How was the Civil War won, and what did Reconstruction achieve for African Americans?
The course and outcome of the American Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, the reasons for Union victory, the abolition of slavery, the aims and limits of Reconstruction, and the position of African Americans by 1900.
A focused answer to the Civil War and Reconstruction in OCR's Making of America period study, covering the course and outcome of the war, the Emancipation Proclamation, the reasons for Union victory, the abolition of slavery, the aims and limits of Reconstruction, and the position of African Americans by 1900.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point covers the American Civil War (1861 to 1865) and the Reconstruction that followed. You need to explain the course and outcome of the war, the Emancipation Proclamation, why the North won, the abolition of slavery, and the aims and limits of Reconstruction, ending with the position of African Americans by 1900. It is the climax of the period study and a major test of cause, consequence and significance.
The course and outcome of the war
The Emancipation Proclamation
Why the North won
Reconstruction and its limits
African Americans by 1900
Try this
Q1. What did the 13th Amendment of 1865 do? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. It abolished slavery throughout the United States.
Q2. Explain why the gains of Reconstruction were largely lost by 1900. [Short explanation]
- Cue. White Southerners, the Ku Klux Klan and segregation ("Jim Crow") laws resisted Black rights; literacy tests, poll taxes and intimidation stopped Black people voting, and the Plessy v Ferguson ruling (1896) legalised segregation, so by 1900 most of the new rights had been undone.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR SHP 20198 marksWrite a narrative account analysing the key events of the American Civil War.Show worked answer →
The period study narrative question (8 marks). Reward a linked, analytical account of the war's course.
Stage one. The war began in 1861 when the Confederacy fired on Fort Sumter; the South had better generals early on, but the North had far greater industry, population and resources.
Stage two. In 1863 the tide turned: the Union victory at Gettysburg halted the Confederate advance, and the capture of Vicksburg gave the North control of the Mississippi, splitting the South. The Emancipation Proclamation made ending slavery a war aim.
Stage three. Union generals Grant and Sherman waged relentless campaigns (including Sherman's March to the Sea), wearing down the South until Lee surrendered at Appomattox in 1865.
Top band. Link the stages so each leads to Union victory, and conclude.
OCR SHP 202116 marks'The North won the Civil War mainly because of its greater resources.' How far do you agree with this statement?Show worked answer →
The period study extended judgement (16 marks; no SPaG on Paper 3 period study). Argue both sides with precise support and judge.
For resources. The North had far more people, factories, railroads, money and weapons, so it could replace losses, supply its armies and out-produce the South in a long war.
Other factors. Union leadership (Lincoln's determination, generals Grant and Sherman), the naval blockade strangling Southern trade, the Emancipation Proclamation (adding moral purpose and Black soldiers), and the South's weaknesses all mattered.
Judgement. Weigh resources against leadership, the blockade and emancipation, concluding (for example) that the North's resources were the foundation but that leadership and strategy turned them into victory, with a supported judgement.
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