History Final Questions

The assassination of William McKinley: Republican president who supported big business and a fan of the gold standard and was assassinated in office. Was shot in the chest at the World’s Fair – changed the country because a lot of big business people wanted Roosevelt put in the Vice President position because it wasn’t really a big power position and couldn’t influence anything.

The Robber Barons and what they did: Most of them set up trusts to control certain areas of business and get rid of competition. They ended up giving money back to support public good.

The Jungle: A book – spoke about the meat industry and how it was corrupt. It stated that the meat production companies weren’t selling good products to the people of the US. The last novel to actually create social change – directly.

Why the Spanish American War was fought: to free Cuba – but main reason was imperialism, to expand land.

Wounded Knee: Last Indian stand. It was a massacre, someone misfired a gun and then the union slaughtered them .1924 all Native-born U.S Indians are granted American Citizenship. Victory for the Indians, many Indian leaders were captured or exiled. ‘Ghost Dance’ ghost shirts could stop white men’s bullets. Chiefs sitting bull’s tribes captured. 1954 some states still kept Indians from voting.

Custer’s Last Stand: Started over Indians being pushed off their reservation for gold. At the Big Horn River in Montana. Custer died and the chiefs of the tribe were arrested and killed. It made the U.S realize that they had to take care of the Indian problem. Most famous Indian battle. Sioux were the most powerful surviving tribes – from Western Minnesota.

Jim Crow: represented ‘black America’ – a derogatory term for black people.

Represents segregation.

Separate But Equal: Jim Crow

How the 14th Amendment was used to protect corporations: a civil rights amendment that granted rights to African Americans – protects investors, they thought corporations were people.

The Panama Canal: America started a Revolution in Columbia. It was started by the French, but we took it over after buying it from Panama.

Roosevelt and his “big stick”: it was Roosevelt saying he wanted to do what he wanted.

What lands did America get from winning the Spanish-American War? Cuba, Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Guam, Midway, Philippians.

How did this war make America an Imperial Country? We fought the war to expand, and we did just that outside our own country.

How did Theodore Roosevelt rise in politics? Assassination of McKinley. Became a hero. He formed the Progressive Party.

What was the first ‘talkie’? How did it change America? The first ‘talkie’ was a Jazz singer – Al Jolson. It changed America because it revolutionized entertainment.

Susan B. Anthony and Alice Paul? They fought for women’s rights and they were instrumental in getting women the right to vote.

How were stocks inflated? How did this cause the crash? People bought stocks from stockbrokers, who borrowed money from banks to pay for them. Then, people would panic and sell too early, before the stockbrokers could repay the banks. Because of this, the banks ran out of money quickly and prices rose, causing the stock market crash and the Great Depression.

What was Black Thursday and Black Tuesday? They were the beginning of the Great Depression and the stock market crash. Millions of stocks were sold on those days, and they are considered some of the worst days in American economic history.

What was Hoover’s view of government relief programs? He didn’t think they had a point. He thought the economy would just work itself out eventually and that the government should not get involved.

What was the bonus army? They were soldiers who wanted their bonuses from the war that the government had promised to them. They weren’t supposed to get the money for a few years, but they wanted it early. They, and their families, camped out in Washington DC protesting until they had to be removed by force.

What happened during the 100 days? The 100 days were FDR’s first 100 days in office. There were intense senate sessions where they kept passing bills to try and solve the Great Depression, all part of FDR’s “New Deal”. They also put organizations and programs in order to help the problem as well. Now, Presidents are judged on their first 100 days since FDR was able to accomplish so much in that time.

What was the WPA and what did it do? It was the Works Project Administration. It set out to create as many jobs as possible, as quickly as possible during the Great Depression.

What were Roosevelt’s fireside chats and why did they become important? Fireside Chats were when Roosevelt went on the radio and spoke to the American public about what was going on. It was important because it was one of the first times that people could actually sit down and listen to the President. They felt more connected to him, and like he was relatable. This is how FDR garnered much of his support.

What was lend-lease? Lend-Lease was the idea that America would "lend" tanks, warplanes, ships and other wartime supplies to countries they couldn't officially ally with because we were 'neutral'/ These suplies would be "returned in kind" after the war.

Discuss the battle of Britain: It was the first aerial attack on England by the German air force. This began the devastating air war over England. There were four months of German bombers pounding Longon and other strategic areas with bombs and other weaponry. There were heavy civilian and military losses to the British, but their air defense destroyed 1700 German planes. Because of their failure to control British airspace, the Nazis decided not to launch an invasion across the Channel.

What were some of the reasons isolationists wanted to stay out of the war? They were still feeling the effects of the Depression and memories of WWI, so they didn't think WWII would be worth it. They didn't want to get into other people's affairs at the possible loss of so many American lives.

Who were the Axis Powers? Germany, Japan, Italy

What were the aggressive actions of Germany and Italy before the start of WWII? Germany invaded Austria and took it over, Germany took Poland, they signed a neutrality pact with Russia, and they annexed Czechoslovakia. Italy overthrew the government that it had and invaded Albania, Greece, and Ethiopia.

What are the two views of Pearl Harbor? One is that we knew about it, yet underestimated the power of the Japanese soldiers and overestimated the power of our army. Another is that Roosevelt knew everything about the attack but let it happen to have an excuse to enter the war.

What does Japan cite as reasons to go to war? After the Japanese invaded French Indochina, FDR froze Japan's assets in the US which halted trade between the countries, and cut off Japan's oil supply.

