -102 Also known as the Cult of True Womanhood, was the notion that womenbelonged in the home as the spiritual heads of the family who cared for thehome and the children while the males were away at work. Included in thiswas the idea of separate spheres, in which the man owned the publicsphere and the woman owned the domestic sphere of living. At the time,this was not totally negative to women, because in the home and inspiritual pursuits they were often seen as leaders, and superior to men inthese regards. Women were praised for having clean homes, and caring fortheir children and husbands. Important People: Lyman Beecher Date: 1820s-1840s TB page: 286 https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Famericainclass.org%2Fthe-cult-of-domesticity%2F&ei=XnWvVMX_LYGUNursgbAF&psig=AFQjCNFIaoqKhAYgY7xUnOGoB8yY1tEB2w&ust= ID#103: King Cotton Date- Mid 19th Century
Significance- With the help of the cotton gin, cotton became the main staple of farming in the South. This led to the term King Cotton and to the great plantations of the South. Slavery increased and the creation of plantations led to Sectionalismwithin America due to very different ways of life in the North and South. Reference TB: , VT CH11 (Slide#10) ID#104: Transcendentalism
Date- Late 1820s and 1830s Significance-This philosophical movement inspired this time periods most memorable experiments in thinking and living on a higher plane. Transcendentalism influenced literature and as a result of the movement people had a different outlook on their relationship with nature which led to reform. Reference- TB :297, VT CH12 (Slide#10) ID#105: Joseph Smith Date- 1805-1844
Significance- Joseph Smith is the founder of Mormonism. He told people that he had received revelations from an angel sent from God.This made him establish, in his opinion, a pure church on Earth. Smith published the Book of Mormon. (Assassinated in 1844) Reference- TB: ID#106: Mormonism Date- Began in 1830
Significance- A Christian sect, the Mormons are the first all American religion. When founder John Smith was killed, the ability of Brigham Young to lead the Mormons west to Utah showed the result of American Expansion. Reference- TB: ID#107: Horace Mann Date- 1796-1859
Significance-The first person to push for state funded schools in America, Horace Mann argued that public schools weregood for the future of America and that the schools saved children from their parents bad influence. Manns efforts for public education showed how America was changing socially. Reference- TB: , VT CH12 (Slide#5) ID#108: Rise of Feminism Date- Started with the Second Great Awakening, Seneca Falls Convention: 1848 Significance- Women began to discuss their rights and started to demand reform. The movement for womens rights began mainly with the Seneca Falls Convention. With the rise of feminism, women tried to assert themselves more in society. Reference- TB: 295, VT CH 12 (Slide#8) ID#109: Abolitionism Date- Began in 1830s (Emancipation Proclamation- 1863) Significance- Abolitionism, the movement to abolish slavery in America, contributed to sectionalism in America. Generally the North called for the end of slavery while the South wanted the expansion slavery. The call for abolition played a major role in the cause of the Civil War. Reference- TB: , VT CH12 (Slide#6,7) ID#110: William Lloyd Garrison
Date Significance- The first face for abolition, William Lloyd Garrison called for emancipation and full citizenship to all. He published The Liberator and with others founded the American Anti-Slavery Society. William Lloyd Garrison was able to gather support from some Northerners starting an abolitionist movement. Reference- TB: , VT CH12 (Slide#6) ID#111: Frederick Douglass
Date Significance- Douglass related the realities of bondage to the common man. Douglasss actions and works as a free man garnered support for the abolitionist movement. Frederick Douglass was an example that if free, blacks could be civilized. Reference- TB 293, VT CH12 (Slide#7) ID#112: Underground Railroad
Date- Established in the early 1800s Significance- A network of secret routes and safe houses leading north, The Underground Railroad helped thousands of slaves escape bondage to freedom. The network showed a way abolitionists helped slaves. The Underground Railroad really added to sectionalism because Southerners were mad at the North for aiding the slaves or not doing much about runaway slaves. Reference: TB: 266 ID#113: Harriett Tubman Date- 1820-1913
Significance- Born into slavery, Harriett Tubman escaped. She would return later to the South to play a key role in the Underground Railroad freeing thousands of slaves. Tubman also served in the Civil War as a nurse. Tubman was nicknamed Moses because of her willingness to help free slaves and serve the Union in the Civil War. Tubmans efforts in the Underground Railroad gained support for the abolitionist movement, and her role in the Civil War showed that even if you are black you could support your country. Reference- TB: ID#114: Uncle Toms Cabin Date- March 20, 1852
