Ch. 1-3 Civil War Flashcards
In what ways was the “Great Experiment” successful prior to the Civil War?
Rapid expansion, high living standards and good economy, national pride in political system, Americans thought of themselves as most civilized and fortunate nation.
In what ways was the Great Experiment unsuccessful?
Racial inequality/slavery, loss of Native American land.
Should the Civil War really be called a civil war?
No, because a traditional civil war is when two opposing parties fight to seize the government, but the South just wanted independence.
In what ways might the Civil War be irrepressible?
Characters of South and North were very different, the North and South were incredibly divided on various issues (states’ rights, tariffs, slavery), North was progressing rapidly in industrialization while South was not.
In what ways was the Civil War possibly avoidable?
North and South were very similar still in legal system, religion, political culture, pride, and both still had racism.
Was the South to blame for the Civil War?
Yes, because Southern politicians were the ones who tried to secede from the Union even though they were likely to lose the war, and the South fired the first shots at Fort Sumter.
How did the US population change in the 19th century?
It grew rapidly because of high living standards (therefore more children), immigration to North, and the average American lived longer.
What was the cult of domesticity?
The idea that a woman’s place was at home, not out in the workplace.
What was the status of women in the 19th century?
No political rights (cult of domesticity), only 25% of women worked outside home before marriage, 5% married women had jobs, women often went to church and were entrusted with raising moral children.
How did women help cultivate anti-slavery notions?
Since women were in charge of raising children morally, they often raised them to oppose slavery.
What are two views of the cult of domesticity?
Some say it was a setback for women, others say it gave them power within the home because of their responsibility raising children.
How did new technology in 19th century impact Americans?
Agriculture improved with crop rotation and fertilizer, industrialization (textiles, coal, steel) was prevalent in North, and railroads. The Industrial Rev sped up everything, including people’s ideas of change. Mostly impacted North expect for cotton gin.
How were slavery and cotton linked?
Cotton gin rekindled need for slavery, economics outweighed morals for the South, slavery was easiest way to maximize profits. Slavery may have died out if cotton didn’t boom.
How harsh was American slavery?
Slave codes emphasized that slaves were property; American slavery was very harsh: no rights, no recognition of marriage.
What is the benign vs. harsh view?
Benign: parental view of slavery, better than northern factory workers. Harsh: brutal view, no protection or rights.
What was slavery like in Latin America?
Slaves had more legal protection due to Catholicism, but their rights were seldom enforced; enslaved in N. America had slightly better lives.
How did enslaved people adapt to slavery?
Family units, music and folktales created unique culture, unique black religion was a mix of Christianity and African practices.
What were some historical views of how enslaved adapted to slavery?
Some believed enslaved became mentally conditioned as a result of slavery. Others said they didn’t because they had their own time away from white culture.
How much resistance was there to slavery?
A lot: In the North, abolition brought resistance, slave revolts (Nat Turner), daily resistance (fake sickness, injured themselves, worked slowly).
How did the benign and harsh views relate to resistance to slavery?
Benign said that the lack of slave revolts meant slavery wasn’t so bad because of Christian morality and paternalism, harsh said that slaveholders had unlimited power and were abusive.
What was the process of becoming a state?
First, be a territory w/ territorial government, then at 60k population can submit constitution to Congress
What was suffrage like by 1820? Who took credit for that?
Near universal white manhood suffrage, Andrew Jackson claimed to represent the common man but reaped benefits from democracy.
What was the second party system and who was the catalyst behind it?
The period from 1830s to 1850s when the two main parties were Democrats and Whigs.
Which party supported Jackson and which didn’t?
Democrats were for him, Whigs against him.
What were the political parties made up of?
An assortment of state parties that nominated presidential candidates and devised platforms.
What is a political platform?
The publically declared intentions and principles of a political party.
What did Democrats favor?
Less power in national government, states’ rights, westward expansion, lower tariffs. Democrats were mostly Southerners, Westerners, and some Irish Catholic Northerners.
What did Whigs favor?
Government intervention and programs, higher tariffs, abolition, railroad building.
What were political campaigns like?
They were important for high voter turnouts and were treated like competitive sporting events, but candidates rarely participated in campaigns- let supporters campaign for them. Frequent state elections also raised morale.
Did the government have much impact on the lives of most Americans? Why or why not?
No because one political party rarely controlled all government branches. Also Democrats pushed for hands-off government.
What were the government departments?
State, treasury, interior, navy, war, and post office.
Why were postmasters significant?
They were appointed by each political party: they were government jobs.
What was patronage? How did it affect politics?
It was giving jobs or privileges to supporters of a political party. This promoted party unity. Ex: appointing postmasters.
Who had more political sway: state legislatures or the president?
State legistlatures.
What were some examples of states’ rights?
Equal rep in Senate, which was not amendable, 10th Amendment (states interpreted it as a guarantee of states’ rights, limiting the power of the fed government to what the Constitution explicitly gave it)
What sparked the first main conflict between states’ rights and central power?
The Alien and Sedition Acts from the Federalist Party, which permitted president to expell “alien enemies” from the country.
What was the reaction to the Alien and Sedition Acts?
Jefferson and Madison wrote the Kentucky and Viriginia Resolutions and declared the A+S Acts unconsititutional
What happened at the Hartford Convention of 1814?
Federalists denouned the “imperialism” of the Republicans and wanted to stop fighting the War of 1812, and they were then seen as traitorous.
