Chapter 17: The Civil War 1861-1865
Unit Theme:Sectionalism
Sectionalism, as we have already learned, is loyalty to one's region or state. Several issues increased the divisions between North and South over the generation before the Civil War but of course none more sharply than the issue of slavery. It would all come to a head in the decade before 1860. The 1850s would see the several great events that would foreshadow the coming war. The Compromise of 1850, the final pacification by the Great Pacificator, Henry Clay, would seem to pacify no one. It would be the end of the line for the Great Triumvirate, Bleeding Kansas, and several other events which we will learn about.By the eve of the Civil War sectional differences, not surprisingly, were at their highest. Historians will argue that the cultural differences and economic patterns between the North and South were too great for anymore compromises. Others might argue that each region was now firmly in control of radical elements and that there was no going back. Either way, war would come in 1861.
Sectionalism, as we have already learned, is loyalty to one's region or state. Several issues increased the divisions between North and South over the generation before the Civil War but of course none more sharply than the issue of slavery. It would all come to a head in the decade before 1860. The 1850s would see the several great events that would foreshadow the coming war. The Compromise of 1850, the final pacification by the Great Pacificator, Henry Clay, would seem to pacify no one. It would be the end of the line for the Great Triumvirate, Bleeding Kansas, and several other events which we will learn about.By the eve of the Civil War sectional differences, not surprisingly, were at their highest. Historians will argue that the cultural differences and economic patterns between the North and South were too great for anymore compromises. Others might argue that each region was now firmly in control of radical elements and that there was no going back. Either way, war would come in 1861.
Essential Question:
How close did the South come to winning the war?
Why was Gettysburg such an important battle in the war?
Chapter Overview:
With good reason, the American Civil War is the most analyzed and examined period of our past. By far the most devastating war in our history, both in actual numbers and by percentage of the population, the period is endlessly fascinating for several reasons. The most obvious of these include the incalculable death and destruction made possible by massive armies in the field coupled with nascent technological innovation and invention of the Industrial Revolution in America. Despite this carnage, the war is stuffed with stories of heroism and bravery on both sides to causes that are highly idealistic. As a result of the war, the United States threw off the stigma of its “peculiar institution” and abolished slavery, though not racism. The fact that the nation was nearly dissolved by the war is no small matter. And lastly, the war ended an age innocence and Jeffersonian democracy and ushered in the modern period characterized by the power of financial and industrial elites.
How close did the South come to winning the war?
Why was Gettysburg such an important battle in the war?
Chapter Overview:
With good reason, the American Civil War is the most analyzed and examined period of our past. By far the most devastating war in our history, both in actual numbers and by percentage of the population, the period is endlessly fascinating for several reasons. The most obvious of these include the incalculable death and destruction made possible by massive armies in the field coupled with nascent technological innovation and invention of the Industrial Revolution in America. Despite this carnage, the war is stuffed with stories of heroism and bravery on both sides to causes that are highly idealistic. As a result of the war, the United States threw off the stigma of its “peculiar institution” and abolished slavery, though not racism. The fact that the nation was nearly dissolved by the war is no small matter. And lastly, the war ended an age innocence and Jeffersonian democracy and ushered in the modern period characterized by the power of financial and industrial elites.
Sections
1) The Conflict Takes Shape (p. 448-452) 2) A Long Difficult Struggle (p. 453-458) 3) A Promise of Freedom (p.459-462) 4) Hardships of War (p. 463-467) 5) The War Ends (p.468-473) Resources: Study Guide - Enriched - 2019 Study Guide History 8 classes Chapter Self-Test |
Section Reviews
1) The Conflict Takes Shape 2) A Long Difficult Struggle 3) A Promise of Freedom 4) Hardships of War 5) The War Ends These reviews are often given in class and are open-ended and T/F questions that you should definitely learn. They cover some of the most important points of the section and are often the basis of matching and T/F questions on quizzes and tests. |
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