Reconstruction Era Overview and Amendments

The Old South was primarily agricultural, deeply reliant on cotton, and uniquely defined by slavery. White southerners of all classes generally supported slavery, and few immigrants settled in the region. Southerners often viewed themselves as morally superior to Northerners.

Cotton was the overwhelmingly dominant crop in the South, driving its economy and forming the basis of the slave-based agricultural system.

The South was divided into the Lower South (Deep South), Upper South, and Border South, differing in their levels of cotton cultivation and slave populations.

Characterized by intense cotton production, a significant slave population (nearly half of the population by 1860), and a large concentration of plantations in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and East Texas.

Had more mixed agriculture, both slave and non-slave labor, and smaller scale plantations.

States that bordered free states, like slavery's presence, this region included a higher percentage of free Blacks (some states approaching 90% free by 1860), indicating a trend away from reliance on enslaved labor.

Planters were the wealthy elite who owned large plantations and enslaved people. They dominated southern society and politics.

Although many white Southerners did not own slaves, they generally supported the institution of slavery. Southern whites often maintained that the South had a distinct, moral superiority over the North.

Northern and British textile mills heavily relied on cotton, driving significant economic growth in those regions.

The South was a major producer of livestock like pigs, horses, mules, and cattle, with pork being a common food.

Cotton cultivation expanded from the upper South (Virginia and Maryland) to the Old Southwest (Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas), due to favorable climate for cotton production.

The South became the global leader in cotton production due to its ideal climate, which facilitated quick and prolific harvests.

The South's cotton boom made many cotton planters immensely wealthy, resulting in significant wealth concentration in certain areas.

Social reform movements in the United States before the Civil War, aiming to improve society and address injustices.

Movement aiming to reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption, a very popular cause.

Movement advocating for equal rights and opportunities for women, partly inspired by the abolitionist movement.

Movement advocating for the immediate end of slavery.

Crucial meeting in 1848 where women's rights were discussed and the "Declaration of Sentiments" was established.

Abolitionists who advocated for the immediate end of slavery everywhere, unlike gradualists who opposed it.

Key figure in the abolitionist movement, famous for his anti-slavery publication, "The Liberator".

Essay by Thoreau advocating for breaking unjust laws.

Thoreau's famous piece about his experiences in nature.

Abolitionist organization with a large membership demonstrating the movement's strength.

People who believed slavery should gradually end, not be abolished immediately. They thought it would die out on its own.

Women were mostly confined to all-women abolitionist groups. They weren't allowed to speak at mixed-gender organizations.

The most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad, she helped 300 slaves escape and led as a spy, saving 700 more.

Some Southerners used the Bible and the idea of slavery as a 'positive good' to defend the institution.

People moved West for both economic opportunities and religious beliefs, fueled by the idea of Manifest Destiny.

Values that motivated soldiers in the Civil War, emphasizing loyalty, courage, and love for one's nation.

The Civil War resulted in families being split between opposing sides, leading to conflict and heartbreak.

Civil War soldiers faced difficult conditions, including disease, hunger, and constant danger.

A pro-Confederate guerrilla leader known for his brutality and the massacre at Lawrence, Kansas.

Pro-Union guerrilla fighters who retaliated against Confederates through violence and destruction.

A Cherokee leader who commanded a Confederate regiment, highlighting Native American involvement in the war.

A bloody battle in the Western Theater that resulted in heavy casualties, marking a turning point in the war.

A major Union victory that dealt a blow to the Confederate economy and disrupted its slave trade.

A plan for Reconstruction that allowed Confederate states to rejoin the Union if 10% of their 1860 voters pledged allegiance to the US. It offered an easy path back for the South.

A faction of Republicans who opposed Lincoln's lenient Reconstruction plan. They wanted a more transformative approach, including full citizenship for freedmen and punishment for ex-Confederates.

A government agency established to help newly freed slaves during Reconstruction. It provided food, clothing, medical care, and helped them find jobs and education.

A bill proposed by Radical Republicans during the Reconstruction period. It required a majority of white male Southerners to pledge allegiance to the Union before a state could be readmitted.

The Reconstruction era that began after Lincoln's assassination. Congress took control of Reconstruction and enacted policies that were more radical than Lincoln's plan, including granting voting rights to African Americans in the South.