Civil War and Reconstruction.
1858 – Lincoln became a senator representing Illinois. After that he got popular. He used to say that America was in stagnation, that it could not develop as fast as in the 18th century because of slavery. Therefore slavery had to be abolished, because it triggered economic problems.
1860 – Republicans nominated him for president elections. No Southern state voted for him. However, Lincoln won the election. South Carolina did not recognize him as president. It said that states had a so-called compact, according to which states were equal. Disagreeing state could secede, which South Carolina did, as well as Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. These 7 states formed the Confederate states of America. They had all political institutions (president, parliament), including Constitution. In March 1861 in his inaugural speech Lincoln said that the secession was illegal. Southerners disagreed.
April 1861 – the war began. Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina seceded. Overall – 11 states. 5 states remained loyal in the Union (boarder states).
Confederacy was not recognized by other countries, however it received aid. France and Britain refused to recognize the Confederacy.
Advantages:
The Union: the population (23 million). The Confederacy – 9 million people.
Most factories were in the North. South had nearly no factories and had to buy equipment in Europe. Banking was developed in the North (easier to get money). South had to sell cotton. Railway network in the North was twice as large as that in the South (fast supply delivery). The Navy was mostly controlled by the Union (it was nevertheless weak).
The Confederate army was better trained. The Southerners participated in the Mexican war. Military leaders (General Robert Lee – one of the best). Lincoln wanted Lee to lead the Union army, but he wanted to defend Virginia, his home state. The Confederacy did not want to invade territories. The main goal was to protect their land. This helped to plan the strategies for battles as the Confederates knew their territory quite well.
The Civil War.
The causes:
Secession
Slavery
Differences of lifestyles
1861-1865.
The bloodiest war (overall toll - 600 000 men).
2 periods:
April 1861- Summer 1863 – numerous victories of the South (too many human losses, no decisive victories).
The North blocked southern ports to hamper the flow of supplies headed to the South. The South, as a result, could not sell cotton and earn money to buy arms. Inflation in the South was dramatic.
The North wanted to control the Mississippi River, which would allow splitting the South into 2 parts (Western and Eastern). In July 1863 the North succeeded (the turning point).
1-3 July – the battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The South tried to attack, but was defeated. The Northerners had fresh troops.
The South used slaves to dig trenches.
January 1863 – Emancipation proclamation issued by Lincoln (slaves in all slave states were freed and could join the Union – 300 000).
1863-1865
General Grant had to attack the Eastern part of the South. 9 April 1865 the war was over.
Generals Grant and Lee became heroes.
Presidential Reconstruction – the process of uniting the country.
Andrew Johnson after the assassination of Lincoln became the president. He was of a South descent. Johnson wanted to forgive the Southerners, to be loyal to them. He gave a lot of presidential pardons to Southern military leaders. The Southern states had to create loyal to the Union governments in order to join the Union. December 1865 the Southerners ratified the 13 amendment, which abolished slavery. Freed slaves had nothing. They robbed villages and whites. In the South was formed, as a result, a racist organization called Cu-Klux-Clan.
1866 – president Johnson established freed man’s bureau to protect ex-slaves. However, black codes were passed in many states (ex-slaves could not join the army, be jurors, testify as witnesses).
1866 – the 14 amendment (was not ratified by the South). A conflict between the executive and legislative branches of power. The Congress wanted to punish the South. Competition for power. Many laws passed in this relation were vetoed by the President and re-passed by the Congress. The latter decided to put an end to this and to impeach the president (however, they lacked one vote and the attempt was unavailing).
Radical Reconstruction.
1866- the beginning of 1867
Northern Congressmen used the phrase from the Constitution saying that «each house is a judge of the qualifications of its members».
South was divided into 5 military districts.
1868 – 14 amendment was finally ratified (everyone who was born in the USA was a citizen and had every right and freedom, including blacks).
1870 – 15 amendment gave a right to vote to blacks (universal male suffrage)
Loopholes were found by the lawyers. Qualifications for African-Americans were imposed . 1875. Later the Supreme Court refused to recognize these restrictions as illegal.
The Radical reconstruction ended in 1877. Northerners withdrew their troops from the South.
Southern Democrats managed to get places in the Congress.
14.04.12
19 мая конкурс. 2 занятия – 7 (коллоквиум) и 8 мая