American Civil War and Reconstruction

• Key Vocabulary


  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Frederick Douglass
  • union
  • civil rights
  • Women's Suffrage
  • Emancipation Proclamation
  • confederacy
  • reconstruction
  • Martin Luther King Jr.
• What was the long-term effects of the American Civil War on American society?
• How did the end of slavery influence American society?
• Activity 1: How does the cost of labour affect the price of goods and services?
• Summarise the discussion
• The War with Mexico: Mexico became independent from Spain in 1821. In 1824, the Republic of Mexico began to strengthen its ties with its territories to its north. This included Texas, New Mexico, and California. However, California split off from Mexico and became an independent republic in 1848. Later, California joined the United States as a state.
• Conflicts between Mexicans and Americans for control of the American Southwest resulted in a two-year war between the United States and Mexico. The war ended when American troops entered Mexico City. When Mexico surrendered in 1848, the United States forced Mexico to give up its Southwest territories New Mexico and Arizona. With the addition of the Mexican territories, the United States extended from the Atlantic to Pacific oceans.
• The American Civil War was fought for many reasons, including slavery and economics. The industrial North relied on paid labour and was the manufacturing centre of the United States. The agricultural South relied on large numbers of enslaved people to produce cotton as the most important cash crop of the time.
• The cotton gin, invented by EN Whitney in 1821, made cotton cloth cheaper and faster to produce.
• Most of the cloth was woven on power looms in the North, not in the South where the cotton was grown. Southern states wanted to sell their cotton to foreign countries which would pay more than the factory owners in the Northern states wanted to pay. They also wanted the new territories to adopt their slavery-based systems rather than the paid labour-based system of the North.
• Some states in the South wanted to secede, or stop being part of the United States. On February 4, 1861, seven states met and formed the Confederate States of America, declaring Jefferson Davis as their president. Other states joined later to make a total of 13 states. For some, the American Civil War was fought to keep the United States together more than to free enslaved people. The North was richer and had a population of 22 million, while the South had a population of about 9.5 million. About one third of the population
• Some states joined later to make a total of 13 states, declaring Jefferson Davis as their president
• For some, the American Civil War was fought to keep the United States together more than to free enslaved people
• The North was richer and had a population of 22 million, while the South had a population of about 9.5 million
• About one third of the population of the South were enslaved people and would not be expected to fight
• Abraham Lincoln was elected as President


  1861
• Abraham Lincoln was committed to keeping the country together
• The North expected the war would be won quickly but soon it became clear that the new weapons and warfare practices on land caused terrible losses of men and supplies
• Both sides became overburdened with trying to get supplies, medical care, and more soldiers to fight in the war
• Both the North and South drafted new troops into the army
• A draft is a requirement of men to serve in the army
• Some freed African Americans became inspirational leaders
• Frederick Douglas, a former slave and self-educated African American, had a series of meetings with President Lincoln
• The Mexican-American war was fought due to slavery economics
• Most important cash crop for the US during the American Civil War

  • Cotton
• Southern States wanted to

  Sell their Cotton themselves to foreign countries
• The North thought the war would be over soon but instead there were terrible losses of men and supplies
• The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 abolished or cancelled slavery in the US
• Abraham Lincoln


  16th President of the United States, known for leading the country during the American Civil War and issuing the Emancipation Proclamation
• Frederick Douglass


  Prominent African American abolitionist and social reformer who escaped from slavery and became a leader in the abolitionist movement
• Union


  The Northern states during the American Civil War, also known as the Union Army, which fought against the Confederate States of America
• Civil Rights


  Rights guaranteed to citizens by law, especially those regarding equality and non-discrimination
• Women's Suffrage


  The fight for women's right to vote, which culminated in the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920
• Emancipation Proclamation


  An executive order issued by President Lincoln in 1863 that declared all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory to be free
• Confederacy


  The Southern states that seceded from the Union and formed their own government during the American Civil War
• Reconstruction


  The period following the Civil War during which the United States attempted to rebuild and reunify the country, focusing on issues such as civil rights and rebuilding the Southern economy
• Martin Luther King Jr.

  Civil rights leader known for his role in the American civil rights movement, particularly for his advocacy of nonviolent protest
• Cost of Labour


  The expenses associated with employing workers, which impacts the pricing of goods and services
• Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821
• California split off from Mexico and became an independent republic in 1848