Reform War and Reconstruction

Answering the following questions 1. What social reform movements emerged from 1820-1850, and how did they address different issues in American society? What arguments did the abolitionist movement put forth concerning their cause? Who was involved in the abolitionist struggle and what strategies did they employ? 2. What led to the U.S.-Mexican War? What were the consequences for native peoples and Mexicans living on the American side of the new border? How did the war bring the slavery issue to the forefront, and what debates/compromises were made concerning the new territories? 3. What factors led to the Civil War? What was Lincoln’s initial argument for fighting the war, and why did his thinking change? How did the war affect northern and southern societies during the conflict? What were the major results of the war for the country and the American people? 4. What were some of the hopes and successes of Reconstruction? What forces were working against change for African Americans in the South, and what were the setbacks? What contributed to the abrupt end of Reconstruction, and what problems remained in the aftermath?

• What social reform movements emerged between 1820–1850 and how did abolitionists argue for their cause and implement strategies?,

• What caused the U.S.-Mexican War and how did it impact Native peoples Mexicans and the slavery debate in new territories?,

• What factors led to the Civil War what was Lincoln’s early stance how did it change and how were societies affected during the war?,

• What were the hopes and accomplishments of Reconstruction and what resistance and setbacks did African Americans face?,

• What caused the end of Reconstruction and what lasting problems did it leave behind?

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1. Social Reform Movements and Abolitionism (1820–1850)

Between 1820 and 1850, various social reform movements emerged in response to moral, social, and political challenges in American society. These included temperance, women’s rights, education reform, prison reform, and most notably, abolitionism. Abolitionists argued that slavery was morally wrong, anti-Christian, and a violation of democratic principles. Prominent figures like Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and Sojourner Truth played key roles. Strategies included speeches, publications (like Garrison’s The Liberator), petitions, and organizing societies. Some abolitionists supported political action through the Liberty Party or direct assistance to fugitives via the Underground Railroad. The movement exposed the deep divisions over slavery in the U.S., laying the groundwork for future conflict.

2. U.S.-Mexican War and Its Consequences

The U.S.-Mexican War (1846–1848) was caused by disputes over Texas annexation and territorial ambition fueled by Manifest Destiny. President Polk’s desire to expand the U.S. into California and the Southwest provoked military conflict. The war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, transferring vast lands to the U.S. Native peoples and Mexicans on the American side faced displacement, land seizures, and loss of cultural autonomy. The new territories reignited the slavery debate, as leaders argued whether slavery should expand westward. This led to heated compromises, including the Compromise of 1850 and the Wilmot Proviso (which failed to ban slavery in new lands), revealing how sectional tensions were escalating.