Significance- Authored by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Toms Cabin really gathered Northerners to call for the end of slavery. The North really began to view slavery as a terrible institution that needed to be ended. Southerners believed the book wrongly portrayed slavery and that slavery in fact is a just life institution where slaves are taken care of. The book greatly increased sectionalism in America. Reference- TB: 343 #115 James K. Polk Elected president (Democrat) in 1844 (11th president) beating Clay (Whig) and Birney (Liberty Party). Ran on an expansionist platform (Oregon and Texas) Texas annexed soon after he was elected (1845) Oregon question settled at 49th parallel to avoid conflict with Britain (1846) angering anti-slavery Northerners who wanted 54 40, as Polk had promised and campaigned on During boundary dispute with Mexico, Polk sent Slidell to Mexico City.When Slidell was not received, Polk had Zachary Taylor advance into disputed territory, starting the Mexican-American War (1846 1848) Mexican-American War led to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) greatly expanding US territory Dates: Born 1795; Died 1849 President: 1845 1849 Pages: 315 317, 319, 332 333 Parks #116 Texas Revolution Texas desired independence from Mexico because of friction betweenTexas settlers and the Mexican government over slavery and therequirement for settlers to convert to Roman Catholicism. Conflict began on October 2, 1835; independence declared March 2, The Battle of the Alamo was fought from February 26 to March 6, 1836. Myths about the battle glorified the Texans valor The tale gave the insurrection new inspiration, moral sanction,outside support, and the rallying cry, Remember the Alamo. Santa Anna was captured at San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, essentiallyending the war. Santa Anna was forced to sign treaties recognizing Texas independenceand territorial claims (which Mexico repudiated) Texas offered free land grants to American settlers but Texas was notimmediately annexed by the US because of fear of war with Mexico However, independence did pave the way to statehood less than tenyears later The resistance of Texans, to Mexican attempts at abolition is anexample of American reliance on slavery and the status of slavery inTexas will be an issue for several years to come The resistance to joining the Catholic Church shows American desire forreligious freedom. Dates: 1835 1836 Pages: Parks #117 Wilmot Proviso The Whig party opposed the Mexican American War in principle Northerners from both parties charged that the war was actually fought tospread slavery and increase the power of the South After the War, the failed Wilmot Proviso, proposed by David Wilmot,would have prohibited slavery in territory acquired from Mexico Northerners supported this Southerners opposed it Shows growing tensions between North and South regarding slavery. Blocked in the Senate after passing in the House David Wilmot's actions led to the rise of the Free Soil Movement Dates:1846 Pages: Parks #118 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
By the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo after the Mexican-American War Mexico ceded New Mexico and California to the US for 15 milliondollars the Rio Grande was established as the border between Texas andMexico The US assumed the substantial claims of American citizens againstMexico Mexican residents of the new territories would become US citizens.TheUnited States gained 500,000 square mile of territory from Mexico,which enlarged the size of the nation by 20 percent The US gained California, believed by some to be the true goal in order to obtaingood harbors in San Francisco and San Diego New Mexico and Utah Territories which would become the states ofNew Mexico; Utah; Arizona; Nevada; and parts of Wyoming andColorado. Dates: February 2, 1848 Pages 317, 319 Parks #119 California Gold Rush The first gold strikes were made along the Sierra Nevada in California in Thistouched off a mining boom that helped shape the development of the West and set thepattern for subsequent strikes in other regions. The Native Americans of California succumbed to the contagious diseases carried bywhites during the Gold Rush of Miners burned their villages and by 1880, fewerthan 20,000 Native Americans were living in California. Between 1849 and 1880 as many as 500,000 individuals made the journey west. Cities such as San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and Denver came into being as a result of themigration.Many people moved west to set up business to provide service for the miners. From California, the mining frontier headed east.In the 1860s and 1870s importantstrikes were made in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, Montana, Arizona, andDakota.Mining camps quickly turned into towns. By the 1890s the early mining Bonanza was over but had contributed billions to theeconomy.These mines helped finance the Civil War and provided needed capital forindustrialization.The boost in silver production from the Comstock Lode changed therelative value of gold and silver, the base of American currency. The mining frontier populated parts of the west and sped the process of politicalorganization.Nevada, Idaho, and Montana were granted early statehood because ofmining. The industry left behind invaded Indian reservations, pitted hills, and ghost towns. Dates: 1849 early 1890s Pages: , 428, Parks #120 Compromise of 1850 When Taylor took office in 1849 he was in favor of immediate admission of California and New Mexico as states without goingthrough territorial status California applied as a free state and because Mexico had outlawed slavery, the South feared that New Mexico would also applyas a free state The South organized a convention to air grievances and make demands;the president would not modify his plan Henry Clay proposed series of resolutions which formed the basis of the Compromise of 1850 He proposed that California be admitted as a free state and that slavery in Utah and New Mexico Territories would notbe explicitly prohibited He would also give the disputed area between Texas and New Mexico to New Mexico and the federal governmentwould assume Texas state debt as compensation He recommended the prohibition of buying and selling of slaves at auction within the District of Columbia and wouldallow abolition of slavery in the District by a vote of its white inhabitants He called for more effective fugitive slave laws. Taylor was opposed to Clays compromise and few politicians from either section were willing to go on record as supporting thekey concessions to the other section President Taylor died and Millard Fillmore, who was in favor of the Compromise, came into office By breaking the bill up into