Jessica Chu Period 6 Chapter #20: Girding for War: The North and the South Big Picture

e Themes 1. After Ft. Sumter started the war, keeping the border states were Abes top concern. These were slave states that hadnt left the nation. Throughout the war, Abe would make concessions to keep them happy. The border states never left. 2. All along the South felt that England would help them. The idea was that King Cottons dominance would force the English into helping the Southerners. This never happened, largely because Uncle Toms Cabin had convinced the English people of slaverys horrors. 3. The North had the advantage in almost every category: population, industry, money, navy. 4. Both sides turned to a draft, the nations first. The draft was very unpopular and many riots broke out. IDENTIFICATIONS: Election of 1860 Four-way race for the presidency that resulted in the election of a sectional minority president, Abraham Lincon. William Seward He was the Senator from New York and was nicknamed Higher Law for his devotion to Christianity. He later became Lincolns presidential rival, but was not nominated in the end. When Lincoln became president, Lincoln made Seward the Secretary of State. Edwin M. Stanton Abraham Lincolns Secretary of War during the American Civil War. His effective management helped organize the massive military resources of the North and guide the Union to victory. The Alabama A major crisis in Anglo -American relationsthe building of commerce raiders. Not warships because they left their shipyards unarmed and picked up their guns elsewhere. The Alabama escaped in 1862 to Portuguese Azores and took on weapons and a crew from 2 British ships that followed it. It had confederate flags but was manned by Britons and never entered a confederate port. It burned yankee merchantmen. Destroyed in 1864 by a union cruiser. The main issue was of British -built confederate raiders. Emancipation Proclamation Issued by Abraham Lincoln, it declared that all slaves in the confederate states would be free, but not slaves in states that did not succeed ie boarder states. Trent Affair Confederacy sent emissaries James Mason to Britain and John Slidell to France to lobby for recognition. A Union ship captured both men and took them to Boston as prisoners. Lincoln ordered their release Merrimack and Monitor The first ironclad warships ever built/ The first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy during the American Civil War, ended the days of wooden ships and sailing would soon turn to steam. Anaconda Plan Union war plan by Winfield Scott, called for blockade of the Southern coast, capture of Richmond, capture of the Mississippi River, and to take an army through heart of the South. Was called the derogatory term anaconda plan because it was supposed to be slow. Border States States bordering the North and South physically. They were slave states, but did not secede.

Jessica Chu Period 6 Appomattox Appomattox Courthouse, located in Virginia. On April 1865, General Robert E. Lee was cornered here by General Ulysses S. Grant. General Lee formally surrendered to General Grant on Palm Sunday, April 9th, 1865. Election of 1864 This is when Lincoln is reelected for his second term during the Civil War. During this time, however, Lincoln was so unpopular that the Republicans joined with the War Democrats to gather the votes of the border states. The Union party nominated Democrat Andrew Johnson as vice president.

GUIDED READING QUESTIONS: The Menace of Secession 1. What practical problems would occur if the United States became two nations? If the United States became two nations, it would have to split or share the national debt and the federal territories. The two would also have to resolve the fugitive-slave issue and the Underground Railroad. The separation will also give an opportunity for European nations to conquer the all powerful United States. South Carolina Assails Fort Sumter Know: Fort Sumter, Col. Robert Anderson 2. What action did Lincoln take that provoked a Confederate attack on Fort Sumter? What effects did the South's attack have? Lincoln, instead of sending military supplies, provided the troops at Fort Sumter merely food to sustain them. However the Confederates considered this an invasion and attacked the Star of the West. This attack enraged the North, starting the Civil War. Lincoln immediately began amassing an army. Brothers' Blood and Border Blood Know: Border States, Billy Yank, Johnny Reb 3. How did the border states affect northern conduct of the war? The border states actually contained a white population more than half that of the entire Confederacy. They states would almost double the manufacturing capacity of the South and increase by nearly half its supply of horses and mules. The strategic prize of the Ohio River flowed along the northern border of Kentucky and West Virginia, and two of its navigable tributaries, the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers, penetrated deep into the heart of Dixie, where much of the Confederacys grain, gunpowder and iron was produced. The Balance of Forces Know: Robert E. Lee, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson 4. What advantages did the South have? The North? The South did not have to win the war in order to win its independence, and merely had to fight the invaders to a draw and stand firm; it also had the most talented officers, such as General Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Also ordinary Southerners were bred to fight, accustomed to managing horses and bearing arms from boyhood. The North, however, also had the advantage of more factories and manufacturers. The Yankees boasted about three-fourths of the nations

