American History Homework Six Answers - Student Fourteen

DuncanB

1. Abraham Lincoln’s primary goal was not to end slavery, but to keep the Union together, as evinced by his Inaugural Address.

Correct! Good point about the Inaugural Address, and good vocabulary usage.

2. The Thirteenth Amendment officially ended slavery and involuntary servitude in all the United States. The Fourteenth Amendment gave all former slaves citizenship. The Fifteenth gave them the right to vote.

Correct again. Nice and concise.

3. One of the finest American admirals in the Civil War was Commander David Farragut. He was the Union commander at the Battle of Mobile Bay and captured New Orleans. He was famous for his tenacity; at the Battle of Mobile Bay, when his flagship, the Hartford (which was the second ship in his battle line entering the Bay) was forced to stop by the ship ahead because of supposed mines. His vessel was halted right near the Confederate forts, and the Southerners concentrated their fire on the Hartford. Instead of retreating, he led his fleet through the mines (which turned out to be shell cases) and into the bay, destroying the small Confederate fleet there.

Superb, will include in the model answers!

4. If I had been in charge of Reconstruction, I would have made Federal laws which established that black and whites were equal under the law. As it was, state legislatures could make laws which established white superiority. Another thing I would have done was to use force to protect blacks who attempted to vote.

Good points, which raise an interesting question: did Congress act quickly enough to pass federal laws protecting the former slaves?

5. Homeschooling was not as big a deal in Abraham Lincoln’s time as it is now. Schools were still Christian, and those who taught themselves at home used the same materials that others did. However, probably Abraham Lincoln was helped by self-schooling because it allowed him to concentrate on the things which helped him most.

Good analysis, though I'm not sure the same materials were really used. You are right that the public schools were still Christian then, but I bet that attempts to downplay the Christianity was already beginning. This was after the "Enlightenment" in Europe. Your last sentence is superb, and I'll include that in the model answers.

6. The cartoon portrays the way the cartoonist thought the 1864 presidential election would go. In the cartoon, Liberty, the United States, is pursuing Lincoln from the White House as George McClellan enters. The words “This don’t remind me of any joke!” refer to Lincoln’s famous sense of humor.

Good insight, especially the last sentence. Will include in model answers.

7. This cartoon is on the question of whether or not Chinese immigrants should be allowed into the United States. The wall behind Columbia is covered with writing reviling the Chinese, and a mob with weapons is coming to do violence to the Chinaman. Columbia’s words “American means fair play to all men” means that the cartoonist supported the Chinese immigrants.

Excellent!

H2. Without free enterprise after the Civil War, the United States would have struggled to gain economic prosperity for far more than it did. Although some corruption and fraud came with it, it was a good thing.

Right.

H4. Andrew Johnson, both misunderstood and incompetent, was not a good president. He lacked any kind of compromising skills and was hated by nearly every other politician for his stubbornness. There were numerous nasty cartoons drawn of him; in one he is guillotining his political enemies and being crowned king. However, the Radical Republicans hated him and attempted to constrain his powers. Johnson was right to resent this.

Superb. Good reference to the cartoon depiction of him.

H5. Abraham Lincoln came into office without really knowing what to do. He was weak and ineffectual at first, not sure what to do about the southern secession. As his presidency progressed, he grew to be a far better leader.

Excellent.

Terrific answers, with 3 qualifying for the model answers. Perfect score: 100/100. Congratulations!--Aschlafly 08:49, 25 October 2008 (EDT)