US History & Government Study Guide
II. Foundations of US Government
1. Choose one of the key people and highlight their achievements and the impact
these achievements had on this time period in this section.
John Adams
Samuel Adams
Alexander Hamilton
Patrick Henry
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Voltaire
James Madison
This is your life__________________________!
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
George Washington
2. Big Thinkers, Big Ideas for America
Explain how the following Enlightenment Philosophers influenced American Government
 John Locke - Thomas Jefferson uses ideas from John Locke and the
Enlightenment Thinkers to write the Declaration of Independence. Locke
believed in:

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Government had the responsibility of protecting an individual’s rights and
liberties, and if the government did not protect them, people had the right
to overthrow or abolish the government.
 Baron De Montesquieu - a French political analyst who lived during the Age of
Enlightenment. He wrote The Spirit of Laws, which talked about the separation of
powers.
 Jean Jacques Rousseau - Rousseau argued that human beings are basically good by
nature, but were corrupted by complex events in society.
3. Early Attempts at Self-Government
Mayflower Compact
Virginia House of
Burgesses
Fundamental Orders
of Connecticut
Ideals of Democracy
This was an agreement for the settlers on how to govern their
colony. This was one of the first steps in American for selfgovernment (democracy).
A law making assembly made up of representatives from the colony.
This is the first instance of limited self-government in the English
colonies.
The framework for the government of the Connecticut colony from
1639-1662.
4. What was the Proclamation Line of 1763?
The proclamation forbade all settlers from settling past a line drawn along the Appalachian
Mountains. It closed off the frontier to colonial expansion. The King and his council
presented the proclamation as a measure to calm the fears of the Indians, who felt that
the colonists would drive them from their lands as they expanded westward.
How did the Proclamation Line help to push the colonies toward war with Britain?
The colonists resented this and ignored the King’s rule, which pushed them toward war
with
Britain.
5. Causes of the Revolution – Explain how the following led to the American
Revolution
CAUSES
Reversal of Salutary Neglect—An economic system of mercantilism still exists BUT the
mother country (England) begins to relax economic control over the colonies  equal to
economic freedom = more $$$ POWER. When Britain tried to impose more rules and
take control over the colonies again, the colonies were upset.
Mercantilism—
- Colonies exist to benefit the mother country
- Raw materials are sold by the colony to the mother country (i.e. timber)
- In return, mother country sells finished products back to the colony (i.e. desk
- There are trade restrictions on the colonies selling to other countries.
Stamp Act and Intolerable Acts—This law placed a tax on newspapers, pamphlets, legal
documents, and most other printed materials. This was supposed to pay the cost of
keeping British troops in America. The Stamp Act and Intolerable Acts angered the
colonists and caused them to renew boycotts and to call to the people of all the English
colonies to arm themselves and form militias.
“No Taxation without Representation”— because the colonies didn’t have representation
in the British Parliament, they felt the British had not right to force laws on the colonies.
Therefore they used this argument to protest the Sugar Act.
6. Discuss three ideas the government expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
a. The people have self-evident truths: All men are created equal and they have
certain unalienable rights.
b. The three unalienable rights are: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
c. The government derives its “just powers” from the =consent of the governed.
7. Explain the main ideas of each piece of literature by Thomas Paine and how each
one influenced the American Revolution.

Thomas Paine (1776) wrote Common Sense a 47-page pamphlet which
discussed the Revolution. It convinced many readers to support a
complete break with Great Britain. The Crisis were pamphlets that
were written in a language that the common man could understand, and
represented Paine's philosophy.

