The Civil War (1861-1865) Lecture Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards derived directly from the Civil War lecture transcript covering key figures, battles, and post-war amendments.

Commerce

A large scale of exchanging goods between nations and businesses.

Sectional Differences

Differences in economies, lifestyles, and cultures between northern and southern states that led to the Civil War.

Abolitionists

People against slavery active in northern and western states before the Civil War who wanted slaves to be freed across the country.

Abraham Lincoln

The 16th president of the United States elected on Nov. 6, 1860, whose Republican party stood for a strong centralized government and was staunchly opposed to slavery.

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederate States of America who previously served as an officer in the United States army during the Mexican war and as U.S. secretary of war under Franklin Pierce.

Fort Sumpter

The location where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.

Battle of Manassas / Bull Run

A battle taking place on July 21, 1861, which was the first conflict where two armies were out in an open field fighting at each other.

Stone Wall

Nickname granted to Confederate General Thomas Jackson after he cut off southern guys during battle and told them to fight the entire army or fight him.

Emancipation Proclamation

A two-part plan issued by President Lincoln on September 22, 1862, that guaranteed freedom for slaves in Confederate states not yet rejoined to the Union, with the second part taking effect January 1, 1863.

Battle of Antietam

A battle that was a major loss of men for Robert Lee, which ended in a draw although Lee won the battle.

Battle of Gettysburg

A three-day long battle where Confederate General Lee forced federal troops under General George C. Meade's command to lose ground as Confederate forces attempted to take the city.

The Gettysburg Address

A famous 272-word speech delivered by President Lincoln on November 19, 1896, at the dedication of Soldiers National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Sherman's March to the Sea

Union General William Sherman's march from Atlanta through Savannah, Georgia to the Atlantic Ocean, during which troops burned buildings and infrastructure, defeating the Confederate army and taking Savannah on December 22, 1864.

Surrender at Appomattox

The surrender of General Lee's diminished Confederate army at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865, where General Grant allowed Lee to keep his saber and horse.

Lincoln Assassination

The shooting of President Lincoln in the back of the head by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, while attending the play Our American Cousin at Ford's theater in Washington, D.C.

Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments

Amendments to the United States constitution passed after the Civil War that outlawed slavery, granted African Americans U.S. citizenship, and granted African-American males the right to vote.