pieces, getting Democrat sponsors of the pieces, and modifying some of the proposals to make themmore acceptable to the South, the Compromise passed Popular sovereignty (see entry) would determine the slave issue in the New Mexico and Utah Territories The new Fugitive Slave Law (see entry) denied suspected fugitives of jury trial, the right to testify and other rights This part of the Compromise was extremely unpopular in abolitionist areas. No single bill in the compromise was backed by majority from either section and few in Congress voted for each piece However, because concessions were made to both sides of the slave issue, the compromise for a time did serve as abasis for sectional peace Dates: 1850 Pages: https://historygcp.wordpress.com/unit-2-compromise-and-conflict/compromise-of-1850/ Parks #121 Kansas Nebraska Act In 1854, Stephen Douglas, disregarding the Missouri Compromise of 1820, proposed a bill to allowsettlers in the Kansas and Nebraska territories to determine the slavery issue by popularsovereignty He hoped this would revive the spirit of manifest destiny and give the Democrats a platform forsuccess The Kansas-Nebraska Act passed and in its final form it repealed the Missouri Compromise The Bill was extremely divisive and ended sectional harmony because it made a concession to theSouth without an equivalent concession to the North The major political parties were split along regional lines over the sectional issue of slavery. Douglas had split the Democratic Party.Those Democrats who broke rank denounced the bill as agross violation of a sacred pledge The Act repudiated the Missouri Compromise, which many northerners saw as a binding sectionalcompact.From then on, northerners would be fighting to regain lost ground, while southernerswould be fighting to maintain rights that were already conceded. The Whig party totally disintegrated as they split along sectional lines. As a result, in the North,anti-Nebraska candidates swept the 1854 Congressional elections while the Democratic Partybecame the only party in the South In the North, anti-democratic coalitions evolved into a stronger Free Soil Party called theRepublicans.The furor over the Kansas Nebraska act doomed the efforts of the Pierceadministration to revive an expansionist foreign policy by acquiring Cuba from Spain becauseNortherners thought this was a scheme to fulfill the Southern dream of a Caribbean slave empire. Dates: 1854 Pages: https://causesofthecivilwar.wikispaces.com/The+Kansas-Nebraska+Act+1854 Parks #122 Bleeding Kansas In Kansas, there was a struggle known as Bleeding Kansas,which often became violent, between abolitionists and pro- slavery forces for control of the Territory In 1857, the pro-slavery territorial legislature in Kansascalled an election for delegates to a constitutional convention Because the free-state advocates refused to participate, thepro-slavery forces controlled the Lecompton convention anddrafted a constitution allowing slavery When a new territorial legislature was elected those in favorof having Kansas be a free-state won control, submitted theLecompton Constitution to popular vote, and it failed President Buchanan tried to have Kansas admitted under theLecompton Constitution but this effort was blocked inCongress The Lecompton Constitution was put to a vote again andagain it was rejected by Kansans Kansas was admitted as a free state in 1861, after severalsouthern states had already seceded Dates: 1861 Pages: Parks #123 Dred Scott Decision http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h1532.html
John Emerson, of Missouri, owned a slave, Dred Scott.Emerson took Scott to Illinois, a freestate, and then to Wisconsin Territory where the Missouri Compromise forbade slavery. Emerson died and his wife, Irene, took Scott back to Missouri. Scott sued for his freedom on the grounds that Emerson had given up his ownership when hetook Scott to a free territory.After a series of lower court rulings against Scott, the case went tothe Supreme Court in the form of Scott v Sandford (John Sanford was Irenes brother) President-elect James Buchanan urged the Court to render a decision that would settle theslavery issue The Courts opinion (written by Chief Justice Roger Taney) was that the Constitution did notgive blacks, whether slave or free, the rights of citizenship and that they had no rights otherthan those who held power might choose to grant them. He wrote that slaves were property and the Constitution prohibited Congress fromtaking property without due process of law Therefore, he said, the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional and Congress had noauthority to prohibit slavery in the territories. For the first time, the Supreme Court had used judicial review to strike down a major piece oflegislation The decision outraged abolitionists, delighted Southerners, invalidated the principal plank ofthe Republican Party (exclusion of slavery from all federal territories), and relieved moderateswho believed the decision would end the slave controversy.It did not The Republicans used the decision as a rallying cry realizing that they needed to win thepresidency and change the composition of the Supreme Court.The decision gave credence tothe Republican claim that an aggressive slave power was dominating all branches (PresidentBuchanan, the Legislature, and the Judiciary) of the federal government and was using(twisting) the Constitution to achieve its goals. Dates: 1857 Pages: 344, Parks #124 Abraham Lincoln Lincoln Douglas Debates (see # 125) in 1858 raised Lincolns stature Elected 16th president (won elections of 1860 (see #126) and 1864) President of the Union (United States) during Civil War Declares martial law Imprisons 10,000 subversives without a trial Briefly closes newspapers Emancipation proclamation (September 1862) (see #129) made civil war about slavery Gettysburg Address (November 19, 1863) not popular at time becomes part of national identity 13th Amendment (January 1865) (see #130 and #135) prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude except as punishment for a crime Lincoln, hoping to shorten the war, promoting a lenient reconstruction plan Assassinated by John Wilkes Booth (April 15, 1865) shortly after Civil War ended. First president in US history to be assassinated Dates: Born: 1809 ; Died: 1865 (Assassinated) President: 1861 1865 Pages: 210, 222, 289, 328, , 360, 367, 370, , , 378, , 418 Parks #125 Lincoln Douglas Debates