Articles of Confederation
1781-1789



Strengths
Successful conclusion of the
American Revolution
Negotiated the Treaty of Paris
Passage of the Land Ordinance of
1785 and the Northwest Ordinance
of 1787 which set a pattern of
how new states could join the
nation. It also did not allow slavery
in the Northwest Territory









Weaknesses
strong state governments and a
weak central (national, federal)
government
One vote for each state, regardless
of size
No single national currency
Congress could not collect taxes
No separated executive branch to
enforce acts of Congress
Congress powerless to regulate
foreign and interstate commerce
No national court system to
interpret laws
Amendment only with consent of all
the states
A 9/13 majority required to pass
laws
III. Writing & Ratifying the Constitution, 1787-1789
Explain what the constitutional issue was for each compromise and how compromise was
reached.
Compromise
Issue
What compromise was reached
Great
New Jersey Plan: equal representation—
A bicameral system was reached.
Compromise favors smaller populated states.
The New Jersey Plan was used for
Create a new stronger central government
the Senate (2 members per state).
and a weak state government
The Virginia Plan was used for the
Virginia Plan: representation based on
House of Representation (number
population—favors larger populated states. of representatives based on
population).
3/5
The south wanted to count slaves as people They will count each slave as three
Compromise for representation and as property for tax fifths of a person, so 5 slaves = 3
purposes. The North said—No, you can’t
people.
have it both ways
Trade
Compromise
*Southerners opposed tariffs because
their economy was heavily dependent upon
trade.
*Northerners wanted tariffs to protect
their industries from foreign competition.
The Constitution allows the federal
government to tax interstate trade
but not intrastate trade.
Governments of the United States: 1781 and 1789
How the Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Were Corrected by the Constitution
Articles of Confederation
Constitution of the United States
 States have most of the power. The
 States have some power, but most is
national government has little
given to the national government
 No executive officer to carry out
 A president heads the executive
the laws of Congress
branch of the government
 No national courts. Only state courts
 Both national and state courts exist.
exist
 Congress is responsible to the people
 Congress is responsible to the states
 Laws may be passed by a majority
 Nine out of 13 states have to
vote of both houses of Congress
approve a law before it can go into
 Congress given the power to tax
effect
 Congress given the power to regulate
 Congress has no power to tax
interstate and foreign trade
 Congress cannot regulate trade
 Only the national government has the
among the states
power to coin money
 Each state coins its own money. No
national currency
Definitions
Ratification
Reserved
Powers
Delegated
Powers
Concurrent
Powers
Federalism
Federalist
Papers
Preamble
Separation of
Powers
Approve
Powers reserved for the states
Establish schools, Pass statewide laws, regulate intrastate trade
Powers delegated to the federal government
Regulate interstate trade, coin money, declare war, sign treaties
Powers held and exercised by both the national and state governments
A strong central government
Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison & John Jay, they were a
series of essays to persuade the NY State convention to agree to the
Constitution
The preamble describes the purpose of the government set up by the
Constitution. We the people…
3 Branches of Government
1. Legislative Branch—make laws
2. Executive Branch—The President, enforces laws
3. Judicial Branch—Supreme & Federal Courts
Explain what the debate was between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Include
who supported the Bill of Rights and why?
The Great Debate
Federalists
Antifederalists
-James Madison
-Thomas Jefferson
-They wanted a strong national government
-Wanted strong state government
-They were afraid the president would be
like a king
-They feared for Americans’ individual
liberties
The federalists added the Bill of Rights to appeal to the antifederalists. These were
amendments designed to protect citizens’ rights.
IV. The
Constitution

Implied Powers
Powers not written in the Constitution—future power

This makes the constitution a “living document” and gives the government most of
its power today

