Intro and Reconstruction Flashcards
US History 1783-1865
earliest political parties; birth of two party system; most native american tribes still soveregin; four million enslaved african americans; foreign policy: isolationalism
US History 1865-Present
democrats v. republican; natives lose all sovereignty by 1890 (may still own the land but do not govern it);slavery ended but serious issues follow; by 1945 US is a world power
British Colonies in North America
actually 18 colonies total but the 13 who rebelled would become the united states; the other european powers present was spanish, dutch, and french
Impact of British on the early US
slavery first (legally and officially) introduced in 1676 (strong economic force by 1783 ; english “Common law” was the basis for all colonial legal systems and influenced the current legal systems and gov; protestantism was the dominant religion
Relations with Europe after INdependence in 1783
relationship with britain was stable except for the war of 1812; policy of neutralit with european affairs (1815-WWII); had monroe doctrine in western hemisphere
Articles of Confederation
one weak gov over the 13 states; basically no national leader; ultimately failed; many issues- no official head of state, riots, unrest, and a rebellion in 1786 proves the serious limitations
COnstitutional Convention
federalists (strong national gov) vs. antifederalists (weak national gov); separation of powers (executive and legislative) to prevent despotism (one individual having too much power); federal courts became third branch in 1789 and the amendment process
US Government (1789-present)
executive branch headed by the president; legislative branch includes both houses of congress (bicameral legislative); judiciary act of 1789 established it as a third branch and the act of 1801 established judicial review (hight power that interprets the constitution)
Origin of the first US political Parties
political parties were not mentioned in the constitution; first developed in 1795 over whether the US should ally with britain or france
First Party System
federalists part (founded by john adams and dies by 1816); republican party (not the same as today but the original); “era of good feelings” there was only ONE party the republicans but splits in 1824
Second Party System
national republicans- become the Whig party (but split over slavery); democratic republicans - become the democrat party we still have today but was very different
Democrats vs. Republicans (1854-present) *****
modern republican part was founded in 1854 to OPPOSe the spread of slavery (and by 1860 the institution itself) KNOW THIS
Original “Indian Policy”
Washingtons views- natives were political equals but societies inferior; the US wanted the land but DID NOT take it by force; so they got them to sign treateies for
Andrew Jackson and the Indian Removal
jackson drafted a bill that would “remove” certain tribes from the SE US; it passed in 1850 but barely; still had to sign treaties for removal deadlines but any left would be forcibly remved ; ultimately delegitimization us policy towards natives
Constitutional Convention and Slavery
there were abolitionists who wanted slavery to be outlawed but the proponents said they would not sign to ratify the constitution; solution- importation ban and 20 year moratorium
US Civil War
yes, it was really about slavery; union vs. confederates; by 1861 11 of 15 slave states seceded from the union and formed the confederate states of america; neither side was prepared for war; last war to us classical strategies; estimated death toll to be 620000 (both sides, bloodies war in the americas)
Aftermath of the Civil War
union wins; robert E Lee surrended; former confederate states placed under military occupation; assasination of abraham lincoln happended two days after Lee’s surrender
13th Amendment **
ratified in 1865; officially ended “involuntary servitude” aka slavery
14th Amendment
ratified in 1867; confers US citizenship to non white males
15th Amendment *****
ratified in 1870; gave suffrage (right to vote) to non-whites
Reconstruction
a period of “reintegrating” the confederate states into the united states; south under military occupance; free blacks are now citizens and have the right to vote; buttttt union does not have long term plan (problem)
Andrew Johnson
democrat; Lincoln thought johnson would be sympatheitc to the blacks but he was not; Johnson was racist and refused federal aid to african americans, allowed disenfranchisement (exclusion) of blacks; first president to be impeached bc he tried to fire sec. of war Edwin Stanton; not removed
Ulysses S. Grant
Grant sought to enforce reconstruction as president (instead of congress doing everything); Grant wanted to help african americans; failed to annex dominican republic; did not run for a third term because of throat cancer and a precedent for president to only serve two terms
Radical Republicans
had been prominent abolitionists before 1865; sought to enfranchise blacks (voting rights, opportunities); however they disenfranchised white southeners who supported the confederacy/opposed reforms and refused citizenship to many; key supporters of grants use of military enforcement
Thaddeus Stephens
radical republican; R-PA; helped craft the 13th amendment
Charles Sumner
radical republican; R-NY; “bitter” about having been beaten and hospitalized by a senator from SC in 1857; HATES the south
Freedmen
~4 million free blacks; issues of poverty, illiteracy and racism
What had whites been taught to believe about blacks if they were ever freed?
they would retaliate and attack them
Freedmen’s Bureaus
created by grant administration; set up to help assimilate blacks (find jobs, vote, and get homes etc); blacks were able to gain access to education and had the right to vote (only if federal troops were there to enforce this right)
Disenfranchisement by Republican Control
former confederate officials and citizens who openly supported the old confederacy were denied the right to vote
Election of Black Senators *****
nominations for congress positions were backed by military enforcement (and ballot control); first black US senator was Hiram Rhodes Revels (R-MS)
Scalawags*****
original term for white southeners who supported Union efforts for reconstruction (even helping blacks); many had always opposed slavery but some were “reformed” slave owners who had different views
Redeemers****
white southern democrats who ardently opposed Reconstruction, rights for black people, the radical republicans and the sacalawags
Carpet Baggers *****
northern whites who moved to the south; supported enfranchisement of freedmen and gain republican support; they were hated by the south and thought to only be there to exploit people and gain money
Reconstruction and the Southern Economy ****
new cotton mills were built everyhwere; towns were built around them; Birmingham was founded for metal works and Atlanta becomes the new face of the south; Depression of 1873 affected the south the worst; the south will be the poorest region of the US until the 1970s**
Ku Klux Klan
founded by Col. Nathan Bedford Forrest; original purpose was a fraternity/social gathering for former confederates; later members became vigilantes (opposed to blacks and the union); they began terrorizing blacks
Election of 1876 **
Republican Rutherford B Hayes wins election; Redeemers make a deal with Hayes and tell him that they will give him the votes he needs as long as the first thing he does as president is end reconstruction and pull out miliatry aka Bargain of 1877**