In the 1858 Senatorial debates between Lincoln and Douglas,Lincoln argued that A house divided against itself cannotstand. I believe that this government cannot endurepermanently half slave and half free. Lincoln Decries Southern plot to extend slavery Promises to work for slaverys extinction Casts slavery as a moral problem Defends white supremacy in response to Douglas Douglas accuses Lincoln of favoring equality In the short term, Lincoln lost the Senatorial election In the long-term, the debates raised his stature as a politicianand gained him the Republican nomination for president in The debates foreshadowed the problems (slavery) thatLincoln would face as president which ultimately led to theCivil War and the end of slavery. Dates: 1858 Pages: Parks #126 Election of 1860 Won by Abraham Lincoln with a majority of theelectoral vote but only a plurality of the popular vote Lincoln was the Republican nominee and wasportrayed as a Northern Moderate He ran on a platform opposing the spread of slavery The Democrats were split between Douglas in theNorth and Breckenridge in the South Lincoln carried the North and the West but did not getvotes in the South where is name was not on theballots The South was losing power After the election the South started to secede withSouth Carolina seceding before Lincoln even tookoffice Dates: 1860 Pages: Parks 127. Homestead Act What: The Homestead Act was passed in 1862 to helpsupport Western expansion and to populate WesternAmerica. This act granted any citizen 160 acres of Westernland, as long as they bought it for $10 and pledged tocultivate and live on the land for 5 years. The expansionout West was more difficult than Congress anticipated, asfew farmers could afford all the farming gear and it wasdifficult for them to get used to the semiarid climate ofthe Western Frontier. However, it created more Westernfarmers and lead to more acts, such as The Timber andStone Act, to further populate the West, eventuallycreating a popular and fruitful region. Additionally, 128million acres were donated to railroad companies underthis act, leading to the vast growth of the railroad industry,while also creating easy transportation into the West tofurther populate the land. When: May 20, 1862 Page: 430 128. Copperheads What: The Copperheads were a group of Northern citizensduring the Civil War that advocated peace and fought forlimited government, but were driven by racist tendenciesand did not see African Americans as worthwhile to fight for.They rioted against the conscription of white northerners tofight for African American freedom, seeing it as unfair andnot worth their sacrifice, with more anger arising from thelower classmen as they were forced to fight while the upperand middle class citizens were able to buy substitutes forthemselves in battle. The lower classmen rioted and killedmany black citizens, as well as burned down many draftoffices. The Copperheads were a more covert rebellion style,consisting mainly of propaganda, that fought for limitedgovernment instead of a large central government thatwould force them to fight, but the opposition toemancipation and racism towards African Americans thattruly drove this group. They slowly died out as the Unionbegan to win more battles, but they presented a majorproblem in the North on a basis of morale, and showed thedissent against fighting, and that equality was not a priorityof all Northerners. When: Page: 377 129. Emancipation Proclamation
What: The Emancipation Proclamation was passed by President Lincolnand it stated that all slaves in areas under Confederate control would beforever free. Additionally, it allowed the enlistment of freed slaves in theUnion army. However, it did not stretch to the Union states that stillallowed slavery, and the Confederacy still kept a tight hold on their slaves,so truly, no slaves were actually freed. But many slaves ran from theirmasters in the South to help fight in the Union forces, a great addition tothe Union effort that fought passionately for the freedom of the rest oftheir race. Additionally, it represented that the Union truly had abolition asa war aim and helped destroy the system of slavery, completely eliminatingit after the Union won the war. The Emancipation Proclamation acted as arepresentation of freedom for enslaved African Americans. When: January 1, 1863 Pages: th Amendment What: The 13th Amendment was the law that made slaveryin America illegal and released all African American slaves inAmerica. This opened doors for African Americans andallowed society to enter into a new era of equality. AfricanAmericans, however, were not entirely equal in the eyes ofsociety yet, so they began to fight for more rights andfreedoms that would be established in the 14th and 15thAmendments. African Americans would continue to fightracism for more than a century, as the Ku Klux Klan arose inthis time to repress the newly-freed, equal African Americansand keep them in the lowest social class, as the Klan felt thatwas their position. However, it did show the pervading senseof equality in America and the effective results of the Unionwinning the Civil War. Additionally, its ratification by theSouthern states served as their readmission from theConfederacy to the Union. When: January 31, 1865-December 6,1865 Pages: 376, 390, 394 131. Jefferson Davis What: Jefferson Davis, previously known as the Secretaryof War for President