Flexible document based on the necessary and proper (or elastic) clause

Gives the Legislative Branch flexibility to make laws today. i.e. radio, internet.
Federalism
Delegated Powers:
Reserved Powers:
Those
powers
not
delegated
to the Federal Government
Those powers specifically granted the
or denied the states are reserved for the states.
Federal Government by the Constitution.
Concurrent Powers:
o Regulate interstate and Powers that are shared by both
o Regulate intrastate trade
international trade
the Federal and State
o Establish schools
o Coin money
Governments.
o Establish local
o Declare war
governments
o Maintain an armed
 Power to tax
o Pass statewide laws (ex.
forces
 Maintain courts
Safety belt laws)
o Establish a postal
 Borrow money
o Run elections
system
o Enforce copyrights
o Sign treaties
2. Give two specific ‘real life’ examples for each of the three powers.
Delegated Powers
1. There is one common
currency in the US
2. Passports
Concurrent Powers
1. There are federal
prisons and state
prisons
2. Federal and state
courts
Reserved Powers
1. Drivers’ licenses
2. Create schools
Explain the responsibility of the President under each ‘role’?
Chief of State
This role requires a president to be an inspiring example for the American people.
Chief Executive
The president is “boss” for millions of government workers in the Executive Branch,
deciding how the laws are to be enforced.
Chief Diplomat
The president represents the United States in negotiations with foreign countries,
because the Constitution grants the President the power to negotiate and sign treaties on
behalf of the United States
Commander in Chief
The President is ultimately at the head of the chain of command for the Army, Navy, Air
Force, Marines and the Coast Guard.
Bill of Rights
st
1 Amendment
 Freedom of Speech, Religion, Press, Assembly, Petition
nd
2 Amendment
 Right to keep arms
rd
3 Amendment
 Right to protection from troops being quartered in homes during peacetime
th
4 Amendment
 Right against unreasonable search and seizure without a warrant
th
5 Amendment
 Rights of the Accused
th
10 Amendment
 Guarantee that the people and the states have all of the powers not specifically
delegated to the federal government (reserved powers)
American History through Constitutional Law
Cases
Marbury v.
Madison (1803)
McCulloch v.
Maryland (1819)
Quick Summary
Outcome/Historical
Significance
Appointment of midnight justices
by John Adams rejected by
Jefferson. Supreme Court must
decide constitutionality of
Judiciary Act.
John Marshall declares
Judiciary Act unconstitutional
The Supreme Court has the
right of Judicial Review. This
means that it decides if a law is
constitutional or
unconstitutional
John Marshall declares “the
power to tax is the power to
destroy.” The Supremacy
Clause of the Constitution
prohibits state taxation of a
federal institution. Federal law
takes precedent over State
Law.
Maryland attempts to tax the
National Bank of the U.S. Court
must decide whether Bank is
legitimate under the elastic
clause and whether Maryland
can tax it.
Constitutional
Concepts/Enduring
Issues
Judicial v. Executive and
Congressional Power
Judicial Review
Separation of Powers
State Rights
Elastic Clause
Judicial Review
Federalism
Gibbons v. Odgen
(1824)
Ogden receives exclusive right
from New York to use Steam boat
to navigate in NY and to NJ.
Gibbons get right from Congress.
Dred Scott v.
Sanford (1857)
Dred Scott was a slave who was
brought into free Territory as
defined by the Missouri
Compromise.
John Marshall declares that
Congress has the exclusive
authority to regulate Interstate
Commerce. Federal law takes
precedent over State law.
The supreme Court declared
that slaves were property;
