Civil War and 19th Century U.S. History Key Concepts

What was the Compromise of 1850?

A series of laws intended to ease tensions between free and slave states, admitting California as a free state and enacting a stronger Fugitive Slave Act.

What was the Fugitive Slave Act?

A law that required citizens to assist in the return of escaped enslaved people.

What was 'Bleeding Kansas'?

Violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas, resulting from the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

What did the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 allow?

It allowed settlers to decide on slavery in new territories by popular sovereignty, leading to violence.

What was the significance of the Dred Scott decision?

The Supreme Court ruled that enslaved people were not citizens and that Congress could not ban slavery in the territories.

What was the Emancipation Proclamation?

An executive order by Abraham Lincoln that freed enslaved people in Confederate-held territories.

What was the outcome of the Battle of Antietam?

It became the bloodiest single day in U.S. history.

What was the Homestead Act of 1862?

A law that encouraged Western settlement by offering free land to settlers.

What event marked the beginning of the Civil War?

Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor on April 12, 1861.

What was the significance of John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry?

It was an attempt to initiate an armed slave revolt by seizing a U.S. arsenal.

What did the 13th Amendment accomplish?

It abolished slavery throughout the United States.

What was the impact of new technologies like the railroad and telegraph during the Civil War?

They allowed for rapid troop movement, real-time communication, and brought the realities of battle to the public.

What was the result of the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860?

He won without any Southern electoral votes, leading to the secession of Southern states.

What was the caning of Charles Sumner?

An attack on Senator Sumner by Preston Brooks, which highlighted the violent tensions over slavery.

What were the goals of the Compromise of 1850?

To ease tensions between free and slave states and maintain the balance of power.

What were the terms of the Missouri Compromise?

The terms of the Missouri Compromise allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while banning slavery north of the 36°30′ latitude line in the Louisiana Territory.

What caused Southerners to oppose the Wilmot Proviso?

Southerners opposed the Wilmot Proviso because it would have banned slavery in all territory gained from Mexico, threatening the expansion of the slave system.

How did gradualism differ from abolitionism?

Gradualism called for the slow, compensated end of slavery over time, while abolitionism demanded the immediate and complete end of slavery.

How did Nat Turner's rebellion affect Southern attitudes towards abolition?

It terrified Southern slaveholders, leading to harsher slave laws and stricter control over enslaved people.

What was the significance of Lincoln's re-election in 1864?

It signaled support for continuing the war to achieve victory.

What was the first state to secede from the Union?

South Carolina, on December 20, 1860.

What were the unintended consequences of the Fugitive Slave Act?

The unintended consequences of the Fugitive Slave Act were that it angered many Northerners, led to widespread resistance and defiance of the law, and increased support for the abolitionist movement.

What were the main goals of the Compromise of 1850?

To ease tensions between the North and South by admitting California as a free state, allowing popular sovereignty in the territories, ending the slave trade in Washington, D.C., and enforcing a stricter Fugitive Slave Law.

Which laws and political developments deepened the split between the North and South?

The Fugitive Slave Act, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the rise of the Republican Party, and the Dred Scott decision.

What was the effect of the Dred Scott decision on sectional tensions?

It ruled that Congress had no power to ban slavery in the territories, convincing Northerners that the government favored Southern slaveholders and driving the nation closer to civil war.

What factor contributed to Abraham Lincoln's victory in the 1860 presidential election?

The Democratic Party was divided between Northern and Southern candidates, allowing Lincoln to win the Electoral College with strong Northern support despite little backing in the South.

What actions did Lincoln take to prevent Maryland's secession?

He placed Maryland under military control and arrested pro-Confederate leaders to keep Washington, D.C. surrounded by Union territory.

How did the actions at Fort Sumter trigger the Civil War?

Confederate forces fired on the federal fort after Lincoln refused to surrender it, leading him to call for troops and prompting more Southern states to secede.

What were the North's main political challenges after the Civil War began?

Maintaining support for the war and managing divisions within the Union.

What challenge did the South face after the Civil War began?

Gaining foreign recognition and maintaining unity among its states.

Why did many Southerners oppose a war of attrition?

It required prolonged fighting and high casualties, which the South's smaller population and limited resources could not sustain.

What was the plan the Union developed to defeat the Confederacy? Describe its approach?

