Study Guide for Semester 2 History Final: Civil War & Reconstruction

Uncle Tom's Cabin

An anti-slavery novel published in 1852 that depicted the harsh realities of slavery and significantly fueled abolitionist sentiment in the North.

John Brown's Raid

An attempt by abolitionist John Brown and his followers to seize a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in October 1859, hoping to spark a slave rebellion.

North's view on federal government

Generally favored a strong federal government with centralized power and federal supremacy.

South's view on federal government

Advocated for states' rights, believing individual states had more power and could nullify federal laws or secede.

Advantages of the North (Union)

Larger population, more industrial capacity (manufacturing), extensive railroad network, stronger navy, established government and financial system.

Advantages of the South (Confederacy)

Fighting on home soil (defensive advantage), strong military leadership early on, experienced military tradition, hoped for foreign support based on 'King Cotton.'

Capital of the Confederacy

Richmond, Virginia.

Capital of the Union

Washington, D.C.

Roles of men in the military

Served primarily as soldiers (infantry, cavalry, artillery) and support staff in both Union and Confederate armies.

Roles of women in the military

Served as nurses, spies, disguised themselves as soldiers, ran farms/businesses on the home front, and organized aid.

Roles of teenagers in the military

Many served as drummer boys, buglers, couriers, and sometimes as soldiers (often lying about their age).

Roles of African Americans in the military

Initially excluded but later enlisted in the Union army, fighting as soldiers. They often faced discrimination and were paid less.

African American soldiers during the Civil War

United States Colored Troops (USCT).

Reasons schools closed during war times

Closed due to teachers/students enlisting, buildings being used for military purposes (hospitals, barracks), and lack of funding.

Reasons churches closed during war times

Saw reduced services or acted as shelters/hospitals due to manpower shortages and being in war zones.

General Scott's Anaconda plan

A Union strategy to 'squeeze' the Confederacy.

Basic Steps of the Anaconda Plan

1. Blockade Southern ports. 2. Control the Mississippi River to split the Confederacy. 3. Capture the Confederate capital (Richmond).

Fort Sumter

Battle that started the Civil War (April 1861).

Battle of Gettysburg

(July 1-3, 1863) A decisive Union victory in Pennsylvania that was a turning point, halting the Confederate invasion of the North.

Abolitionists urging Lincoln

Prominent abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison strongly urged Lincoln to make the war about ending slavery.

Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order by President Abraham Lincoln that declared enslaved people in Confederate states to be free.

Preliminary Proclamation Date

Signed on September 22, 1862.

Final Proclamation Date

Signed on January 1, 1863.

Shift in Civil War Goals

Expanded the war's purpose from solely preserving the Union to also include the moral cause of ending slavery.

Lincoln's Justification for Emancipation

Used his power as commander-in-chief as a war measure to weaken the enemy and believed he did not have the constitutional authority to abolish slavery outright.

Appomattox Courthouse

Site in Virginia where Confederate General Robert E. Lee formally surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery throughout the United States (1865).

14th Amendment

Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and guaranteed equal protection and due process under the law (1868).

15th Amendment

Prohibited the denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude (1870).

Carpetbaggers

Derogatory term used by Southerners for Northerners who moved to the South during Reconstruction, often viewed as opportunistic exploiters.

Scalawags

Derogatory term used by Southerners for white Southerners who supported the Republican Party and Reconstruction policies after the Civil War.

Sharecroppers

System of labor where landowners allowed tenant farmers (often former enslaved people) to use their land in exchange for a share of the crops.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws enacted in the post-Reconstruction South to disenfranchise and segregate African Americans, enforcing racial segregation in public facilities.