Jessica Chu Period 6 wealth, including three fourths of the 30,000 miles of railroads. The North also controlled the sea with its superior navy, and established a blockade that chocked off Southern supplies. Dethroning King Cotton Know: King Cotton, King Wheat, King Corn 5. Why did King Cotton fail the South? Because he had been so lavishly productive in the immediate prewar years and enormous exports of cotton in those years had piled up surpluses in British warehouses. British manufacturers had on hand a hefty oversupply of fiber. Also King Wheat and King Cornthe monarchs of the Northern agricultureproved to be more potent potentates than King Cotton. North blessed with ideal weather, produced bountiful crops of grain. At the same time, the British suffered a series of bad harvests and were forced to import huge quantities of grain from America. The Decisiveness of Diplomacy Know: Trent, Alabama 6. What tensions arose with Great Britain during the Civil War? There was the Trent affair, were a Union warship stopped a British mail steamer, the Trent, and forcibly removed two Confederate diplomats bound for Europe. Another was the Britishs building of the commerce-raiders, such as the Alabama. These vessels were not warship within the meaning of loop-holed British law because they left their shipyards unarmed and picked up their guns elsewhere. Foreign Flare-Ups Know: Laird Rams, Napoleon III, Maximilian 5.What other circumstances led to serious conflict with Great Britain during the Civil War? The Laird rams, two Confederate warships being constructed in the shipyard of John Laird and Sons in Great Britain and designed to destroy the wooden ships of the Union navy with their iron rams and large-caliber guns. American rancor was also directed at Canada, where despite the vigilance of British authorities, Southern agents plotted to burn Northern cities. President Davis Versus President Lincoln Know: Jefferson Davis, States Rights, Abraham Lincoln 8. Describe the weaknesses of the Confederate government and the strengths of the Union government? The Confederate constitution could not logically deny future secession to its constituent states. Jefferson Davis, while making his bow to states rights, had in view a well-knit central government. But determined states rights supporters fought him bitterly to the end. Unlike Lincoln, Davis tended to defy rather than lead public opinion and was often in hot waters with his congress. The North, had a long-established government, financially stable and fully recognized both at home and abroad. Lincoln proved superior to the more experienced but less flexible Davis. Limitations on Wartime Liberties Know: Habeas Corpus 9. Give examples of constitutionally questionable actions taken by Lincoln. Why did he act with arbitrary power?

Jessica Chu Period 6 Lincoln boldly proclaimed a blockade and arbitrarily increased the size of the Federal army. He directed the secretary of the Treasury to advance $2 million without appropriation or security. He suspended the precious privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, and defied a dubious ruling by the chief justice. However he acted with arbitrary power in order to preserve the Union. Volunteers and Draftees: North and South Know: Three-hundred-dollar-men, bounty jumpers 10. Was the Civil War "a rich man's war but a poor man's fight?" Explain. Yes, the provisions were grossly unfair to the poor. Rich boys, including young John D. Rockefeller, could hire substitutes to go in their places or purchase exemption outright by paying $300. The Economic Stresses of War Know: Income Tax, Morrill Tariff Act, Greenbacks, National Banking Act, inflation 11. What was the effect of paper money on both North and South? The federal Treasury netted 2.6 billion through the sale of bonds, which bored interest and which were payable at a later date. Banks that joined the National Banking System could buy government bonds and issue sound paper money backed by them; the war born National Banking Act thus turned out to be the first significant step taken toward a united baking network. The Confederate government was forced to print blue-backed paper money with complete abandon; runaway inflation occurred as Southern presses continued to grind out the poorly backed treasury notes. The North's Economic Boom Know: "Shoddy" Wool, Elizabeth Blackwell, Clara Barton, Dorthea Dix 12. Explain why the Civil War led to economic boom times in the North? New factories, sheltered by the new protective tariffs sprang forth, and the Civil War bred a millionaire class for the first time in American history. Newly invented labor saving machinery enabled the North to expand economically and the sewing machine wrought wonders in fabricating uniforms and military footwear. Producing vast surpluses of grain that when sent aboard helped dethrone King Cotton, they provided profits with which the North was able to buy munitions and supplies from abroad. A Crushed Cotton Kingdom 13. Give evidence to prove that the war was economically devastating to the South. The South claimed only 12% of the national wealth in 1870, and 30% in 1860. The Civil War squeezed the average southern income to two-fifths of the North. Transportation collapsed; the South was driven to pulling up rails from the less-used lines to repair the main ones.

