Key individuals during the era of Reconstruction

Achievements

• preserved union
• managed to end slavery (emancipation proclamation)
• won civil war

Failures

• defeated for Speaker in 1838
• Defeated for nomination for Congress in 1843
• lost renomination for Congress (chose not to based on Whig rule)
• rejected for land officer in 1849
• defeated for US Senate in 1854
• defeated for nomination for Vice President in 1856
• defeated again for US Senate in 1858

Influence in America

• socially = AA given more rights
• economically = started the build of the TCR
• politically = strengthened the Republican Party and rallied the northern Democrats to his side in the civil war

Achievement

• brought south back to Union
• slavery was being abolished
• quickly brings South into Union

Failures

• Black Codes set up in South
• upset Congress and became first to be impeached
• same Southern elite back in power (pardoned 13,000 rebels)

Influence

• socially = allowed the south to limit the rights of AA
• economically =
• politically = gets southern elite back into politics

Achievements

• founds standard Oil
• funds the founding of the University of Chicago
• established the first trust
• benefactions during his lifetime totalled more than $500 million

Failures

• some unethical practises such as colluding with railways to eliminate competition

Influence

• donates $30 million to education and social causes worldwide
• has influence over politics and railways

Achievements

• financed the Union war effort and postwar development of railways
• first major investment banker

Failures

• Jay Cooke and Company went bankrupt in the panic of 1873 because of the railroads having problems
• when people saw that such a big bank failed this caused people to panic and remove their money from banks

Influence

• influences the establishment of national banks
• helped develop a sound fiscal policy to provide government with money for war

Achievements

• established the United States Magazine and Democratic Review in Washington DC
• first used the term manifest destiny

Achievements

• captured confederates fleeing south after the Union victory
• key role at the battle of Gettysburg
• received a medal of honour

Failures

• was defeated by the native Americans at the battle of Little Bighorn
• responsible for the deaths of some innocent native Americans

Influence

• when he died he increased hatred for native Americans amongst Americans

Achievements

• removal of french troops from Mexico
• purchase of Alaska from Russia
• managed international affairs during the civil war (helped to ensure that Europe did not recognise the Confederacy as a sovereign nation)
• made sure that fugitive slaves were guaranteed a trial by jury

Failures

• initially Alaska was referred to as ‘Seward’s Folly’

Influence

• dedicated to expanding US territory by purchasing land in pacific and Caribbean
• bought Alaska from Russia eventually helping to rep the success of the Yukon-Alaska gold rush