5.12 Comparison in Period 5, 1844-1877

2 min read•june 18, 2024

Zaina Siddiqi

AP US History 🇺🇸

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Civil War on American Values

Unit 5 ends with a lesson on argumentation. It gives us a chance to use what we've learned about key concepts and history in this unit. We should use evidence related to the key concepts to practice argumentation. Here's a Unit 5 overview:

	National	Regional
🌎 Geographic	The US increased its global connections, aimed to expand its influence in the Western Hemisphere, and became a popular place for people to migrate from other countries. Example: California Gold Rush (1849), Irish in cities, German in rural areas (faced discrimination)	Manifest Destiny: The US gained new territories and saw many people move West due to strong support for expansion driven by economic and safety reasons, and new overseas endeavors. Motivations were gold in California, timber in Pacific NW, and more. Examples: Mexican-American War (1846-1848), California Gold Rush (1849), Gadsden Purchase (1853), and the purchase of Alaska (1867)
⌛️ Ideological	Rights of Citizens: Different views on slavery caused Americans in the North and South to have varying reactions. Examples: Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), and the American Civil War (1861-1865). Know-Nothing party to stop immigration and Free-Soil party to stop slavery.	Causes of Civil War: Debates on slavery became the main topic (King Cotton vs Industrialization) in politics, leading to the heated election of 1860 and the South seceding from the US. Election of 1860- a bitterly contested election where Lincoln's victory in the election was seen as a threat by the Southern states, which led to their secession from the Union and the start of the American Civil War.
⚖️ Political	Union Victory: The North won the Civil War (1861-1865) due to its greater manpower and industry, strong leadership (e.g. Abraham Lincoln), and the freeing of slaves. This ended slavery and changed relationships between the states and federal government, leading to discussions about citizenship rights for African Americans, women, and other minorities. Examples: Emancipation Proclamation (1863), 13th Amendment (1865), 14th Amendment (1868), and 15th Amendment (1870)	Impact of Reconstruction: The Union's victory in the Civil War and the rebuilding of the South settled the questions of slavery and Southern independence, but many questions about federal government power and citizenship rights remained unresolved. Examples: Reconstruction Acts (1867), 14th Amendment (1868), and the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson (1868).