Unit 10: Civil War & Reconstruction Vocabulary Quizlet

1861-1865

The years of the Civil War between the Northern states (Union) and Southern states (Confederacy) over slavery, states' rights, and union preservation.

Abraham Lincoln

The president during the war sought to who preserved the Union, issued the Emancipation Proclamation, delivered the Gettysburg Address and his inaugural address.

Andrew Johnson

He became president after Lincoln's assassination and oversaw Reconstruction, offering lenient policies toward the South, which led to clashes with Congress over civil rights and impeachment.

Appomattox Court House

The location where the Confederate Army, led by General Robert E. Lee, surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, marking the end of the Civil War.

Battle Hymn of the Republic

A patriotic song written during the Civil War, featuring lyrics that emphasize the fight against slavery and the preservation of the Union, with religious imagery and a call for justice.

Battle of Antietam

The bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with heavy casualties on both sides. The Union's tactical victory led to President Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.

Battle of Gettysburg

This was a turning point in the Civil War. The Union Army defeated the Confederate Army, halting their invasion of the North and marking the beginning of Confederate decline.

Black Codes

Laws passed in Southern states after the Civil War to restrict the freedoms of African Americans, limiting their rights to own property, work, and move freely, and enforcing segregation.

Carpetbaggers

Northern individuals who moved to the South after the Civil War, often perceived as opportunists seeking to exploit the region's economic and political instability during Reconstruction.

Civil War Era

A period of intense conflict in the United States over slavery, states' rights, and national unity, marked by major battles, high casualties, and societal upheaval.

Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order issued that declared the freedom of all slaves in Confederate-held territory, redefining the purpose of the Civil War to include abolition.

Fifteenth Amendment

A change in the Constitution that granted voting rights to all male citizens, regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Fourteenth Amendment

A change in the Constitution granting citizenship and equal protection under the law to all people born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves.

Freedmen's Bureau

A federal agency established to assist former slaves and impoverished Southerners by providing food, shelter, education, and legal support during Reconstruction.

Gettysburg Address

A speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln, dedicating a cemetery at Gettysburg, emphasizing equality, liberty, and the preservation of the Union during the Civil War.

Hiram Rhodes Revels

The first African American to serve in the U.S. Senate during Reconstruction, advocating for civil rights and education for African Americans.

Ku Klux Klan

A white supremacist group founded in the South that aimed to undermine Reconstruction, intimidate African Americans and Republicans through violence and terror.

Lincoln's Assassination

The killing of the U.S. president by a Confederate sympathizer, aiming to destabilize the government after the Union's victory in the Civil War.

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

A speech delivered in emphasizing national unity, reconciliation, and the moral imperative to end slavery, urging Americans to heal from the war "with malice toward none."

Radical Republicans

A faction of Congress during Reconstruction that sought to punish the South, protect African American rights, and enforce policies ensuring racial equality by enacting the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Reconstruction Acts.

Reconstruction Era

A period after the Civil War focused on rebuilding the South, reintegrating former Confederate states, and securing rights for newly freed African Americans amid resistance and violence.

Robert E. Lee

General of the Army of Northern Virginia, known for strategic brilliance, surrendering in 1865, he advocated for national reconciliation afterward.

Siege of Vicksburg

Where Union forces under General Grant surrounded a key Southern stronghold, securing control of the Mississippi River and splitting the Confederacy.

Sharecropping

An agricultural system where landowners provided land, tools, and supplies to laborers, often former slaves, who farmed in exchange for a share of the crops, leading to economic dependence.

"Stonewall" Jackson

A Confederate general known for his tactical brilliance, earning his nickname for steadfastness in battle, he played a key role before being killed by friendly fire.

Thirteenth Amendment

A change to the constitution that abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime, throughout the United States.

Ulysses S. Grant

A Union general who led forces to victory in the Civil War, securing Confederate surrender in 1865. Later, he became the 18th president, overseeing Reconstruction and enforcing civil rights laws.

Voting Restrictions

States imposed literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses to disenfranchise Black voters, undermining the 15th Amendment and maintaining white political control in the South.

William Carney

A former slave and Union soldier who became the first African American to receive the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Battle of Fort Wagner.

Freedmen

Former slaves who faced social discrimination through Black Codes and racial violence, political disenfranchisement despite the 15th Amendment, and economic struggles due to sharecropping and limited opportunities.