A Short History of the United States by Edward Channing

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Sec.Sec. 408, 409.--_a_. What steps had already been taken by Congress toward
freeing the slaves?

_b_. How was the Emancipation Proclamation justified? Upon what would
its enforcement depend?

_c_. What slave states were not affected by this proclamation?

_d_. How was slavery as an institution abolished throughout the United
States?

Sec.Sec. 410, 411.--_a_. Why was not the North united upon this war?

_b_. What is the force of the writ of _habeas corpus_? Why is it so
important?

_c_. What was the "draft," and why was it necessary?

CHAPTER 40

Sec.Sec. 412-415.--_a_. Explain the position of the armies at the beginning of
1863.

_b_. Why was the conquest of Vicksburg so difficult? How was it finally
captured?

_c_. What effect did the control of the Mississippi have upon the
Confederacy?

Sec. 416.--_a_. What was Lee's object in invading Pennsylvania?

_b_. What position did the Union army keep as regards the Confederates?

Sec.Sec. 417-419.--_a_. Describe the battle-field of Gettysburg. Why was the
battle so important?

_b_. Describe in detail the principal events of each day of the battle.

_c_. Learn Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address." How was this ground
hallowed? What was the great task before the people?

Sec.Sec. 420, 421.--_a_. Describe the battle of Chickamauga. Review Thomas's
services up to this time.

_b_. Describe the three parts of the battle of Chattanooga.

CHAPTER 41

Sec.Sec. 422, 423.--_a_. How had Grant shown his fitness for high command? Was
it wise to have one man in command of all the armies? Why?

_b_. Review Sherman's career up to this time. Why did Grant impose trust
in him?

_c_. What was the result of Hood's attacks?

Sec.Sec. 424-426.--_a_. What was the real object of Sherman's march to the
sea?

_b_. Describe the destruction of Hood's army. What does it show as to
Thomas's ability?

_c_. What did Sherman's army accomplish on its way to the sea?

Sec.Sec. 427-430.--_a_. Compare the conditions of the two armies in Virginia.
Explain the advantages of the Confederates.

_b_. Describe the battle of the Wilderness, noting the conditions
favorable to the Confederates.

_c_. Describe the movement to the James. What advantages had Grant not
possessed by McClellan?

Sec.Sec. 431, 432.--_a_. Why was Petersburg important?

_b_. How did Lee try to compel the withdrawal of Grant? Why did he not
succeed?

_c_. Describe Sheridan's work in the Shenandoah Valley. Read a short
account of Sheridan's career to 1865, and state his services to the
Union cause.

Sec.Sec. 433.--_a_. How had Sherman's victories affected the blockade?

_b_. What aid had Great Britain given to the Confederates? Why did she
not give more assistance?

Sec.Sec. 434, 435.--_a_. How did Sherman's occupation of Raleigh affect Lee?

_b_. Describe the condition of Lee's army. How was its capture
accomplished?

Sec. 436.--_a_. Why was Lincoln's death a terrible loss to the South?

_b_. Why is he the greatest of all Americans?

GENERAL QUESTIONS

_a_. Review the steps which led to the war for the Union.

_b_. What were Lincoln's personal views as to slavery? Why could he not
carry them out?

_c_. What were Lincoln's leading characteristics? Give illustrations to
support your view.

_d_. Study Grant's military career and try to find out why he succeeded
where others failed.

_e_. Arrange a table of the leading campaigns, giving dates, leaders,
end to be attained, important battles, and result.

_f_. Give the two most important battles of the war. Why do you select
these?

TOPICS FOR SPECIAL WORK.

_a_. Life in Southern prisons.

_b_. The Shenandoah Valley in the war.

_c_. Any important battle or naval action, or leading general, or naval
commander.

_d_. The part played by your own state or town in the war, or the
history of one of your state regiments.

SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS

A few days spent upon a study of the field of war will save a great deal
of time. Channing's _Students' History_ will enable the teacher to
indicate the most important strategic points. Maps have been sparingly
provided in this book, as the simple plans in Dodge's _Bird's-eye View_
can easily be reproduced on the blackboard. In general, campaigns should
be studied rather than battles.

Pictures relating to this period are easily obtainable and may be freely
used. It is an excellent plan to ask some veteran to describe his
experiences, and the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic will
often lend material aid in making the war real to the pupils. Grant's
career should be especially studied, and the reasons for his successes
carefully noted.

