The Civil War and Reconstruction: 1861-1875
- Causes of the War
- The Civil and Fighting Texans
- Presidential
Reconstruction
- Ex-Confederate Backlash
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Causes of the War
- What did differences in the lifestyles of the North and the
South affect their views on slavery?(7.5:A)
In the North,
business became more industrialized, making the use of slave labor obsolete.
Factory owners could hire wage laborers more cheaply than they could maintain
slave gangs.
Things were much different in the South. Slave labor was still in large
demand in the southern states, as many industries were directly related to
cotton production. Though most people lived on small farms in the South, owners
of the largest plantations wielded great political power over the region.
- Who were the abolitionists?(7.5:A)
Abolitionists called for the immediate emancipation of all slaves in the
United States, without compensation to the current owners.
- How did the western expansion of the United
States increase the debate over slavery?(7.5:A)
As more people
migrated westward, the slavery issue became even more controversial. Northerners
wanted to prevent slavery from spreading to the Western territories, and
Southerners believed that they maintained the right to carry their slaves into
the West.
- What were the differences in views about state
versus federal rights between the North and the South?(7.5:A)
Many Southerners strongly believed that the federal government was created by
the states; therefore, the states were more powerful than the federal
government. Based on their beliefs, Southerners argued that the people of the
states could themselves choose which federal laws to obey. Southerners feared
that the national government would take away their right to own slaves.
Conversely, Northerners felt strongly that the federal government maintained
power over the states, especially regarding the slavery issue.
- Why were most Texans in favor of slavery?(7.5:A)
Given that many of them had migrated from the
South, many Texans felt
strongly about keeping their slaves. They did not plan on giving up their slaves
without a fight. Though a majority of the Texans did not own slaves, they sided
with the slave owners because they believed that the national government did not
maintain the constitutional right to outlaw slavery in their state.
- Why was Sam Houston against secession?
Houston strongly urged Texas to remain in the Union, warning that secession
would only lead to a bloody war that the South could not win.
- When did Texas secede from the Union?(7.1:C)
February, 1861.
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Fighting Texans: Confederates and Unionists
- What happened in 1861? (7.1:C)
Texas seceded from the Union.
- How many Texans served in the Confederate and Union
armies?
60,000 Texans served in the
Confederate army, more than
2,000 men left the state to fight in the Union army.
- Name two Confederate units from Texas.
One of the most famous cavalry units from
the state was Terry�s Texas
Rangers. One of the most noted infantry units
from Texas was Hood�s Texas
Brigade.
- Who was Milton Holland?
Milton
Holland was a black soldier born in Texas. He won the Congressional
Medal of Honor for courage and valor during the Battle of Chaffin�s Farm,
Virginia, in 1864.
- Why was Galveston considered an important city to
the Confederate cause?
Galveston was a port city that was used to conduct
trade with foreign countries which was vital to the
Confederate cause.
- Name three civil war battles that were fought on Texas
soil.
Battle of Galveston, Battle of Sabine Pass and the
Battle of Palmito Ranch
- How did the civil war affect the Texas economy?(7.5:B)
A Union blockade of the Texas coast gradually had an adverse effect on the
state�s economy. Many of the goods once shipped to merchants in Texas could
not be found in the state after the start of the war. Such items included
dresses, shoes, suits and other similar items. Scarcity of goods brought about high
prices. Soon many citizens in Texas could not longer afford to buy those few goods
that were available. Paper and paper products were scarce. That forced many
newspapers to close their doors. Salt and medicine were also hard to find
items.
To produce goods needed for the war, Texas established new industries.
Workers made ammunition, rifles and cannons in factories located in Austin,
Marshal and Tyler. Iron foundries were built in Jefferson and Rusk. Inmates at
the Huntsville prison produced a million and half yards of cloth per year.
Smaller industries made saddles, tents and other wartime supplies. These items
were shipped regularly to the east until Union forces took control of the
Mississippi River, which made it more difficult to transport military goods to
other Confederate states.
- What did women do while the men were away at the war
front?(7.5:B)
The Texas home front, though protected from military battles, took its toll
on women who were left behind by their men to maintain family businesses,
especially small farms. Women also worked in small factories or in their home.
They made uniforms, bandages, and medical supplies for the soldiers on the front
lines.
- When did Texas learn about Robert E. Lee�s
surrender?
Texans did not
learn about the Army of Virginia�s surrender until nearly a month after the
event.
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Presidential
Reconstruction
- What were two significant outcomes of the Civil War?(7.5:B)
The Civil War had two significant outcomes for all Americans. First, all the
Southern states would remain part of the United States. Second, the slaves were
emancipated.
