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1860 To 1877 Dbq Essay

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In the time period of 1860 to 1877, the social and constitutional developments caused a revolutionary change to the social structure of the South, but more so to the constitution. The fight for constitutional amendments became very important to the federal government after the civil war and during the reconstruction era. This caused major backlash from many people in the South, and state governments passed laws such as the Black Codes, which restricted black people’s freedom. As the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were passed, terrorist organizations like the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) were created to scare african americans away from voting, among other activities. The federal government responded to these retaliations by placing armed forces in the …show more content…

Even after the civil war, the balance of power between the federal government and state governments was greatly debated. South Carolina, for example, stated in their declaration of secession “...certain duties were imposed upon the several states… which necessarily imperiled their continued existence as sovereign states.” (doc. 1) This was written to the federal government to explain why South Carolina was seceding from the Union. As Senator John Sherman said in a speech on a new banking and currency system, the lack of nationality for our country was one of the causes for the civil war. (doc. 3) This was an issue in the debate over state and federal power because some people believed one was more powerful than the other, and vice versa. As Gideon Welles, Lincoln’s Secretary of Navy, wrote in a diary entry, “The Federal government has no right…on the matter of suffrage to any state… We shall get rid of slavery by constitutional means. But conferring on the black civil rights is another matter.” (doc. 5) Welles’s point of view on the matter was that the federal government should not decide how each state treated people, because it was not specifically written in the constitution, until amendments were made. This viewpoint was shared with many, and it caused unprecedented tension throughout the United States, even after the 13th, 14th, and 15th, amendments were passed. As the Nation, a conservative publication, …show more content…

When the Emancipation Proclamation and 13th Amendment were passed, the labor system that the South had depended on for such large scale cotton production was gone, or at least more expensive than it had been. Still, the Southern economy was mostly unchanged after the civil war. There was still a great demand for cotton, and even though the newly free men and women would cost more money than slaves had, southern landowners still created ways to gain money from poor african americans. The sharecropper system, for example, created an opportunity for poor people to gain their own land and earn money. However, it really created an endless cycle of debt for the poor people because they would constantly owe the landowners who had rented out the

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The book, “Celia, A Slave,” is a true story written by Melton A. McLaurin and published by the University of Georgia Press in 1991. McLaurin was an educator at the University of South Alabama where he served several years as Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs before retiring. He is known for writing several articles and books about the American South and race relations. He wrote this book specifically about slavery and how women and men or blacks and whites were divided. Whites were superior in the United States.

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A great deal of contradicting information has been layered over the nature of the Civil War. Those would remember it today as a “just cause,” maintain that the issue of succession was solely about states’ rights against what the Southern States saw as an aggressive Republican government under, newly elected, President Abraham Lincoln. There are many surviving documents from the pre-war era supporting the argument as States Rights only and many supporting documents that support the institution of Slavery as a central issue. According to Dew’s, historians are also often split on what was the true nature of the act of succession by the Southern States of the US. It is hard to remove slavery from the many arguments altogether, and perhaps, including

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Throughout the nineteenth century, the Industrial Revolution served as a huge catalyst for economic growth and change on both a European and later global scale. Led by the dominant Great Britain, much of Western Europe began to modernize their economies by the mid 1800s, transforming their agrarian economies into ones that utilized new technologies to their fullest extent. Yet by the mid to late nineteenth century, Russia still remained stagnant in development despite having more landholdings than any country in Western Europe. However, due to a number of complex factors, Russia was finally thrusted into modernization during the latter half of the nineteenth century. To a larger extent, Russia’s economic modernization was sparked by internal

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“The policy of this country ought to be…to nationalize our country, so that we shall love our country,” states Senator John Sherman in Document B. Throughout the years of 1860-1876, several events occurred, that were said to have “amounted in a revolution” over time. Complete succession of South Carolina from the Union in December of 1860 led a trail of states to leave over the course of time, leading to issues for the Union. Equal rights and privileges, and power of the federal government became topics that most often created enormous debates in these chaotic 17 years. The United States had a lack of nationality and obviously there was lack of unity. All of this chaos built up and effected the way America was managed.

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To maintain equal power in the House acts such as the Missouri Compromise were put in place to admit a free and slave state in pairs. Even with acts to maintain equal power when new territory was acquired both the North and South rushed to claim it. The issue became so apparent that popular sovereignty had to be used in large amounts of territory in order for the decision to be fair (Doc. J). Even with compromises and popular sovereignty the power in the government was split between the North and the South.

