Unit 5 Vocabulary (Chapters 13-15) part 2

Crittenden Compromise

An 1860 proposal aimed at preventing Civil War by guaranteeing slavery in slave states and reestablishing the Missouri Compromise.

Homestead Act

The 1862 law allowing citizens to claim 160 acres of public land, purchasable after five years at a low price.

Greenbacks

Paper currency that fluctuated in value based on Union victories during the Civil War.

Andrew Johnson

President after Lincoln's assassination; alienated both moderate and Radical Republicans, was impeached but not convicted.

Battle of Antietam

The bloodiest battle of the Civil War, resulting in a Union victory that allowed Lincoln to announce the Emancipation Proclamation.

54th MA Infantry

A renowned black regiment in the Union Army, commanded by Robert Shaw, noted for its sacrifice in battle.

Sherman's March to Sea

Sherman's military campaign that included the destruction of Atlanta and a path through Georgia to diminish Confederate morale.

U.S. Sanitary Commission

Founded by Dorthea Dix, it organized nursing efforts during the Civil War and improved health standards in military hospitals.

Clara Barton

Founder of the American Red Cross and a key figure in nursing and medical supply distribution during the Civil War.

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederate States of America, often seen as unsuccessful in providing national leadership.

Ulysses S. Grant

Union general who won key battles and later became president; faced corruption issues during his administration.

Monitor and Merrimac

Conflict between two ironclad warships that represented a significant naval engagement during the Civil War.

Jayhawkers

Bands of Union sympathizers in Kansas known for their militant resistance against pro-Southern factions.

Freedman's Bureau

Agency established in 1865 to assist former slaves with work, education, and land redistribution.

Thaddeus Stevens

Radical Republican leader who advocated for punitive measures against Confederate leaders and supported land redistribution.

Black Codes

Laws enacted in Southern states post-Civil War to restrict the rights of freed slaves and maintain white supremacy.

13th Amendment

Constitutional amendment passed in 1865 that abolished slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment

Constitutional amendment that defined citizenship and protected citizens against state violations of rights.

15th Amendment

Constitutional amendment forbidding states from denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous servitude.

Tenure of Office Act

Law that restricted the president's ability to remove civil officials without Senate approval, resulting in Andrew Johnson's impeachment.

Civil Service Reform

Efforts to establish merit-based hiring for federal jobs, culminating in the Pendleton Act of 1883.

Credit Mobilier

Scandal involving a construction company that profited from Union Pacific Railroad contracts and bribed politicians.

Compromise of 1877

Political agreement that resolved the disputed 1876 election by allowing Hayes to become president in exchange for withdrawing federal troops from the South.

Sharecroppers

Farmers who worked land owned by others in exchange for a share of the crops, often remaining in poverty.

Booker T. Washington

Educator and advocate for black self-improvement through vocational training rather than social agitation.

Atlanta Compromise

Washington's philosophy suggesting that economic improvement for blacks would ultimately lead to political equality.

Jim Crow

State laws enforcing racial segregation and disenfranchisement in the Southern United States post-Reconstruction.

Plessy Vs. Ferguson

1896 Supreme Court case establishing the 'separate but equal' doctrine, legitimizing racial segregation.

Literacy Tests

Voting requirement designed to disenfranchise black voters by testing reading and interpretation skills.