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Civil War Vocab
Mr. Common's class civil war vocab
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Sectionalism | Rivalry based on the special interests of different areas. |
Fugitive | Person who is running away from legal authority. |
Secede | To withdraw or break away from a nation or organization; to officially leave an organization. |
Abstain | To choose not to do or have something. |
Popular Sovereignty | The belief that government is subject to the will of the people. |
Border Ruffians | Armed supporter of slavery who crossed the border from Missouri to vote in Kansas during the mid-1850's. |
Arsenal | A place to store weapons and military equipment. |
Secession | Withdrawal; to leave the union. |
States Rights | The idea that the states should have all powers that the constitution does not give to the federal government or forbid the states; theory that individual states are independent and have the right to control their most important affairs. |
Border State | States between the North and South that was divided over whether to remain in the union or join the Confederacy: Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri. |
Blockade | Actions that keep a country from communicating and trading with other nations. |
Offensive | Actively attacking someone. |
Rebel | A person or group who challenges or questions authority. |
Yankee | A term that was used by Southerners to describe their rivals from the Union, or northern, side of the conflict. |
Blockade Runner | A small group of sailors who sailed goods in and out of Southern seaports under the guns of Northern ships. |
Ironclad | A warship equipped with iron plating for protection. |
Casualty | A soldier who is killed, wounded, captured, or missing in battle. |
Emancipate | To free a group of people. |
Ratify | To vote approval of. |
Habeas Corpus | Court order that requires police to bring a prisoner to court to explain why they are holding the person. |
Draft | A system of selecting people for required military service. |
Bounty | Reward or payment. |
Greenback | A slang term for U.S. dollars. |
Inflation | A general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money. |