President Abraham Lincoln’s Argument against Secession

  • The United States is a union of the people
  • It is not a confederation of states
  • States cannot secede or leave the union

Thirteenth Amendment

  • Abolished Slavery
  • Added to the Constitution after the Civil War
  • During Reconstruction
  • The Reconstruction Amendmentsare the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenthamendmentsto the United States Constitution, adopted between 1865 and 1870

Fourteenth Amendment

  • Granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States” – including former slaves recently freed
  • Forbids states from denying any person “life, liberty or property, without due process of law”
  • Provides equal protection of the laws for all citizens

Fifteenth Amendment

  • Right to vote for all citizens
  • Granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the “right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude”

Jim Crow Laws

  • Segregation laws in the South
  • Were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States
  • Enacted after the Reconstruction period, these laws continued in force until 1965
  • Separate bathrooms for whites and blacks
  • Separate water fountains, separate schools, etc.

Reasons for Sectional Differences in the United States

  • Geographic differences
  • New England: Rocky soil, harbors, forests
  • South: Long growing season and fertile soil
  • North: More industrialized
  • South: Greater reliance on agriculture
  • Geographic differences led to economic differences
  • North: Factories and farms
  • South: Plantations

President Abraham Lincoln’s Justification for the Civil War

  • To preserve the Union
  • To save the Union

Missouri Compromise

  • Compromise over the extension of slavery
  • Maine entered the Union as a free state while Missouri entered as a slave state
  • Goal: to keep the balance between free and slave states
  • Prohibited slavery north of 36°30′ line of latitude
  • Other compromises followed over extension of slavery
  • Compromise of 1850: California (free state) and Fugitive Slave Act
  • Kansas-Nebraska Act: Popular Sovereignty or Let the People Vote to Decide

Kansas-Nebraska Act

  • Addressed the extension of slavery
  • Citizens in the new territories could vote to determine whether free or slave state
  • Popular sovereignty or the people vote to decide
  • In Kansas, led to fighting between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups
  • “Bleeding Kansas”

Geographic Conditions in South and Slavery

  • Long growing season and fertile soil
  • Encouraged the development of large farms or plantations
  • Encouraged the development of slave labor systems

Poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses

  • The Fifteenth Amendment gave African American males the right to vote
  • Poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses took that right away
  • A poll tax was a tax for voting – newly freed slaves could not afford to pay the tax
  • A literacy test is a difficult test to pass in order to vote – newly freed slaves were often illiterate and could not pass the test
  • A grandfather clause stated that if a man’s ancestor voted before the Civil War, he could vote and not pay the tax – the ancestors of newly freed slaves could not vote and so newly freed slaves, unlike poor whites, had to pay the poll tax and pass the literacy test in order to vote
  • Thus, poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses kept African Americans from exercising their right to vote

Radical Republicans

  • A group within the Republican Party
  • During and after Civil War, committed to emancipation of slaves
  • And equal treatment for freed slaves
  • Opposed Lincoln’s plan for Reconstruction [bringing the South back into the Union]
  • Lincoln rejected the idea of harsh punishments for the South
  • Radical Republicans wanted harsh punishments for the South

Reconstruction

  • Refers to the period in United States history immediately following the Civil War
  • The federal government set the conditions that would allow the rebellious Southern states back into the Union
  • 1865 – 1877
  • During Reconstruction, the 13th (abolished slavery), 14th (equal protection under the law), and 15th (voting rights) amendments were passed
  • Different ideas about Reconstruction led to conflict between the President and the Radical Republicans

Differing Ideas Regarding Reconstruction

  • Radical Republicans believed freed slaves were entitled to the same political rights and opportunities as whites
  • Radical Republicans also believed that the Confederate leaders should be punished for their roles in the Civil War
  • President Abraham Lincoln and his successor, President Andrew Johnson, wanted to restore the Union quickly and heal the nation’s wounds
  • Lincoln and Johnson wanted a fair and generous peace; they did not want harsh punishments but this allowed white Southerners to create societies that were still racist and unjust for African Americans

Civil War and Industrialization in the North

  • Fighting the Civil War required guns and supplies for soldiers
  • Northern factories increased production during the Civil War to provide Union soldiers with guns and supplies
  • Thus, the Civil War stimulated or encouraged industrialization in the North
  • As production increased, more factories were needed

The Census and the Electoral College

  • The census records U.S. population in every state every ten years
  • Data from the census determines the number of representatives each state receives in the House of Representatives
  • Representation in the House of Representatives is based on each state's population
  • In addition, data from the census is used to determine the number of electors each states receives in the Electoral College
  • A state’s electors is based on the state's number of representatives and its two senators

