APUSH Period 5 Key Terms (Sections 4-6)

Confederate States of America

An illegal, unrecognized state that existed from 1861 to 1865. It attempted to secede from the United States in order to preserve the institution of slavery, as explicitly stated in the secession declarations of several states. It was led by by Jefferson Davis and its capital was in Richmond, Virginia. Its members included: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. It attempted to lay claim to territory in the American Southwest, as well as to Kentucky and Missouri. Union loyalists in Virginia counter-seceded from the CSA to form West Virginia.

Jefferson Davis

The sole President of the Confederate States. Served February 22, 1862 to May 10, 1865. _______ was a Democrat from Mississippi. A veteran of the Mexican-American War, he had served in the House (1845-1856) and Senate (1847-1851, 1857-1861), as well as Secretary of War (1853-1857) under Franklin Pierce. He was a micromanager who hampered the Confederate war effort by refusing to delegate issues or authority to his subordinates. He also lacked the political skill to overcome the decentralized, states' rights structure of the Confederacy, which made him reliant on state governors in a way Lincoln did not deal with.

Fort Sumter

A sea fort near Charleston, South Carolina. On April 12-13, 1861, the first shots of the Civil War were fired there. The Confederate Army fired upon the unarmed merchant vessel Star of the West, which was attempting to resupply the U.S. forces stationed at the fort.

New York Draft Riots

New York City erupted into rioting from July 13 to July 16, 1863. Started primarily by Irish immigrants, hundreds were killed and entire city blocks were destroyed by fire. The rioters feared that newly emancipated African Americans would undercut them in the labor market, and they resented that wealthy men were able to buy exemptions from the military draft.

Civil War

Also known as the American _____, it was fought from 1861 to 1865. Several states seceded to form the Confederate States of America, an illegal act. The Confederacy sought to protect the institution of slavery from perceived interference by Lincoln, who had won the 1860 election without his name even being on the ballot in many Southern states, thus showcasing the relative declining power of the South over U.S. domestic policy. The war cemented the supremacy of the federal government over the states. The death toll is estimated to be over 620,000.

Anaconda Plan

Winfield Scott's four phase plan to defeat the Confederacy. Phase 1 had the U.S. Navy blockaded all Southern ports. Phase 2 had the Navy split the Confederacy in half by taking control of the Mississippi River. Phase 3 had the Union Army cut through Georgia, and then travel up the coast to the Carolinas. Phase 4 saw the Union capture the Confederate capitol at Richmond.

Robert E. Lee

He served as an aide to Winfield Scott during the Mexican-American War, where he gained experience in artillery and troop movements. During John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry, he commanded the mixed force of militia and soldiers that suppressed his attempted slave uprising. However, his legacy would be defined by betraying the U.S. and taking command of the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War.

Antietam

A Civil War battle that took place on September 17, 1862. The bloodiest single-day battle in U.S. history, it saw 22,717 killed. Despite stopping Lee's invasion of Maryland, McClellan failed to exploit an opening to destroy Lee's army and shorten the war, leading to Lincoln removing him as general-in-chief of the Union Army. Nevertheless, ______ offered good enough news to allow Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

Ulysses S. Grant

18th President. Served 1869-1877. He served in the Mexican-American War, where he worked as a quartermaster. During the Civil War, he led Union forces in the West, winning famous victories at Shiloh and Vicksburg. He eventually was placed in command of the whole US Army in 1864, where he fought several engagements with Lee. He supervised Reconstruction and prosecuted efforts against the KKK. He served two terms as president, to decidedly mixed results. The cronyism of his administration led to a push for civil service reform.

Battle of Gettysburg

Arguably the most significant battle of the Civil War. Fought July 1-3, 1863 in southern Pennsylvania. Over 50,000 men died there. It was the final major Confederate push into the North, and Lee's defeat ended any hope of Britain or France recognizing the Confederacy as a legitimate nation. General Meade's failure to chase and destroy Lee's retreating army, however, lengthened the war.

Gettysburg Address

A brief, poignant address by Abraham Lincoln commemorating the Battle of _________. It was delivered on November 19, 1863. Harkening back to the Declaration of Independence 87 years prior, Lincoln proposed the idea of equality—"all men are created equal"—as the core spirit of the Declaration and the Constitution. He goes on to reframe the context of the Civil War as a trial to see if equality can endure rather than being solely an issue of preserving the Constitution's political framework ("the Union").

William Tecumseh Sherman

A Union general. His army captured and destroyed Atlanta in September of 1864. He then marched to South Carolina, and ordered troops to burn and destroy fields, homes, and cities as they marched through Georgia. His goal was to inflict misery on Southerners so they would be compelled to surrender. This strategy made the Civil War the first modern "total war," with citizens as targets. He was able to capture Savannah, Georgia in December 1864 and Columbia, South Carolina in February 1865. Famously disdained war itself, stating that its "glory is all moonshine."

Appomattox Court House

The site of the formal surrender of General Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to Union forces led by General Grant. This act triggered a series of other Confederate forces surrendering, finally ending the Civil War. Took place on April 9, 1865, in the parlor of the house owned by Wilmer McLean.

Emancipation Proclamation

Issued on January 1, 1863, it was an executive order that freed any slave in areas in open rebellion against the United States government. Slavery in the border states was still legal. Despite its limitations, the proclamation did much to bolster the morale of Union troops and supporters at home. However, some Unionists felt betrayed, believing they had been duped into fighting a war for emancipation instead of merely for the Union's preservation. The Proclamation also served to dissuade Britain and France from recognizing the Confederacy, as it reframed the moral context for the war as opposition to slavery. Abolitionism was popular with the voters in Britain and France.

Thirteenth Amendment

It banned slavery and involuntary servitude, and functionally repealed the Three-Fifths Clause. Passed in early 1865 and ratified later that year, this amendment was one of Lincoln's last major achievements prior to his assassination.

John Wilkes Booth

While a famous actor in his own lifetime, ______ is best remembered for orchestrating the assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865 at Ford's Theater. He and his co-conspirators had tried on multiple occasions to assassinate Lincoln. In fact, other key cabinet figures were supposed to be killed simultaneously with Lincoln, but those plots failed for varying reasons. Shot while attempting to evade capture in the ensuing manhunt.