Franklin Pierce, was inaugurated asthe President of the Confederacy on February 18, He was very concerned with keeping a heavy military frontwhile fighting in the Civil War, but he neglected to care forhis citizens and created very dissatisfied citizens and aserious morale problem. He also had very little powerover the states in the Confederacy, as they believed instates rights and did not want to be controlled by onecentral power, giving Davis little power. Regardless, Daviswas the figurehead for the Confederacy and representedthe idea of states rights and the expansion of slavery allover America and played a heavy opposition to PresidentAbraham Lincoln. When: Pages: , 367, 370 132. States Rights What: States Rights was a primarily Southern movementthat wanted limited government and disagreed with themajor central government that controlled their states.States Rights acted as a cover for the Souths majorintention for secession, the expansion of slavery, but stillplayed a role in the development of the Civil War. TheConfederacy wanted a less controlling federal governmentthat left the decisions of each state up to the local andstate governments. Many compromises, like the MissouriCompromise, the movement that regulated and ended theexpansion of slavery temporarily, tried to find an equalbalance between state and federal government, however,the Southern states never saw it as acceptable. It washighly debated in that time and lead to a great deal ofrebellion from the national government. When: Pages: , , , 133. Ulysses S. Grant What: Ulysses S. Grant was a very successful Uniongeneral who was assigned the position general in chief inMarch of He ended the war as the head of the Unionarmy and he and his men officially defeated Robert E. Leeand his men, a highly esteemed Confederate general. Grantwas an incredible driving force and strategist for the Unionarmy and played a major role in the victory of the Union.He was elected president in 1868, and was not sosuccessful in this endeavor. He passed the Force Acts tostop the attacks of the Ku Klux Klan against AfricanAmericans in the South, but the attacks survived throughhis attempts. His administration was also riddled withcorruption and scandal, such as the hiring of his familymember in nepotism, giving him the appearance ofnegligent to the masses. Additionally, he handled the Panicof 1873 poorly, as powerful businesses began to decline,and the national economy suffered. However, his leadingand fighting skills cement him as an American and Unionhero. When: Page(s): , 134. Robert E. Lee What: Robert E. Lee was the powerful Confederate general thatonly supported the Confederacy due to his citizenship inVirginia. He lead his Confederate men into many battles, such asthe famous battle of Gettysburg, and he acted as an inspirationand morale booster for his Confederate effort. He was defeatedby Union general Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse andsurrendered, generally marking the end of the Civil War. When: Page(s): 347, 365, , , 380 th Amendment What: The 13th Amendment was the law that made slaveryin America illegal and released all African American slaves inAmerica. This opened doors for African Americans andallowed society to enter into a new era of equality. AfricanAmericans, however, were not entirely equal in the eyes ofsociety yet, so they began to fight for more rights andfreedoms that would be established in the 14th and 15thAmendments. African Americans would continue to fightracism for more than a century, as the Ku Klux Klan arose inthis time to repress the newly-freed, equal African Americansand keep them in the lowest social class, as the Klan felt thatwas their position. However, it did show the pervading senseof equality in America and the effective results of the Unionwinning the Civil War. Additionally, its ratification by theSouthern states served as their readmission from theConfederacy to the Union. When: January 31, 1865-December 6,1865 Pages: 376, 390, 394 th Amendment What: The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to allpeople born or naturalized in America. This included AfricanAmericans, a major step in equality and civil rights forAfrican Americans. However, much like the 13thAmendment, it met objection from the South. Black Codeswere passed by the Southern governments in order tofurther diminish the social and economic level of AfricanAmericans. These acts stole social rights from AfricanAmericans, such as where they may live and under whatconditions, and also did not allow for African Americans tovote, leading to the ratification of the 15th Amendment.African Americans continued to fight for their rights, butthe ratification of this Amendment was a great stride fortheir movement. Additionally, it also served as areadmission necessity for all Southern states hoping torejoin the Union. When: July 9, 1868 Page(s): 389, th Amendment What: The 15th Amendment made it illegal for anygovernment to prohibit an American citizen from votingdue to race, color, or previous servitude. This was mainlydirected at African American suffrage, as the Southerngovernments were attempting to steal the voting rightsfrom African Americans by passing grandfather laws ordemanding a literacy test in order to vote. This also gave agreat response from the Ku Klux Klan, as they began to walkthe polls and intimidate and attack African Americans tothe point where they were afraid to vote, leading to theForce Acts from Grant to stop the Klan by force. Somewomen movements saw this as a way to take a stand forwomens suffrage, however, it would be many years untilthat was later added. This amendment was a major step inthe direction of racial equality in America and would leadthe way to more civil and social rights for African Americansover the next century. When: February 3, 1870 Page(s): 394, , 413 138. Sharecropping What: Sharecropping was a new form of employment mainly used fornewly-freed African Americans on a farmers land. African Americans andother workers would plant and harvest a landlords crop, and return apercentage of the crop to the landlord, receive a small wage from thefarmer, and then buy their goods and necessities from the farmer.However, this new process soon became wildly corrupt and would resultwith landlords raising the prices of their products or demanding apreposterous percentage of the crop, leading to the continued exploitationof African Americans. This process only further repressed AfricanAmericans and forced them into a lower social and economic class andbecame a kind of servitude, reverting African Americans to a state of near- slavery. When: 1870s Page(s): 139. Black Codes TB: pg. 391 Historical Date:
