Term | Definition |
The Civil War | the war between the UNION and CONFEDERATE states between 1861 and 1865 |
Union | government and army of the US (primarily the NORTH); army commander: General ULYSSES S. GRANT, President: ABRAHAM LINCOLN |
Confederacy | SOUTHERN STATES that SECEDED from the Union; President: JEFFERSON DAVIS |
secession | the WITHDRAWAL of a state FROM THE UNION |
election of 1860 | the election of LINCOLN to the Presidency which was followed by the SECESSION of several Southern states who feared that Lincoln would try to abolish slavery |
Fort Sumter | OPENING CONFRONTATION of the Civil War in SOUTH CAROLINA |
Lincoln’s Call for Troops | AFTER FT. SUMTER, LINCOLN ASKS FOR PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE ARMY IN CASE THEY HAVE TO START A WAR WITH THE SOUTH. MANY SOUTHERN STATES, INCLUDING VA, SECEDE AFTER THIS EVENT. |
Battle of Antietam | Civil War battle in MARYLAND that was the BLOODIEST BATTLE of the war; after the battle, LINCOLN issued the EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION |
emancipation | the state of being SET FREE |
Emancipation Proclamation | the announcement by President LINCOLN, that on Jan. 1, 1863, ALL SLAVES in the CONFEDERATE TERRITORY would be considered FREE |
Battle of Gettysburg | battle in PENNSYLVANIA that was the TURNING POINT of the war; after this battle the North started winning most of the battles. |
Gettysburg Address | famous SPEECH delivered by LINCOLN after the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 to dedicate a CEMETERY for the dead Union soldiers. Contains a famous statement about the United States having a “GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, AND FOR THE PEOPLE.” |
Appomattox | site of LEE’S SURRENDER TO GRANT |
Army of Northern Virginia | primary army of the CONFEDERATE states, commanded by General ROBERT E. LEE |
Abraham Lincoln | PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES during the CIVIL WAR, who INSISTED THAT THE UNION BE HELD TOGETHER, by force if necessary |
Jefferson Davis | PRESIDENT of the CONFEDERACY during the CIVIL WAR |
Ulysses S. Grant | UNION MILITARY COMMANDER, who won victories over the South after several Union commanders had failed; became PRESIDENT DURING RECONSTRUCTION |
Robert E. Lee | CONFEDERATE GENERAL of the ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA who opposed secession, but did not believe the Union should be kept together by force. After surrendering at Appomattox, he urged Southerners to accept defeat and unite as Americans again. |
Frederick Douglass | FORMER SLAVE from Maryland who became a PROMINENT BLACK ABOLITIONIST and URGED LINCOLN TO RECRUIT FORMER SLAVES to fight in the Union army |
Reconstruction | how the United States was RESTORED AFTER THE CIVIL WAR politically, economically, and socially, from 1865-1877 |
Radical Republicans | REPUBLICANS in Congress DURING RECONSTRUCTION who wanted to PUNISH THE SOUTH for the Civil War, and also sought to IMPEACH ANDREW JOHNSON |
Lincoln’s Plan | To reunify the nation under the Federal government and not to punish the South. Famous Quote: “WITH MALICE TOWARDS NONE, WITH CHARITY FOR ALL... TO BIND UP THE NATION’S WOUNDS…” |
Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination | with President Lincoln assassinated by a Southerner and A. Johnson now President, the RADICAL REPUBLICANS CONTROL CONGRESS AND the plan for RECONSTRUCTION (military districts) (they could override any presidential veto) |
13th Amendment | SLAVERY WAS ABOLISHED permanently in the United States |
14th Amendment | states were prohibited from denying equal rights under the law to any American; FORMER SLAVES WERE GRANTED CITIZENSHIP |
15th Amendment | VOTING RIGHTS were guaranteed REGARDLESS OF “RACE, COLOR, OR PREVIOUS CONDITION OF SERVITUDE” (former slaves) |
Civil War Amendments | title given to the 13TH, 14TH, and 15TH AMENDMENTS |
Election of 1876 | election between Hayes and Tilden which ENDED the period called RECONSTRUCTION |
Compromise of 1877 | in return for Southern Democratic support for Hayes in the electoral college vote, the Republicans agreed to END THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF THE SOUTH |
Jim Crow Era | period BETWEEN RECONSTRUCTION and THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT in which AFRICAN AMERICANS in the SOUTH were DENIED the full RIGHTS of American citizenship |
Economic Impact | SOUTHERN STATES economically destroyed and bitter.
NORTHERN INDUSTRY grows to making the U.S. a global trade power. WESTERN STATES are flooded with new settlers because of the completion of the TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD |
Social Impact | AFRICAN-AMERICANS enlist in the army. Many soldiers are DISABLED WOMEN have to MANAGE HOME and LIVE IN POVERTY. some women take on new roles in AGRICULTURE, NURSING, and WAR INDUSTRIES |
Andrew Johnson | LINCOLN’S SUCCESSOR TO THE PRESIDENCY who CLASHED WITH RADICAL REPUBLICANS over the issue of civil rights for freed slaves. He was the first president to be IMPEACHED, but was NOT REMOVED FROM OFFICE. |
Ulysses S. Grant | SPEAKS OUT AGAINST the harshness of the RADICAL REPBULICANS towards the south. Elected PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES; ADVOCATED FOR FREEDMANS RIGHTS |
Robert E. Lee | URGED SOUTHERNERS TO RECONCILE & rejoin U.S. Served as PRESIDENT OF WASHINGTON COLLEGE (now Washington & Lee university) pushed importance of EDUCATION AS THE FUTURE of our country |
Fredrick Douglas | SUPPORTED FULL EQUALITY FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS. Advocated the passage of 14th & 15th AMENDMENTS. Encouraged FEDERAL PROTECTION of the FREEDMEN in the South. Served as AMBASSADOR TO HAITI and in the civil service |