Erie Canal

  • The Erie Canal connects the Hudson River to the Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes
  • It connects New York City to the Great Lakes as New York City is on the Hudson River
  • It allowed farmers in the Midwest to sell the goods to Eastern Markets
  • It is also a great song - listen to the Pete Seeger version of the song

Marbury v. Madison

  • An important Supreme Court case
  • Presided over by Chief Justice John Marshall
  • Established the principle of judicial review
  • Judicial Review is the concept that the Supreme Court has the power to declare a law unconstitutional
  • Chief Justice John Marshall increased the power of the Supreme Court
  • Chief Justice John Marshall strengthened the power of the federal government
  • Judicial Review is not in the Constitution
  • It is considered part of the Unwritten Constitution

Thomas Paine and Common Sense

  • A pamphlet
  • Encouraged the colonists to fight for independence from Britain
  • Encouraged the colonists that there was no benefit to colonialism for them
  • Opposed mercantilism (colonies exist for the benefit of the mother country)
  • “Our corn will fetch its price in any market”
  • This mother country that devours its children is no mother worthy of obeying
  • Fight the colonial power

Unwritten Constitution

  • Traditions and practices of U.S. Government but not listed in the Constitution
  • Examples include the President’s cabinet, political parties, congressional committees, and judicial review

Alexander Hamilton

  • Alexander Hamilton was a Federalist
  • He believed in a strong national government
  • He helped write the Federalist Papers
  • He also believed that a National Bank was “necessary and proper” to ensure that the national government could pay its debts and ensure economic stability for the nation

Elastic Clause

  • It is the “Necessary and Proper” clause in the U.S. Constitution
  • It states that Congress can do what is necessary and proper to carry out its duties even if these actions are not specifically listed in the Constitution
  • These additional powers that are not listed in the Constitution are known as “Implied Powers”
  • The Elastic Clause was used to establish the National Bank as a National Bank is not listed in the Constitution, however, Congress does have the power to tax and to coin money

George Washington and Neutrality

  • In his Farewell Address, warned Americans about alliances
  • “Steer clear of alliances”
  • A new nation must focus on building the nation as opposed to becoming entangled in the problems of other nations
  • Warned Americans against involvement in European military conflicts

Native American Indians and Reservations

  • In the period from 1860 to 1890, Native Americans living in western states were forced to live on reservations
  • As Manifest Destiny led to westward expansion and as more white settled in western lands, Indians were forced off of their lands and forced to live on reservations
  • A reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs

Homestead Act

  • Federal government act to encourage westward expansion
  • The Homestead Act, enacted during the Civil War in 1862, provided that any adult citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. government could claim 160 acres of surveyed government land
  • Claimants were required to “improve” the plot by building a dwelling and cultivating the land
  • After 5 years on the land, the original filer was entitled to the property, free and clear, except for a small registration fee

Mayflower Compact

  • The Mayflower Compact was a document signed by 41 male Pilgrims on November 21, 1620 on the ship called the Mayflower
  • By signing this document, the men agreed to form a temporary government and be bound by its laws
  • The compact became the basis of government in the Plymouth Colony
  • It is an example of self-government in the colonies

Location of Native American Indian Reservations

  • During the late 1800s, many North American Indian tribes were sent to reservations that were locatedin sparsely populated regions of the West
  • They were forced off their productive lands by white settlers
  • Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny led to the loss of traditional lands for Native American Indians

The Louisiana Purchase

  • The Strict Constructionist, Thomas Jefferson, modified his views and purchased the land from Napoleon and the French
  • Included the Mississippi River, the Great Plains, and the Port of New Orleans
  • Sent Lewis and Clark - with help from Sacagawea - to explore the region and make maps
  • The Louisiana Purchase and the maps of Lewis and Clark - with help from Sacagawea - encouraged westward expansion

Mississippi River

  • Americans gained full control of the Mississippi River with the Louisiana Purchase
  • Allowed farmers in the Ohio River Valley to transport their goods
  • A benefit for trade
  • The Mississippi River was a major trade route that transported goods from North to South
  • The Mississippi flows into the Gulf of Mexico which led to the development of the trading port city of New Orleans

Port of New Orleans

  • Also gained by Americans with the Louisiana Purchase
  • The Mississippi flows into the Gulf of Mexico which led to the development of the trading port city of New Orleans
  • The Port of New Orleans connects the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico thereby encouraging trade
  • Farmers in the Ohio River Valley benefitted the most from the port of New Orleans as they could transport their crops to more places