Black Codes were laws passed by Southern States in 1865 and 1866, after theCivil War. Description of Historical Significance: Immediately after the Civil War ended, Southern states enacted "black codes"that allowed African Americans certain rights, such as legalized marriage,ownership of property, and limited access to the courts, but denied them therights to testify against whites, to serve on juries or in state militias, vote, orstart a job without the approval of the previous employer. These codes were allrepealed in 1866 when Reconstruction began. The laws were designed toreplace the social controls of slavery that had been removed by theEmancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution,and were thus intended to assure continuance of white supremacy. Simply put,black codes were a way for Southerners during the Reconstruction era to keepAfrican American citizens under the same bondage they were in as slaves.They made it possible for businesses to openly discriminate against AfricanAmericans, allowed poll taxes and tests to be placed on a person's votingrights - note that anyone who voted before 1864 was grandfathered in, butobviously no African American voted before that time - and made it illegal for awhite woman to marry a black man. They also made it so that black citizenshad to buy crops from their former masters, drawing them into a cycle of debtwhich was inherited by their children - this is where the term "sharecropper"came from; the plantation owners loaned them crops of land at interest ratesthey could never possibly pay off.These laws evoked political, social, andeconomic effects such as politically restricting blacks, socially degradingAfrican American culture, and economically crippling them in the job market. TB: pg. 391 140. Jim Crow Laws TB: pg. 413 Historical Date:
Jim Crow Laws were enacted in the late-20th Century after theReconstruction period in the United States, and which continued withforce until 1965. Description of Historical Significance: African Americans bore great hardships imposed by the new order.From 1876 through the fist decade of the twentieth century, southernstates imposed a series of restrictions on black civil rights known asJim Crow laws. While segregation and disenfranchisement began asinformal arrangements, they culminated in a legal regime ofseparations and exclusion that took firm hold in the 1890s. The rise ofJim Crow in the political arena was especially bitter for southern blackswho realized that only political power could ensure other rights.Furthermore, white Democrats now controlled the electoral machineryand were able to manipulate the black vote by stuffing ballot boxes,discarding unwanted votes, or reporting fraudulent totals. Some statesalso imposed complicated new voting requirements to discourageblack participation. The dark night of racism that fell on the South afterReconstruction seemed to unleash all the baser impulses of humannature. Between 1889 and 1890, an average of 187 blacks werelynched every year for alleged offences against white supremacy. TB: pg. 413 141. Poll Tax, Literacy Test, Grandfather Clause
Historical Date: Late 19th Century to Early 20th Century Description of Historical Significance: After the Civil War and Reconstruction, southern states employed arange of tactics to prevent blacks from exercising their right to vote.These tactics caused registration by blacks to drop significantly. Suchmeasures as the poll tax, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses provedespecially effective in disfranchising blacks. The poll tax was instituted inseven southern states following Reconstruction. The poll tax was a flatfee required before voting; it was often levied as high as $200 per person.The voting rights of poor blacks were disproportionately discriminatedagainst in this method. Literacy tests were used to help exclude themfrom the polls. However, whites found that literacy tests also wouldexclude large numbers of whites from becoming eligible voters sincemany whites could not read or write either. As a remedy, somejurisdictions adopted a reasonable interpretation clause; these lawsgave voting registrars discretion to evaluate applicants performance onliteracy tests. The effect was predictable: most whites passed and mostblacks did not. By the beginning of the twentieth century, almost everyblack had been disfranchised in the South. Grandfather clauses, apeculiarly irksome impediment to achieving voting rights for AfricanAmericans, were enacted by seven Southern states between 1895 and These laws provided that those who had enjoyed the right to voteprior to 1866 or 1867 or their lineal descendants would be exempt fromeducational, property, or tax requirements for voting. Because formerslaves had not been granted the right to vote until the FifteenthAmendment was ratified in 1870, these clauses effectively excludedblacks from the vote. The use of Southern tactics to disenfranchiseformer slaves gave way to the 15th Amendment, an attempt by the federalgovernment to discontinue these prejudice actions. The FifteenthAmendment makes it illegal for the federal government and the states touse a citizen's race, color, or previous status as a slave as a qualificationfor voting. Literacy Test: Political Cartoon https://sites.google.com/site/apgovvocabwiki2/unit-3-terms/literacy-test TB: pg. 498 142.Compromise of 1877 Electoral Map of 1876: TB: pg. 409
