Civil War and abolitionism of slavery

Antebellum era

As Antebellum era 1781-1860 is considered the period between the American Revolution and the Civil War. After American Revolution, almost whole country was rural, most people lived on farms, plantations or in small villages. There were just 5 important cities: Philadelphia (42 000), New York (33 000), Boston (18 000), Charleston (16 000) and Baltimore (13 000). However, cities started to rapidly grow with massive immigration caused by a wave of economic distress, political repression and religious prosecution in 1840s Europe. A big improvement were railroads that ran thought rich territories.

Very soon new problem for the republic occurred connected with the French revolution of 1789. At first the Americans welcomed the revolution but the old treaty of with France provided that the US must support France in the case of war. Yet George Washington issued Neutrality Proclamation in 1793, making clear that America would not participate in French wars. Before the next elections Washington had decided not to run for a third turn, stating two term serving as a rule. After him, John Adams became the President and later Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was convinced that most of the North America was destined to fall into the hands of the young republic, therefore, by sending out explorers and buying Louisiana.

During the Napoleonic wars General Nelson's naval victory at Trafalgar 1805 assured Britain control of the seas and international incident was inevitable. America adopted the Embargo Act, which stopped Americans from shipping in or out of the country but it brought disaster to commerce so Jefferson was forced to cancel it. In 1812 James Madison reluctantly asked Congress to declare war on Britain and the declaration passed. However, Jefferson as peaceful man did not invest into army much, America had awful generals and overall the war was a disaster for the USA. First they had some success at the sea but then the British overpowered them. Treaty of Ghent in 1814 officially ended hostilities with status quo = the state in which things were before war.

A better period of American history started again after inauguration of James Monroe with the war the boom in agriculture but also latter economic depression. Most states opened up the vote to almost all adult white males regardless of property requirements. Also the outlines of two new political parties were beginning to emerge: The Republicans and The Democrats.

History of slavery

The first who transported Africans to America were actually the Dutch. Slaves were transported on ships in horrible conditions to aid with production of lucrative crops like tobacco. Slaves were property of owners, had no rights, families were often separated and there were slave markets (Jamestown). The first petition against slavery was stated in 1790 by Benjamin Franklin. An abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison started newspapers The Liberator where he openly criticized slavery.

In the decades immediately following the ratification of the Constitution, slavery in the South continued without substantial opposition from the North. Slavery was legal and practiced in most states. Though some in the North viewed slavery as a moral issue, most were indifferent and some even believed that the abolition of slavery would be bad for economy.

Missouri Compromise in 1820 balanced number of slavery and non-slavery states in Union but slavery was still legal in granted states. Fugitive Slave Act 1850 was a controversial act that declared that all runaway slaves be brought back to their masters.

Civil War

The Civil War (1861-1865) was a response to an elected abolitionist President Abraham Lincoln. He was from a farmer family, tried many jobs and studied a lot and then become an advocate and republican congressman. His Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 abolished slavery in the Union with famous statement: „All persons held as slaves within any State, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free. “

11 southern slave states (Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia…) declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederacy with their own president Jefferson Davis and Richmond as capital city. The other 25 states supported the federal government and formed the Union. The problem was that Lincoln (probably with secret impulse from his wife) wanted to completely abolish slavery which was impossible in south colonies whose plantations were based on slave work. Parts of the Union army were also black ex-slaves and Germans who fought for North because they were promised land if they survived.

The Union general was Ulysses S. Grant, Confederacy had General Robert Lee. The war ended in 1865 at Appomattox when the Confederacy surrendered and slavery was outlawed everywhere in the nation. Unfortunately, President Lincoln was assassinated 14 April 1865, five days after South’s surrender. He was shot while watching the play Our American Cousin with his wife at Ford’s Theatre in Washington by well-known actor John Booth. In this year, Later Amendment 13 to US Constitution was added, stating total abolish of slavery.