Great Plains

  • Added to the U.S.A. by the Louisiana Purchase
  • Good for farming and herding
  • Known as the “breadbasket” of the nation
  • Original inhabitants were the Plains Indians
  • Plains Indians depended on the buffalo
  • With westward expansion and the needless slaughtering of the buffalo by settler, the way of life of the Plains Indians was destroyed
  • Listen to Buffy Sainte-Marie's “Now that the buffalo's gone”

Geography of the South

  • Long growing season and fertile land
  • Encouraged development of large farms or plantations
  • Encouraged the development of forced labor systems: slavery

Geography of New England

  • Rocky soil, ports and harbors, and forests
  • Discouraged farming
  • Encouraged trade and ship-building

Declaration of Independence

  • Written by Thomas Jefferson
  • Stated the reasons for the colonists’ grievances with England
  • Stated the colonists’ belief in natural rights and consent of the governed
  • And announced independence
  • Justified rebellion
  • “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it…”

Federalism

  • The American System of government
  • Power is shared between a federal government and state governments
  • Concurrent powers are powers shared by the Federal and state governments in the American system of government known as federalism
  • An example of a concurrent power is the power to tax
  • Both the federal government and the state governments can levy or make or impose taxes
  • Some powers are only delegated to the Federal Government such as the only Congress can declare war
  • And some powers are reserved for the states such as each state determines its requirements for graduation

Northwest Ordinance

  • The Northwest Ordinance established a method for a territory to enter the union as a new state
  • It was an accomplishment of the Articles of Confederation government

Protection against Unreasonable Searches and Seizures

  • “. . . Now, one of the most essential branches of English liberty is the freedom of one’s house. A man’s house is his castle; and whilst he is quiet, he is as well guarded as a prince in his castle. . . .” ~ James Otis, Against the Writs of Assistance, 1761
  • The Fourth Amendment protects individuals against unreasonable searches and seizures
  • “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

The Great Compromise

  • A compromise between the big states and the small states
  • It led to the creation of a bicameral Congress
  • Representation in the House of Representatives is based on the population of each state
  • States with more people receive more representatives in the House of Representatives
  • Each state, however, receives two senators
  • In the Senate, every state receives the same number of representatives
  • A census is recorded every ten years to determine each state's number of representatives in the House of Representatives
  • The Great Compromise is also known as the Connecticut Compromise

Checks and Balances

  • By creating three branches of government, the delegates built a “check and balance” system into the Constitution
  • This system was built so that no one branch of our government could become too powerful.
  • Each branch is restrained by the other two in several ways
  • For example, the president may veto a law passed by Congress
  • Congress can override that veto with a vote of two-thirds of both houses
  • Another example is that the Supreme Court may check Congress by declaring a law unconstitutional
  • To check is to limit the power of another branch of government

Proclamation Line of 1763

  • The British stated that the dividing line between the colonists and the Native American Indians was the Appalachian Mountains
  • The colonists were to stay east of the Appalachian Mountains
  • West of the Mountains was Indian Territory
  • To avoid conflict between colonists and Native American Indians

Trial of John Peter Zenger

  • Not just the cause of a printer but the cause of liberty
  • John Peter Zenger printed a colonial newspaper
  • An article in the newspaper was critical of the colonial governor of New York
  • Zenger was arrested and went to trial
  • But what was printed was factual
  • Thus, he was found “Not Guilty”
  • A victory for freedom of the press

Appalachian Mountains

  • Located in the eastern United States
  • The Appalachian Mountains are the oldest mountain chain in North America
  • They sweep from Newfoundland to Alabama
  • The Appalachian Mountains are made up of mountains, ridges, and valleys
  • The Great Smoky mountains are in this region
  • And in New York State, you can hike part of the Appalachian Mountain range
  • The Appalachian Mountains served as the dividing line for the Proclamation Line of 1763 – when the British required the colonists to settle east of the Appalachian Mountains and reserved the lands west of the Mountains for the Native American Indians to avoid conflicts

Consent of the Governed

  • The principle that government depends on the people’s consent or permission
  • By voting, citizens give government permission to do what it does
  • Any government that is not based on consent of the governedcan be justifiably overthrown and replaced
  • The colonists’ slogan of “No taxation without representation” expresses their belief in consent of the governed

Albany Plan of the Union

  • The Albany Plan of Union was a plan to unite the colonies under a more centralized government
  • Although never carried out, the Albany Plan was the first important proposal to conceive of the colonies as a collective whole united under one government
  • Many colonies objected to the Albany Plan of Union (1754) mainly because) colonial assemblies did not want to give up their individual power
  • But it suggested the idea that the colonies could unite

Federalist Papers