therefore, he could be brought
into the free area as a slave.
It also declared the Missouri
Compromise unconstitutional.
Judicial Review
Federalism
Article III citizenship rights
vs. Fifth Amendment
property rights.
Civil War causes
Federalism
Equality
1. Explain the political importance of the Census every 10 years.
 A census is given every 10 years to find out the population for representation in the
House of Representatives and for electoral votes.
2. How is the number of electoral votes for each state determined?
 The number of electoral votes for each state is determined by the number of
House of Representatives and Senators = the electoral
Two Issues: How to select the President, and how long is he/she president.
Two types of elections: Direct Election and Indirect Election
Direct election:
1. People vote for a candidate
2. Person with the most votes wins
Indirect election:
1. People vote for a representative
2. Representative votes for candidate.
Election Compromise:
1. Indirect election for the President and Senate
2. Direct election for the House of Representatives
Electoral College:
1. U.S. Senators 2 from each state times 50 states
2. House of Representatives % according to population
A census is required every ten years to determine representation in Congress.
A criticism of the Electoral College is that presidents may be elected without
receiving the majority of the popular vote. You can win the population but lose the
electoral vote. An example of this is Busch/Gore 2000
The Unwritten Constitution: Practices of the Government based on tradition &
customs. Examples: political parties, political conventions
President’s Cabinet
George Washington was the first President to have a cabinet. The purpose of the Cabinet
is to advise the president.
Today, the president’s cabinet consists of the secretaries/heads of the 15 major
departments of the executive branch (examples include: The Attorney General of the
Justice Department and The Secretary of State of the State Department. The newest is
the Department of Homeland Security, which was created following the attack of
September 11, 2001).
Political Parties
The first political parties arose from the debates over who should have more power—the
state or the national government.
Federalists Party – Alexander Hamilton
1. Who should have more power?
National Government
2. Loose Interpretation of the
Constitution
The Constitution is only a loose framework
of laws on which the government could build
the nation as it saw fit.
Democratic-Republicans – Thomas
Jefferson
1. Who should have more power
State Government
2. Strict Interpretation of the
Constitution
The government should not do anything that
the Constitution did not specifically say it
could do. (ex: such as start a national bank)
Judicial Review
The most important power of the Supreme Court is the ability to declare laws
unconstitutional. The power of Judicial Review was a precedent set in the 1803 Marbury
vs. Madison decision. It also serves a check on the laws passed by Congress and the
actions and treaties of the President.
V. Early Government in Action
George Washington
1. Explain 2 Precedents set by George Washington
 The president’s cabinet
 Two terms in office
2. The 22nd Amendment (1947) made one of Washington’s precedents official by
setting a Two-Term Limit for presidents.
3. In his farewell address, George Washington advised the United States to follow a
policy of Neutrality. America was able to follow this policy due to the geographic
advantage of being in the western hemisphere.
4. List 3 steps taken by Washington’s Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton
that helped to establish the United States’ economy.