Jessica Chu Period 6 Chapter #21: The Furnace of the Civil War Big Picture Themes 1. The North thought they could win in a quick war. After they lost at Bull Run, the quickvictory approach seemed to have been a mistake. A northern loss on the Peninsula at Richmond reinforced that this would be a long war. 2. The South started the war winning. Turning point battles, which the North won, took place at (a) Antietam just before Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation, (b) Gettysburg which effectively broke the Souths back, and (c) Vicksburg which helped the North control the Mississippi River. 3. Lincoln won a hard-fought reelection in 1864. He did so by starting the Union Party made of Republicans and pro-war Democrats and on the simplicity of the slogan, You dont change horses midstream. 4. General Sherman marched across Georgia and the South and reaped destruction. And the South began to lose battle after battle. These events drove the South to surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. IDENTIFICATIONS Draft riots of 1863 These riots were incredibly violent and concentrated mainly in New York City. They were led mostly by enraged Irish men who felt that the new conscription law was unjust. Many of them also held onto hostility against blacks. Charles Frances Adam He was an American minister who played a pivotal role concerning foreign relations with Britain. He also convinced Britain to stop constructing warships for the Confederacy since it would lead to the ships being used against them after the Civil War. Sherman's March This was when General William Tecumseh Sherman was given the task of conquering Georgia. With his sixty thousand troops, Sherman led a sixty-mile march through Georgia, leaving ruins behind. He and his men obliterated Georgia in order to get rid of Confederate supplies and demoralize the Confederate army as well. Clement L. Vallandigham He was a Copperhead Democrat and he also used to be the congressman for the state of Ohio. He was very outspoken about his desire to end the Civil War, and he was later sent to prison for treason. He was exiled to the Confederate lines by Abraham Lincoln as well. He even tried to run for Ohio governor but did not get enough votes. After that, he went back to his home state. His story is seen as the foundation for Edward Everett Hales piece, The Man Without a Country. Andrew Johnson He was Lincolns running mate in the Election of 1864, and a Southern Democrat. Although he was from the South, he chose to stay loyal to the north, which was part of why he was nominated by the Republicans. He was also nominated in order to balance out the ballot. After Lincoln was assassinated, he took over the presidency, but was later impeached. John Wilkes Booth Booth was a radical Southern supporter and an actor. He was the assassin who murdered Abraham Lincoln in Fords Theater on April 1865.

Jessica Chu Period 6 C.S.S. Alabama This was a war vessel that the British had constructed for the Confederacy. It was technically not considered a warship by the British since they were going to send it to the South unarmed. It was very successful and succeeded in capturing around sixty Union ships throughout its wartime career. National Banking Act This allowed the banks in the US to sell government bonds and create a unified form of currency. This also raised the nations credit and allowed more profit for the war. It was a big step in favor of an actual banking system. Union Party This party was formed when the Republicans merged with the pro-war Democrats. This was a preemptive step taken because Republicans feared Lincoln wouldnt be able to win a second term as president

GUIDED READING Bull Run Ends the "Ninety Day War Know: Bull Run, Stonewall Jackson 1. What effect did the Battle of Bull Run have on North and South? For the south, victory would bore them with over confidence for the war. For the north, it showed they need to buckle down, for the war wasn't going to be a one punch victory. "Tardy George" McClellan and the Peninsula Campaign Know: George McClellan, Peninsula Campaign, Robert E. Lee, "Jeb" Stuart, Seven Days' Battles, Anaconda Plan 2. Describe the grand strategy of the North for winning the war. Total war; devastating the South by burning down cities and cutting off supplies. They also had a superior economy and government. The War at Sea Know: Blockade, Continuous Voyage, Merrimac, Monitor 3. What was questionable about the blockade practices of the North? Why did Britain honor the blockade anyway? They were going in to the technically succeeded South and messing with their supplies. The Pivotal Point: Antietam 4. Why was the battle of Antietam "...probably the most decisive of the Civil War?" It enabled the North to repel the first Confederate invasion of the Union. It also allowed President Lincoln to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. A Proclamation Without Emancipation Know: Emancipation Proclamation, Butternut Region 7. The Emancipation Proclamation had important consequences. Explain. It made the Southerners angry because Lincoln had went against all their morals. Also, Lincoln was making them set free their workers who made up their economy

