Civil War Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering major battles, generals, strategies, and consequences of the American Civil War as detailed in the lecture notes.

Army of the Potomac

The main Union army in the Eastern Theater, named after a river and led at various times by McDowell, McClellan, Burnside, and Meade.

Army of Northern Virginia

The main Confederate army in the Eastern Theater, named after a state and eventually led by General Robert E. Lee.

Anaconda Plan

The Northern strategy to win the war, which included blockading Southern ports and invading Richmond to bring a quick end to the conflict.

Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)

Fought on July 21, 1861, it was an embarrassing loss for the North that resulted in President Lincoln firing General Irvin McDowell.

"Stonewall" Jackson

The nickname gained by Confederate General Thomas Jackson at Bull Run for his courage and standing "like a stone wall."

Rebel Yell

A vocal tactic used by Confederate troops during their charge at Bull Run that disconcerted Union forces and caused their lines to break.

George McClellan

A hero of the Mexican-American War who replaced McDowell but was later fired by Lincoln for his "inaction over action" and failing to capture Lee after Antietam.

Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg)

Fought on September 17, 1862, it remains the single bloodiest day in American military history with a combined $23,000$ casualties.

The Lost Order

A copy of Robert E. Lee's complex battle plans found by a Union scout wrapped around three cigars, which gave McClellan advance knowledge of Confederate movements.

Emancipation Proclamation

A presidential order issued five days after Antietam stating that all persons held as slaves within states in rebellion against the U.S. were forever free.

Ambrose Burnside

The Union general who replaced McClellan and became the namesake for the term "sideburns" due to his unique hairstyle.

Siege of Vicksburg

A tactical blockade led by Ulysses S. Grant that ended on July 4, 1863, giving the Union control of the Mississippi River and splitting the South in two.

Battle of Gettysburg

The largest and bloodiest battle of the war, fought over three days in July 1863, resulting in over $51,000$ casualties and serving as the turning point for the North.

Pickett's Charge

A disastrous Confederate frontal assault on July 3, 1863, where $12,500$ men advanced across an open field, resulting in $6,500$ casualties in less than one hour.

High-water mark of the Confederacy

The spot on the Gettysburg battlefield where Southern General Lewis Armistead broke the Union line before collapsing, representing the farthest point north the Confederates advanced.

Gettysburg Address

A speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, to dedicate a cemetery and explain the meaning behind the sacrifices of Union soldiers.

54th Massachusetts Infantry

The first all-African American regiment to see major action in the Civil War, famously depicted in the film Glory.

Total War

A military strategy used by General William Tecumseh Sherman involving the destruction of civilian property and resources to demoralize the enemy and crush their will to fight.

March to the Sea

General Sherman's 300-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia, in late 1864, which left the South in shambles and helped save Lincoln's presidency.

Mary Bowser

A Union spy with a photographic memory who worked as a servant in the Confederate White House to steal plans for the North.

Siege of Petersburg

A ten-month conflict beginning in June 1864 that saw the first use of trench warfare in American history and targeted a vital Southern railroad hub.

Appomattox Court House

The location in Virginia where Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, essentially ending the American Civil War.

Wilmer McLean

The man whose property served as the site for the First Battle of Bull Run and whose home in Appomattox was used for Lee's surrender.

Amendment 13

An addition to the U.S. Constitution ratified in 1865 that officially ended slavery in the United States.

Amendment 14

An addition to the U.S. Constitution ratified in 1867 that redefined citizenship to include African Americans.

Amendment 15

An addition to the U.S. Constitution ratified in 1870 that guaranteed voting rights for all free men, regardless of race.