Unit V: The Civil War and Reconstruction

Harriet Beecher Stowe

American abolitionist and author who wrote the influential novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin," which depicted the harsh realities of slavery and fueled the abolitionist movement during the Civil War era.

John Brown

abolitionist who led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859, advocating for armed insurrection to end slavery. The raid heightened tensions between the North and South and is considered a precursor to the Civil War.

James Buchanan

15th President of the United States, serving from 1857 to 1861. His presidency was marked by growing sectional tensions and the secession crisis, with criticism of his leadership during this critical period.

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War, leading the Confederacy's fight for independence from the Union. He later became a symbol of the Lost Cause movement.

Frederick Douglass

an African American social reformer, abolitionist, and writer who escaped from slavery. He played a crucial role in shaping public opinion and influencing policies during the Civil War and Reconstruction era.

Ulysses S Grant

Union general during the Civil War and the 18th President of the United States. He led the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy and implemented Reconstruction policies.

Rutherford B Hayes

19th President of the United States, serving from 1877 to 1881. He pursued civil service reform and aimed to reconcile the divisions between North and South during Reconstruction.

Sam Houston

prominent political figure and military leader in Texas. He played a significant role in the Mexican-American War and served as the first and third President of the Republic of Texas.

Andrew Johnson

The 17th President of the United States who served from 1865 to 1869 and focused on reconstructing the Southern states after the Civil War.

Robert E Lee

A Confederate general during the American Civil War, known for leading the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and influencing the war's outcome.

Abraham Lincoln

The 16th President of the United States who led the Union during the Civil War and issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring slaves in Confederate territory to be free.

George McClellan

A Union general during the Civil War who commanded the Army of the Potomac but was removed due to his cautious approach and reluctance to engage in decisive battles.

James Polk

The 11th President of the United States who served from 1845 to 1849 and played a significant role in the Mexican-American War, resulting in the acquisition of territories like California and New Mexico.

Dred Scott

An enslaved African American man who sued for his freedom in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case, where the Supreme Court declared enslaved individuals as property and not citizens, deepening the divide on slavery between the North and the South.

William Seward

Prominent politician and statesman who served as Secretary of State under President Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. Played a crucial role in the acquisition of Alaska from Russia in 1867, known as "Seward's Folly."

William T Sherman

Union general during the American Civil War. Best known for his "March to the Sea" campaign, where he led Union forces through Georgia, destroying infrastructure and resources to demoralize the Confederacy.

Edward Stanton

Secretary of War under President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Played a vital role in organizing the Union Army and implementing military strategies to defeat the Confederacy.

Samuel Tilden

Prominent lawyer and politician who ran as the Democratic candidate for President in 1876. Won the popular vote but lost the disputed election to Rutherford B. Hayes in the Compromise of 1877.

William Marcy Tweed

Corrupt politician and leader of Tammany Hall, a political machine in New York City during the late 19th century. Involved in widespread political corruption and embezzlement, leading to his downfall and imprisonment.

David Wilmot

U.S. Congressman who proposed the Wilmot Proviso in 1846. The proviso sought to prohibit slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico during the Mexican-American War. Heightened tensions between the North and the South over the issue of slavery and became a significant factor leading to the Civil War.

Amnesty

The act of granting full pardon to individuals, usually for political or legal reasons.

Black Codes

Laws enacted in the Southern states after the Civil War to restrict the rights and freedoms of African Americans.

"Bleeding Kansas"

Refers to the violent conflicts in the Kansas Territory during the mid-1850s over whether it would enter the Union as a free state or a slave state.

Carpetbaggers

Northern businessmen, politicians, and opportunists who migrated to the South during Reconstruction, often seen as exploiting the region's instability for personal gain.

Civil Rights Act

The first federal law granting citizenship and equal rights to African Americans, aimed at countering the Black Codes and ensuring legal equality.

Civil War Amendments

Three constitutional amendments ratified after the Civil War to secure the rights and freedoms of African Americans:the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, the Fourteenth Amendment granted equal protection under the law, and the Fifteenth Amendment prohibited racial discrimination in voting rights.

Compromise of 1850

A series of legislative measures aimed at resolving territorial and slavery disputes between Northern and Southern states, including the admission of California as a free state and the strengthening of the Fugitive Slave Act.

Compromise of 1877

A political agreement that resolved the disputed presidential election of 1876, resulting in the withdrawal of federal troops from the South and the end of Reconstruction.

Confederacy

group of 11 Southern states that seceded from the United States in response to the election of Abraham Lincoln and fought against the Union in the Civil War.

Copperheads

A faction of Northern Democrats during the Civil War who opposed the war and called for a negotiated peace with the Confederacy, mainly concentrated in the Midwest.

Credit Mobilier Scandal

A political scandal in the 1870s involving the Union Pacific Railroad and the Credit Mobilier of America, revealing bribery and corruption among members of Congress.

Dred Scott Decision

A Supreme Court case in 1857 ruling that Dred Scott, a slave who had lived in a free state, was not entitled to his freedom and that Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in the territories.

Election of 1860

Crucial US presidential race with Lincoln, Douglas, Breckinridge, and Bell. Led to Southern secession and Civil War.

Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln's 1862 order freeing slaves in Confederate territory, shifting war focus and weakening the Confederacy.

