pt4 Flashcards
Why was the Western Theater of the war so important? What was northern public
opinion on this subject?
Western theater had to remain free. Wanted to control the Mississippi river so that they could cut off all west of it. Northern opinion was desperate for a western victory. Needed to prove they could win the war. Conquering Vicksburg boosted confidence in ability to win.
Explain why Lincoln’s emancipation policy made a new mode of warfare necessary.
It made compromise impossible, he had to use total war tactics in order to carry out the victory.
Explain why Lincoln was nearly defeated for reelection in 1864. What were the names of the various political factions ranged against him, and what complaints did each have about his policies and leadership?
No significant military victory yet. Other factions were peace and war democrats, and the radical republicans. Mclellan wanted to negotiate with south, military liked him because he didn’t want them fighting. radical republicans wanted emancipation. Lincoln had to pass emancipation in order to gain republicans back.
pp. 162, 166: Compare what each of these pages says about Lincoln’s belief about the constitutionality of government abolishing slavery.
Pg. 162 –Lincoln says that a constitutional amendment could abolish slavery
Pg. 166 – Lincoln says that Congress never had the power to abolish slavery in a state
Explain the two different “end-game” strategies described here concerning the war and Reconstruction. How did the Wade-Davis Act and Lincoln’s plan envisage different scenarios? Note: “until the war was over” means until the South was defeated. Opinion, p. 166: Do you think Wade and Davis were right or wrong in their assessment of Lincoln’s war policies?
he Wade Davis bill was the reconstruction proposed by the radical republicans. It required slavery to be abolished from southern states, a majority of voters to pledge allegiance to the union, and state that they had never truly been loyal to the confederacy. This contrasted with Lincoln’s more gentle plan of only 10% loyalty, and forgiveness of war crimes, to ensure an easy transition to the union.
Wade-Davis Bill
Bill of proposed reconstruction policy involving strict measures on southerners
What changes in policy did Lincoln’s April 11, 1865 address on his reconstruction plans suggest? Why did Lincoln make these changes specifically at this time? (I.e., Why not say/do this earlier?)
He proposed more radical republican ideas that he could now speak of more safely, now that the war had been won.
In what sense did the new constitutional rights of the freedmen not really meet their
needs (i.e., even if those rights had been honored)?
The wording of the amendment for their voting rights still had loopholes that people could work through to take the black vote away. They would still have to deal with segregation in the south.
Explain the difference between what is said in the Fifth Amendment (U.S. Bill of rights) and what is said in the Fourteenth Amendment, Section 1, regarding the guarantee of
“due process of law.” In other words, what protection does the Fourteenth amendment give that the Fifth Amendment fails to give? Hint: The U.S. Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10) protects a citizen against which level of the government: state or federal?
Applies to states limitations as well as federal government.
What is the “weakness” of the Fifteenth Amendment, as actually written? Explain the difference between what the Fifteenth Amendment actually says, and what is said in the following improved version submitted by Your Humble Professor: “All citizens of the United States shall have the right to vote regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”
The word choice of the amendement is very loose, and can be interpreted in ways which could allow for voting to be removed based on many other qualities. Negative word choice v. Positive. (the right shall not be infringed for X Y and Z vs The right to vote shall be given, regardless of X, Y, and Z.)