Jessica Chu Period 6 Blacks Battle Bondage Know: Frederick Douglass, 54th Massachusetts, Fort Pillow 8. African-Americans were critical in helping the North win the Civil War. Assess. They accounted for many of the troops during the war. Lee's Last Lunge at Gettysburg Know: Ambrose Burnside, Joe Hooker, George Meade, Gettysburg, Pickett's Charge, Gettysburg Address 9. Why was Gettysburg a significant battle? It was the turning point for the Civil War, and showed that the Union had won over the Confederacy. The War in the West Know: Ulysses S. Grant, Fort Henry, Fort Donnelson, Shiloh, David Farragut, Vicksburg 10. Describe General Grant as a man and a general. As a general he was ruthless, creating a new war strategy that killed everything in his way. Sherman Scorches Georgia Know: William T. Sherman, March to the Sea 11. How did Sherman attempt to demoralize the South? He used the method of total war; he destroyed everything in his way and cut off supplies making many of the Southerners starve. The Politics of War Know: War Democrats, Peace Democrats, Copperheads, Clement L. Vallandingham 12. Describe Lincolns political difficulties during the war. The war effort was the source of continued disparagement of Lincoln, & dominated his time and attention. From the start, it was clear that bipartisan support would be essential to success in the war effort The Election of 1864 Know: Andrew Johnson, George McClellan, Mobile, Atlanta 14. What factors contributed to Lincoln's electoral victory? First, the progress of the Union military in 1864, and secondly, Lincoln's supporters successfully conducted a campaign that portrayed the Democratic platform as traitorous. Grant Outlasts Lee Know: The Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Grant the Butcher, Richmond, Appomattox Courthouse 15. What strategy did Grant use to defeat Lee's army? Grant's frontal assaults were of strategic and not of tactical and that from a perspective his decisions were effective. The Martyrdom of Lincoln Know: Ford's Theater, John Wilkes Boothe 16. Was Lincoln's death good or bad for the South? Explain. In many ways, the South has not fully recovered from his assassination. Lincoln was in favor of a peaceful and easy return of the Confederate States to the Union. With his death, the

Jessica Chu Period 6 powers that be came down hard on the South plus allowed many Northerners to come South to pillage and plunder. The Aftermath of the Nightmare Know: Lost Cause 17. What was the legacy of the Civil War? There was no more unfair treatment of blacks because slavery was outlawed and the country was finally united again, although it was shaky at first. One unfortunate thing about the Civil War is that Lincoln was assassinated. Varying Viewpoints: What Were the Consequences of the Civil War? 18. Do you agree with those historians who say that the importance of the Civil War has been exaggerated? Why or Why not? I do not. Although the Civil War did have many negative effects on America, it also helped unify and it sparked the ending of racial intolerance, even though it didn't completely eliminate it.

Chapter #22: The Ordeal of Reconstruction Big Picture Themes 1. After the war, the question was, What to do with the southern states? The more moderate Republicans, like Lincoln and his successor Andrew Johnson, lost out to the Radical Republicans who desired to punish the South. 2. The South was divided up into military districts. The southern states were not allowed to reenter the U.S. until the Norths stipulations were met. 3. For Southern blacks, these years were good politically. Since whites wanted nothing to do with the U.S., blacks voted and were often elected to state legislatures and Congress. 4. Economically, freed blacks fared worse. They were no longer slaves, but with little other options, they largely became sharecroppers. The end result was little different and little better than slavery. 5. In 1877, a presidential election was essentially a tie. A compromise was worked out, and the South got the U.S. Army to pull out. This left the southern blacks on their ownsouthern whites reasserted their power.

GUIDED READING The Problems of Peace Know: Reconstruction 1. "Dismal indeed was the picture presented by the war-wracked South when the rattle of musketry faded." Explain After the war, the South was destroyed in every sense of the word. Their economy had plummeted, since the slaves had been freed and banks and businesses were

