The American Civil War, LINCOLN

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  • Created by: Bambi101
  • Created on: 14-02-18 13:16

What was Lincoln's view in 1861 on Emancipation?

  • Inaguration- 'I have no purpose to interfere with the instituition of slavery where it already exists'. 7 states have already seceded, persuading border states to stay. 
  • May, General Butler declared that skaves who came to his camp were to be confiscated as contraband of war. 
  • Aug, Confiscation Act- allowed seizure of all enemy property. Slaves to be set free. 
  • Aug, General Fremont issued proclamtion freeing all the slaves of all Confed supporters in Missouri. Lincoln believed this was a setp to far and removed him from command. 
  • Dec, most Republicans were concerned for Black Americans. Blamed slaveholders for starting the war. Concerned if the Union was restored without slavery being abolished then nothing would be solved. 
  • Dec, Lincoln, 'we didn't go to war to put down slavery but to put the flag back... the thunderbolt will keep'. PRESERVE THE UNION. 
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What was Lincoln's view in 1862 on Emancipation?

  • March, Lincoln appealed to Congress requesting that compensation should be given to any state which adopted principle of gradual abolition of slavery. 
  • April, Slavery in Washington was abolished. Provision was made to compensate slave owners and support colonisation of ex-slaves to liberia. 
  • July, Garrison criticised Lincoln for 'stumbling and halting' on slavery. 
  • July, Lincoln announces to cabinet his intention to issue an Emanciaption Proclamation. Seward agrees but wait for the 'eagle of victory'. Preserving Union still priority. 
  • Aug, 'If If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it'. Lincoln said this to Greely. 
  • Sep, Preliminary Emancipation Proclamtion announced. Doing it to win the war and not on a moral ground. 
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What impact did the Emancipation Act have?

  • Weakened the Confederacy who now stood little chance of winning British support. 
  • Union forces now had to protect slaves. 
  • Abolitionists were preapred to give credit where credit was due. 
  • Republicans determined to pass constitutional amendment prohibiting slavery- 13th Amendmant. 
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What was the 13th Ammendment?

  • Soldified abolition into the Constitution. 
  • Required 2/3 majority in House.
  • Passed in Dec 1865, 3/4 states say yes.  
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What was Lincoln's views on Reconstruction?

  • Said Reconstruction was a presidential concern. Consitution gave him power of pardon. 
  • Knew that after the war, his powers reduced. Needed to establish firm principles during war. 
  • Wanted to restore the Union ASAP.
  • Needed a flexible plan. 
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What were the Radical Republicans views on Reconst

  • Thaddeus Stevens, Charles Sumter Wade. 
  • Wanted harsh settlement on South.
  • Believed ex-slaves should have same rights as white americans. Wanted them to vote for Republicans. 
  • Believed Congress should control Reconstruction. 
  • Not happy with 10% plan. Said 50%. 
  • Not flexible. 
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What was the 10% plan and what was the reaction to

  • Offered a pardon to white southerners who would take an oath of allegiance to the Union. 
  • Used the 10% plan in Louisiana to set up new governments. Louisiana drew up a constitution banning slavery but not giving black people the vote. 
  • Only 12,000 people swore the oath. 
  • Congress rejected the constitution. 
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What was the Wade-Davis Bill?

  • 1864.
  • Required 50% of people of Confederates to take an 'ironclad' oath. 
  • Anyone who held political office during the Confederates were to be excluded from political process.
  • Lincoln pocket-vetoed the bill. 
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What was the Freedmen's Bureau?

  • Aim to help relieve suffering of Southern blacks providing food/clothes/medicalcare/legal care. 
  • Creation symbolised widespread Republican belief that federal government should shoulder some responsibiliy for the freedmen's well being. 
  • An example of federal intervention
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Why did Johnson have a sudden change of heart?

  • Make himself feel poweful. Idea of a legacy.
  • Older order- white elites. Johnson is also a white supremisist. 
  • Northerner's said Johnson being bribed by southern girls seduction. 
  • Johnson fierce advocate of states rights. 
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What was Johnson's plan for the return of southern

  • Appointed provisional state governors who did their best to co-operate with white southerners. 
  • Main task was to hold elections for state conventions. 
  • Scheme approved by his cabinet and seemed to have the support of most Northerners. 
  • Republicans saw it as a reason to repudiate the president. 
  • More leniant than Lincoln. 
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What were the 'Black Codes'?

  • Most states required black people to possess contracts which provided evidence of employment. 
  • Black children could be taken as 'apprentices' and put to work on plantations. 
  • Some prevented black people from renting/buying land. 
  • 0/11 gave black people the vote. 
  • No independance, still working for white people. 
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What was the nature of the southern delegations?

  • Northerner's still had a profound distrust of the South. 
  • Congress members didn't reassure notherner's of the South's good intent. 
  • Congress began Dec 1865. Johnsons claimed reconstruction done. 
  • Lack of trust. 
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What acts were introduced in early 1866?

  • Civil Rights Act ensured the equality before the law. Counter to black codes. 
  • Aimed to guarantee minimal rights to black people. 
  • People born US national citizens asserted the right of federal government to intervene in state. Reverse of Dredd Scott. 
  • Johnson argued Civil Rights were a state matter. Vetoed the measure. Radicalised Republicans. 
  • Congress, unanimous support. 
  • April 1866 veto was overridden due to the 2/3rd majority. 
  • Few weeks later Congress passed a Second Freedmen Bureau. 
  • Federal judges given power to protect black people. Moved cases to federal cases. 
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