american civil war and reconstruction

• the north had more industry, railways and factories than the south
• the union was made up of the northern states
• the confederacy was made up of the southern states
• the north had a larger population so they could recruit more men into their army
• the south had lots of plantations which provided food for the army
• the north had access to the sea so could import supplies from europe
• the north had a navy which meant that it controlled the seas around america
• north (republican)


  economically strong - industrial - increased trade and immigration north saw south as backwards - north more open to change north better educated north = liberty - opposed slavery
• 1860 election - abraham lincoln elected president - republican party - anti-slavery
• secession - when a state leaves the union
• South (Democrats)


  • Economically weak - relied on agriculture
  • Pro slavery - did not welcome change
  • Tradition, heavily Christian, slavery
  • Saw north as ill-mannered and aggressive
  • Hostile to federal interference - liked state government more
  • Relied on tobacco and cotton trade - slavery
  • Feared north would ban slavery
• john brown - harpers ferry 1859 


  raided an armory in west virginia (southern state) handed weapons to slaves in hopes to start a slavery uprising ending slavery within 36hrs many slaves had fled or been killed surrounded by general Robert. e. lee - led to esculated tensions between north and south
• Abraham lincoln 1861


  election victory of 180 to 72 votes (108 difference) in 10 confederate states lincolns name was not on the ballot paper believed in the federal government over state government 11 southern states succeeded the union - 1st one was south carolina in dec 1860
• battle of fort Sumter april 1861

  forces from condeferate states attacked US millitary garrison in South Carolina fort sumter supplimented the old fort moultrie (from the american war of independence) attackers were surrounded by US army - they surrendered beginning the civil war
• 1st battle of the civil war

  bull run - 480 unionists killed - 390 confederates killed - confederates won
• unionists took control of;

  Mississippi river - splitting confederacy into two halves - weakening them - 'anaconda plan by general scott' battle of Gettysburg - turning point in the civil war leading unionists to victory... eventually
• north to south ratio 


  2 million north soldiers - 750,000 south soldiers
• scorched earth tactic by general Sherman

  north destroyed anything of aid to south such as destroying food sources e.g destroying atlantas millitary infrastructure general shermans idea following his 'march to the sea campaign'
• Freedman's Bureau


  Organization set up in 1865 until 1972 to provide aid to newly freed slaves
• Freedman's Bureau set up

  1865
• Freedman's Bureau ceased operations


  1972
• Services provided by Freedman's Bureau

  1. Provided food

  2. Provided clothes

  3. Provided education

  4. Provided healthcare
• Freedman's Bureau


  • Opened 46 hospitals in the South to aid the sick - treating 450,000 people
  • Confiscated 40 acres of Confederate land to give to freed slaves - with the option to buy the land after 3 years
• Freedman's Bureau estimated to have helped more than a million people
• 1,000 schools were set up by the Freedman's Bureau
• Abraham Lincoln 1861-1865


  Established 13th Amendment which freed slaves in 1865
• Homestead Act 1862


  Gave citizens 160 acres of land in total, led to westward expansion
• Abraham Lincoln selected Johnson as his vice president, he would be his successor if he died
• Abraham Lincoln appointed bad generals such as McClellan, who failed to move in on Richmond
• Good generals appointed by Abraham Lincoln


  • Grant - Battle of Shiloh and Fort Henry
  • General Meade - Battle of Gettysburg, turning point in the war
• andrew johnson 1865-1869 


  black codes 1865-66 - illegalised interracial marriage granted southerners white power like pre- civil war african americans were forced to sign labour contracts - if they left early they would face a fine or jail if they did not have a labour contract they would be fines or jailed and forced to work to pay off the fine.
• if you call this freedom, what do you call slavery?
• congress - heavily republican (radical republicans)


  passed civil rights act 1866 - re established african american rights and allowed federal enforcement of laws in states johnson vetoed this but it was overriden by congress congress passed 14th amendment which was vetoed and overriden.
• johnson refused to renew the freedmans bureau in 1872
• Congress take over reconstruction

  1866
• Congress believed the south should be punished - not granted amnesty
• 13th and 14th amendment should be enforced by federal government not state government
• 10 confederate states were put under military surveillance


  1. Until the 14th amendment was ratified per state

  2. Ensured fair elections
• The only southern state that had ratified this already was Tennessee
• Johnson vetoed reconstruction act 1867+68