The American Journey: Reconstruction to the Present

Chapter/Prologue 2: A Growing Nation

Chapter Overviews

As the nation's first president, George Washington set several precedents-creating a cabinet, directing foreign affairs, and serving as "chief legislator." Disagreements between leaders eventually led to the formation of the nation's first political parties. Thomas Jefferson the nation's third president, orchestrated the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States by extending its boundaries far west of the Mississippi. Under James Madison, Jefferson's successor, the United States fought the War of 1812 against Britain.

The Industrial Revolution brought changes to all sections of the country. In the North, manufactured goods became cheaper and more widely available, while in the South, the cotton gin strengthened the importance of both cotton and slavery to the region's economy.

During the second quarter of the 1800s, the United States won a war against Mexico, and expanded further into the West and Southwest. The question of allowing slavery in the new territories, however, threatened national unity. In the election of 1860 slavery was a key issue, and Abraham Lincoln won. Most of the Southern states, whose leaders viewed Lincoln as an abolitionist, seceded from the Union, causing the outbreak of the Civil War.

In 1862 President Lincoln freed all enslaved people by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln won reelection as president in 1864. In April 1865, the South surrendered, but the President's assassination just five days later weakened any chances for a peaceful reconciliation between North and South.

The Radical Republicans' version of Reconstruction, advocating voting rights for African Americans and harsh treatment of former Confederates, was set in motion when Radicals gained control of Congress. Eventually, however, white Southerners regained control of their state governments. Reconstruction ultimately led to only partial gains for African Americans.