Historical Date: 1877 Description of Historical Significance: Immediately after the presidential election of1876, it became clear that the outcome of therace hinged largely on disputed returns fromFlorida, Louisiana and South Carolinathe onlythree states in the South with Reconstruction- era Republican governments still in power. Asa bipartisan congressional commissiondebated over the outcome early in 1877, alliesof the Republican Party candidate RutherfordHayes met in secret with moderate southernDemocrats in order to negotiate acceptance ofHayes election. The Democrats agreed not toblock Hayes victory on the condition thatRepublicans withdraw all federal troops fromthe South, thus consolidating Democraticcontrol over the region. As a result of the so- called Compromise of 1877 (or Compromise of1876), Florida, Louisiana and South Carolinabecame Democratic once again, effectivelymarking the end of the Reconstruction era. Electoral Map of 1876: https://lsaushistory13.wikispaces.com/The+Compromise+of+1877 TB: pg. 409 143. Radical Republicans TB: pg. 389 Historical Date:
Late 19th Century Description of Historical Significance: Congress was unhappy with the Lincolns Reconstructionexperiments and in 1864 refused to seat the Unionists electedto the House and Senate from Louisiana and Arkansas. Aminority of congressional Republicansthe strongly antislaveryRadical Republicansfavored protection for black rights(especially black make suffrage) as a precondition for thereadmission of southern states. The Radicals, a faction of theregular Republican Party, came into prominence on the nationallevel after They never achieved majority status withinRepublican ranks, but were successful with manipulating theother factions to their advantage. Radical influence wasespecially strong in the New England states. They tended toview the Civil War as a crusade against the institution of slaveryand supported immediate emancipation. Moreover, RadicalRepublicans advocated enlistment of black soldiers throughoutthe war and led the fight for ratification of the 13th Amendment.In 1867 and 1868, the Radicals passed Reconstruction Actsfeaturing far harsher treatment of the South. The Radicals alsoplayed a leading role in the impeachment of Andrew Johnsonand the succeeding trial. Participation in those events tended toweaken the Radicals appeal at the polls as the public grewweary of their hard-edged tactics. The Radical Republicans inthe early 1870s urged Ulysses Grant to take action against theKu Klux Klan, and later pressed for labor reforms, whichincluded improved working conditions in factories and the eight- hour day. Therefore, these individuals played a profound role inthe Reconstruction of American after the Civil War. TB: pg. 389 144. Ku Klux Klan TB: pg. 405-407, 410 Historical Date:
Late 19th Century to Present Day Description of Historical Significance: From 1868 through the early 1870s the Ku Klux Klan (KKK)functioned as a loosely organized group of political and socialterrorists. The Klan's goals included political defeat of theRepublican Party and the maintenance of absolute whitesupremacy in response to newly gained civil and politicalrights by southern blacks after the Civil War. They were moresuccessful in achieving their political goals than they werewith their social goals during the Reconstruction era. Itsmembers waged an underground campaign ofintimidation and violence directed at white and blackRepublican leaders. Though Congress passedlegislation designed to curb Klan terrorism, theorganization saw its primary goalthe reestablishmentof white supremacyfulfilled through Democraticvictories in state legislatures across the South in the1870s. TB: pg , 410 145. Sand Creek Massacre TB: pg. 422 Historical Date:
November 1864 Description of Historical Significance: The causes of the Sand Creek massacre were rootedin the long conflict for control of the Great Plains ofeastern Colorado. In what can only be considered anact of treachery, Chivington moved his troops to theplains, and on November 29, they attacked theunsuspecting Native Americans, scattering men,women, and children and hunting them down. Thecasualties reflect the one-sided nature of the fight. Nineof Chivington's men were killed; 148 of Black Kettle'sfollowers were slaughtered, more than half of themwomen and children. The Colorado volunteers returnedand killed the wounded, mutilated the bodies, and setfire to the village. The atrocities committed by thesoldiers were initially praised, but then condemned asthe circumstances of the massacre emerged.Chivington resigned from the military and aborted hisbudding political career. Black Kettle survived andcontinued his peace efforts. In 1865, his followersaccepted a new reservation in Indian Territory. TB: pg. 422 146. Battle of Little Big Horn
Historical Date: 1876 Description of Historical Significance: The effects and significance of the Battle of Bighorn in historyis that the Battle of the Little Bighorn was the beginning of theend of the Indian Wars. The nomadic hunter lifestyle of thePlains Indians was lost forever. The languages, culture,religion, beliefs and ceremonies of conquered people fell intodecline. The news in the East of the disastrous defeat at theBattle of Little Bighorn shocked people who were accustomedto battlefield victories and convinced of their inherentsuperiority and claim to manifest destiny. The US Governmentexpanded the Army in the region by 2,500 men following theDefeat at the Battle of Little Bighorn. The Battle of LittleBighorn led to increased intolerance of the Native Indians anda determination to place them on a reservation in order to'civilize' them. The Battle of the Little Bighorn was also themost successful action fought by the American Indians againstthe United States Army in the West. It was part of theCampaign of 1876, an effort by the United States Governmentto force the Sioux tribes onto their Reservations. TB: pg 147. Dawes Act TB: pg. 425 Historical Date:
