Chapter 28: We Are All Americans
Abraham Lincoln followed the Union soldiers to Richmond to see it.
Meanwhile, at Appomattox Courthouse, Lee was cornered; finally, he surrendered to Grant. As the news of the surrender spread, many started cheering and shooting; Grant put a stop to it, saying that the Union was now one. He also sent rations for Lee's army.
Three days later, a formal ceremony took place in which Confederate troops gave up their weapons and surrender their flags. Confederate officers and soldiers were allowed to go back home and take their horses with them.
All of these actions led to reuniting the North with the South. Lincoln promised to have a new policy for reconstructing the Union.
If you're still here, Mr. Zuber, I think I've learned everything I will ever need to know about the Civil War. 900 pages succeeded in doing that much! :)
And aww, Grant cried when Lincoln was assassinated. (I'm warming up to him XD)
Abraham Lincoln followed the Union soldiers to Richmond to see it.
Meanwhile, at Appomattox Courthouse, Lee was cornered; finally, he surrendered to Grant. As the news of the surrender spread, many started cheering and shooting; Grant put a stop to it, saying that the Union was now one. He also sent rations for Lee's army.
All of these actions led to reuniting the North with the South. Lincoln promised to have a new policy for reconstructing the Union.
If you're still here, Mr. Zuber, I think I've learned everything I will ever need to know about the Civil War. 900 pages succeeded in doing that much! :)
And aww, Grant cried when Lincoln was assassinated. (I'm warming up to him XD)
Key Terms:
- Appomattox Court House: Lee forced to totally surrender at this court house in 1865; Union treated enemy with respect and allowed Lee's men to return home to their families with their horses
- Special Field Orders, No. 15: issued by General Sherman on January 16, 1865, and said that confiscated land along the Atlantic Coast (Sea Islands) were to be settled by freed slaves and blacks; revoked by Andrew Johnson later that year.
- John Wilkes Booth: Lincoln's assassin
Questions:
- Was the pardoning of Confederates established by Lincoln or Andrew Johnson?
Citations:
- McPherson,
James M. "28: We Are All Americans." In Battle Cry of
Freedom, 831-852. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
- Accessed
March 11, 2015.
I wrote one for class... appreciated the help through the semester. Here's my version on Chapter 28.
ReplyDeleteThe contradictions about whether to admit the enslaved into military service were far and wide. With the loss at Gettysburg and the evacuation at Vicksburg, the Confederacy was a bit more open to the notion of having the enslaved fight for their masters. Still, many remained in denial and were too proud to even consider it, let alone expect such feeble subjects to handle the task of being reliable in war. The governor of Louisiana was all for allowing them into battle, but when put on the spot, he and the governor of Virginia would back pedal and deny the idea that blacks should be allowed to carry arms.
Jefferson Davis would take yet another approach and pushed for Congress to buy some 40,000 to serve with the inclination of earning their freedom if they showed due loyalty for the southern cause. Nonetheless the argument would be made that “To save the rest of these cherished possessions we must sacrifice the first.” (McPherson, 832) To even entertain the idea of granting their independence was to entertain the notion of abolitionism. The state of Virginia would create 2 companies at Richmond, but their time in battle would never occur.
President Lincoln would push ahead seeing the 13th Amendment as his reason for re-election. He would reach out to Democrats hoping they would consider the power of a majority and agree with the passing of the measure. Many would refuse on the grounds that the war may end slavery, but they didn’t want to be part of its downfall. Secretary of State Seward would do an amazing job of lobbying to secure the Amendment’s passing. Some Democrats chose to not vote or attend the session altogether.
With the formal surrender from Lee to Grant, there seemed little to celebrate. Grant somberly viewed the reason for the war to be one that was damned from the start. “The rebels are our countrymen again, and the best sign of rejoicing after the victory will be to abstain from all demonstrations.” (McPherson, 850) This directive allowed southern soldiers to leave their military posts with dignity.