Link to original video by Heimler's History

GOVERNMENT Policies During the CIVIL WAR [APUSH Review Unit 5 Topic 9] Period 5: 1844-1877

Short Summary:

This APUSH review video focuses on Abraham Lincoln's leadership and its impact on American ideals during the Civil War. Key points include the Emancipation Proclamation, initially framed as a military strategy to deny European support for the Confederacy and to encourage enslaved people to join the Union cause, and the Gettysburg Address, which reframed the war as a fight to fulfill America's founding ideals of equality. The video highlights how these actions significantly altered the war's purpose and legacy. The video uses the Gettysburg Address as a prime example of Lincoln's powerful rhetoric in shaping public opinion and the war's objectives. No specific technologies are mentioned.

Detailed Summary:

The video begins by introducing the topic: how Lincoln's leadership during the Civil War impacted American ideals. The presenter, referencing a previous video on the war's battles, states the current focus is on the Union government's actions.

Section 1: The Emancipation Proclamation: The Emancipation Proclamation is discussed, emphasizing its dual nature. While it freed enslaved people in Confederate territory, it didn't affect those in border states remaining in the Union. The presenter argues it was primarily a military tactic, preventing European intervention and encouraging Southern slaves to defect to the Union.

Section 2: The Gettysburg Address: The video then shifts to the Gettysburg Address, delivered by Lincoln on November 19, 1863. The presenter praises the speech's brevity and impact, contrasting it with the longer, now-forgotten speech by Edward Everett. The entire Gettysburg Address is read aloud, highlighting Lincoln's reframing of the war as a fight to uphold the ideal of equality ("that all men are created equal") and to ensure the survival of a nation founded on that principle. The presenter emphasizes the speech's lasting impact on the war's perception and the nation's understanding of its founding ideals. The quote, "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth," is central to this section.

Section 3: Conclusion: The video concludes by reiterating the significance of the Gettysburg Address and its role in shaping the war's legacy and the nation's understanding of its founding principles. The presenter encourages viewers to like and subscribe to the channel.