Sectional crisis

The Democratic Party was split along sectional lines talking about slavery because of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Notably, this occurred in 1853. However, they had confidence during this split. Indeed, this was because they had retained their seats in the previous year after elections and the voters trusted them. The divide emerged when the inspired senator of Illinois Stephen A. Douglas presented further amendments to a bill which was prepared in 1853 (Locke and Ben). The reorganization of the Nebraska Territory was the aim of presenting the bill. Remarkably, the Nebraska zone was large and extended from Texas to the Canadian border. With the introduction of Douglas’s bill to amend it in 1854, it resulted in the Democratic Party to break into two and thus splitting the nation apart.

CHAPTER 14- THE CIVIL WAR

In 1864, the new tactics of hard war emerged. In early 1864, Grant was made the general-in-chief of the Union army after succeeding in the war in Vicksburg and Chattanooga, Tennessee and Meade’s pursuit of Lee. Notably, in the west, Union armies which were led by William Tecumseh Sherman introduced hard war policies and encroached through the central Tennesse and northern Georgia controlling the vital rail hub of Atlanta. In the years 1864 to 1865, the Confederate organization was destroyed by the Union campaigns in the West and East (Locke and Ben). Sherman led his troop to Savannah and took over it as a Christmas gift to Lincoln. Later, his troop entered the Confederacy in South Carolina in 1865.

While there, he managed to destroy Columbia, South Carolina and arrested Charleston. With this, secession occurred. Later, Lee surrendered to Grant in a Court House in 1865. Essentially, this resulted to the end of the Confederate military operations.

CHAPTER 15- RECONSTRUCTION

When the northerners deserted the cause of the previous slaves, and the Democrats reclaimed the southern politics, it resulted to the end of reconstruction in 1877 (Locke and Ben). Majorly, this started after the Depression of 1873. The economic issues was made the main agenda in the nation. Indeed, this was after it was declared that Jay Cooke and Company were bankrupt. Notably, this resulted in the laboring class to suffer. With the poor economy, the Democrats were able to control the House of Representatives after the election in 1874 making it difficult for the legislatures to control Reconstruction. Later, in 1887, the Republicans conceded their presidency to Hayes who was a Democrat under the condition that the troops who are in the South would be removed. Having in mind that the Republicans were championing for Reconstruction, with the introduction of the Democrat president, it resulted to its end.

Works Cited

Locke, Joseph, and Ben Wright. “The American Yawp.” (2015).