How did states’ rights and nullification play out?
The North supported tariffs, but the South opposed them. John Calhoun denounced the Tariff of Abominations, which raised tariffs and said states had rights to nullify any fed. government action they deemed unconstitutional.
How did President Jackson and John Calhoun become political enemies?
Vice President Calhoun proposed nullification but President Jackson opposed it (it was then seen as traitorous), causing Calhoun to resign from Vice President to focus on states’ rights.
After Jackson agreed that nullification was traitorous, what happened in South Carolina?
SC feared that the federal governenment and the North would threaten slavery, so they met in a convention that pronounced tariffs null, prohibited collection of customs duties, and threatened secession.
How did Jackson react to SC decisions to nullify tariffs?
He sent reinforcements to SC, threatened to hang nullifiers if force was used, asserted nullification as treasonous, and asked Congress permission to use force.
How did Jackson and SC compromise?
He asked Congress to reduce tariffs, and Both Force Bill and Compromise Bill were passed because Southern States supported Jackson. SC accepted compromise.
How could the compromise between Jackson and SC be seen as victory for both sides?
Jackson demonstrated that no state could defy the federal government, while nullification demonstrated that 1 state could change federal policy.
Which half of the country was agricultural, and which was industrial?
North=industrial, South=agricultural.
What percent of manufactured goods came from the South and North?
90% from North, 10% from South
Which side was more urban, and which side had more immigration?
North was more urban with many towns and cities and also had more immigration and diversity because immigrants did not want to compete with slave labor in South.
Which side was more uniquely American and why?
South because they resisted change and preserved tradition.
What were the economic grievances of the South?
Felt exploited by tariffs, relied on Northern credit for financing crop production, marketing, and transportation; as a result, much of Southern profits went to the North
What were some of the Southern efforts to diversify? Did they work?
Added some railways and manufacturing, mining. Not very successful because South still fell behind North and mostly invested in cotton and slavery due to rising prices.
How did 1920s historians view the Civil War?
A conflict between a backward planter society in the South and modern egalitarian society in the North.
Were the 1920s historians correct? Why/why not?
No: there were multiple regions of North and South and not all of them followed the stereotypes, South was not economically backward, North was not more egalitarian than South (in terms of wealth distribution), and planters were a minority in South.
How were there many “Norths” and “Souths?”
Different regions had different economies and social structures. Ex: Texas was much different from Virginia. And certain Northern areas were still not “industrialized” fully: still very rural in places.
Was the South economically backward?
No: cotton sales were 1/2 of the total exports from the US, and the South had some industry, particularly in iron products.
Was the North more egalitarian than the South?
No: most of the wealth was controlled by 10% of the population, there was inequality in status/conditions/opportunities, and both the typical Northerner and Southerner were farmers
In 1860, what percent of Southern families did not own slaves?
75%.
Was the planter class in the South fixed or fluid? Did they all believe the same things?
Fluid. Sons of planters did not automatically become planters. They did not all think the same: Some were Whigs, some Democrats.
Were the North and South equally democratic?
Yes.
It was easier for wealthy men to involve themselves in politics, but what did planters have to do to win elections?
Appeal to a broad electorate.
What were some fundamental differences between the North and South?
South did not really want to urbanize, preferring traditionailsm over Yankee materialism, South was very concerned with honor and duels were frequent, North was better educated and more open to new ideas, South hated radicalism and was more violent. (N saw S as backward.)
Was slavery profitable?
Not profitable for slaves (obviously), S planters thought it was profitable, some Northerners believed it was good for slaveholders initially but responsible for decline in S economy.
In what ways was slavery possibly bad for Southern economy?
It did not utilize full potential of its enslaved, it undermined work ethic by making whites “above” manual labor, it hurt non-slaveholding Southerners (couldn’t compete with it), slavery did not mix well with industrialization, Southern capital would be better invested in manufacturing/transportation, cotton prices=dependent on international demand.
In what ways was slavery good for Southern economy?
Cotton was very profitable (and South produced more cotton than anywhere in world, so no threat to business, Southerners could be businessmen in values, cotton was profitable, lack of motivation to industrialize=no need to industrialize, South more eager to experiment with farming techniques, and slaves were useful in factories and good investment due to rising prices.
If cotton hadn’t boomed, why might the Civil War have been unnecessary?
Slavery may have died out if cotton hadn’t boomed.
Was it likely for slavery to ever die out in 1860?
No: world wide cotton demand/market meant it unlikely for slavery to die out. Also, slavery was social control, allowing whites to elevate themselves.
Were both slaveholding and nonslaveholding southerners commited to upholding slavery? Why?
Yes, because they feared economic collapse, social collapse, and a race war. This showed that slavery was unlikely to die out.
What was the main reason for the political and cultural divide between the North and South?
Slavery.
Define Yankee.
An American who lived in the North.
Define agrarian.
Relating to land, agriculture, and farming.
Define egalitarian.
A society in which all people are equal.
Define tariffs.
Customs duties on imported goods.
What was a postmaster?
The person in charge of a local post office, a very important position in communications in the mid 19th century.
What was the Federalist Party?
One of two political parties in the late 18th and 19th centuries that supported the Constitution and central power.
What was the (early) Republican party?
One of two political parties in the 18th-19th centuries. Opposed Federalists and supported states’ rights, disappeared after 1816.
Define sovereignty.
The supreme power.