Indeed, the study of this period may well center around Lincoln and
Grant. Lincoln's inaugurals are too difficult to be studied thoroughly.
But the teacher can easily select portions, as the last paragraph of the
second inaugural. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address should be learned by
every pupil, and his letter to Greeley _(Students' History, _p. 539)
will throw a flood of light on Lincoln's character. In studying this
period, as well as other periods, it is better to dwell on the
patriotism and heroism of our soldiers, sailors, and statesmen than to
point out their mistakes and personal faults.

Literature is so rich in reference to this time that nothing more than
the mention of the works of Lowell, Whittier, Holmes, and Longfellow
is needed.

[Illustration: THE PRESENT FLAG, 1900.]

XIV

RECONSTRUCTION AND REUNION,
1865-1888

Books for Study and Reading

References.--Scribner's _Popular History_, V; McMaster's _School
History_, chs. xxx-xxxiii; Andrews's _Last Quarter-Century._

Home Readings.--Hale's _Mr. Merriam's Scholars._

CHAPTER 42

PRESIDENT JOHNSON AND RECONSTRUCTION, 1861-1869

[Sidenote: Position of the seceded states.]

[Sidenote: Lincoln's policy of reconstruction. _McMaster_, 427-428.]

437. Lincoln's Reconstruction Policy.--The great question now
before the country was what should be done with the Southern states and
people. And what should be done with the freedmen? On these questions
people were not agreed. Some people thought that the states were
"indestructible"; that they could not secede or get out of the Union.
Others thought that the Southern states had been conquered and should be
treated as a part of the national domain. Lincoln thought that it was
useless to go into these questions. The Southern states were out of the
"proper practical relations with the Union." That was clear enough. The
thing to do, therefore, was to restore "proper practical relations" as
quickly and as quietly as possible. In December, 1863, Lincoln had
offered a pardon to all persons, with some exceptions, who should take
the oath of allegiance to the United States, and should promise to
support the Constitution and the Emancipation Proclamation. Whenever
one-tenth of the voters in any of the Confederate states should do these
things, and should set up a republican form of government, Lincoln
promised to recognize that government as the state government. But the
admission to Congress of Senators and Representatives from such a
reconstructed state would rest with Congress. Several states were
reconstructed on this plan. But public opinion was opposed to this quiet
reorganization of the seceded states. The people trusted Lincoln,
however, and had he lived he might have induced them to accept his plan.

[Sidenote: Andrew Johnson President, 1865.]

[Sidenote: His ideas on reconstruction. _McMaster_, 428.]

438. President Johnson's Reconstruction Plan.--Johnson was an able
man and a patriot. But he had none of Lincoln's wise patience. He had
none of Lincoln's tact and humor in dealing with men. On the contrary,
he always lost his temper when opposed. Although he was a Southerner, he
hated slavery and slave owners. On the other hand, he had a Southerner's
contempt for the negroes. He practically adopted Lincoln's
reconstruction policy and tried to bring about the reorganization of the
seceded states by presidential action.

[Sidenote: Force of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.]

[Sidenote: Abolition of slavery, 1865.]

439. The Thirteenth Amendment, 1865.--President Lincoln's
Emancipation Proclamation (p. 331) had freed the slaves in those states
and parts of states which were in rebellion against the national
government. It had not freed the slaves in the loyal states. It had not
destroyed slavery as an institution. Any state could reestablish slavery
whenever it chose. Slavery could be prohibited only by an amendment of
the Constitution. So the Thirteenth Amendment was adopted, December,
1865. This amendment declares that "neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude, except as a punishment for crime, ... shall exist within the
United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." In this way
slavery came to an end throughout the United States.

[Illustration: HORSE CAR.]

[Sidenote: Forced labor in the South. _McMaster_, 429.]

[Sidenote: The Freedmen's Bureau. _Source-book_, 339-342.]

440. Congress and the President, 1865-66.--Unhappily many of the
old slave states had passed laws to compel the negroes to work. They had
introduced a system of forced labor which was about the same thing as
slavery. In December, 1865, the new Congress met. The Republicans were
in the majority. They refused to admit the Senators and Representatives
from the reorganized Southern states and at once set to work to pass
laws for the protection of the negroes. In March, 1865, while the war
was still going on, and while Lincoln was alive, Congress had
established the Freedmen's Bureau to look after the interests of the
negroes. Congress now (February, 1866) passed a bill to continue the
Bureau and to give it much more power. Johnson promptly vetoed the bill.
In the following July Congress passed another bill to continue the
Freedmen's Bureau. In this bill the officers of the Bureau were given
greatly enlarged powers, the education of the blacks was provided for,
and the army might be used to compel obedience to the law. Johnson
vetoed this bill also.