Jessica Chu Period 6 ruined by runaway inflation. Their land was rendered useless due to Yankee aggression, and they werent able to make any profit out of agriculture until much later. Due to the outcome of the war, many southerners refused to acknowledge the Union or the government and lamented only that they lost. Freedmen Define Freedom Know: Exodusters, American Methodist Episcopal Church, American Missionary Association 2. How did African-Americans respond to emancipation in the decade following the war? African-Americans celebrated their freedom, and if not for resistant Southerners, they would have acted on their newfound freedom much earlier. Since they were able to go out on their own, many African-Americans formed communities and they moved en masse to Kansas. These African-Americans were called Exodusters. Their religion was also incredibly important to them, and they formed a large congregation within the American Methodist Episcopal Church. The Freedmen's Bureau Know: Freedmen's Bureau, General Oliver O. Howard 3. Assess the effectiveness of the Freedmen's Bureau. The Freedmens Bureau was led by Oliver O. Howard, who was a Union general, and thought very kindly of blacks. Despite this, the Bureau wasnt very effective at all. In some areas, it was successful in educating former-slaves. However, in others, the Bureau conspired with former slave owners in order to trick blacks into working for their old masters. All in all, President Andrew Johnson was also quite racist and hated the Bureau himself. It was done away with in 1872. Johnson: The Tailor President Know: Andrew Johnson 4. Explain the strengths and weaknesses of Andrew Johnson. Andrew Johnsons strength lay in his experience with politics, his oratory ability, and his loyalty to the Union. He had refused to secede along with his home-state of Tennessee, and this earned him brownie points with the Northerners. However, with this, came some of his weaknesses. As both a Democrat and a Southerner, he wasnt trusted by the Republicans or the Northerners when he ascended to presidency. He was also quite headstrong and shorttempered, and this was not what the US needed in the time of Reconstruction. Presidential Reconstruction Know: Lincoln's "10 percent plan," Wade-Davis Bill, Radical Republicans 5. How did the Presidents' plan for reconstruction differ from the plan of the Radical Republicans? In terms of reconstructions, the presidents were much more lenient. Lincoln wanted to treat the South with forgiveness, which was evident in his 10 percent plan. This plan stated that the Southern states which had seceded would be welcomed back into the Union if 10 percent of their voters took an oath of allegiance to the US. They would also have to reestablish their state government, and they would be welcomed back. However, Radical Republicans wanted much harsher terms. They proposed the Wade-Davis Bill, which called for 50 percent of voters to pledge their allegiance. It also called for stronger federal backing behind emancipation.

Jessica Chu Period 6 The Baleful Black Codes Know: Black Codes, Labor Contracts, Sharecropping, Debt Peonage 6. How were Black Codes used to keep the freedmen down? The Black Codes were basically designed to emulate the system that existed before the Civil War. Southerners wanted to maintain their racial dominance over blacks, and they also wanted laborers who would work without question, just like slaves. Labor Contracts were designed to be binding documents, and blacks who skipped out on them were brought back by force. Poor farmers and blacks who participated in sharecropping were also looked down upon and threatened some of the Southerners who thought they were being too independent. Congressional Reconstruction 7. Why did northern congressmen refuse to seat the southerners when they came to take their seats? (Hint: there are two reasons -- one moral and one practical) First off, Northern congressmen refused to seat the southerners when they came to take their seats because they didnt forgive them for their actions in the war. They still viewed the southerners as rebels, and they didnt want to work with their enemies so soon. Secondly, the South was politically powerful since the results of the war had freed blacks counting as an entire person rather than just three-fifths. The Northern congressmen didnt want the southerners elbowing them aside and taking control of the White House. Johnson Clashes with Congress Know: Civil Rights Bill, "Andy Veto," Fourteenth Amendmen 8. How did Republicans use their dominance of Congress? What did President Johnson do in response? Using their dominance in Congress, Republicans passed the Civil Rights Bill in order to retaliate against the Black Codes, which were highly hated. In response, President Johnson vetoed each attempt at this every time the issue was raised. However, the Republicans were enraged, and overturned Johnsons veto. After that, they basically took the reins in Congress, and started turning the Civil Rights Bill into the Fourteenth Amendment so Southerners wouldnt be able to get rid of it later on. Swinging `Round the Circle with Johnson 9. How did Johnson's campaigning during the 1866 congressional elections backfire? Why did it backfire? Johnsons campaigning during the 1866 congressional elections backfired due to the public altogether not responding very well to Johnson. His speeches were met with hecklers and jeering, which brought out his quick temper. After lashing out at the crowd, people started talking about his drinking problems once again, which pretty much sealed his political fate. Republican Principles and Programs Know: Charles Sumner, Thaddeus Stevens, Joint Committee on Reconstruction, Moderate Republicans 10. How did the views of Moderate Republicans about reconstruction differ from the views of Radical Republicans? Radical Republicans wanted to keep the Southern states from being restored so quickly since they didnt want the Souths economy to go back to the way it was before the Civil War.

