American History Homework Six Answers - Student 21

Jenna N.

1\. Was the main goal of the newly elected President Lincoln to end slavery, or save the Union?

Abraham Lincoln’s main goal was to save the Union.

Correct.

2\. Explain the purposes of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution.

The purpose of these three Amendments of the Constitution was to give rights to African Americans. The 13th Amendment banned Slavery. The 14th Amendment protected the rights of citizens against interference by the State. And finally, the 15th Amendment established that men of any color and any race have the right to vote.

Correct again!

3\. Who was your favorite military figure from the Civil War, and why?

Robert E. Lee was my favorite military figure of the Civil War. Even though he was not on the side of justice, I respect the loyalty that he gave to his home state through fighting for its political views. He was a military genius who was honored by both his army and the apposing army. When he did finally surrender, it was because his army could no longer stand. If he had not surrendered, many more young men would have been unnecessarily taken by the cruelness of war. He truly was an incredible man with his sights set in the wrong direction.

Superb analysis.

4\. How would you have handled Reconstruction differently?

I would not have used so much military force. Andrew Johnson sent too many soldiers into the South to keep control. Although some military enforcement was needed, I believe that Johnson overdid it. Everyone was sick of war. Soldiers were ready to go home and families had been broken in pieces for way too long.

Excellent, will use as a model.

5\. Abraham Lincoln was homeschooled. Do you see any characteristics in him that might have reflected his homeschooling, such as his independent thinking?

Through being homeschooled, Lincoln was more considerate of people of all ages and ways of life. A quote from Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt shows how an eleven year old boy in 1863 saw how Lincoln had something different and refreshing:

“Mr. Lincoln was a man who looked at problems from all sides. Mr. Lincoln was not a faraway man like General McClellan or Senator Sumner of State Seward. Mr. Lincoln had plowed fields in Illinois; he had thought of the problems men came up against; he was not ready to say, ‘Everything on this side on the line is right, and everything on the other side is wrong.’”

Superb analysis and quote. That's Senator "Sumner" (I fixed it for you!).

6\. Please interpret the cartoon about the dream to the right. Its title is "Abraham's dream!--'Coming events cast their shadows before.'" Lincoln is fleeing to left while wearing a Scotsman's plaid cap and a cape. He declares, "This don't remind me of any joke!!"

The artist shows President Lincoln tormented by nightmares of defeat in the election of 1864. The President is lying on a bed with a blanket of stars over him. In his dream Columbia is standing at the door of the White House wielding the severed head of a black man. Lincoln is wearing a Scotsman's plaid cap and a cape and carrying a valise. The cap and cloak were put in because of the incident in 1861 before Lincoln's first inauguration. The press made the most of Lincoln's timidity and tried to exaggerate the fact that he rode in a disguise to be inaugurated as President.

Correct, and terrific analysis.

7\. Please interpret the cartoon with Columbia below. The caption is, "The Chinese Question." Columbia says, "Hands off, gentlemen. America means fair play for all men."

This political cartoon was drawn by Thomas Nast and published on February 18, 1871. Nast was trying to defend the Chinese immigrants against prejudice and discrimination. Many Chinese were mislead into working in America by violence, kidnapping or broken promises. Democrats who had power in Tammany Hall were trying to make it seem as though the Chinese where invading America. The article in the Harper’s Weekly which this cartoon was published in showed that the so called ‘Chinese Invasion’ was completely mythical. This cartoon represents how America should be protecting the Chinese from the angry Democrats. Nast does this by showing Colombia protecting a Chinese man from a group of thugs.

Superb analysis again! Work a bit on spelling: "misled", not "mislead".

Perfect paper! Congratulations: 70/70.