What is the date of Pearl Harbor? December 7th, 1941.

What is the date of D-Day? June 6th, 1944.

What was the cost of World War II? More than 38 million lives were lost in WWII, both military and civilian. It was also the catalyst for the Cold War.

Did the U.S. have to drop Atomic weapons on Japan? List the various PROs and CONs to this argument. The pros, advocating the dropping of the bomb, thought that there was no other way to end the war. They believed that if we invaded Japan we would surely be slaughtered because of the Japanese style of war, the idea that Japanese people would go to any length to die with honor and kill the enemy. However, they believed that if we did not invade Japan, they would surely invade us. They thought that dropping the bomb was our last option, it was a final resort of sorts. On the con side, there are some theories out there. One is that Truman knew that the Japanese was about to surrender, so there was the option not to drop the bomb at all. Another con, of course, is the sheer amount of lives that were lost and the destruction that was caused. Both sides agree that the people who made the bomb and those who dropped it had no idea of the power it had. I don't know exactly what I believe, I just know that I think the ruthless slaughter of innocent civilians is wrong.

Don't Know Much About History

1) Why did FDR want to pack the supreme court? Did it work? Do you think this was constitutionally correct? He wanted to pack the Supreme Court because all of the justices in there were aging republicans who were against the New Deal. It did not work because the bill was defeated. I don't think this was constitutionally correct because it upsets the system of checks and balances which is already precarious.
2) What is a theory about Amelia Earhart's death? Why was she important? She was taken down in foreign airspace and murdered because she saw too much. She was the first real woman symbol of the time. She was the first to attempt a journey of her kind, and she failed.
3) What was Lend-Lease? Lend-Lease was the idea that America would "lend" tanks, warplanes, ships and other wartime supplies to countries they couldn't officially ally with because we were 'neutral'/ These suplies would be "returned in kind" after the war.
4) Discuss the BATTLE OF BRITAIN. It was the first aerial attack on England by the German air force. This began the devastating air war over England. There were four months of German bombers pounding Longon and other strategic areas with bombs and other weaponry. There were heavy civilian and military losses to the British, but their air defense destroyed 1700 German planes. Because of their failure to control British airspace, the Nazis decided not to launch an invasion across the Channel.
5) What were some of the reasons isolationists wanted to stay out of the war? They were still feeling the effects of the Depression and memories of WWI, so they didn't think WWII would be worth it. They didn't want to get into other people's affairs at the possible loss of so many American lives.
6) What was the traditional definition of Fascism? Who were the Fascists of Europe in the 30s? It was traditionally defined as a military disctatorshop built on racist and powerfully nationalistic foundations. The fascists were Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, and Franco.
7) Who were the Axis Powers? Japan, Italy, and Germany.
8) In what year and month did Japan invade Peking? July, 1937.
9) What were the aggressive actions of Germany and Italy before the start of WWII? Germany invaded Austria and took it over, Germany took Poland, they signed a neutrality pact with Russia, and they annexed Czechoslovakia. Italy overthrew the government that it had and invaded Albania, Greece, and Ethiopia.
10) What are the two views of Pearl Harbor? One is that we knew about it, yet underestimated the power of the Japanese soldiers and overestimated the power of our army. Another is that Roosevelt knew everything about the attack but let it happen to have an excuse to enter the war.
11) What does Japan cite as reasons to go to war? After the Japanese invaded French Indochina, FDR froze Japan's assets in the US which halted trade between the countries, and cut off Japan's oil supply.
12) What is the date of Pearl Harbor? December 7th, 1941.
13) What is the date of D-Day? June 6th, 1944.
14) What was the cost of World War II? More than 38 million lives were lost in WWII, both military and civilian. It was also the catalyst for the Cold War.
15) What was the Yalta Conference? It was a meeting amongst Churchill, FDR, and Stalin in 1945. They were supposed to "mop-up". There were decisions made about what would happen after the war.
16) What did Stalin demand in return for his agreement to enter the war against Japan? He demanded that the Soviets gain control of Manchuria and Mongolia, occupation in Korea, a vote in the UN, and were ceded half og Sakhalin Island and the Kurile Islands.
17) What is FDR's legacy? He established many programs to help people during the First Hundred Days. He also tried to eradicate the problems of the Depression, which didn't quite get done. He was a person who tried to please everybody, but it didn't really work out. His biggest legacy is the atom bomb, a program that he started. That is a doupleplusungood thing to have done.
18) Did the U.S. have to drop Atomic weapons on Japan? List the various PROs and CONs to this argument. The pros, advocating the dropping of the bomb, thought that there was no other way to end the war. They believed that if we invaded Japan we would surely be slaughtered because of the Japanese style of war, the idea that Japanese people would go to any length to die with honor and kill the enemy. However, they believed that if we did not invade Japan, they would surely invade us. They thought that dropping the bomb was our last option, it was a final resort of sorts. On the con side, there are some theories out there. One is that Truman knew that the Japanese was about to surrender, so there was the option not to drop the bomb at all. Another con, of course, is the sheer amount of lives that were lost and the destruction that was caused. Both sides agree that the people who made the bomb and those who dropped it had no idea of the power it had. I don't know exactly what I believe, I just know that I think the ruthless slaughter of innocent civilians is wrong.
19) How did the Cold War start? The build up of nuclear weapons on both the American side and the Soviet side was the major catalyst for the Cold War. It was also the result of the Yalta Conference, where Stalin felt he had the upper hand over FDR (and, indeed, he did). There was an inside man on the Manhattan Project who was reporting back to Stalin, leading Stalin to know quite possibly more than FDR and Truman. It was a nuclear arms race.