The national gov’t would take on the debts acquired by the states during the
Revolution.

He created a tariff to help raise money to pay off the debts.

The government paid an interest to creditors in return for the loan
5. What did President Washington’s response to the Whiskey Rebellion show about
the Federal government?
He showed that the Federal government was committed to enforcing its laws.
John Adams—2nd President of the US
The XYZ Affair and the Alien and Sedition Acts
The young nation of America was tested early by the French in the XYZ Affair.
Americans were outraged by bribes demanded by French officials. The Alien and Sedition
Acts were laws signed by President Adams in 1798 as a result of the problems with france
and England and to combat possible threats from both inside and outside the nation.
6. Explain what the Alien and Sedition Acts stated.
The President gained the right to imprison or deport citizens of other countries residing in
the U.S. Persons who wrote, published, or said anything “of a false, scandalous, and
malicious” nature against the American government or its officials could be fined or jailed.
7. What amendment did the Sedition act violate?
14 Amendment
th
8. How did the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions attempt to limit the power of the
Federal Government?
They said that states had the right to judge whether federal laws agreed with the
Constitution. If a state decided that a law was unconstitutional, it could declare that law
“null and void” within the state.
9. Who was John Marshall? What was his importance in shaping US government?
Chief Justice John Marshall ruled against Marbury, declaring it was against the Supreme
Court for the Supreme Court to order the executive branch.
**This was a victory for the Supreme Court for the case established the power of Judicial
Review
10. Explain the historical significance of the following court cases:
Marbury vs. Madison
McCulloch vs. Maryland
President Jefferson tried to deny John Marshall declares “the
the appointments of Federalist
power to tax is the power to
judges that President Adams
destroy.” The Supremacy
appointed right before he left
Clause of the Constitution
office.
prohibits state taxation of a
Chief Justice John Marshall ruled federal institution. Federal
against Marbury, declaring it was
law takes precedent over
against the Supreme Court for the
State Law.
Supreme Court to order the
executive branch.
**This was a victory for the
Supreme Court for the case
established the power of Judicial
Review
Gibbons vs. Ogden
John Marshall declares that
Congress has the exclusive
authority to regulate Interstate
Commerce. Federal law takes
precedent over State law.
The Louisiana Purchase
11. The Louisiana Purchase was important to the growth of the United States because
it:
 Port of New Orleans- this was important for movement of crops down the
Mississippi
 Doubled the size of the United States
Thomas Jefferson faced a dilemma when considering purchasing this land because he
supported a strict interpretation of the Constitution and the Constitution did not state if
the President had the power to purchase new territory.


