Civil War Vocabulary & Timeline: Key Events and Terms

Civil War

A conflict from 1861 to 1865 in the United States between the Northern states (Union) and Southern states (Confederacy) primarily over issues of slavery and states' rights.

Freeport Doctrine

A principle articulated by Stephen Douglas stating that territories could exclude slavery by not adopting laws to protect it, despite the Dred Scott decision.

Missouri Compromise 1820

An agreement that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, and prohibited slavery in the Louisiana Territory north of the 36°30′ parallel.

Compromise of 1850

A series of laws aimed at resolving the territorial and slavery controversies arising from the Mexican-American War, including the admission of California as a free state.

Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854

Legislation that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, allowing settlers to determine if they would allow slavery, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise.

Ostend Manifesto

A document that suggested the U.S. should acquire Cuba by any means, including force, if Spain refused to sell it, reflecting the expansionist desires of the time.

Secede

To withdraw formally from membership in a federation or body, especially a political state; notably, Southern states seceded from the Union before the Civil War.

Dred Scott Decision

An 1857 Supreme Court ruling that declared African Americans were not citizens and that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in federal territories.

States' Rights

The political powers held for the state governments rather than the federal government, often invoked by Southern states to justify secession and slavery.

Anaconda Plan

A Union strategy during the Civil War to blockade Southern ports and control the Mississippi River to suffocate the Confederacy economically.

Tariff

A tax imposed on imported goods, which was a contentious issue leading up to the Civil War, as Southern states opposed high tariffs that benefitted Northern industries.

Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order issued by President Lincoln in 1863 that declared the freedom of all slaves in Confederate-held territory.

Plessy V. Ferguson

An 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Gettysburg

A significant battle in July 1863, considered a turning point in the Civil War, where Union forces defeated the Confederates in Pennsylvania.

Gettysburg Address

A speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln in November 1863 at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery, emphasizing equality and the purpose of the war.

Vicksburg

A pivotal battle in 1863 where Union forces, led by General Grant, captured the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi, gaining control of the Mississippi River.