Jessica Chu Period 6 However, Moderate Republicans wanted policies that kept the government from taking away citizens rights. They also wanted to get blacks into the fold in terms of voting. Reconstruction by the Sword Know: Reconstruction Act, Fifteenth Amendment, Military Reconstruction, Redeemers, Home Rule 11. Describe military reconstruction. Military construction was backed by Congress with the passing of the Reconstruction Act in 1867. This was supported by further legislation which allowed Congress to cut the South up into five districts. A general was placed in charge of each district, and Union soldiers patrolled them. This was to control the riots which had broken out in Southern cities, and it effectively alienated ex-Confederates. No Women Voters Know: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Woman's Loyal League, Fourteenth Amendment 12. Why did some women feel that they did not receive their due after the Civil War? Some women felt that they did not receive their due after the Civil War because before the war even started, they had fought for the right to vote for both blacks and women. They were also fervent abolitionists. When the war was over, and the Fifteenth Amendment came, however, they were still not permitted the right to vote. The Realities of Radical Reconstruction in the South Know: Union League, Suffrage, Hiram Revels, Blanche K. Bruce, Scalawags, Carpetbaggers 13. In what ways did African-Americans become politically involved in the years immediately following the Civil War? How did White southerners view their involvement? After getting the right to vote, African-Americans immediately began to organize themselves into groups and makeshift political parties. They created the Union League which was an organization that was pro-Union and located in the North. They supported Republican politicians, and their reach soon fanned out in order to include black churches and schools. In response to the blacks growing political movement, White Southerners were outraged and indignant. They turned most of their rage towards the whites who aided the blacks, calling them scalawags and carpetbaggers. The Ku Klux Klan Know: Ku Klux Klan, Force Acts, Disfranchise 14. In what ways did Southern whites attempt to keep former slaves down? Many radical, racist Southern whites kept the former slaves down through terrorism. They formed the Invisible Empire of the South, aka, the Ku Klux Klan. This group originated in Tennessee, 1866. Their goal was to intimidate upstart blacks and their allies. They kept the former slaves down through cruel tactics such as brutal force, mutilation, and even murder. Johnson Walks the Impeachment Plank Know: Radical Republicans, Ben Wade, Tenure of Office Act, Edwin Stanton 15. How did the Radical Republicans "manufacture" an impeachment of Andrew Johnson? The Radical Republicans had long been planning to get rid of Johnson since he was an

Jessica Chu Period 6 obstruction in the White House. First, they made up rumors about Johnson which stated hed been keeping a harem of dissolute women in the White House. Next, they established the Tenure of Office Act after overriding Johnsons veto. This law stated that the president couldnt dismiss anyone in his cabinet without first getting the OK from the Senate. They finally got their chance to impeach Johnson when he fired Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, who was actually a spy for the Radical Republicans. A Not-Guilty Verdict for Johnson Know: Benjamin F. Butler, Thaddeus Stevens 16. Why were the Radicals unsuccessful in removing Johnson from office? The Radicals were unsuccessful in removing Johnson from office because during the trial, they couldnt get the required two-thirds majority to impeach him. This was because seven Republican senators had voted not guilty, despite what all the others had urged. These people didnt want to encourage the violation of the system of checks and balances and believed that impeaching Johnson would only lead to further abuse of power. Also, Johnson didnt have a vice president, and so with him gone, the presidency would be given to Ben Wade, a Radical Republican. He was not well-liked, and would have given the Radical Republicans everything they wanted. The Purchase of Alaska Know: William Seward, Russia 17. Explain why Alaska was called "Seward's Folly," but was purchased anyway. Alaska was called Sewards Folly, but was purchased anyway because of two main reasons. First off, the sale was being proposed by Russia, a nation that was very civil toward the United States, and the US had no intention of angering their ally. Secondly, many believed thatAlaska would later be a treasure trove of natural resources (which it was), and so they also believed that the whole purchase would pan out. The Heritage of Reconstruction 18. Assess the success of Republican reconstruction. In my opinion, and based on the facts, Republican reconstruction wasnt very successful at all. The South had always been obstinate, and had always fought with the Republicans attempts at Reconstruction. In the South, in response to the Fourteenth Amendment and the blacks right to vote, the Ku Klux Klan was formed. Through terrorism and murder, they intimidated everyone who went against them. Also, it seemed that in its core, the South hadnt really changed at all. The actions undertaken by the Republican reconstruction had only united many of the people, and resurrected the Old South.