The Union developed the Anaconda Plan, which aimed to blockade Southern ports and gain control of the Mississippi River to cut off supplies and divide the Confederacy.

Why was the Union's campaign to control the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers successful?

It used ironclad gunboats and coordinated attacks to capture key forts and open a route deep into the South.

Why did President Lincoln issue the Emancipation Proclamation?

To weaken the Confederacy by freeing enslaved people in rebelling states and to give the war a moral purpose tied to ending slavery.

What hardships did soldiers on both sides experience during the Civil War?

Disease, poor food, harsh weather, long marches, and the constant threat of injury or death in battle.

How did the roles of women change during the Civil War?

Women took on new responsibilities, working as nurses, managing farms and businesses, and supporting the war effort on the home front.

What was the significance of the Union victory at Vicksburg?

It gave the Union control of the Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy in two and cutting off vital supplies to the South.

How did the Battle of Gettysburg affect Confederate forces?

It weakened Confederate forces by causing heavy casualties and forcing General Lee's army to retreat, ending the Confederacy's hopes of invading the North.

What effect did the Union strategy at Mobile have on the South?

It crippled the South's ability to use one of its last major ports, tightening the blockade and further limiting Confederate trade and supplies.

Why did General Sherman support destroying much on the March to the Sea?

To break the South's will to fight by destroying railroads, crops, and supplies that supported the Confederate war effort.

Why was Lincoln's reelection in 1864 consequential?

It ensured the continuation of the war effort until Union victory and confirmed public support for ending slavery.

What effect did the Union's victory in the war have on the federal government?

It strengthened the federal government's authority over the states and established the supremacy of national power over states' rights.

What was the significance of the telegraph during the Civil War?

The telegraph revolutionized communication, giving the North a clear advantage by enabling instant communication and real-time battlefield coordination.

Who sent the first successful public telegraph message, and what was it?

Samuel Morse sent the first successful public telegraph message, 'What hath God wrought?' from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore on May 24, 1844.

How did photography impact public perception during the Civil War?

Photography documented the war extensively, humanizing the conflict and influencing public opinion through images of battlefields and soldiers.

Which photographers were notable for their work during the Civil War?

Mathew Brady, Alexander Gardner, and Timothy O'Sullivan were significant photographers who captured scenes of the war.

What role did railroads play in the Civil War?

Railroads facilitated the rapid transportation of troops and supplies, giving the North a significant logistical advantage over the South.

When did railroads become commercially viable in the United States?

Railroads became commercially viable in the 1830s, with the opening of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1830.

What was the impact of steam engines during the Civil War?

Steam engines revolutionized transportation and naval warfare, allowing for steam-powered trains and ironclad warships that could maneuver independently of wind.

What was the first commercially successful steam locomotive?

George Stephenson's Locomotion No. 1, which began operations in 1825.

What was Eastman Johnson known for during the Civil War?

He vividly portrayed the lives of Black Americans, exemplified in his painting 'A Ride for Liberty - The Fugitive Slaves' (1862).

How did Winslow Homer contribute to Civil War art?

Homer captured scenes from army camps and battlefields, gaining recognition for his illustrations, such as 'Home, Sweet Home' (1863).

What was the 'hoop skirt' and its significance?

The hoop skirt was a popular women's fashion from the 1830s to the 1860s, symbolizing affluence through its elaborate design.

What characterized men's fashion in the 1860s?

Men's fashion evolved to include fitted coats and tapered pants, with the frock coat becoming central to a dignified look.

what clothes make now we wear developed from Civil War uniform production.

what tech

ready-to-wear clothing
standardized sizing

sewing machine technology

What shift occurred in men's facial hair during the Civil War era?

Facial hair became a symbol of rugged masculinity and moral strength, marking a dramatic shift from earlier clean-shaven styles.

What was the impact of the steam-powered ironclad warships during the Civil War?

Ironclads like the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia revolutionized naval warfare by allowing ships to withstand heavy fire and maneuver independently.

How did the invention of the daguerreotype influence photography?

The daguerreotype, introduced in the 1840s, made photography commercially viable and allowed for the extensive documentation of the Civil War.

What was a key technological advantage of the North during the Civil War?

The North's extensive network of telegraph lines and railroads provided significant logistical and communication advantages.