Key Concepts of Pre-Civil War America and the Civil War

These flashcards cover key concepts, events, and figures related to the pre-Civil War era and the Civil War, assisting in understanding the complex history and dynamics of the time.

Ostend Manifesto

A document recommending the purchase of Cuba from Spain, suggesting force if Spain refused, which increased tensions between North and South.

Compromise of 1820

An agreement admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state to maintain the balance of power in Congress.

Compromise of 1850

Legislation that allowed California to enter as a free state and applied popular sovereignty to territories acquired from Mexico, introducing a harsher fugitive slave law.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle allowing residents of a territory to decide on the issue of slavery, championed by Stephen Douglas.

States' Rights

The rights and powers held by states as opposed to the federal government, leading to disputes about legality and authority.

Stephen Douglas

A politician who introduced popular sovereignty and the Kansas-Nebraska Act, allowing territories to decide on slavery.

Freeport Doctrine

Stephen Douglas's assertion that local laws could exclude slavery despite the Dred Scott decision.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

An influential abolitionist novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe highlighting the mistreatment of slaves.

Dred Scott Decision

A Supreme Court ruling stating that moving to free land did not make slaves free.

Anaconda Plan

Union strategy to defeat the Confederacy by blockading ports and cutting the Mississippi River.

Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln's order freeing slaves in Confederate territories, giving the Civil War a moral purpose.

Secession

The act of Southern states withdrawing from the Union, beginning with South Carolina.

Jefferson Davis

The president of the Confederate States during the Civil War.

Gettysburg Address

Lincoln's speech aimed at uniting the nation after the Civil War.

Ulysses S. Grant

The Union general who led the North to victory in the Civil War.

Robert E. Lee

The commander of the Confederate Army, known for his military leadership.

Stonewall Jackson

A prominent Confederate general known for his tactical skill and leadership.