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Election of 1860 (Political)
The election of 1860 was the spark of the states succession in the south. The candidates were Abraham Lincoln, John C. Breckinridge, John Bell, and Stephan A. Douglas. Abraham Lincoln won the election with almost no southern support. Seven states in the south seceded right beofre Lincoln took office, which made the Confederacy. Four states remained border states. The rest were Union states. This is political because Abraham Lincoln became the new President. -
Period: to
Civil War and Reconstruction Era
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Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address (Social)
A link to Abraham's SpeechAbraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address was focused solely on the South. Seven states had already susceeded from the Union and made the Conferate States of America. Lincoln's speech is a social turning point because it sparked the attack on Fort Sumter, which began the Civil War. In fact, this speech was given the eve before the attack. Lincoln tried to prevent this event by saying, "We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies." -
Monitor vs. Merrimac (economic)
First battle of ironclad warships on March 9, 1862. The Merrimac destroyed two Northern warships but then came to meet the Monitor. The engagement ended in a draw. This battle internationally influenced countries to cease building wooden warships and begin using ironclad designs. This is an economic turning point because the new technological advance in ship building made it and economic. -
Conscription Act (Social)
This was an act put in place by the Confederacy. They needed soliders to fight in the war because they had already lost so many. It made it manditory for whites males 18-35 to inlist in the army. This draft led to more volunteering, which added to the bulk of the army. It angered the southerns because they thought it would deplete patriotism. The age was eventually lowered/raised to 17-50. This event is social because it drafted men into the military and took them from their home. -
Battle of Atietam (Political)
The Battle of Aitetam was fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland. It was the first major battle that took place on Union soil. This is the bloodiest, single-day battle in American history resulting in 23,000 casualties. The Union general was McClellen and the Confederate general was Stonewall Jackson. This battle was found inconclusive and hurt both sides with the amount of casualties. This is a political turning point because it led to the emancipation proclamation. -
Emancipation Proclamation (Political)
The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by President Lincoln. It declared all slaves in rebellion states "forever free." It was a war measure during the Civil War from the Union. This proclamation exempted the border states from giving up their slaves. It had very little impact, but made the war for the Union a war against slavery. This document kept Britain and France out of the war, which is why it is a turning point. -
Woman’s National Loyal League (Political)
The Women's National Loyal League was formed by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The purpose of the league was to abolish slavery during the Civil War through a Constitutional amendment. They created the Mammoth Petition, which recieved 40,000 signatures. Many workers in the league were women suffragists who paused in that movement to focur on this one. This is a political turning point because it infulenced the 13th amendment to the US Constitution. -
Battle of Gettysburg (Social)
The Battle of Gettysburg was a 3 day battle that started on July 1, 1863, and ended July 3, 1863. It was fought in Gettysburg, Pennsylvainia. General Lee was on a campaign to invade the North; however, after the Union won this battle, his campaign was shut down. This is often called the turning point of the war because after this battle most people knew the Union would win the war. The Confederacy had lost thousands of soldiers during this battle and couldn't replace them due to econmic reasons. -
National Bank Act (Econmic)
The National Bank Act of 1864 established a national banking system in the US. It was also the begining of a national currency within the country. The main purpose of the act was to provide a reliable market for the government bonds issused in the Civil War. This began a cooperation between state and national banks. This act has had a lasting impact on our banks that we have today, which is why it is a turning point. -
Sherman's March to the Sea (Social)
Sherman began by burning much of Atlanta and forcing the evacuation of most of its civilian population. He led his army of 62 thousand men on a 285-mile trek to Savannah. Thousands of slaves were soon following the army. After taking Savannah, the army went to SC, the first state to secede. He is known as the originator and first practitioner of “total war.” This is a social turning point because Sherman destoryed millions of acres of homes and towns in the South. -
Thirteenth Amendment (Political)
The thirteenth amendment was added to the Consititution as a result of the Civil War. It abolished slavery and involentary servitude, except when used for punishment in the United States. Slavery was not written anywhere in the Constitution, but this amendment made it apart. This is why it is an important turning point in American history. Even after this amendment, African Americans still had a long journey to equality. -
Civil Rights Act (Political)
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 gave African Americans citizenship and prevented discrimination law to be made against them (also known as black codes). Although slavery had ended in the US, many people still didn't want to see blacks as equal. This Civil Rights Act was the first of many steps in gaining equal rights for African Americans, which is why it is a turning point. President Andrew Johnson was impeached over vetoing this act. -
Primary Source for Reconstruction
Link to Website used for primary sourceThis is a political cartoon by Thomas Nast. In this political cartoon he is trying to eurge a compromise from the north with the south. The demorcratic campaign in 1864 was "Compromise with the South." He uses the tombstone reads "In memory of the Union soliders lost in this useless war." Nast it trying to convey the message stop with this fighting and compromise. This is a political turning point because it is urging the south and north to agree, to come together as one. -
Compromise of 1877 (political)
Rutherford Hayes, a Republican, won the election of 1876. This was with almost no help or support from the south. Democrats came to a compromise. They convinced the Republicans to pull the military out of the south, in exchange for them allowing Hayes to stay President. Republicans also agreed to appoint Democrats to patronage positions in the south, and to appoint them to the President's cabinet. This was a political turning point because it ended Reconstruction.
