PERIOD 5
Periodization:
After period 4, most precedents were set up, and as a result the major topic of interest shifted from the formation and renovation of government to the issue of slavery, as well as the sectionalism it brought. The annexation of Texas brought this brewing issue to light, because while both the North and the South wanted it to become a state, neither could agree with the other as to whether or not Texas should be admitted as a slave state. Additionally, the Kansas-Nebraska Act created such intense discontent between the North and South that groups from both areas moved into Kansas, resulting in Bleeding Kansas, in their efforts to either promote or discourage slavery. This sectionalism grew, and as a result, southern states, like Virginia and North Carolina, seceded from the Union, creating the Confederate States of America, causing the Civil War to begin. However, this sectionalism didn't end once the war was over. During Reconstruction, southerners found ways to combat the new amendments and laws that freed slaves, as they still believed in the institution of slavery. Jim Crow Laws segregated the African-Americans from the whites, and the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) prevented African-Americans from voting. Additionally, poll taxes counteracted the 15th Amendment, as it also prevented African-Americans from voting. Despite the end of the Civil War, slavery, at least forms of it, was still present in the South due to practices like sharecropping. Through this continued slavery and sectionalism, a tug-of-war characterized this period, the impacts of which continued to affect US History.
Documents and political cartoons:
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Turning points:
The Mexican-American WarA)Land disputes.
B)Americans fought against Mexicans, and this war served as a training ground for the Civil War. C)Southerners felt ready to fight a war against the North, and this helped lead to the Civil War. |
Uncle Tom's CabinA)The severe treatment of African-Americans when enslaved, the abolitionist movement.
B)My fave, Harriet Beecher Stowe, wrote a book about a slave and his experiences. C)This led to slavery being viewed as more of a moral issue, making Northerners feel more obliged to get involved. Made the slavery debate even more heated and helped lead to the Civil War. |
AntietamA)The Civil War, Confederate forces attacked Union forces.
B)Bloodiest battle in the Civil War. No one real won, but the North was the last to retreat, so they claimed it was a win. C)Gave the Union the win needed to pass the Emancipation Proclamation, the first law/policy to free slaves in the South. |
13th-15th Amend-mentsA)The Union's win in the Civil War.
B)Freed all slaves. Gave all men equal, undeniable rights. Gave all men the right to vote. C)African-Americans were finally given the title of true citizens, and were considered to, in law, to be equal to whites. |
Compromise of 1877A)The super close Election of 1876.
B)Hayes became president and troops for Reconstruction were pulled out. C)Reconstruction officially ended, and there was no longer anyone to enforce the 13th-15th Amendments in the South. |