Question 1

Instructions: Identify the following. Be as specific as possible, and include names, dates, and relevant facts as appropriate. Be sure to explain the significance of the person or term. 
Alexander Stephens

Accepted Answer

Alexander Stephens was an American politician who served as the Vice President of the Confederate States during the American Civil War. He was born on February 11, 1812, in Georgia and was a prominent figure in Southern politics.

Stephens is significant because he was a strong advocate for states' rights and the institution of slavery. He was a key figure in the secession of the Southern states and played a crucial role in the formation of the Confederacy. As Vice President of the Confederacy, he was second in command to President Jefferson Davis.

After the Civil War, Stephens was briefly imprisoned and then elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he advocated for reconciliation between the North and South. He also served as the Governor of Georgia for a brief period.

Stephens' legacy is controversial due to his staunch support of slavery and the Confederacy, but he remains an important figure in American history for his role in shaping the events of the Civil War era.

Question 2

Instructions: Identify the following. Be as specific as possible, and include names, dates, and relevant facts as appropriate. Be sure to explain the significance of the person or term. 
Ex parte Merryman

Accepted Answer

Ex parte Merryman is a significant case in United States legal history, involving the clash between the executive and judicial branches over the scope of presidential authority during times of crisis. The case arose during the early days of the American Civil War in 1861.

**Background:**
John Merryman, a Maryland state militia member, was arrested by Union troops under the command of General George Cadwalader during the Civil War. Merryman was accused of treasonous activities, including the destruction of railroad bridges, which were vital to the movement of Union troops, and he was held at Fort McHenry in Baltimore without a writ of habeas corpus.

**Significance:**
The case is particularly notable because President Abraham Lincoln had suspended the writ of habeas corpus along certain military lines of travel in response to the secession crisis and the beginning of the Civil War. Habeas corpus, a fundamental legal principle, is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, to bring the prisoner to court, to determine whether the detention is lawful.

Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, sitting as a federal circuit court judge, issued a writ of habeas corpus on May 25, 1861, demanding that the military produce Merryman before the court. General Cadwalader, acting under instructions from President Lincoln, refused to comply with the writ, arguing that the President had authorized the suspension of habeas corpus.

**The Court's Decision:**
In Ex parte Merryman, Chief Justice Taney ruled that only Congress had the power to suspend habeas corpus and that the President's order was unconstitutional. Taney's opinion was that the executive branch could not unilaterally suspend habeas corpus and that Merryman was entitled to a hearing before a court.

**Aftermath:**
Despite Taney's ruling, President Lincoln and the military did not release Merryman or recognize the court's authority in this matter, leading to a significant constitutional debate about the separation of powers and the limits of executive authority. The case did not reach the Supreme Court, and therefore Taney's opinion did not function as binding precedent, but it remains a key moment in the history of civil liberties and constitutional law in the United States.

The significance of Ex parte Merryman lies in its exploration of the balance between civil liberties and national security, the separation of powers among the branches of government, and the extent of presidential power in times of emergency. The issues raised in this case continue to resonate in contemporary debates over executive authority and individual rights.

Question 3

Instructions: Identify the following. Be as specific as possible, and include names, dates, and relevant facts as appropriate. Be sure to explain the significance of the person or term. 
First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas)

Accepted Answer

The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the First Battle of Manassas, was the first major land battle of the American Civil War. It took place on July 21, 1861, near the city of Manassas, Virginia, not far from the national capital of Washington, D.C.

Significance:
The battle is significant for several reasons. It shattered the illusion that the conflict would be short, as many in the North and the South had hoped or believed. The battle demonstrated that both sides were in for a long and grueling war. It also highlighted the need for more prepared and better-trained troops, as the battle was characterized by confusion and lack of discipline on both sides.

Participants:
The Union forces were led by Brigadier General Irvin McDowell, while the Confederate forces were commanded by Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard. General Joseph E. Johnston brought his Confederate troops from the Shenandoah Valley to reinforce Beauregard's army, which was a crucial factor in the Confederate victory.

Course of the Battle:
The Union army initiated the battle with the intent of striking a quick blow to the Confederate forces and then marching on to the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. However, despite early successes, the Union troops were unable to maintain their momentum. Confederate reinforcements arrived by rail, and the tide of the battle turned. The Union forces were eventually driven back in a chaotic retreat towards Washington, D.C.

Aftermath:
The Confederate victory gave the South a surge of confidence and momentum. In the North, the defeat led to a realization that the war would not be won as easily as many had hoped. It prompted President Abraham Lincoln to sign legislation authorizing the recruitment of 500,000 men for up to three years of service, indicating a preparation for a much longer conflict.

The First Battle of Bull Run also saw the rise of General Thomas J. Jackson to prominence, who earned his famous nickname "Stonewall" Jackson during the battle for standing like a stone wall against Union forces.

The battle had about 4,700 Union casualties (killed, wounded, captured, or missing) and about 1,980 Confederate casualties. It was a relatively small engagement compared to later battles in the Civil War, but at the time, it was the largest and bloodiest battle in American history, setting the stage for the brutal warfare that would follow over the next four years.

Question 4

Instructions: Identify the following. Be as specific as possible, and include names, dates, and relevant facts as appropriate. Be sure to explain the significance of the person or term. 
Jay Cooke

Accepted Answer