[Sidenote: Civil Rights Bill, 1866.]

[Sidenote: It is passed over Johnson's veto.]

[Sidenote: The Fourteenth Amendment, 1866.]

441. The Fourteenth Amendment.--While this contest over the
Freedmen's Bureau was going on, Congress passed the Civil Rights Bill to
protect the freedmen. This bill provided that cases concerning the civil
rights of the freedmen should be heard in the United States courts
instead of in the state courts. Johnson thought that Congress had no
power to do this. He vetoed the bill, and Congress passed it over his
veto. Congress then drew up the Fourteenth Amendment. This forbade the
states to abridge the rights of the citizens, white or black. It further
provided that the representation of any state in Congress should be
diminished whenever it denied the franchise to any one except for taking
part in rebellion. Finally it guaranteed the debt of the United States,
and declared all debts incurred in support of rebellion null and void.
Every Southern state except Tennessee refused to accept this amendment.

[Illustration: ANDREW JOHNSON.]

[Sidenote: Elections of 1866.]

[Sidenote: Tenure of Office Act, 1867.]

[Sidenote: The Reconstruction Acts, 1867.]

[Sidenote: Process of reconstruction. _Source-Book_, 344-346.]

442. The Reconstruction Acts, 1867.--The Congressional elections of
November, 1866, were greatly in favor of the Republicans. The Republican
members of Congress felt that this showed that the North was with them
in their policy as to reconstruction. Congress met in December, 1866,
and at once set to work to carry out this policy. First of all it passed
the Tenure of Office Act to prevent Johnson dismissing Republicans from
office. Then it passed the Reconstruction Act. Johnson vetoed both of
these measures, and Congress passed them both over his veto. The
Reconstruction Act was later amended and strengthened. It will be well
to describe here the process of reconstruction in its final form. First
of all the seceded states, with the exception of Tennessee, were formed
into military districts. Each district was ruled by a military officer
who had soldiers to carry out his directions. Tennessee was not included
in this arrangement, because it had accepted the Fourteenth Amendment.
But all the other states, which had been reconstructed by Lincoln or by
Johnson, were to be reconstructed over again. The franchise was given to
all men, white or black, who had lived in any state for one
year--excepting criminals and persons who had taken part in rebellion.
This exception took the franchise away from the old rulers of the South.
These new voters could form a state constitution and elect a legislature
which should ratify the Fourteenth Amendment. When all this had been
done, Senators and Representatives from the reconstructed state might be
admitted to Congress.

[Sidenote: Charges against Johnson.]

[Sidenote: He is impeached.]

[Sidenote: But not convicted.]

443. Impeachment of Johnson, 1868.--President Johnson had vetoed
all these bills. He had declared that the Congress was a Congress of
only a part of the states, because Representatives from the states
reconstructed according to his ideas were not admitted. He had used
language toward his opponents that was fairly described as indecent and
unbecoming the chief officer of a great nation. Especially he had
refused to be bound by the Tenure of Office Act. Ever since the
formation of the government the Presidents had removed officers when
they saw fit. The Tenure of Office Act required the consent of the
Senate to removals as well as to appointments. Among the members of
Lincoln's cabinet who were still in office was Edwin M. Stanton. Johnson
removed him, and this brought on the crisis. The House impeached the
President. The Senate, presided over by Chief Justice Chase, heard the
impeachment. The Constitution requires the votes of two-thirds of the
Senators to convict. Seven Republicans voted with the Democrats against
conviction, and the President was acquitted by one vote.

[Sidenote: Napoleon's plans.]

[Sidenote: Action of the United States.]

[Sidenote: Withdrawal of the French, 1868.]

444. The French in Mexico.--Napoleon III, Emperor of the French,
seized the occasion of the Civil War to set the Monroe Doctrine at
defiance and to refound a French colonial empire in America. At one
time, indeed, he seemed to be on the point of interfering, to compel the
Union government to withdraw its armies from the Confederate states.
Then Napoleon had an idea that perhaps Texas might secede from the
Confederacy and set up for itself under French protection. This failing,
he began the establishment of an empire in Mexico with the Austrian
prince, Maximilian, as Emperor. The ending of the Civil War made it
possible for the United States to interfere. Grant and Sheridan would
gladly have marched troops into Mexico and turned out the French, but
Seward said that the French would have to leave before long anyway. He
hastened their going by telling the French government that the sooner
they left the better. They were withdrawn in 1868. Maximilian insisted
on staying. He was captured by the Mexicans and shot. The Mexican
Republic was reestablished.

[Sidenote: Purchase of Alaska, 1867.]

[Sidenote: The fur seals.]

[Sidenote: Boundary controversy.]

445. The Purchase of Alaska, 1867.--In 1867 President Johnson sent
to the Senate, for ratification, a treaty with Russia for the purchase
of Russia's American possessions. These were called Alaska, and
included an immense tract of land in the extreme Northwest. The price to
be paid was seven million dollars. The history of this purchase is still
little known. The Senate was completely taken by surprise, but it
ratified the treaty. Until recent years the only important product of
Alaska has been the skins of the fur seals. To preserve the seal herds
from extinction, the United States made rules limiting the number of
seals to be killed in any one year. The Canadians were not bound by
these rules, and the herds have been nearly destroyed. In recent years
large deposits of gold have been found in Alaska and in neighboring
portions of Canada. But the Canadian deposits are hard to reach without
first going through Alaska. This fact has made it more difficult to
agree with Great Britain as to the boundary between Alaska and Canada.

[Sidenote: Grant nominated for the presidency.]

[Sidenote: The Democrats.]

[Sidenote: Grant elected, 1868.]

446. Grant elected President, 1868.--The excitement over
reconstruction and the bitter contest between the Republicans in
Congress and the President had brought about great confusion in
politics. The Democrats nominated General F. P. Blair, a gallant
soldier, for Vice-President. For President they nominated Horatio
Seymour of New York. He was a Peace Democrat. As governor of New York
during the war he had refused to support the national government. The
Republicans nominated General Grant.

He received three hundred thousand more votes than Seymour. Of the two
hundred and ninety-four electoral votes, Grant received two hundred
and fifteen.

CHAPTER 43

FROM GRANT TO CLEVELAND, 1869-1889

[Sidenote: The Fifteenth Amendment, 1870.]

447. The Fifteenth Amendment.--In February, 1869, just before
Grant's inauguration, Congress proposed still another amendment,
providing that neither the United States nor any state could abridge the
rights of citizens of the United States on account of race, color, or
previous condition of servitude. The state legislatures hastened to
accept this amendment, and it was declared in force in March, 1870.

[Sidenote: Progress of reconstruction.]

[Sidenote: Reunion, 1870.]

448. End of Reconstruction.--Three states only were still
unreconstructed. These were Virginia, Texas, and Mississippi. In 1869
Congress added to the conditions on which they could be readmitted to
the Union the acceptance of the Fifteenth Amendment. Early in 1870 they
all complied with the conditions and were readmitted. The Union was now
again complete. Since 1860 four states had been added to the Union.
These were Kansas, West Virginia, Nevada, and Nebraska. There were now
thirty-seven states in all.

[Sidenote: The carpetbaggers. _McMaster_, 439-414.]

[Sidenote: The Ku-Klux-Klan.]

[Sidenote: The Force Acts.]

449. The Southerners and the Negroes.--The first result of the
Congressional plan of reconstruction was to give the control of the
Southern states to the freedmen and their white allies. Some of these
white friends of the freedmen were men of character and ability, but
most of them were adventurers who came from the North to make their
fortunes. They were called the "carpetbaggers," because they usually
carried their luggage in their hands. The few Southern whites who
befriended the negroes were called "scalawags" by their white neighbors.
Secret societies sprang into being. The most famous was the
Ku-Klux-Klan. The object of these societies was to terrorize the
freedmen and their white friends and to prevent their voting. This led
to the passage of the Force Acts. These laws provided severe penalties
for crimes of intimidation. They also provided that these cases should
be tried in United States courts. Federal soldiers, stationed in the
South, could be used to compel obedience to the law.

[Sidenote: Relations with Great Britain.]

[Sidenote: Treaty of Washington, 1871. _Source-Book_, 355-358.]

[Sidenote: The Geneva Award.]

450. The Alabama Claims.--During the Civil War vessels built in
British shipyards, or refitted and supplied with coal at British ports,
had preyed upon American commerce. The most famous of these vessels was
the _Alabama_. The claims for losses caused by these vessels which the
United States presented to Great Britain were therefore called the
"Alabama Claims." There also were disputes with Great Britain over the
fisheries and over the western end of the Oregon boundary. In 1871 the
United States and Great Britain made an arrangement called the Treaty of
Washington. By this treaty all these points of dispute were referred to
arbitration. The Oregon boundary was decided in favor of the United
States, but the fishery dispute was decided in favor of Great Britain.
The "Alabama Claims" were settled by five arbitrators who sat at Geneva
in Switzerland. They decided that Great Britain had not used "due
diligence" to prevent the abuse of her ports by the Confederates. They
condemned her to pay fifteen and one-half million dollars damages to the
United States.