Fort Sumter

Charleston Harbor fort where first Civil War shots were fired by confederates on April 12, 1861, starting the war.

Freedmen's Bureau

1865 agency aiding newly freed African Americans and white refugees in the South. Offered food, medical care, education, and legal assistance.

Fugitive Slave Act

Controversial 1850 law demanding return of escaped slaves, even in free states. Increased North-South tensions over slavery.

Gettysburg Address

Lincoln's 1863 speech at Gettysburg cemetery dedication. Stressed equality, freedom, and Union preservation.

Grandfather clause

A provision in Southern states' voting laws that allowed individuals whose ancestors were eligible before the Civil War to vote, often used to disenfranchise African Americans.

Greenbacks

Paper currency issued by the US government during and after the Civil War, not backed by gold or silver, used to finance the war effort and stimulate the economy.

Habeas Corpus

Legal principle protecting individuals from unlawful detention, ensuring they are brought before a court to determine the legality of their imprisonment.

Harpers Ferry

Town in West Virginia known for John Brown's Raid in 1859, an unsuccessful attempt to seize a federal arsenal and arm enslaved individuals, contributing to tensions before the Civil War.

Jim Crow

System of racial segregation and discrimination prevalent in the United States, particularly in the South, from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, enforcing racial segregation in public facilities and denying African Americans their civil rights.

John Brown's Raid

Attempted slave revolt led by abolitionist John Brown in 1859, seizing the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry with the intention of arming enslaved individuals and starting a rebellion against slavery.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Law allowing Kansas and Nebraska to decide on slavery, leading to "Bleeding Kansas" conflicts.

Ku Klux Klan

Secret society promoting white supremacy and terrorizing minority groups.

Lecompton Constitution

Controversial pro-slavery constitution for Kansas, rejected for lack of popular vote.

Lincoln-Douglas debates

Series of debates between Lincoln (republican rep/candidate) and Douglas (democratic rep/candidate) on slavery and popular sovereignty. Elevated Lincoln's national profile.

Literacy Tests

Tests used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States to restrict voting rights, particularly targeting African Americans. Required individuals to demonstrate reading and interpretation skills before voting.

Manifest Destiny

Belief prevalent in the 19th century among Americans that it was their divine mission to expand and settle across the entire North American continent. Fueled by religious, economic, and political motivations.

NYC Draft Riots

Riots that occurred in July 1863 during the American Civil War in New York City. Primarily fueled by economic and racial tensions, particularly among working-class Irish immigrants. Resulted in violence, deaths, injuries, and property damage.

Plessy v Fergusson

1896 Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine. Legitimized racial segregation and enabled Jim Crow laws. Overturned by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the authority of a government is derived from the consent of the people, often applied to the right of residents to decide on issues such as slavery.

Radical Republicans

A faction within the Republican Party during Reconstruction that advocated for civil rights and voting rights for freed slaves.

Reconstruction Act

A series of laws passed in 1867 that aimed to rebuild the Southern states after the Civil War, requiring new constitutions guaranteeing African American suffrage and equal protection under the law.

Republican Party

One of the two major political parties in the United States, founded in the mid-1850s as a coalition of anti-slavery groups and individuals.

Scalawags

White Southern Republicans who supported the Republican Party and the rights of freed slaves during Reconstruction, often seen as traitors by white Southerners opposed to Reconstruction.

Secession

The formal withdrawal of a state or group of states from a larger political entity, such as the Southern states seceding from the United States, leading to the Civil War.

Segregation

The enforced separation of different racial or ethnic groups, with one group being treated as inferior, as seen in the legally enforced racial segregation in the Southern states from the late 19th to mid-20th century.

"Separate But Equal"

A legal doctrine that upheld racial segregation as long as separate facilities were provided and deemed equal, although these facilities were often unequal in practice. Overturned in Brown v. Board of Education.

Sharecropping

An agricultural system prevalent in the Southern United States after the Civil War, where landowners provided land, tools, and supplies to farmers in exchange for a portion of their crops as rent, often leaving sharecroppers in a cycle of debt and dependency.

Tammany Hall

A powerful political machine in New York City associated with the Democratic Party during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It controlled local politics through patronage and corruption, providing social services but involved in bribery and political scandals.

Tammany Hall

A powerful political machine in New York City known for its control over local politics through patronage and corruption. executive committee of the Democratic Party in New York City

Tenant Farming

An agricultural system where farmers rent land from landowners and pay rent in cash or crops, providing more independence than sharecropping. had claims to land or equipment, animals but otherwise like sharecropping which was like slavery

Ten Percent Plan

A Reconstruction policy proposed by President Abraham Lincoln, offering a lenient path for Southern states to rejoin the Union if 10% of the voting population pledged loyalty to the Union and accepted the abolition of slavery.

Tenure of Office Act

law passed in 1867 that required Senate approval for the President to remove certain officeholders without the Senate's consent.

"Uncle Tom's Cabin"

novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852 that depicted the harsh realities of slavery and played a significant role in fueling the abolitionist movement.

Wade-Davis Bill

proposed congressional legislation in 1864 that required a majority of white male citizens in Confederate states to take an "ironclad oath" ( past purity future loyalty) of allegiance to the Union before establishing a new state government.

Wilmot Proviso

proposed amendment in 1846 that aimed to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico as a result of the Mexican-American War, sparking intense debates on the issue of slavery.