The Civil War Homefront
Name three ways Minnesotans living at home supported soldiers during the war.
1) Providing food and supplies, 2) Raising money for families, and 3) providing companionship to their wives and children
What famous 1863 document changed the main goals of the Civil War?
The Emancipation Proclamation
Name at least four events or growing tensions that ultimately led to the start of the U.S.-Dakota War
1) Late annuity payments from the U.S. government, 2) Crop failures leading to starvation, 3) Dishonest traders refusing to provide food on credit, and 4) The killing of five settlers at Acton.
How did the U.S.-Dakota War affect the settlers living in southern Minnesota?
Thousands of settlers fled their homes in fear, many were killed in the initial attacks, and southern Minnesota's economy was temporarily devastated.
True or False? People in Minnesota had differing feelings and opinions regarding the practice of slavery.
True, some people were in favor of slavery, some people were not
How exactly did the Emancipation Proclamation change what the Union was fighting for?
It shifted the war's purpose from simply "preserving the Union" to a crusade for "human freedom" and the abolition of slavery.
After the initial killings at Acton, how did many of the Dakota people choose to fight?
After the Acton killings, many Dakota chose to organize into soldiers’ lodges to launch a full-scale war to reclaim their lands.
How many Dakota men were executed in the largest mass execution in U.S. history?
38 Dakota men were executed in the largest mass execution in U.S. history,
Identify two specific pieces of evidence showing that Minnesotans held different viewpoints on slavery.
1) Some Minnesotans actively worked to abolish slavery (like those helping Eliza Winston), while 2) Others, with business ties to the South, were more hesitant or supported the status quo.
Describe how Eliza Winston fought against the system of slavery.
She successfully sued for her freedom while visiting Minnesota with her slaveholders, using the state's status as a free territory to win her liberty in court
Provide at least three pieces of evidence explaining how the Dakota were forced to give up their traditional way of life.
1) Loss of hunting grounds due to white settlement, 2) Being forced onto small reservations, and 3) The pressure to become farmers and adopt European clothing.
Where were thousands of Dakota imprisoned during the winter?
Fort Snelling
List three specific impacts that the Civil War had on the state of Minnesota.
1) A shortage of farm labor as men went to war, 2) Growth in the state's economy due to wheat production, and 3) The emotional toll of high casualty rates on local communities.
Explain the way Dred and Harriet Scott took action to fight against slavery.
They sued for their freedom on the grounds that they had lived in free territory (Fort Snelling), a case that eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the years leading up to the war, how did missionaries generally treat the Dakota people?
Missionaries often pressured the Dakota to abandon their traditional religions and convert to Christianity, sometimes providing help only to those who changed their ways.
What happened to the Dakota people after the war? Where were they sent?
The Dakota were ultimately exiled and forced out of the state of Minnesota entirely. They lived on reservations in North Dakota and Nebraska.
Describe at least two specific experiences that Charley Goddard had while serving as a soldier during the war.
1) He survived the Battle of Gettysburg but was wounded
2) He witnessed the intense violence of the "First Minnesota" regiment's charge.
Who was Robert Hickman, and what specific actions did he take to fight against slavery?
He was an escaped slave who led a large group of "contrabands" (escaped slaves) up the Mississippi River to Minnesota to find freedom and establish a new community.
What were the main overarching factors that caused the American Civil War to begin?
Slavery, states' rights, and the deep economic and cultural differences between the North and the South.
While the Civil War was fought to preserve the Union and end slavery nationwide, what was the primary reason the Dakota felt they had no choice but to fight a war in Minnesota at the exact same time?
The Dakota were facing starvation due to broken treaty promises, late annuity payments, and the loss of their traditional hunting lands to white settlement.