Civil War & Reconstruction
Timeline
Trigger Words
McClellan's Letter to President Lincoln
This document is a very private letter between McClellan and Lincoln during the Civil War. In this letter, McClellan decides to give the President his honest opinion about the war and were the rebels stand against the Union. In this he also advises the President to come up with a plan for after war affairs and tells him to stick with them. But he also tells him to do what is best for his country by finding someone who can help him with military needs.
This letter is important because it shows how not all people of the Union agreed with the President and some saw that there was room for improvement in his plans. It also shows how the President was not working alone and actually had the help and advice of many when making decisions that affected the war.
Alexis S.
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Black Codes
It states the infamous Black Codes of the South where "no negro who is not in the military service shall be allowed to carry fire arms". It also dictated who they should work for, where they were and were not allowed to go, and basically, everyone will be watching them for any slip ups.
Although slaves had been declared legally free, the white Southern still tried to hold onto the remnants of the old plantation lifestyle. These Black Codes only helped them keep a subservient labor force and was really a hidden attempt at reintegrating slavery back into the South.It did this by keeping them at the mercy of their white owner and under constant threat of harassment.
Bronte D.
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I am an Abolitionist (song)
Summary: This song was created by William W.Brown to represent how the Civil War went from a union preservation war to having a moral cause fueling the fighting.He states he enlists in the name of freedom and no matter what happens he will fight for the sacred cause of liberty. Brown calls slavery a monster and that he demands to god to destroy it.
Significance: The patriotism that is seen even with the title shows how passionate people were about freeing the slaves. It also showed how the Emancipation Proclamation helped the abolitionist movement overshadow the real reason behind the war which was preservation for the union. The song is a great example of how people changed their minds about the peculiar institution overtime as an economy booster because they realized the violation of moral rights.
David G.
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Dixie (The song)
Summary: Dixie is a song created by Daniel Decatur Emmett in 1859. He meant it as a song to uplift the southerners, glorifying the southern culture in a non-passive aggressive manner and to show the positive things and natural beauty of the "deep south." However there was a patriotic version designed for the war effort which has different lyrics but follows the same beat.
Significance: The war version of Dixie was a little more darker but much more inspirational especially for the southern soldiers since they were trying to preserve their homes and way of life. It was a call to arms, which differentiates far from the original version which was just meant to glorify the south. It was a song that gave southerners pride and a sense of community that could not be broken even after the war during reconstruction.
Verick R.
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