Don't Know Much About History

1) Name five important books of the 1920s. Three Soldiers, The Sun Also Rises, Main Street, The Great Gatsby, and Elmer Gantry.
2) What was the first "talkie"? How did it change America? The first talkie was The Jazz Singer, which starred Al Jolson in blackface. After that, Hollywood spent millions of dollars to produce movies because the public couldn't get enough of them.
3) Discuss the "Red Scare of 1919". After a bomb exploded outside his home, Attorney General Palmer unleashed the "Red Scare". It was about communism, and using America's fear of foreign people and ideas. Communism was alive and well in Russia, and the American's didn't want that to happen to them, so it was easy to create hysteria with the "Red Scare".
4) What was the 18th amendment? Why was it enacted? How did it go wrong? The 18th amendment was the prohibition amendment. It was supposed to fix social instability and moral decline at the beginning of the 20th century. It was unenforceable, and bootlegging became a profession seen almost everywhere. It presented to the public a better life, but it overlooked things like increased fatalities from the use of rubbing alcohol, the rise of organized crime, and the idea that Americans like their booze.
5) Who were Susan B. Anthony and Alice Paul? They were both feminists pushing for women's rights. Susan B. Anthony co-founded NWSA and lobbied for local reforms in New York. Alice Paul was a Quaker-raised woman who studied in England. She brought back British-style protests for women's rights, which ultimately helped to gain suffrage in the United States.
6) What is important about Henry Ford? How did he change America? He didn't actually invent anything, he just perfected versions of the car and the assembly line. He envisioned a car for the masses. The model-T car revolutionized American life in that it revived the American dream of freedom and the open road.
7) What is important about Charles Lindbergh? How did he symbolize the times? He also invented nothing. He did, however, perfect the design of the Wright Brothers. The air industry was symbolic of the venturesome spirit of the times. He designed The Spirit of St. Louis, which allowed him to become the first man to fly solo over the Atlantic. He symbolized adventure and expansion and, most importantly, freedom.
8) What were "pool operators" and how were they crooked? Men working together in "pools" bought cheap shares of stock, then drove up the prices inside their group. They brought in outside investors and convinced them to buy at artificially inflated prices. Then the outside investor, or the "sucker", was left holding overpriced stock.
9) How were stocks inflated? How did this cause the crash? People were conned into believing that America had hit "good times". People pulled their life savings from banks and put them in stocks and securities. Investors only had to put down 10-20% to buy a stock, and the rest was available from cheap credit. Eventually, people panicked when the prices hit a peak, and they started pulling out. The problem was, they sold their stocks before they could pay back their brokers, so the brokers could not pay back the banks. This is what caused the crash.
10) What was Black Thursday and Black Tuesday? Black Thursday was October 24th, 1929. 13 million shares of stock were sold off. Black Tuesday was October 29th, 1929. Over 16 million shares were sold on that day.
11) What was Hoover's view of Government relief programs? He didn't believe in them. He believed that the government shouldn't get involved in people's business. He believed the economy would fix itself and that people were tough and could just wait out the depression because it was just part of an economic cycle that happened all the time. He thought relief programs were socialist or communist.
12) What was the "Bonus Army"? It was a large group of veterans and their families who had been promised a bonus to be given in 1945. They camped outside the White House and the Capitol to get their money, because they needed it and knew they deserved it. They were attacked by the military and run off with the use of huge force sent by Hoover.
13) What happened during the "Hundred Days"? FDR and the Congress passed many relief and reform pieces of legislation, sometimes without even reading them. They were aimed at making a dent in the problems that the Depression had caused. FDR's attitude was to try anything, and if it didn't work to get rid of it.
14) What was the WPA and what did it do? The WPA was the Work Projects Administration. The WPA was responsible for 10% of the new roads in the US. It also built new hospitals, city halls, courthouses, and schools. They also set up artistic projects that employed thousands of musicians, writers, and artists.
15) What were Roosevelt's FIRESIDE CHATS and why did they become important? Fireside Chats were FDR's way to speak to the American public. They were talks that he gave on the radio. They became important because it was the first time that the people felt the government was speaking directly to them.

Journeys WWI Questions

5. Alliances strengthened the armies of individual countries by joining them with others. They were an attempt to keep peace because, with the alliances, no one country could dominate or take over all of the others. These nations were loyal to one another, so they agreed to fight with each other.
6. The Zimmerman Telegram exposed some German actions that were being take in the war. When it was published in newspapers, the public reacted with anger toward Germany. This helped push the government to join in the war.
7. The Sussex Pledge was an agreement between Germany and the US in 1916, before the US entered WWI. It said that passenger ships wouldn't be purposefully targeted, merchant ships wouldn't be targeted until the presence of weapons was confirmed, and merchant ships would be warned and given a chance to safeguard their passengers and crew before being shot at.
8. Woodrow Wilson.
9. The Allies were forced to gather more troops, using Americans to bolster their declining numbers. Lenin surrendered Poland, Ukraine, and other lands to the Germans, so Germany was able to move hundreds of thousands of troops from the Eastern Front to the Western Front.
10. Many women were able to get jobs for the first time, and jobs that were usually held by men. Thousands of African Americans were able to find work in the North, and thousands of Mexicans immigrated to the US to get jobs as well. It also expanded American manufacturing and pushed us to industrialize even further.
11. President Wilson, Prime Minister David Lloyd George of Great Britain, Premier Georges Clemenceau of France, and Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando of Italy.
12. He thought that American troops and ships would be ordered to various parts of the world by nations that weren't the United States.
13. They allowed bombs to be dropped without troops having to go in and do the fighting, risking their lives. They allowed much more work to be done in a smaller amount of time because airplanes could fire many more bullets than troops ever could. They basically revolutionized and streamlined warfare to make it even more efficient.
14. President Wilson used Russia's 1917 revolution as an excuse to enter the war. Many Americans believed that the new Russian government would help the Allies. Wilson used the change in government to claim that the Allies were fighting a war of democracy against autocracy. He told the American people that they had to join the war to uphold democracy and American ideals.
15. France, Great Britain, Italy, and the United States.
16. The two causes of labor shortage in the United States were:

• Our nation's industries needed badly to expand. This had to happen so we could meet the need for supplies and weapons that the war was creating.
• Millions of men were leaving their industrial jobs to go fight in the war. Very few European immigrants came to America during the war to fill their shoes. This left us with a huge deficit of industrial workers.

17.

• After The War

a. 27 nations gathered in Paris for a peace conference
b. Wilson was given a hearty reception in Europe
c. Europe was in ruins
d. Wilson offered a 14 point peace plan
e. One of the points concerned the creation of a League of Nations

• The Peace Conference

a. The “Big Four” world leaders attended the conference, those from Great Britain, France, Italy, and the United States
b. European leaders showed little enthusiasm for Wilson’s 14 Points
c. Wilson was forced to compromise his plan over and over again
d. The leaders discussed how to deal with both Germany and Russia
e. The treaty of Versailles was signed after months of negotiations
f. This treaty made Germany accept full responsibility for the war and pay billions in reparations
g. The treaty also broke up and rearranged the world map
h. Though the “14 Points” had been rejected, the League of Nations was included in the treaty

• Opposition at Home

a. Wilson presented the Treaty of Versailles to the US Senate, but they were not very receptive
b. The senate did not want to ratify the treaty, and the most powerful opponent was Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts
c. Wilson went on a speaking tour to rally support for the treaty, when he had a stroke
d. In the following months, the senate refused to ratify the treaty and signed separate treaties with each of the Central Powers, and never joined the League of Nations

18. About 50 miles or so.
19. They moved East toward Belgium.
20. France.

Journey Pg. 552 #7-23

7. The transcontinental railroad brought many jobs to America, and the wild west. It made it easier and faster to transport goods and people. It boosted the nation's steel industry and coal industry. It also set up new towns along the railroad. It helped construction and agriculture companies flourish. It helped out ranchers and farmers a lot because they were able to transport crops and cattle.
8. The Chisholm trail led from central Texas to Abilene, Kansas.
9. There were buffalo and other game they weren't used to. It was basically unsettled so it wasn't crowded. It was nice and flat for planting crops. Free land was offered by new laws, and the railroad made it easier and cheaper to get there. There was also the promise of gold out west.
10. They were a very large group of African Americans who moved from the south to settle in Kansas, escaping former slave states.
11. It addressed the lack of rain and moisture in the midwest and western states.
12. There was a mass hunting of buffalo by white people for a few years. They did it to feed the railroad workers and so buffalo wouldn't be in the way. This led the buffalo to near extinction.
13. Oklahoma.
14. He was an Indian leader. He was a chief of the Apache. He led raids against white settlers and he kept attacking them. He escaped them multiple times. He ended up being the last chief to surrender to the whites, holding on long past his contemporaries.
15. It offered farmers education, fellowship, and support. It gave them things such as libraries, social gatherings, and cooperatives.
16. They supported shorter work days, free silver, private companies owning the railroad and telegraph lines, limiting presidency and vice presidency to a single term, secret ballots, and electing senators directly, and a national income tax.
17. People set up boomtowns (like Skagway!) near gold fields as a place for miners to live while they searched for gold. They also set up towns along the railroad to run railway stations for gold and goods and people to pass through.
18. The railroad was able to transport cattle to places they wouldn't have been able to go otherwise. This allowed ranchers to be able to make money off of their cattle by selling them to people in places where there wasn't cattle.
19. The banks were charging them astronomical interest on their loans. The price they could sell their crops for was getting lower and lower, but the price they paid for equipment and seeds and things stayed at the same high place. They were consistently going into debt and being unable to get themelves out until they had to sell their farms or go bankrupt.
20.

• The movement of whites onto Native American lands, and the slaughter of buffalo.
• The United States Army attacked Indians a bunch.
• The Reservation Policy forced Indians into small, unfarmable plots of land.

21. Montana.
22. North.
23. They lived in the Arizona territory.

Civil War quiz review

How did the Civil War shape our lives today? It set up the union the way it is now. It also went a long way towards abolishing slavery and making everybody equal. It also changed the face of modern warfare in that two ironclad ships did battle for the first time. It strengthened the central government and the idea that it’s important to have one.

Name three ways the Civil War changed the South. It tanked their economy so they had to rebuild, it wiped out slavery there, and it killed many of their men.

What constitutional right did Lincoln suspend? He suspended the writ of habeas corpus.

List the four border states. Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri.

Why did West Virginia form? The people in the western counties of Virginia didn’t agree with Virginia’s decision to secede, so they formed their own state and got inducted into the Union instead.