1887 Description of Historical Significance: Legislation passed by Congress in 1887 that aimed at breaking uptraditional Indian life by promoting individual land ownership andassimilation. It divided tribal lands into small plots that were distributedamong members of each tribe. Provisions were made for Indianeducation and eventually citizenship. The law led to corruption,exploitation, and the weakening of Native American tribal culture. TheDawes Act of 1887 was a misguided attempt to reform the government'sNative American policy. It's goal was to assimilate Native Americans intothe mainstream of American life and eliminate tribal ownership.TheDawes Act significantly undermined Indian tribal life, but did little tofurther their acceptance into the broader society. In addition, the lawseverely reduced Indian holdings; after all individual allocations hadbeen made, the extensive lands remaining were declared surplus andopened for sale to non-Indians. In 1887, the tribes had owned about 138million acres; by 1900 the total acreage in Indian hands had fallen to 78million. This policy was not reversed until 1934, when the IndianReorganization Act asserted the importance of perpetuating Indiancultural institutions and permitted surplus lands to be returned to tribalownership. The result of this was almost complete destruction of Nativeculture and identity. TB: pg. 425 148. Gospel of Wealth TB: pg. N/A Historical Date:
1889 Description of Historical Significance: The Gospel of Wealth, Andrew Carnegies mostfamous essay, was written in 1889 and describes theresponsibility of philanthropy by the new upper class ofself-made rich. The central thesis of Carnegie's essayis that the wealthy entrepreneur must assume theresponsibility of distributing his fortune in a manner thatassures that it will be put to good use, and not wastedon frivolous expenditure. The very existence of povertyin a capitalistic society, Carnegie believed, could begreatly alleviated by wealthy philanthropic businessmenand women. The Gospel of Wealth is an eloquenttestament to the importance of charitable giving for thepublic good. The novel expresses Carnegies vision ofeconomics as in Social Darwinism. TB: pg. N/A 149. John D. Rockefeller TB: pg. 453-454, 458,483 Historical Date:
Description of Historical Significance: John D. Rockefeller, founder of the Standard OilCompany, became one of the worlds wealthiest menand a major philanthropist. Born into modestcircumstances in upstate New York, he entered thethen-fledgling oil business in 1863 by investing in aCleveland, Ohio, refinery. In 1870, he establishedStandard Oil, which by the early 1880s controlled some90 percent of U.S. refineries and pipelines. Criticsaccused Rockefeller of engaging in unethical practices,such as predatory pricing and colluding with railroadsto eliminate his competitors, in order to gain amonopoly in the industry. In 1911, the U.S. SupremeCourt found Standard Oil in violation of anti-trust lawsand ordered it to dissolve. During his life Rockefellerdonated more than $500 million to variousphilanthropic causes. TB: pg , 458,483 150. Andrew Carnegie TB: pg. 452, 461, 464-465 Historical Date:
Description of Historical Significance: Scottish-born Andrew Carnegie ( ) was an Americanindustrialist who amassed a fortune in the steel industry thenbecame a major philanthropist. Carnegie worked in a Pittsburghcotton factory as a boy before rising to the position of divisionsuperintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad in Whileworking for the railroad, he invested in various ventures,including iron and oil companies, and made his first fortune bythe time he was in his early 30s. In the early 1870s, he enteredthe steel business, and over the next two decades became adominant force in the industry. In 1901, he sold the CarnegieSteel Company to banker John Pierpont Morgan for $480million. Carnegie then devoted himself to philanthropy,eventually giving away more than $350 million. Congress wasunhappy with the Lincolns Reconstruction TB: pg. 452, 461, 151. J.P. Morgan TB: pg. 450, 452, 455, 509, 538 Historical Date:
Description of Historical Significance: One of the most powerful bankers of his era, J.P. Morganfinanced railroads and helped organize U.S. Steel, GeneralElectric and other major corporations. The Connecticut nativefollowed his wealthy father into the banking business in the late1850s, and in 1871 formed a partnership with Philadelphia bankerAnthony Drexel. In 1895, their firm was reorganized as J.P.Morgan & Company, a predecessor of the modern-day financialgiant JPMorgan Chase. Morgan used his influence to helpstabilize American financial markets during several economiccrises, including the panic of However, he faced criticismthat he had too much power and was accused of manipulating thenations financial system for his own gain. The Gilded Age titanspent a significant portion of his wealth amassing a vast artcollection. TB: pg. 450, 452, 455, 509, 538 152. Social Darwinism TB: pg. 485-488 Historical Date:
Late 19th Century Description of Historical Significance: The concept of Social Darwinism originated withinthe writings of English social philosopher, HerbertSpencer. In several influential books, Spencer tookthe evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin andapplied Darwinian principles of natural selection tosociety, combining biology and sociology in a theoryof social selection" that tried to explain humanprogress. Like animals society evolved, slowly byadapting to the environment. The survival of thefittesta term that Spencer, not Darwin,inventedpreserved the strong and weeded out theweek. This theory played a significant role withinCarnegies TB: pg