The War of 1812
Causes and Effect of the War of 1812
Causes:
Effects
The impressment of our seamen
 It unified the country
and the ships being taken to
 Restored patriotism
British ports as the reason for
the war
Encouraged Indians to attack
American settlers
The Monroe Doctrine (Also see handout)
 US would defend Western Hemisphere from European interference

An end to European colonization in the Western Hemisphere

If Europe has a problem with the Western Hemisphere, see the US first
“Big Brother,” because European interference was “dangerous to our
peace and safety.”

*This assumes a leadership role in the Western Hemisphere

We are also flexing our muscles

No interference by the US in European affairs and European colonies.
12. Explain how the following Presidents invoked the Monroe Doctrine to support US policy.
William McKinley (1899)
Teddy Roosevelt (1904)
John Kennedy (1961)
Ronald Reagan (1981)
Spanish American War
Roosevelt Corollary
Bay of Pigs/Cuban
Missile Crisis
Support of the
Contras in Nicaragua
The US to expand her
reach across the globe,
recognized that defeating
a weak Spanish Empire
offered an opportunity to
gain territories outside
north America. These
territories would then
provide access to world
markets for growing
manufacturing by US
industries.
Theodore Roosevelt
worked to increase US
presence in Latin America
via his Roosevelt Corollary
to the Monroe Doctrine.
The Corollary stated that
not only would Latin
America be considered a
vital US interest and
European interference
there considered a threat
to the United States, but
the US would and could
actively intervene in Latin
America to protect those
interests.
The US was not happy
with Fidel Castro taking
over Cuba, so Kennedy
tried to have the US
overthrow Castro,
however, it was a
disaster. The Soviet
then tried to build
missiles in Cuba. The US
put a naval quarantine on
Cuba, so the Soviets
backed down.
Reagan sold weapons to
Iran in hopes of the
release of hostages in
Iran. He used this
money to support the
Nicaragua Contras who
wanted to overthrow the
government.
VI The Constitution Tested: The Nation Expands and
Divides
1. Choose one of the Key People and highlight their achievements and the impact these
achievements had on this time period in this section.
Key People:
This is your life _____________________________!
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Jackson
Ulysses S. Grant
Robert E. Lee
Frederick
Douglass
Harriet Tubman
1. Define: Sectionalism — Sectionalism is the devotion to a nation’s region rather than the
nation. Differences between the North and South helped to create loyalty to their section
of the country. They did not see themselves as Americans, but as Virginians, or
southerners, etc. It made it easier to secede from the US.
2. Explain how the South and the North differed in the early 1800’s
South
North
‘King Cotton’ and the cotton ginIndustry and factories in the cities in the
Economy
many laborers were needed to pick north were important to their economy.
cotton, and once the cotton gin was Immigrants were needed to fill these
invented more laborers were
positions.
needed.
Slavery
Views on
Federalism
Plantation System - Large farms in
the South that used slave labor.
Slavery became more widespread
in the South than in the North
because of geographic factors.
Slaves were needed to pick the
cotton on plantations. Most of
these slaves were from Africa.
Believed that ultimate power
should be in the hands of States’
Governments.
Nullification— a state’s refusal to
recognize a federal law
Abolition Movement — A movement in
the north to free slaves
Believed in a strong central government.
President James Madison came up with a plan to bring the economies of the US together. Henry
Clay backed his plan and called it the American system.
Explain how the following helped to unite the economies of the North, South, and West.
 Erie Canal – A waterway connecting Lake Erie to the Hudson River that aided the
economic development of the U.S. by lowering the cost of shipping goods from the
Midwest to the Atlantic coast. The farmers in the Midwest could ship their goods to
merchants in the east who would trade and sell the goods for a larger profit. It promoted
growth of trade and manufacturing in the Northeast.
 National Bank –
Andrew Jackson
The Presidency of Andrew Jackson
Fires over 2,000 government workers and replaces them with his own supporters
Vetoes more acts of Congress than all six previous Presidents combined
Closes Bank of the United States
Threatens to send huge army to South Carolina to force the state to obey tariff laws
Uses Indian Removal Act to force 100,000 Native Americans from their homelands
Jackson’s forceful actions earned him both strong support and angry opposition throughout the country
1. What is the Spoils System? Jackson used this to provide government jobs to his political
supporters.
2. Would you characterize Andrew Jackson as a Tyrant or a Man of the People? Give
Examples
3. Andrew Jackson was against the Native Americans when he signed the Indian Removal
Act, which stated that Jackson could give Native Americans land in parts of the
Louisiana Purchase in exchange for lands taken from them in the East.
4. This started the Trail of Tears, which was in 1838 when the US Army rounded up more
than 15,000 Cherokees in camps while settlers burned their homes and farms. Then they
started a nightmare journey where men, women, and children, mostly on foot, began a
116-day forced march westward. One out of every four Cherokees died of cold or disease.
Manifest Destiny and the Slavery Issue
“…the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by
Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions…”
~ newspaperman John L.
O’Sullivan
1. Define:
Manifest Destiny: the idea that the U.S. should own the entire continent of U.S. from East to
