Civil War Dbq Essay

The events that occurred from 1860 to 1877 characterized a period of social and constitutional change in the United States. The secession of Southern States severed the Union, marking the beginning of a Civil War. Although abolitionist movements had been going on for decades, action was finally taken with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, to the dissent of the slave labor driven South. New amendments were added to the Constitution granting universal male suffrage and equal protection to all citizens under the law, a sudden and significant lurch forward in the realm of civil rights. However, some changes were more revolutionary and successful than others. The Civil War was a failed revolution that ultimately harmed the South instead of

Document A declares the reasoning for the secession of South Carolina, the first state to secede from the Union in December of 1860. In the Declaration of Causes of Secession, it is cited that the Constitution of the United States unjustly limited the powers of the states, giving South Carolina motive to secede. (Document A) Many more Southern states soon seceded as well, forming the Confederacy. Although the formation of the Confederacy was an act of defiance and opposition to the ideals of the Union, the idea of the Confederacy itself was not revolutionary, especially considering the early government of the newly independent colonies was based on the Articles of Confederation. In addition to the fact that the ideas of the Confederacy itself were not revolutionary, the Union was ultimately victorious and disregarded the actions and claims made by the ‘rebel’ states. Senator John Sherman of Ohio voiced his concern in a speech to Congress in 1863, according to Document B. Sherman saw the Southern states’ advocacy for states’ rights as “the main instrument by which our government was overthrown.” Any hope that the Southern states held of permanently establishing a Confederacy following their defeat in the Civil War was crushed. Although the secession of Southern states from

Although not originally part of the Unionist agenda, Abraham Lincoln soon understood that emancipation of slaves was a necessary step in defeating the South. Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1863, which freed all slaves in both Union and rebel territories, although it was difficult to put into effect. This was a critical decision that contrasted previous efforts to end slavery that did not match its scale. Years later, following the end of the Civil War, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was issued, which declared that all people born in the U.S. should be considered citizens. Until this point, African Americans could not have gained citizenship even if it was the only country they ever knew. Senator Lot Morrill of Maine noted another significance of the Act in a speech to Congress in February of 1866. He stated that the new legislation was characteristic of a revolution, and noted that, with the combination of the emancipation of slaves and the rise of the Industrial Revolution, the former civilization based on servitude would never be known again. (Document F) The 14th amendment also secured the right to citizenship for freedmen. The 15th amendment granted universal male suffrage, which was a radical decision though it excluded women despite their