What disadvantages did the South face? They had significantly less men, less states and people supporting them, and a less stable economy. They also had to face the possibility of a slave rebellion.

Why did the Confederate States believe they had a right to leave the Union? They believed that the union was based on a mutual agreement between states, so states had the right to leave the union when it wasn’t benefitting them anymore.

What were the three main strategies of the Union? They wanted to blockade southern ports, end prisoner-exchange, and attack the infrastructure of the south.

What was the average age of soldiers who fought in the Civil War? The average age of a recruit was 25 years.

What was the outcome of Bull Run? It was a Confederate victory. Both sides realized it wasn’t going to just be a quick war. They realized there was actually going to be some serious fighting.

Discuss the Battle of Shiloh. It was a Union victory, and one of Grant’s worst battles. He was slaughtered in the papers because of his poor preparation and his reputation suffered greatly. By the second day of battle, Confederate soldiers had suffered about 8,500 casualties and were tired, hungry, and in need of weapons and ammunition. With a severe counter-attack by Grant, Confederate forces were all but decimated, driven further and further south until the battle was over.

What were Lincoln’s reasons for the Emancipation Proclamation? He knew that striking a blow against slavery would make Britain less likely to aid the South. He was also convinced that slavery kept the South able to fight. He also believed it important that the President was the one making decisions about slavery.

What did the 13th Amendment do? It was the final act that abolished slavery. It also said that congress had final authority over states, establishing once and for all a strong central government.

How was the Civil War a rich man’s war but a poor man’s fight? It was a war that was initiated by plantation owners and politicians. However, it ended up being fought by the lower class, which just ended up making them poorer. Plantation owners, if they fought at all, were officers. In the north, if you had $300 or the money to hire a substitute, you didn’t have to fight.

Discuss the draft laws in the north. All men from age 20-45 had to register, and a person was drawn from the pool of names. You could avoid it by hiring a substitute or paying the army $300. There was much opposition and rioting in the North.

Discuss the importance of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. The battle of Gettysburg had the largest number of casualties of any battle in the war. It was also a turning point because it was a Union victory, the first they had gotten in a while. Perhaps the most significant part of the battle of Chancellorsville was the wounding and subsequent death of Stonewall Jackson. He was one of the south’s greatest strategists and the Confederacy definitely lost a major leader. Another important thing about the battle was that it was such a major victory for Lee. It is known as his perfect battle because his strategy worked so well against unimaginable odds and in spite of the complete lunacy of his plan. The battle also served the purpose of discouraging the Union army and making them realize that the Confederacy might put up a real fight.


How did Sherman use “Total War” against the South? The 'March to the Sea' in 1864 completely decimated the resources the South needed to make war. This is total war.

Who were the Presidents of the Confederacy and the United States during the Civil War? Lincoln was the President of the Union and Jefferson Davis was President of the Confederacy.

What, exactly, did the Emancipation Proclamation do? The Emancipation Proclamation states that, "...all persons held as slaves within any state...in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free." Since it applied only to areas the Confederacy controlled, it didn’t actually free anyone. It persuaded Britain and France not to recognize the Confederacy. It also led to the 13th amendment.

American Journey questions

Pg. 494-495

1. To blockade and to go on the offensive are both active tactics one can take in a battle to keep the enemy from advancing.
2. Blockade runners were Confederate ships, and were often ironclad, or covered in iron.
3. The Union was the former United States (without the states that seceded) and border states were along the border between the Union and the Confederacy.
4. Men who were included in the draft (anyone between 18 and 35) were forced to serve in the army, and Lincoln suspended habeas corpus for those who tried to dodge.
5. 1861-1865.
6. One of the main advantages was the support of the white population. Another was that they were fighting in familiar territory, so they had home court advantage. The military leadership in the South was also far superior to that in the North
7. The president of the Union was Abraham Lincoln, and the president of the Confederacy was Jefferson Davis.
8. Clara Barton was a nurse who tended to wounded soldiers at the very beginning of the war. After the First Battle of Bull Run, she established an agency to help distribute supplies and care for wounded soldiers. This agency would one day become the American Red Cross.
9. They did this as a main strategy for winning the war. They thought it would not only prevent supplied from getting into the South, but also prevent the South from earning any money through exporting cotton.
10. The battle of Gettysburg had the largest number of casualties of any battle in the war. It was also a turning point because it was a Union victory, the first they had gotten in a while.
11. The Emancipation Proclamation states that, "...all persons held as slaves within any state...in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free."
12. In the South, slaves helped the war effort (against their will) by working on plantations and in mines, as nurses at military hospitals, and as cooks in the army. At first, they did not believe African Americans should be armed for fear of rebellion, but toward the end when the Confederate Army became desperate, they too enlisted slaves as soldiers. In the North, African Americans also weren't able to enlist at the beginning, so they helped in a variety of other ways. They were able to enlist in the navy. They also were good guides and spies. In 1862 they were allowed, finally, to enlist in the Union Army, and nearly 200,000 of them did so.
13. The South's economy was devastated by the Civil War because it required total commitment of resources. Due to most of the fighting being done in the South, farmland was destroyed and rail lines torn up, causing large amounts of the South to be in ruins and thousands of people to be homeless. When the North blockaded southern ports, they caused severe shortages of goods. A lack of resources and high inflation (9000%) caused riots in many cities.
14. Grant offered generous terms. Confederate soldiers were to lay down their arms, but were free to go home after that. They were allowed to keep their horses, and Grant offered three days' worth of food to be sent to Lee's troops.
15. The people of western Virginia were rather upset about the secession movement. In 1861, 48 counties organized a separate state called West Virginia and decided to stay in the Union. This state was admitted in 1863.
16. The North wanted to control the river and split the Confederacy in two to make it weaker and easier to take over. The South wanted to maintain control to ensure the flow of supplies back and forth across the river, especially because the North had blockaded their ports.
17. I think that leaders in the North believed African Americans had the right to defend the Union just as much as white people. However, I think that leaders in both the North and the South were getting desperate for soldiers and would have taken just about anyone toward the end of the war. The African American men were the most untapped resource, so the leaders called for them to be allowed to fight as well.
18. General Lee was a good strategist. As shown in the battles of Chancellorsville, First and Second Bull Run, and even the battle of Gettysburg, he had an amazing talent for planning and for designing military tactics. I also think that his men respected him because he fought with honor and he both won and lost with grace.
19. a. Year:

