Briana's Top Ten: Civil War and Reconstruction by Briana Gonzales

March 3, 1820, Missouri Compromise

briana_gonzales — 2025-10-07 04:22:14 UTC

I chose this event because it was the time where the U.S. had truly been divided into two, socially dividing the certain regions between free and slaves states. Politically, it admitted Missouri as a slave states and Maine as a free states, keeping balance in Congress. It created debate about the expansion of slavery. It also influenced the start of the Civil War, showing that compromise only delayed an inevitable conflict.

May 30, 1854-61, Bleeding Kansas

briana_gonzales — 2025-10-07 04:45:11 UTC

I chose this because this is the first time that political disagreements had become violent. "Bleeding Kansas" was a series of violent confrontations between settlers over slavery's expansion. Many towns were burned, and many were lost. Kansas became a symbol of the country's division. The chaos directly previewed the Civil War. It proved that bloodshed would decide the issue of slavery, not debate.

July 1-3, 1863, Battle of Gettysburg

briana_gonzales — 2025-10-07 04:54:11 UTC

I chose this battle because it symbolized both strategy and hope. The Battle of Gettysburg was a major turning point in the Civil War. Over 50,000 soldiers were killed or wounded. The Union ended up winning this battle. It influenced the war's outcome by marking the beginning of the downfall the Confederacy will soon experience.

April 1861, The Anaconda Plan

briana_gonzales — 2025-10-07 05:05:03 UTC

I chose this event because it reflected how intelligence also played a key role in the outcome of the Civil War. It also highlighted how important resources were. The Anaconda Plan was the Union's strategy to blockade the South and take control of the Mississippi River. Politically, it showed the Union's strategy rather than quick aggression.

1854, Kansas-Nebraska Act

briana_gonzales — 2025-10-08 18:28:37 UTC

I chose this event because it destroyed decades of peace and exposed the government's weakness in handling slavery. This act allowed settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decided whether to allow slavery through popular sovereignty. It repealed the Missouri Compromise and angered abolitionists. Economically, both sides wanted control over the farmland and rail routes of the new territories. it influenced the war's start by turning political disagreements into something violent.

1861-1865, Use of the Telegraph

briana_gonzales — 2025-10-08 18:41:42 UTC

I chose this technology because it gave Lincoln an advantage during the Civil War. The Telegraph allowed President Lincoln and military leaders to communicate long distance. It was a war strategy that helped coordinate movements and inform secret information. Socially, it informed war updates to the public faster than before. It influenced the Union's success by giving them the technological advantage the Confederacy did not have.

Dec. 6, 1865, The 13th Amendment

briana_gonzales — 2025-10-08 18:41:55 UTC

I chose this because it was the war's victory, the reason behind all of the battles and violence. The 13th Amendment officially abolished slavery throughout the United States. Politically, it redefined America's values and ended centuries of oppression on paper. This amendment marked the true end of the Civil War by destroying slavery.

1870s-2000s,Sharecropping

briana_gonzales — 2025-10-09 18:35:50 UTC

I chose this because it showed that freedom was not guaranteed even after the 13th Amendment was passed and ratified. Many freed African Americans become sharecroppers, working in white-owned farms for a small portion of crops. Economically, it kept them trapped in poverty and debt. It replaced slavery with a new form of control, but the they would set something in return instead. Politically, it exposed the South's resistance to equality. Sharecropping influenced the Reconstruction by showing that old systems have turned into new forms of oppression.

March 3, 1865, Freedmen's Bureau

briana_gonzales — 2025-10-09 18:40:22 UTC

I chose this because it symbolized the nation's first attempt at forming justice and equality. Socially, it represented hope and compassion during the time of rebuilding. The Freedmen's Bureau was initially established to help freed slaves transition to independence. It provided housing, food, education, and jobs. It influenced the Reconstruction by laying the foundation for civil rights in the South.

1865-1866, Black Codes

briana_gonzales — 2025-10-10 18:30:01 UTC

I chose this because it revealed that equality on paper was not enough for slaves to have the freedom they were promised. Black Codes were laws that were passed in Southern states to limit the freedom and independence of African Americans. They controlled where they were able to work, where they could live and travel, and how long they could stay outside. Politically, these codes showed how white Southerns could not accept Reconstruction reforms. These laws created further conflict even after the war was initially over.