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Summary

World History Class 05

## [1:10 PM] BRIEF RECAP AND DOUBTS

## [1:20 PM] AMERICAN CIVIL WAR (1861-65):

- The civil war was called **"the central crisis"** of American History and Society.
- **Specific Reasons for the Civil War were -**
- Two different systems of life and culture developed in America between the northern and the southern states. The northern states were industrially advanced and became quite prosperous.
- Secondly, the northern states enjoyed a protectionist policy of the federal government providing protection for their trade, commerce, and industry against competition from other countries.
- Thirdly, in the federal financing system, more expenditure was incurred for developing infrastructure which finally benefitted the northern states.
- North became the main center for higher education and learning. Boston, Yale, and Pittsburg universities concentrated in the north naturally made northern society educated and advanced in learning.
- In contrast to the North, a different system of life and culture developed in the South. South dependent more on agriculture, farming, and pastoralism.
- The problem of the South was, she was contributing to federal financing but not benefitting to the extent the North was benefitting.
- Her agriculture turned more expansive, cotton and tobacco crops were labor-intensive crops as such agriculture became costly. Moreover, southern states constantly required new tracts of soil.
- For import and export trade south depended upon the ports developed in the North. This added more to the cost of production.
- The federal government completely dominated by the northern states neglected the concept of development in the south.
- Being a society dependent on agriculture, the South became highly aristocratic and conservative whereas the North was liberal.
- Just as the South lagged behind in education.
- Thus two different systems of life and culture developed in America making civil war unavoidable.
- In other words, it was a clash between the well-developed capitalist economy of the northern states and the developing agricultural economy of the south.
- The **question of slavery** was a secondary issue the real reasons for the Civil War were entirely different, slavery was only an excuse.
- In the Southern states which were into agriculture slavery unavoidable and a **necessary evil**. Whereas for the North it was **"nation's shame"** as America stands for human rights.
- In 1808 slave trade was banned against the interest of the southern states.
- In the city of Boston, a **lawyer by profession David Lloyd Garrison** started a movement for liberating slaves and also **founded a journal called Liberator**.
- The propaganda against slavery started in the North was "unwanted interference" for the South in their internal affairs.
- South took a very serious objection against the North for invoking religion and branding them as **"sinners"**. Northern states even boycotted the South in political and social interaction.
- The main issue connected with slavery was it was going to affect the balance between the North and the South in the legislative assembly congress, in other words, **slavery had political considerations**.
- The new states joining the union as **states with slavery** would be advantageous for the South, as **free states** would tilt the balance in favor of the North.
- This question very often created serious differences, **to begin with, Missouri,** finally joined as a state with slavery.
- The same issue arose with Texas and California joining the Union, **California as a free state and Texas as a slave state**.
- American intellectual and novelist **Madame H.B. Stowe wrote the novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin"** giving a vivid picture of the plight of the slaves.
- For that South's reaction was to remind the Northern states of the exploitation of white labor in North American Industries.
- In 1854 presidential candidate **Stephan Douglas introduced an Act called Kansas Nebraska Act,** according to which the question of whether a state should join the union as a free state or not would be decided by Plebiscite.
- **Nebraska joined as a free state** whereas the contest was quite severe in the case of Kansas, **finally, Kansas also joined as a free state** and it tilted the balance in favor of the northern states. This was definitely not acceptable to the South.
- **In 1867 the chief justice of the** **Supreme Court in his judgment on the Dred Scott case ruled that -**
- *Nigros were not citizens of America as such they had no rights.*
- *They were purchased as such they were the property of the owners.*
- *The legislature had no right to divest the owner of his property*
- The judgment was a major jolt for the North American State's campaign against slavery.
- In the presidential election, the **Lincoln-Douglas debate** the question of slavery figured quite prominently. Lincoln supported by the northern states got elected as the president.
- Southern states decided to separate from the union, they declared their candidate Winston David as President and General Lee as Chief commander. They formed into "confederate states of Southern America".
- For the president elected Abraham Lincoln **"preserving the union was more important than the question of slavery".** Thus it became quite clear that the issue of slavery was secondary and the union is primary.
- In the civil war started south offered stiff resistance. Sensing the role of Red Indians the Union army resorted to communal massacre.
- The southern states were exhausted of resources. War ended as the victory of the north
- ==[2:43 PM] Results of the War:==
- The war did not solve the problem of slavery
- XIVth and XVth Amendments to the Constitution had not addressed the problem of slavery.
- XIVth Amendment declared all liberated Nigros were to be treated as citizens of America.
- Amendment XV provided for not denying citizenship rights to anyone on the basis of community, color, creed, and background of service.
- However, the relevant questions were the criterion, the basis for judging whether a slave is liberated or not is not specified clearly.
- Discrimination of Nigro slaves continues. A **leader like Martin Luther King** had to wage a fight against racial discrimination which means that blacks continued to be discriminated.
- After the Civil War America enjoyed tremendous political stability. She became the largest exporter of manufactured goods. The peace and prosperity of America naturally attracted migrations from Europe to America.
- America had to go for a quota system for granting visas.
- After the war America became highly aggressive in its foreign policy taking advantage of the civil war, **France occupied Mexico** by serving an ultimatum finally America got Mexico vacated by France.
- **America openly supported Cuba** in its revolt against Spain in 1898, Spain was defeated by America and America made Spain surrender the Philippines.

## [3:15 PM] DISCUSSION ON FRENCH REVOLUTION

## NEXT CLASS TOPICS - CONTINUATION OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION