American History 8 Syllabus

 

Quarter 4:  Civil War and Reconstruction

Explain the causes of, and events in, the Civil War.

a.       Slavery had long been an issue, but became even more polarizing in the mid-1800s.

b.      The South supported states’ rights, while the North favored stronger federal (national) government.

c.       The South was largely based on the plantation economy, while the North was highly industrialized.

d.      The addition of new states to the Union had an impact on the balance of power in the Senate, which was temporarily solved by the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850.

e.       Slavery extended into the territories, due to the Dred Scott Decision and the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

f.       Leaders in the abolitionist movement included Frederick Douglass and John Brown.

g.       Key people and events of the Civil War included Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Battle of Gettysburg.

h.      There were many reasons why the North won the Civil War, including uneven distribution of resources and population.

 

 

Analyze the consequences of Reconstruction.

a.       President Lincoln's assassination led to a struggle for control of Reconstruction, and the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson by Radical Republicans in Congress.

b.      Attempts to protect the rights of, and enhance opportunities for, the freedmen included the basic provisions of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

c.       The Ku Klux Klan and the enactment of black codes institutionalized racism and discrimination.

 

 

Q4 – Flashcard Review

 

 

QUARTER 4 ASSESSMENT CONTENT  (chapters 15,16,17,18)

 

*The idea of popular sovereignty

*Reason for J.Brown’s attack at Harper’s Ferry

*Why southern states seceded after the election of 1860

*Why cotton was called “King Cotton”

*Northern/Southern advantages at start of Civil War

*Reason for Northern naval blockade

*How battles of Gettysburg and Antietam were unique

*Radical Republican thoughts on Reconstruction

*Purpose of the Freedman’s Bureau

*Compare and contrast the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment

*Technology that made warring dangerous

*Events that weakened relations between the North and the South