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The United States expanding across the world was caused by many things. During the time from 1865-1910, one of U.S.’s goals was to get rid of European presence in the Americas, and cast an American presence all over the world. The reason for America to grasp control like they want to, is so they can benefit themselves in numerous ways. The objective of this goal was drawn up by the U.S. government, not exactly the people. The main reason for American expansion during the time of 1865-1910 was to gain more global power, strengthen economically, and the people felt a religous movement to expand.

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The cause of most political dispute around 1820-1860 was mostly about slavery. There has been division between the North and the South, though compromise had usually sufficed in calming the controversy. However, nearing 1860, political compromise appeared useless. Comprises simply postponed addressing the issue, and led to even greater issues,compromise wasn’t working politically, socially,and economically for the nation.

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After a fiercely fought revolution, the newly independent American nation struggled to establish a concrete government amidst an influx of opposing ideologies. Loosely tied together by the Articles of Confederation, the thirteen sovereign states were far from united. As growing schisms in American society became apparent, an array of esteemed, prominent American men united in 1787 to form the basis of the United States government: the Constitution. Among the most eminent members of this convention were Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson. These men, held to an almost godly stature, defined the future of the nation; but were their intentions as honest as they seemed?

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Originally, as a new nation emerging, the United States was focused on building and stabilizing itself in order to seem powerful to foreign countries. However, as time went on, the North and the South disagreed over various issues and were eventually divided. Many events arose which worsened the split between the North and South after the Antebellum Era, resulting in the South seceding from the Union. The reason why Southern states seceded from the Union in 1860 and 1861 was the controversy over slavery between the North and the South. One main event that contributed to the controversy over slavery and the South’s secession was Abraham Lincoln’s election.

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However, on the other hand, I also strongly believe in the preservation of the Union. I do not think just because a state or region does not get their way they are somehow justified in secession. The Southern leaders had the same, and, as you pointed out in the second class, often greater, representation in the federal government. Their ultimate secession reason was fundamentally wrong and immoral, in my opinion. But secession can always be viewed that way: some see the justification as righteous and some as ridiculous.

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Thesis The intention for the common good and self interest in America, generated violent conflict that created political, economic and social change in the United States and the world. The Battle of Sand Creek, the KKK and the Spanish American War are examples of America’s self-interest. Sand Creek Topic sentence + details

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In the 1860’s South Carolina decided to secede from the union. This caused an uprising of many other states that decided the United States was not working out for them and many others decided to secede too. President Lincoln felt that this violated the Constitution and felt that it was not the states choice whether or not they were part of the union. On the contrary, the states felt that if they joined the union they should be able to leave it, no questions asked.

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1). In both documents Daniel Webster and the citizens of South Carolina convey a strong argument regarding the topic of states being able to nullify federal laws. In the Liberty and Union speech, Daniel Webster addresses the topic and opposes the doctrine by stating how the government and Constitution was created by and for the people and on how the American people have preserved their own chosen Constitution for the past 40 years since it has been created. Because of this, the American people have prospered happily, grown and become stronger with America, as the country has progressed. While Daniel Webster stated valid points regarding South Carolina’s Senator Robert Haynes, in 1832, South Carolina held a convention to represent their official position on the nullification of federal laws towards President Andrew Jackson and the tariffs of 1832.

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Between the 1820s and 1860s, a time period that was greatly influenced by the Industrial Revolution, people were willing to work hard so that they could provide for their families. Slaves were still being used to help develop the United States of America by harvest crops such as cotton, and please their “masters.” were forced to work and help develop the country. Both slavery and industry helped the country grow financially. Slaves had to work harder to meet higher cotton demands. The introduction of the cotton gin also aided in the aided in the rapid production of cotton (PIIP 9).

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Two fundamental questions normally surround the history of any war: whether the war was inevitable and if it was necessary. These same questions emerge any time during debates regarding the American Civil war. The most cited cause of the Civil war is the secession of certain southern states that formed the Confederate States of America in January 1861. Thomas Bonner writes "Civil War Historians and the "Needless War" Doctrine" arguing that Southern Carolina seceded in 1860, followed by six other states by January the following year. A deep analysis of the events leading to the war indicates that the Union and the Confederates had profound ideological, economic, political, and social differences.

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