West.
Cession: the giving up of rights.
Annexation: the forcible acquisition of a state's territory by another state
2. Explain how the fulfillment of Manifest Destiny increased tensions over slavery.
As Southerners settled out West they wanted to bring their slaves with them and make the area
slave territories. However, the abolitionists and Northerners did not want slavery in the West.
3. Explain how each of the following attempted to solve the conflict over slavery.
Maine – Admitted as a free state
Missouri
Compromise
Missouri –Admitted as a slave state
New territories north of the Missouri – Any territory north of the 36 30
line was a free state
California – Admitted as a free state
Compromise of
1850
New territories of the SW “popular sovereignty” – the people would
decide for themselves
Fugitive Slave Act –this ordered all citizens of the U.S. to assist in the
return of enslaved people who had escaped from their owners.
The KansasNebraska Act
Popular Sovereignty – the people will decide on the issue of slavery in
their territory.
4. Explain how the following led to the Civil War
Bleeding Kansas
John Brown’s Raids
A group of Southerners with a
Brown was a stern evangelical,
proslavery federal marshal looted who brought a group of people to
newspaper offices and homes in
a proslavery settlement. He
Kentucky, a center of antiroused 5 men from their beds,
slavery.
dragged them from their homes
This stirred up a swift response
and killed them.
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott v. Sandford was a ruling
on the question of slavery. It said
that no African Americans, slave or
free, were citizens, and therefore,
they were not entitled to protection
from the Constitution. The ruling
from John Brown
also held that the Missouri
Compromise was unconstitutional
because Congress could not deprive
the people their right to property.
(In other words, it overturned the
Missouri Compromise) Sectional
conflict increased as a result of
these decisions because it denied
Congress the power to regulate
slavery in the territories.
5. What was the immediate response by the Southern States to Abraham Lincoln winning
the Election of 1860?
The immediate response by the South was to secede from the Union.
6. Why did the Southern states respond this way?
They responded this way because Lincoln was a northerner and they believed he would outlaw
slavery.
7. Define: Secession – to withdraw from the Union
Abolition Movement
1. Explain how the following abolitionists attempted to end slavery.
William Lloyd Garrison
Frederick Douglass
Harriet Tubman
“The Liberator”
“What to the American
“The Underground
slave is your 4th of July
Railroad”
Wrote an anti-slavery
A former slave who learned She was an Africannewspaper. He spoke out to read and write. He
American abolitionist,
against slavery and for
escaped slavery and spoke
humanitarian, and during
the rights of America's
at abolitionist meetings. He the American Civil War,
black inhabitants. He had went to Ireland & Britain to a Union spy. She is one
a reputation for being
avoid capture and
of the most well-known
one of the most radical
continued to speak there.
conductors of the
abolitionists and
His followers there paid for Underground Railroad.
advocated the immediate his freedom. He was the
She helped slaves escape
emancipation of all
most famous black man who through a network of
slaves
used his status to influence
abolitionists.
the role of African
Americans in the country.
He also supported women’s
suffrage.
Sojourner Truth
“Ain’t I a Woman?”
She was an AfricanAmerican abolitionist
and women's rights
activist, who was born
into slavery, but escaped.
Sojourner is best known
for her speech on racial
inequalities, "Ain't I a
Woman?" delivered at
the Ohio Women's Rights
Convention in 1851.
2. Explain the importance of the book ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’.
Uncle Tom's Cabin is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War." It show the
harsh realities that slaves had to endure.
3. How did the abolition movement inspire the women’s suffrage movement?
Many male abolitionists did not like that women would take part in the public and
believed they should use their influence only within their families. This caused women to
fight for abolitionist rights as well as their own.
4. Explain the purpose of The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, which was led by Elizabeth
Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott.
This was the first women’s rights convention in U.S. history. Stanton presented her Declaration
of Sentiments which echoed the language of the Declaration of Independence, at this meeting.
5. The Major way that the Declaration of Sentiments differed from the Declaration of
Independence was that the word woman was added.
The Civil War (1861 – 1865)
“A House divided against itself cannot stand.”
1. Lincoln’s main goal of the Civil War was to unite the Union.
2. Explain how Lincoln exercised his power as Commander-in-Chief by suspending Habeas
Corpus during the Civil War.
To silence opponents of the war, Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus. This is a legal
protection requiring that a court determine if a person is lawfully imprisoned. Without it, people
can be held in jail for indefinite periods without even being charged for a crime. The
Constitution allows suspension of the writ during a rebellion.
3. How did Lincoln use the Emancipation Proclamation as a strategic advantage during the
Civil War?
Originally, Lincoln did not feel he had the right to end slavery, but gradually, he came to regard
ending slavery as one more strategy for winning the war.
 It caused a “union” in the North
 It kept Britain from supporting the South
 It caused confusion in the South
4. What advantages did the South have in the Civil War?