• 1861
• 1862
• 1863
• 1864
• 1865

b. Significance:

• The attack on Fort Sumter was a Confederate victory and the official beginning of the Civil War.
• The result was indecisive, as both sides claim victory. It did, however, have a huge impact on modern naval warfare as it was the first battle between two ironclad ships.
• The Emancipation Proclamation granted the freedom of 3.1 million slaves, and immediately freed 50,000 of them, with the rest freed as Union armies advanced. It also really pissed of the Confederacy.
  
• Emancipation was the central issue in Lincoln's reelection, and he won in a landslide. This made for some happy abolitionists and Union leaders, with whom Lincoln worked closely during the war. It also really upset the South, and some non-Lincoln supporters in the North because a new leader might have changed the course of the Civil War.
• The surrender at Appomattox was the final battle in the Civil War. Lee was offered very generous terms, and the war was over.
  

20. The Union troops were positioned around Cemetery Ridge.
21. Ewell led forces across Rock Creek.
22. The five Confederate commanders shown are: Lee, Hill, Longstreet, Ewell, and Pickett.

Don't Know Much About History

1) Why does the author suggest that John Brown had a sense of humor? When President Buchanan put a price of $25o on his head, Brown responded with a bounty of two dollars and fifty cents on Buchanan's.
2) What was John Brown's plan? His plan was to march south, arm the salves who would flock to his crusade, and establish a black republic in the Appalachians to wage war against the slaveholding south.
3) Why did John Brown become a symbol? He became a symbol for the abolitionist movement because he was caught and put on trial for the cause. Many came to the conclusion that he was a martyr in a just cause.
4) When and why did South Carolina secede from the union? On December 20, 1860, when it became clear that Lincoln would be the next president, South Carolina became the first state to declare its secession from the Union.
5) List some of the advantages of the North at the beginning of the war. List some of the advantages of the South at the beginning of the war. The North had a manpower advantage, as they had more than double the population of the south. They also had more than double the amount of states than the Confederacy. They were also better off in their economy and vastly outproduced the South in agriculture and livestock. The South, however, produced much more cotton than the north. The south were also better riders, knew weaponry better, and had their own rifles more often than the northerners. They also had a better spirit about them.
6) List some of the (5) famous battles of the Civil War with a brief description of each.

• The bombarding of Fort Sumter on April 12th by South Carolina militia forces was the official beginning of the war. The fort's commander surrendered because his army lacked sufficient supplies.
• The First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) was important because it was a Confederate victory and highlighted the poor Union leadership. It was a crushing defeat, and led the Northern Congress to pay for the war by passing the first income-tax law. Enlistment periods were also increased from three months to two years.
• In the Seven Days' Battle from June 26th to July 2nd in 1862, Lee drove McClellan from Richmond. This ends the Peninsular Campaign, which could have captured Richmong and ended the war.
• The Battle of Antietam killed more than 10,000 men from each side. It is a critical turning point in the war. With Lee's defensive stalled, the likelihood of European recognition of the south is reduced, which is likely the only hope they had for winning the war.
  
• The Battle of Gettysburg in the beginning of July of 1863. Confederate troops in search of shoes met up with a detachment of Union cavalry and reinforcements are brought in on both sides. There are three days of fighting which are the final turning point in the war. The Union army took a strong defensive postion and turned back numerous Confederate assaults. Lee is unable to press his drive against the North, and Lincoln wants the remnants of the Confederate army destroyed. Meade, however, fails to press Lee and Lee is able to escape back to Virginia.
  

7) How do you view Lincoln's suspension of "the writ of habeas corpus"? I disagree with it completely. He did it while Congress was out of session, and so he could detain thousands of people without due process or even firm charges. This is no different than the modern day Guantanamo. It is completely unconstitutional and not even for a good reason.
8) What if Lee's plan had not been found at the battle of Antiem? If McClellan hadn't been given lee's battle plans at the battle of Antietam, the Confederacy probably would have won that battle. Since it was such a key turning point in the war, the Confederacy might have even won the Civil War had they won at Antietam.
9) What was the reconstruction? After the war the South was in horrible shape physically, economically and even spiritually. The idea of reconstruction was to rebuild the South while also bringing them back into the Union. The numerous plans to achieve this all involved the people of the South either swearing an oath to the Union or giving up some of their beliefs, or adopting some beliefs of the North. Finally Congress passed a series of 'Reconstruction Acts'. They divided the South into military regions under the control of generals, and statehood could only be reached by adopting a state constitution allowing blacks to vote and accepting the Fourteenth Amendment.
10) Why did the Ku Klux Klan form? Antagonized whites of the South were looking for new means of acquiring power. They began secret paramilitary societies dedicated to maintaining white supremacy. The most notorious, powerful, and long-lived was the Ku Klux Klan (still alive and well today). They used various tactics to gain enormous power in the South. They used political terrorism to frighten and suppress not only blacks, but liberal white republicans as well.
11) Discuss Andrew Johnson's impeachment. Johnson was the first president to be impeached. Artcle II, Section 4 of the Constitution says that the president shall be impeached if convicted of teason, bribery, or other high crimes. Johnson tried to dismiss War Secretary Edwin M. Stanton, which went against the Tenure of Officer Act. He was then promptly impeached.

