Antebellum, Bellum, Postbellum Flashcards
Describe the Compromise of 1850.
California entered as a wage labor state; Fugitive Slave law was reinforced; slave auctions in Washington DC were disallowed.
Describe the 15th Amendment.
Stated that all citizens have the right to vote without obstruction. Proposed late Feb 1869, passed in early Feb 1870, decreed that right to vote could not be denied because of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Did not declare the suffrage an unconditional right, only prohibited discrimination.
Describe the Dred Scott decision.
Dred Scott decision announced in March 1857 by US Supreme Court: no black person has rights that any white man must respect; Scott, a slave, was not free just because his master temporarily resided in a wage labor state.
Describe the 13th Amendment.
Abolished slavery throughout the Union and was ratified by the states in 1865.
Describe the Emancipation Proclamation.
Sept 1862 - Preliminary proclamation was issued; Jan 1, 1863, final proclamation was issued, all slaves within states in rebellion were free behind the Confederate lines. Net result was that as Federal armies progressed southward, they encountered slaves who were legally free. Lincoln used wartime powers of the presidency to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
Describe the execution of the assassination conspirators.
In Washington DC, Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt were hanged in the Old Arsenal Penitentiary on July 7, 1865. Trial and executions were supervised by the military. Mary Surratt was 1st woman executed by the US government. Military kept extensive records of the proceedings.
How do the Northwest Ordinances of 1785 and 1789 relate to slavery?
The territories of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin would not have enslaved labor. The Northwest Ordinances supplied the rationale in 1820 that the US Congress could limit slavery in the territories.
What was the number of slaves in the US in 1860?
About 4 million.
What was Lincoln’s Plan for Reconstruction?
Late 1863, Lincoln announced formal plan for reconstruction. When 1/10 of the number of voters who had participated in the 1860 election had taken the oath of loyalty within a particular state, then that state could write a new constitution without slavery, ratify it and then elect representatives to Congress. A general amnesty would be granted to all who would take an oath of loyalty to the US and pledge to obey all federal laws pertaining to slavery. Confederate officials and military leaders were to be temporarily excluded from the process. The states of Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee rapidly acted to comply with these terms. However, Lincoln plan was not acceptable to Congress, which rejected the representatives of those states during 1863-1865.
In what prison was Samuel Mudd incarcerated?
Entered prison in July 1865 at Dry Tortuga, Key Islands, FL; stayed there until March 1869 when he was pardoned by President Johnson.
What was Radical Reconstruction?
Wade-Davis Bill of 1864 - in contrast to Lincoln’s more lenient plan, the bill made re-admittance to the Union for former Confederate states contingent on a majority in each Southern state to take an oath that stated that they had never supported the Confederacy. Bill passed both houses of Congress by July 2, 1864, but was pocket vetoed by Lincoln. During Johnson’s administration, Republicans in Congress again advanced the plan; it included new Constitutional amendments (known as Reconstruction Amendments) that attempted to elevate the former slaves to political equality with white citizens.
What was the end of the Reconstruction?
Because of disputed ballots from FL in 1876 presidential election, the Electoral Commission awarded Rutherford B. Hayes the electoral votes. Congress certified he won by 1 electoral vote. In accepting the decision, the Republicans and Democrats made a deal that federal troops would be removed on the condition that the Southern states pledged to protect the lives of African Americans.
Describe the First and Second Confiscation Acts.
In March 1862, Congress approved legislation stating from that point onward it was forbidden for Union Army officers to return fugitive slaves to their owners. In April 1862, Congress declared that the federal government would compensate slave owners who freed their slaves. Slaves in DC were freed soon afterward and their owners were compensated.
Describe the Missouri Compromise.
In 1820, Missouri entered the Union as a state with enslaved labor; Maine entered the Union with wage labor. Other territory above the southern border (36 degrees 30 minutes) of Missouri would not have slave labor. The compromise reinforced the notion that the US Congress was able to limit slavery in the territories.
Describe the Freedmen’s Bureau.
Administered by Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard, the bureau offered physical protection, education, and other assistance to freedmen.
