US towards civil war from seclusion to reconstruction

US towards civil war from seclusion to reconstruction

1. From Sectionalism to Reconstruction:
An Overview
1. Sectionalism in the United States
(1820s–1860s)
Definition:
Sectionalism refers to the increasing division
between the North, South, and West, mainly over
economic, political, and social differences,
especially the issue of slavery.
Key Differences:
North: Industrial economy, supported tariffs,
growing anti-slavery sentiment.
South: Agricultural economy reliant on slavery,
opposed tariffs.
West: Focused on expansion, divided over the
issue of slavery in new territories.
Important Events:
Missouri Compromise (1820): Established a
balance between free and slave states and banned
slavery in certain territories.
Compromise of 1850: Allowed California to enter
as a free state and introduced a stricter Fugitive
Slave Law.
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): Allowed territories
to decide the issue of slavery through popular
sovereignty, leading to violence in Kansas.
2. Drifting Toward Civil War
Growing Tensions:
Abolitionist Movement: A moral and political
campaign to end slavery led by figures such as
Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and William
Lloyd Garrison.
Dred Scott Decision (1857): The Supreme Court
ruled that African Americans were not U.S. citizens
and that Congress had no authority to prohibit
slavery in the territories.
John Brown’s Raid (1859): An attempt to start a
slave revolt by capturing an armory at Harpers
Ferry, VA.
Lincoln’s Election (1860):
Abraham Lincoln’s victory triggered Southern fears
that slavery would be abolished, leading to
secession.
3. North vs. South – Civil War
(1861-1865)
Key Causes:
Slavery: The South fought to protect its slave-
based economy, while the North opposed its
expansion.
States’ Rights: Southern states claimed the right
to secede and govern themselves, particularly
regarding slavery.
Economic Differences: The North had an industrial
economy, while the South was agricultural and
dependent on slavery.
Key Events:
Secession: Eleven Southern states seceded and
formed the Confederate States of America.
Fort Sumter (1861): The first shots of the Civil
War, marking the beginning of the conflict.
Emancipation Proclamation (1863): Issued by
President Lincoln, it declared all slaves in
Confederate-held territory free, shifting the war’s
focus to include ending slavery.
Outcome:
The North, or the Union, won the war in 1865,
leading to the abolition of slavery across the U.S.
through the 13th Amendment (1865).
4. Reconstruction (1865-1877)
Goals of Reconstruction:
Reintegrate Southern states into the Union.
Rebuild the South’s economy.
Protect the rights of newly freed African
Americans.
Phases of Reconstruction:
Presidential Reconstruction (1865-1867):
oLincoln and Johnson’s lenient plans aimed
to quickly restore Southern states
without much punishment. Southern
states were allowed to pass Black Codes
restricting the rights of freedmen.
Congressional (Radical) Reconstruction (1867-
1877):
oRadical Republicans in Congress took
control, seeking to transform Southern
society, protect African American rights,

2. and impose stricter conditions for
readmitting Southern states. The South
was divided into military districts to
enforce new laws.
Key Amendments:
13th Amendment (1865): Abolished slavery in the
U.S.
14th Amendment (1868): Granted citizenship and
equal protection to all people born or naturalized
in the U.S.
15th Amendment (1870): Gave African American
men the right to vote.
5. Challenges and Resistance
During Reconstruction
Freedmen’s Bureau (1865-1872):
Established by Congress to assist newly freed
slaves by providing food, housing, medical aid, and
education. It also helped in resolving labor
disputes and building schools, though it faced
underfunding and opposition.
Southern Resistance:
Black Codes: Southern states passed laws to limit
the rights and mobility of African Americans,
maintaining racial hierarchy.
Ku Klux Klan (KKK): A white supremacist group
that used terror and violence against African
Americans and those supporting Reconstruction.
Sharecropping: Many freedmen worked land
owned by whites in exchange for a share of the
crops, often leading to debt and poverty, trapping
them in a cycle of economic exploitation.
6. End of Reconstruction
Compromise of 1877:
A political deal that resolved the disputed 1876
presidential election by giving the presidency to
Rutherford B. Hayes in exchange for withdrawing
federal troops from the South, marking the end of
Reconstruction.
Result:
Southern states regained control and enacted Jim
Crow laws, enforcing racial segregation and
disenfranchising African Americans, setting the
stage for nearly a century of racial inequality.
7. Legacy of Reconstruction
Successes:
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
established important civil rights protections.
Brief periods of political power for African
Americans, including positions in local and federal
government.
Failures:
The end of federal enforcement allowed white
supremacy to regain control in the South.
Jim Crow laws institutionalized racial segregation
and disenfranchisement until the Civil Rights
Movement of the 20th century.
Economic opportunities for African Americans
remained limited, with many stuck in poverty
through sharecropping.
Key Terms
Sectionalism: Divisions between the North and
South over economic, social, and political issues,
particularly slavery.
Black Codes: Laws passed by Southern states to
restrict the rights of African Americans after the
Civil War.
Radical Republicans: Members of Congress who
pushed for strong Reconstruction measures and
full rights for African Americans.
Freedmen’s Bureau: Government agency created
to assist former slaves during Reconstruction.
Ku Klux Klan (KKK): A violent white supremacist
group formed during Reconstruction.
Compromise of 1877: Agreement that ended
Reconstruction, allowing the South to return to
home rule, leading to the rise of Jim Crow laws.
REPORTER: SITTIE MONIEFA S. PEDO