Don't Know Much About History

• What were the differences between the North and South as far as the division of the country? The north was undergoing urban and industrial revolutions. Commercial enterprises such as railroads, canals, banks, and others were shaping the northern economy and its population was mushrooming due to an influx of European immigrants. The south’s economy was still based on agriculture and slaves, mostly cotton. The slave population continued to grow, while the white population did much more slowly.
• Why was there a war with Mexico and how did it start and end? It began with the US moving in on disputed territory, building a fort, and provoking a reaction from Mexico. Once Mexico attacked, the US felt they were justified in declaring war. It ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Basically, the whole war was because we wanted land that belonged to Mexico in order to fulfill the idea of Manifest Destiny.
• What did American gain from the war with Mexico? We gained California and other southwestern territories, which were important because of the gold rush. However, the future of slavery in the union was also questioned, as what to do with this new land. Our soldiers were also provided with practical battle experience that they would use in the civil war.
• Who was Henry David Thoreau and what did he do? He was a transcendentalist who wrote works discounting slavery.
• Who was Frederick Douglass? He was an escaped slave who became a well-known abolitionist. He wrote for his own newspaper about slavery.
• Where did the Underground Railroad run? What is it? It was a network of safe houses and secret routes for slaves to use to escape to freedom. It ran from southern slave states into northern free states and even up into Canada.
• Who was Harriet Tubman? She escaped from slavery and risked her life over 13 times to save other slaves. She was one of the leading abolitionists behind the Underground Railroad.
• What were the 5 bills in the Compromise of 1850? California was entered as a free state, New Mexico and Utah could decide the issue of slavery for themselves, Texas gave up New Mexico and got %10 million to pay Mexico, slave trade was abolished in DC, and federal officials who didn’t arrest runaway slaves had to pay a fine.
• What was the dispute over Uncle Tom’s Cabin and how was it resolved? It showed the true identity of slavery (written by a white woman). It showed that slaves were people and how they were treated in reality. The south didn’t like it and the north did.
• What did Lincoln and Douglas debate? They debated about slavery. This was important because, even though Lincoln didn’t win the election, he would win the debates. This got him national attention.
• Why was a new political party formed? The Republican Party was formed because they wanted the west to be free of slavery because they wanted more opportunities for free white men, especially lower class men. They were Whigs and Northern Democrats.
• Why was Kansas ‘bloody’? It was the battle that sparked the Civil War, but it wasn’t the official start of the war. The south and the north were both trying to take over Kansas, and nobody wanted to lose the balance of power.
• Popular sovereignty: The idea that the people create the legitimacy of a state.
• What happened in Kansas in 1854? There was a battle between the north and the south. John Brown, an abolitionist, attacked a pro-slavery settlement and killed 5 people in the dead of night. It sparked the Civil War.
• How did the Dred Scott case further separate the nation? He sued for his freedom because he was a slave in a place where slavery was illegal. Roger Taney, who agreed that slaves were property and could not be taken away from their owners, shot this down in the Supreme Court. It allowed free blacks in the north to be recaptured. It represented the idea that slavery would not be abolished by a Supreme Court ruling.
• Who ran for president in 1860? Lincoln, Douglas, Breckinridge, and bell ran for president in 1860. This showed the disarray of political parties, who could not even decide who to nominate.
• What did the idea of civil disobedience do? It brought up the idea of peaceful rebellion.
• What was the nation’s most constant political issue? Slavery.
• What were Lincoln’s idea on slavery? He disagreed with it but wasn’t going to change the state’s positions on it. He didn’t want black people to have any rights either. He didn't want to change what was already in place, and shake up the political world.
• What were Polk’s two promises in regards to Manifest Destiny? He promised to establish the Oregon Territory, and he promised to bring California and the southwest territories into the union.
• What was the importance of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo? It ends the Mexican-American war. It gives certain lands (southwest territories) to the US (moved Texas boundary to Rio Grande) and money to Mexico.
• What did the Kansas-Nebraska Act call for? It created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 because it was above the line of slave states, and allowed settlers in those territories to determine if they would allow slavery as opposed to the country deciding it for them.
• How was the legislative history of slave compromises wiped out? The Dred Scott case wiped these out because it showed the Supreme Court would never be on the side of slaves.
• How did Lincoln’s loss in the first election (1858) actually help him? It made him nationally known because he won the debates with Douglas.

