The Antebellum Era and Civil War Overview

Part 2 of Unit 4

Road to Civil War

Period leading to the Civil War (1850-1860)

The Civil War

Conflict between North and South (1861-1865)

Reconstruction

Post-Civil War era (1865-1877)

Northwest Ordinance

1787 law banning slavery north of Ohio River

Missouri Compromise

1820 agreement banning slavery north of 36th parallel

Fugitive Slave Law

Law requiring return of escaped slaves

Compromise of 1850

Series of laws addressing slavery in territories

California Gold Rush

Mass migration leading to California's statehood

Popular Sovereignty

People vote on slavery status in territories

Bleeding Kansas

Violence over slavery in Kansas territory

Henry Clay

Key figure in multiple compromises over slavery

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, anti-slavery novel

Senator Seward

Advocated for anti-slavery in Kansas-Nebraska Act

Senator Butler

Pro-slavery senator attacked by Charles Sumner

Charles Sumner

Senator known for anti-slavery speeches

Preston Brooks

Defended Butler by assaulting Sumner

Secession

Withdrawal from the Union by Southern states

Territorial Phase

Initial stage before statehood for new territories

Pro-slavery Mob

Group attacking anti-slavery supporters in Kansas

Anti-slavery Migrants

Individuals opposing slavery moving to Kansas

Congressional Jurisdiction

Congress's authority over territorial governance

Constitutional Duty

Obligation to protect slavery in Southern view

Constitutional Equality

Belief that rights apply only to whites

Slave Trade Prohibition

Ban on slave trading in Washington D.C.

Anti-slavery groups

Organizations opposing slavery, involved in violence.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

1854 law allowing territories to decide slavery.

Whigs

Political party that split over slavery issues.

Democrats

Political party weakened in the North by slavery.

Republican Party

Founded to oppose the spread of slavery.

Missouri Compromise

1820 agreement regulating slavery in western territories.

Dred Scott

Slave who sued for freedom in 1857.

Supreme Court

Highest court, ruled on Dred Scott case.

Citizenship

Status determining rights under the Constitution.

Property Rights

Legal rights to own and use property.

Marbury v. Madison

1803 case establishing judicial review.

Sectional Tensions

Conflicts between Northern and Southern states.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

1858 debates on slavery between Lincoln and Douglas.

Popular Sovereignty

Idea that territories decide on slavery themselves.

Abraham Lincoln

Republican candidate opposing slavery's extension.

Stephen A. Douglas

Democratic incumbent supporting popular sovereignty.

John Brown

Anti-slavery activist who led a raid.

Harper's Ferry

Location of Brown's raid in 1859.

Crittenden Compromise

Proposal to prevent secession by dividing the nation.

Election of 1860

Showed clear national division over slavery.

Secession Threats

Southern states' threats to leave the Union.

Federal Arsenal

Government storage for weapons, targeted by Brown.

Treason

Crime of betraying one's country, charged against Brown.

Southern Secession

The act of Southern states leaving the Union.

Confederacy

An alliance of Southern states during the Civil War.

20th Amendment

Constitutional change moving inauguration to January.

Lincoln's Inaugural Address

Stated the Union remains unbroken.

Fort Sumter

First battle site of the Civil War.

Habeas Corpus

Legal order to determine lawfulness of arrest.

Martial Law

Military authority replaces civilian rule temporarily.

Censorship

Suppression of information or publication during war.

Battle of Bull Run

First major battle, Southern victory shocked the North.

Ulysses S. Grant

Union general known for aggressive military strategies.

Union Strategy

Utilized resources and blockades against the Confederacy.

Confederate Strategy

Repeated attacks to weaken Northern resolve.

Robert E. Lee

Confederate general opposed to secession.

Military Blockade

Union strategy to cut off Southern supplies.

Spanish-American War

Conflict where Fort Sumter was used again.

Civil War Duration

1861 to 1865, marked by significant battles.

Southern Sympathizers

Individuals in the North supporting the Confederacy.

Unconditional Surrender

Grant's demand for total defeat of Confederacy.

Battle at Shiloh

Demonstrated the war's brutality and high casualties.

Lincoln's Military Actions

Included troop calls and suspending civil liberties.

Stone House

Field hospital during the Battle of Bull Run.

First Attack

South's initial aggression at Fort Sumter.

Increased Enlistment

North's response to early war losses.

Abraham Lincoln

16th President; issued Emancipation Proclamation.

Emancipation Proclamation

1863 speech freeing slaves in non-Union areas.

Battle of Antietam

Bloodiest battle; 23,000 casualties in 12 hours.

Battle of Gettysburg

Turning point battle; three days, crippling Confederate losses.

Gettysburg Address

Lincoln's speech redefining war as struggle for equality.

Battle of Vicksburg

Union victory; gained control of Mississippi River.

Appomattox Court House

Site of Confederate surrender to Union forces.

Clara Barton

Union nurse; founded American Red Cross in 1881.

Mary Walker

First woman Medal of Honor recipient; Civil War veteran.

Stonewall Jackson

Confederate general; known for his tactical prowess.

Hiram R. Revels

First African American U.S. Senator; organized Black regiments.

Martin Robison Delany

Anti-slavery activist; highest-ranking Black officer in Civil War.

Lee's Command Offer

Lincoln offered Lee command; Lee declined to fight Virginians.

McClellan's Inaction

After Antietam, McClellan failed to pursue retreating Confederates.

Civil War Duration

1861-1865; conflict between Union and Confederacy.

Union Troops

Soldiers fighting for the Northern states during the war.

Confederacy

Southern states that seceded from the Union.

Virginia Secession

Virginia left Union in 1861; Jackson supported Confederacy.

Death Rate Improvement

Clara Barton's nursing reduced mortality for wounded soldiers.

Black Soldiers Enlistment

Free blacks joined Union Army after Emancipation Proclamation.

Lincoln's Vision Shift

From preserving Union to ending slavery during the war.

Turning Point

Gettysburg marked a decisive change in war's direction.

Lincoln Memorial

Dedicated to Lincoln; symbolizes his legacy and the war.