- What is significant about the date, June 19, 1865?
What is this date called today?(7.5:B)
On June 19, 1865, Union Genera, Gordon Granger landed at Galveston and
ordered all the slaves in Texas freed. Since then, Emancipation Day, is known in
Texas as "Juneteenth."
- What was the Freedman�s Bureau? What was its
greatest success?(7.5:B)
To ensure the safety of the ex-slaves, the federal government created a new
agency, the Freedmen�s Bureau. Bureau agents aided the freedmen in their
transition to freedom. In Texas, the bureau issued food and clothing to poor
African-Americans and helped them search for jobs, mostly on rural farms. The
bureau continuously tried to make sure African- Americans obtained fair labor
agreements with plantation owners.
The bureau�s greatest success, however, was in
education. As a result of
the bureau�s activities, African- Americans now had access to schoolhouses and
teachers. When the bureau left the state in 1870, there were more than 6,500
black students attending schools in the state.
- Under President Andrew Johnson�s plan of reconstruction, what steps
were required for a southern state to be readmitted
to the Union?(7.5:B)
Under President Johnson�s plan, the southern states were required to complete
several steps before being restored to their former status in the United States.
The first step of the plan called for the creation of provisional governments in
all the former Confederate states. These provisional governments were required
to meet several conditions. First, the ex-Confederate states had to officially
end slavery. Next, they had to declare secession illegal. Adult white males also
had to take an oath of allegiance to the United States
government.
Furthermore, men who had been officials in the Confederate government or
high-ranking army officers had to request a pardon from the president before
they could take part in the government again. A final stipulation was that the
states had to agree that any state debt acquired during the war would go unpaid.
Once the states met these conditions, they could then create new constitutions
and hold elections. After which, the state governments would function as they
had prior to the war.
- Who was Andrew Jackson Hamilton?
The Unionist Andrew Jackson Hamilton was appointed the provisional governor
of Texas in June 1865. Hamilton had left Texas at the outbreak of the war and
had served as a general in the Union army.
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Ex-Confederate Backlash
- What issues did the Texas Constitution of 1866 fail
to address?(7.5:B)
The Constitution did not formally
ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which
prohibited slavery and it did not grant blacks equal rights with
whites.
- Who was elected governor under the Constitution of
1866?
James W.
Throckmorton
- Who were the Radical Republicans?(7.5:B)
The Radical
Republicans wanted to give full and immediate citizenship rights to the former
slaves. The Radical Republicans were angry that the Southern states were allowed
to elect former Confederates to hold state and national offices, such actions
seem to suggest to them that the war had been meaningless.
- What were the "Black Codes" passed by the legislature?(7.5:B)
These codes were a series of laws that
oppressed the freedmen. For example, if a freedman did not have a job, then
he could be put into jail as a vagrant. The black codes restricted
African-American movement within the South, and placed the freedmen under
white control once again.
- What was the purpose of the Military Districts
established by Congress after the Civil War?(7.5:B)
The Military Districts were formed when the state
governments of the south were declared illegal. They also protected the
rights of African-Americans in the south.
- Who was in charge of the Fifth Military District?
Gen. Phillip Sheridan
-
What was the first official act performed by General
Sheridan?(7.5:B)
One of the first acts of General Sheridan was the dismissal of Governor
Throckmorton from public office on July 30, 1867. Having relieved Throckmorton
of the governorship, Sheridan filled the vacancy with long-time Unionist Elisha
M. Pease.
- What were the "obnoxious acts?"(7.5:B)
The "obnoxious acts" allowed the governor could
declare martial law, or military rule, which Governor Davis believed was
necessary in maintaining law and order in the state. Also, the new laws created
a state police force to fight crime and protect the frontier.
- What were some of the key provisions of the
Constitution of 1869?(7.5:B)
The Constitution of 1869 gave former Confederates and the freedmen the right to vote. It also gave the governor the right to appoint
certain state officials and judges. In addition, the constitution extended the
governor�s term in office from two to four years. Finally, the state
legislature was instructed to meet annually, not once every two years as it had
done previously. The new constitution also established the basis for an improved
public school system in Texas.
- After voters elected Richard Coke to the
governorship, what steps did Governor Davis take to keep his office? What steps did Richard Coke�s supporters take to
make sure he was sworn in as governor?
Governor Davis ordering the state militia to guard the state
capitol to prevent the newly elected Governor from taking over. In the dead of night on January 12, 1874, Democrats entered the capitol
building by using ladders to climb to the second story of the building. Once
inside, the group organized the legislature, and under the threats of violence
from Davis� assembled troops, Richard Coke was sworn in as governor of Texas
on January 15, 1874.
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