Chapter 12

1) What was Manifest Destiny? Manifest Destiny is the idea that the US was meant to extend its borders from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. We should spread freedom by occupying the entire continent.
2) The Oregon Territory consisted of what area? Who claimed it? Oregon, Washington, Idaho, parts of Montana and Wyoming, half of British Columbia. Four nations owned it: US, Great Britain, Spain, and Russia.
3) Who were the Mountain Men? American adventurers who spent most of their time in the Rocky Mountains and helped with the fur trade. Some worked for specific companies while others sold their furs to the highest bidder. Some of them married Native women and adopted Native ways, creating a mixed race.
4) Why was the Oregon Trail important? It was the only way to achieve Manifest Destiny. It was the trail to the American Dream. It allowed us to fulfill our 'duty from God' to go west, populate the country, and spread freedom.
5) Discuss the meaning behind the slogan "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight"? It refers to the line of latitude that Democrats believed should be the nation's northern border in Oregon, which was a campaign slogan used during the 1844 election. The border was eventually settled at latitude 49.
6) James Polk made what promises to the American public during the election of 1844 (list four - you might need to look up on the internet). He made four promises during his campaign: to acquire California from Mexico, to settle the Oregon dispute, to lower the tariff and create a sub-treasury, and to not run for a second term.
7) Discuss how Texas became independent. In 1819 the US gave up claims to Texas with the Adams-Onis Treaty. Very few people lived in Texas. In 1830 the Mexican government stopped all immigration to Texas from the United States, and US Texans were very angry. Santa Anna, Mexican President, declared himself a dictator. The US Texans banded together with volunteers and they fought. And they liberated San Antonio. During the Alamo, American settlers and the Tejanos declared independence and started to write a Declaration and Constitution.
8) Discuss the battles of The Alamo and San Jacinto. Santa Anna marched forth to take back San Antonio, and found the Texans barricaded inside The Alamo Mission. It was poor leadership and a few men against Santa Anna's army of several thousand. The Alamo defenders help Santa Anna's army away against 2 attacks. Later, Mexicans launched an all-out attack while the Texans defended nobly, but the Mexicans were just too numerous to be defeated. San Jacinto was between Houston and Santa Anna. Houston had about 900 in his army, while Santa Anna had about 1300. Houston's army killed about half of Santa Anna's army, and captured the rest including Santa Anna. A few days later, Santa Anna recognized the independence of Texas.
9) How long did it take the U.S. to annex Texas? Why? It took the US nine years to annex Texas. Andrew Jackson, president at the time, refused to annex Texas. He did this because the addition of another slave state would upset the balance of free and slave states in Congress. Van Buren after him also didn't want to annex Texas. John Tyler, president after Harrison, finally supported Texas, but it didn't work. Only James K. Polk was finally able to get Texas annexed.
10) How did the Mexican-American War start? Why did it start? Was it a "Just War"? Mexico had control of New Mexico as a condition of it's independence. American traders were welcomed into New Mexico. Americans began settling in New Mexico as it was a hot trade area, but they wanted it for themselves, and California as well. California and New Mexico, meanwhile, began being more and more populated by Mexican peoples. President Polk twice offered to buy California and New Mexico, but Mexico refused, prompting the US to take the territories by force. To begin the war, the US built a fort in disputed border land between Mexico and Texas. This forced Mexico to attack first, making Congress believe that war would be a just retaliation. We think it was technically a just war, because the Mexicans did attack first. However, we believe the spirit of the war was unjust, because we basically forced them to attack first so we would have a reason to declare war.
11) What was the American response to the war? Americans were divided over the war. Democrats generally supported it, while Whigs generally opposed it. Whigs believed that the war was aggressive and unjust, disgraceful and cruel, and demanded to know exact reasons and the beginning of the war. Anti-war feeling grew over time, particularly in the north. This was because they believed that the South would spread slavery into any new states.
12) List the major battles of the war. The battle at Santa Fe was major, because it was the capital of Mexico. Even though there wasn't technically a battle, it still counts. The other major battles were the Bear Flag Revolt, battle of Monterey, battle of San Gabriel, battle of San Pasqual (the only Mexican victory), battle of El Brazito, battle of Sacramento, battle of Monterrey, battle of Buena Vista, battle of Cerro Gordo, and the battle of Mexico City.
13) What was the cost of the war? The war cost America 1,721 men to battle, more than 11,00 men to disease, and almost $100 million. We then paid Mexico an additional $25 million during treaty discussions.
14) Why was the California Gold Rush important? Californian cities, and cities on the way, benefitted from the economic boom. California's population grew greatly, and developed an amazing economy due to boom towns. The gold rush also more than doubled the world's supply of gold, a very valuable commodity at the time. The effect on California's economy lasted a long time after the gold rush ended. The population grew, requiring better government. It urged California to apply for statehood, which it gained about a year later.
15) Answer the following questions on page 380 - #6 - #10, #13-#15.

• 6. They agreed about the northern latitude of Oregon, for ownership purposes. It ended up being on latitude 49.
  
• 7. He was afraid to disrupt the balance of slave and free states.
  
• 8. It gave them a direct line to the Pacific Ocean. There were still British people settled in the territories above California.
  
• 9. The US wanted New Mexico and California, and Mexico refused to sell. The other reason was that the US set up Mexico to attack them (by building a fort) so they could justify a war.
  
• 10. People found gold and they would use it. They also had a monopoly on the sales because they were the only merchants there.
  
• 13. It expanded the US west, all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
  
• 14. They probably thought the US was just greedy and wanted all the land they could get because they were selfish. They wanted to keep their own land in North America.
  
• 15. The ones between the US and Britain had a favorable outcome for everyone because they came to an agreement. Whereas the ones with the US and Mexico led to war because they couldn't agree.