CWR - Civil War and Reconstruction Module Overview

Civil War and Reconstruction

Introduction

The United States continued to see a large divide between the North and South over cultural, economic and constitutional disagreements.. As a Southern state heavily involved in cotton cultivation, Georgia experienced a large expansion in slavery due to the increased labor demands that stemmed from an increasing demand for cotton both at home and abroad. Political tensions ran high due to infamous court cases such as Dred Scott v. Sandford and the growing debate over slavery. After the election of 1860 the political divide continued to grow. The Civil War began in 1861 after South Carolina and other Southern states seceded from the Union and left a legacy of divide among the country. Georgia experienced numerous causalities during the war especially with General William Tecumseh Sherman’s March to the Sea. Once the military engagement ended, the political conflicts that took place during Reconstruction caused the South to see rise to groups such as the KKK, while Congress passed legislation such as the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments expanding rights to the recently freed slaves.

Module Lessons Preview

In this module, we will study the following topics:

Issues and Events Leading up to the Civil War: Slavery: Slavery was a key factor for the Civil War. The economic industry of agriculture in the south relied on slave labor to meet the demand for products such as cotton. The north saw growth in abolition movements and this continued to cause a divide over the key human rights issue of slavery.

Issues and Events Leading up to the Civil War: State's Rights: The United States saw cultural, economic, and political divide between the Northern and Southern regions during the 1800s. Disagreements among the regions grew to irreconcilable differences in 1861 with the Civil War erupting. Issues such as slavery, states’ rights, and the election of 1860 all paved the way for the Civil War. 

The Civil War in Georgia: The first official battle of the Civil War was in April 1861 and the war lasted until May 1865. This four year war saw many tragedies. Approximately 620,000 soldiers died from combat, starvation, and disease during the Civil War. This casualty number is higher than any other war in American History. The North’s industrialization with factories gave it an advantage in supplies, but the South were defending their homes which gave them motivation.

Reconstruction: Reconstruction lasted from 1867 until 1877. The South had been left in ruins, major cities and farms had been destroyed. The South’s labor force was weakened due to 25% of the white male population being killed in action and the slaves were freed from the Emancipation Proclamation. The transportation system of railways, which supported the economic prosperity of agriculture had been destroyed during the war. The period of Reconstruction consisted of rebuilding, but also brought in an era of political distress and conflict.

 

Key Terms

  • Nullification - to declare invalid, or no longer legally binding
  • Secession - formal separation from a political union
  • Emancipation Proclamation - freed all slaves in states rebelling against the United States
  • Tenant farmers - often owned animals, equipment, and supplies and received a portion of their harvest
  • Sharecropper - labor that did not receive anything from their crop since landowners also deducted rent and money spent for supplies from crop allowance

 

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