[Sidenote: The Chicago fire, 1871.]

451. The Chicago Fire, 1871.--Early one morning in October, 1871, a
Chicago woman went to the barn to milk her cow. She carried a lighted
kerosene lamp, for it was still dark. The cow kicked over the lamp. The
barn was soon ablaze. A furious gale carried the burning sparks from one
house to another. And so the fire went on spreading all that day and
night and the next day. Nearly two hundred million dollars' worth of
property was destroyed. The homes of nearly one hundred thousand persons
were burned down. In a surprisingly short time the burnt district was
rebuilt, and Chicago grew more rapidly than ever before.

[Sidenote: Rings. _Source-Book_, 352-355.]

[Sidenote: Bribery.]

452. Corruption in Politics.--New York City had no two hundred
million dollar fire. But a "ring" of city officers stole more than one
hundred and fifty million dollars of the city's money. In other cities
also there was great corruption. Nor were the state governments free
from bribery and thieving. Many officers in the national government were
believed to be mixed up in schemes to defraud the people. The truth of
the matter was that the Civil War had left behind it the habit of
spending money freely. A desire to grow suddenly rich possessed the
people. Men did not look closely to see where their money came from.

[Illustration: CHICAGO IN 1832.]

[Sidenote: Objections to Grant.]

[Sidenote: Liberal Republicans.]

[Sidenote: Horace Greeley.]

[Sidenote: Grant reelected, 1872.]

453. Election of 1872.--In fact, this condition of the public
service made many persons doubtful of the wisdom of reelecting President
Grant. There was not the slightest doubt as to Grant's personal honesty.
There were grave doubts as to his judgment in making appointments.
Reconstruction, too, did not seem to be restoring peace and prosperity
to the South. For these reasons many voters left the Republican party.
They called themselves Liberal Republicans and nominated Horace Greeley
for President. He had been one of the most outspoken opponents of
slavery. The Democrats could find no better candidate, so they, too,
nominated Greeley. But many Democrats could not bring themselves to vote
for him. They left their party for the moment and nominated a third
candidate. The result of all this confusion was the reelection of
Grant. But the Democrats elected a majority of the House of
Representatives.

[Illustration: THE HEART OF MODERN CHICAGO.]

[Sidenote: Rebellion in Cuba, 1867.]

[Sidenote: Spanish cruelty.]

[Sidenote: The _Virginius_ affair.]

[Sidenote: Spanish promises end rebellion, 1877.]

454. The Cuban Rebellion, 1867-77.--When the other Spanish-American
colonies won their independence (p. 223), Cuba remained true to Spain.
But by 1867 the Cubans could no longer bear the hardships of Spanish
rule. They rebelled and for ten years fought for freedom. The Spaniards
burned whole villages because they thought the inhabitants favored the
rebels. They even threatened to kill all Cuban men found away from their
homes. This cruelty aroused the sympathy of the Americans. Expeditions
sailed from the United States to help the Cubans, although the
government did everything it could to prevent their departure. One of
these vessels carrying aid to the Cubans was named the _Virginius_. The
Spaniards captured her, carried her to Santiago, and killed forty-six of
her crew. There came near being a war with Spain over this affair. But
the Spaniards apologized and saluted the American flag. In 1877
President Grant made up his mind that the war had lasted long enough. He
adopted a severe tone toward Spain. The Spanish government made terms
with the rebels, and the rebellion came to an end.

[Sidenote: The Credit Mobilier.]

[Sidenote: The Whiskey Ring.]

455. Scandals in Political Life.--In 1872 the House of
Representatives made a searching inquiry into the charges of bribery in
connection with the building of the Pacific railroads. Oakes Ames of
Massachusetts was the head of a company called the "Credit Mobilier."
This company had been formed to build the Union Pacific Railway. Fearing
that Congress would pass laws that might hurt the enterprise, Ames gave
stock in the company to members of Congress. But nothing definite could
be proved against any members, and the matter dropped. Soon after the
beginning of Grant's second term, many evil things came to light. One of
these was the Whiskey Ring, which defrauded the government of large sums
of money with the aid of the government officials. Grant wished to have
a thorough investigation, and said, "Let no guilty man escape." The
worst case of all, perhaps, was that of W. W. Belknap, Secretary of
War. But he escaped punishment by resigning.

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