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.