Homeland Advantage—The South was fighting a defensive war, and only had to
do enough damage to the invading army that its troops lost morale. The South
was defending its home against invaders; therefore, Southern whites felt a greater
sense of unity than the Northern population.
Better Field Commanders—The best military minds belonged to Southerners.
Farmland—Soldiers had food
Casualties of the Civil War
Total Troops
Wounded
Died of Wounds
Died of Disease
Union Troops
1,566,678
275,175
110,070
249,458
Confederate Troops
1,802,119
194,000
94,000
164,000
List the reasons for such high casualty rates.
 Camps were unsanitary and water was polluted. Epidemics of contagious diseases, such
as mumps and measles swept through camps. Prison camps in the South were
overcrowded and prisoners died from starvation and exposure.
 Some call the Civil War the first “modern war” because so many new technologies. Old
standbys such as knives, swords, bayonets, older muskets and cannons played a role.
 However, the first widespread use of the Gatling gun, faster-loading rifles with rifling in
the barrels, and the new, deadlier ammunition called the min-ball were important
advancements. This bullet revolutionized warfare because of its increased range and the
havoc it wrecked on the human body.
 Another relatively new technology played an important role in the war: the modern
railway. The railroad made it easier and quicker to get supplies and food to the troops
as well as transporting the troops to locations quickly.
VII The Reconstructed Nation
Key People:
Andrew Johnson
Rutherford B. Hayes
Ulysses S. Grant
This is your life_______________________!
The effort to rebuild the southern states and restore the Union was known as Reconstruction, a
period that lasted from 1865 to 1877. It required the building of the economy as well as it’s
government.
“With Malice Toward None, With Charity For All…”
~Abraham Lincoln
However…Lincoln’s plans for Reconstruction are cut short by the assassin’s bullet of John
Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865.
1. List the details for each plan for Reconstruction.
Presidential Plan (Lincoln and Johnson)
Congressional Plan led by Radical Republicans
Amendments – 13th Amendment – ended
Amendments – 14th & 15th Amendments –
slavery
Rights of Citizens, Right to Voted
Amnesty- He wanted to pardon any
Amnesty – They felt there should be a total
Confederate who would take an oath of
restructuring of society to guarantee black
allegiance to the Union and accept federal
people true equality.
policy on slavery
10% Plan – If 10% of the people in a state
Military Districts – wanted to put the South
swore their allegiance to the Union, they could under military rule, dividing it into five
rejoin.
districts, each governed by a Northern general.
Treatment of freed slaves – did not give
Freedman’s Bureau – Congress created this
voting rights to black Americans
to help black southerners adjust to freedom. It
gave out clothing, medical supplies, meals, and
a formal education in bureau schools.
The competing plans of Andrew Johnson and Congress eventually led to the impeachment of
the president. Even the House of Representatives voted to impeach Johnson, the Senate and
Radical Republicans who supported Johnson’s conviction failed to convict him by only one vote!
Carpetbagger – Northern Republicans who moved to the postwar South
Scalawags – Southern whites who supported Reconstruction
Some Major changes were made to the Constitution too and Northerners found another way to
get revenge on the South…
3. Explain the purpose of each of the following Amendments.
13th Amendment
14th Amendment
15th Amendment
To ban all slavery or
All citizens of the U.S. can be The right to vote no matter
involuntary servitude.
deprived of life, liberty, or
your Race, color, Servitude
property without due process
4. “Actions speak louder than words” the government could pass all the amendments to the
Constitution that they wanted, but the whites in the South would find a way to take
control.
White Control of the South
↓
↓
↓
↓
Black Codes
Secret Societies
Poll Taxes
Literacy Tests
Laws that
restricted
Freedman’s
rights
Groups that
excluded
people. Ex: Ku
Klux Klan
Special fee
that must be
paid before
a person can
vote
Voters had to
demonstrate
minimum standards
of knowledge by
passing tests
specifically
designed to keep
African Americans
out
↓
↓
Grandfather
Clauses
Exempts a group
of people from
obeying a law
provided they
met a certain
condition before
the law was
passed.
Jim Crow
Laws
Laws that
segregated
public services
by race
beginning in
the 1890s
Reconstruction officially ended when Rutherford B. Hayes ran against Samuel J. Tilden in the
presidential election of 1876. Hayes received fewer popular and electoral votes than Tilden but
became president after the Compromise of 1877. The Democrats agreed to let Hayes become
president in exchange for a complete withdrawal of federal troops from the South. Republicans
agreed, and shortly after Hayes was sworn in as president, he ordered the remaining federal
troops to withdraw.
5. What power gave Hayes the right to remove federal troops from the South, effectively
ending Reconstruction? Commander and Chief of the armed services.