Causes of the War
What issue caused the most division between the North and South before the Civil War?
Slavery caused the most division because the South depended on it for its economy, while the North wanted to limit or end it.
Why was Texas important to the Confederacy?
Texas supplied food, cattle, and weapons to Confederate forces and provided a trade route through Mexico during the Union blockade.
What was the goal of Reconstruction after the Civil War?
The goal was to reunite the nation and rebuild the South while granting rights and freedoms to formerly enslaved people.
What did the 13th Amendment do?
It abolished slavery in the United States.
Define “Union.”
The northern states that remained loyal to the U.S. government during the Civil War.
How did states’ rights lead to conflict with the federal government?
Southern states claimed they had the right to ignore federal laws, especially those restricting slavery, which increased tensions with the national government.
Why was the Battle of Galveston significant?
It was a Confederate victory that regained control of a vital Texas port, boosting morale and allowing continued trade.
What was the Freedmen’s Bureau, and what services did it provide?
It was a federal agency that helped freed people by providing food, education, housing, and job assistance.
What did the 14th Amendment guarantee to African Americans?
It granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all people born or naturalized in the U.S.
What does “secession” mean?
The act of formally withdrawing from a nation or political organization.
Why did tariffs upset southern states?
Tariffs raised prices on imported goods, benefiting the North’s factories but hurting the South’s agricultural economy that relied on trade.
Who was Richard Dowling, and what did he accomplish at the Battle of Sabine Pass?
Richard Dowling led a small Confederate force that defeated a much larger Union invasion, protecting Texas from being invaded by water.
What did Radical Republicans want to accomplish during Reconstruction?
They wanted to punish the South for the war and ensure full political and civil rights for African Americans.
What right did the 15th Amendment give African American men?
It gave them the right to vote, regardless of race or color.
Define “sharecropping.”
A farming system where tenants rented land and paid with a portion of their crops, often trapping them in debt.
What does “sectionalism” mean, and how did it contribute to the Civil War?
Sectionalism means loyalty to one’s region over the nation. It caused people in the North and South to prioritize regional interests instead of unity.
Why was the Battle of Palmito Ranch unusual?
It occurred after the Civil War had officially ended, showing that news of the surrender spread slowly to Texas.
Why did many freedmen struggle economically during Reconstruction?
Sharecropping and lack of land ownership kept many freedmen in debt and dependent on white landowners.
What does Juneteenth celebrate in Texas?
It celebrates June 19, 1865, when enslaved Texans learned they were free, marking the end of slavery in Texas.
What were “Jim Crow Laws”?
State and local laws that enforced racial segregation and limited African Americans’ rights after Reconstruction.
Explain why Texas leaders chose to secede from the Union in 1861.
Texas leaders believed secession protected slavery, states’ rights, and their economy, which relied heavily on enslaved labor and cotton exports.
How did the Union blockade affect Texas during the war?
The blockade limited imports and exports, causing shortages of supplies and damaging the Texas economy.
Why did Reconstruction fail to create lasting equality in the South?
Once federal troops left, southern states passed Black Codes and Jim Crow laws that reversed many of the freedoms gained.
How did the Reconstruction Amendments change Texas society?
They expanded freedom and rights for African Americans but also led to resistance, discrimination, and segregation by white Texans.
Define “Reconstruction.”
The period after the Civil War when the South was rebuilt, and southern states rejoined the Union.