Social Studies, civil war

cause/effect of Civil War

The Civil War was caused mainly by disputes over slavery, states’ rights, and sectional economic differences. Its effects included the abolition of slavery, destruction of the South’s economy, and major changes to federal power.

Goals for North/South

The North aimed to preserve the Union and later to end slavery. The South sought independence to protect slavery and maintain its agrarian way of life.

Adv/Disadv for North/South

The North had greater industrial capacity, population, and railroads, while the South had strong military leadership and fought defensively but lacked resources and manpower.

Populism

Populism was a late 19th-century movement that sought to protect farmers and workers from banks, railroads, and monopolies. It supported reforms like government regulation and expanded voting rights.

Homestead Act

The Homestead Act of 1862 gave settlers 160 acres of free land if they farmed it for five years. It encouraged westward expansion but displaced Native Americans.

13th, 14th, 15th Amendments

These Reconstruction Amendments ended slavery (13th), granted citizenship and equal protection (14th), and protected African American male voting rights (15th). Together they reshaped U.S. civil rights law.

Emancipation Proclamation

Issued by Lincoln in 1863, it declared enslaved people free in Confederate-held territory. It shifted the war’s focus to ending slavery and discouraged foreign support for the South.

Dawes Act

The Dawes Act divided tribal lands into individual plots to encourage assimilation. It resulted in massive loss of Native American land and culture.

Clara Barton

Clara Barton served as a nurse during the Civil War and later founded the American Red Cross. She improved battlefield medical care and humanitarian aid.

Plains Indians

Plains Indians were nomadic tribes who depended on buffalo for survival. Westward expansion and government policies severely disrupted their way of life.

Battle of Gettysburg

Fought in 1863, Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. It marked a turning point by halting the Confederate invasion of the North.

Anaconda Plan

The Anaconda Plan aimed to blockade Southern ports and control the Mississippi River. It slowly strangled the Confederate economy and supply lines.

Reconstruction

Reconstruction was the period after the Civil War focused on rebuilding the South and integrating freed African Americans. It ended without fully achieving racial equality.

President Andrew Johnson

Johnson favored lenient Reconstruction policies toward the South. His opposition to civil rights led to conflict with Congress and his impeachment.

Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln led the nation through the Civil War and worked to preserve the Union. He played a key role in ending slavery before his assassination in 1865.

Sharecropping

Sharecropping was a system where freedmen farmed land owned by whites in exchange for a share of the crops. It trapped many African Americans in poverty and debt.

African Americans/union

African Americans fought for the Union as soldiers and laborers after the Emancipation Proclamation. Their participation strengthened the Union war effort and advanced civil rights claims.

Robert E. Lee

Lee was the leading general of the Confederate Army. His surrender marked the effective end of the Civil War.

Appomattox Court House

This was the site where Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant in 1865. It symbolized the end of major Confederate resistance.

Battle of Wounded Knee

In 1890, U.S. troops killed hundreds of Lakota Sioux at Wounded Knee. It marked the end of armed Native American resistance in the Plains.

Carpetbagger/scalawag

Carpetbaggers were Northerners who moved South during Reconstruction, while scalawags were Southern whites who supported Reconstruction. Both were criticized by Southern Democrats.

Civil Rights Act of 1866

This act granted citizenship and equal rights to African Americans. It was the first major law defining U.S. citizenship.

Thaddeus Stevens

Stevens was a leader of the Radical Republicans who pushed for strong Reconstruction policies. He supported land redistribution and equal rights for freedmen.

bimetallism

Bimetallism proposed using both gold and silver as currency to increase money supply. It was popular among farmers seeking inflation to reduce debt.

Morrill Act

The Morrill Act provided federal land to states to fund colleges. It expanded access to higher education, especially in agriculture and engineering.

“iron clads”

Ironclads were armored warships used during the Civil War. They changed naval warfare by making wooden ships obsolete.

Radical Republicans

Radical Republicans sought full civil rights for African Americans and strict punishment for the South. They dominated Reconstruction policy in Congress.

reservations

Reservations were lands set aside for Native American tribes by the U.S. government. They often consisted of poor land and limited tribal independence.

Andersonville

Andersonville was a Confederate prison camp notorious for overcrowding and starvation. Thousands of Union soldiers died there.

conscription

Conscription is compulsory military service. Both the Union and Confederacy used drafts to fill their armies.

US Grant

Grant was the Union’s top general and later president. His aggressive strategy helped defeat the Confederacy.

William Jennings Bryan

Bryan was a Populist leader who supported bimetallism and farmers’ rights. He is best known for his “Cross of Gold” speech.

Cowboys myth vs. reality

The myth portrays cowboys as heroic gunfighters, while reality shows they were low-paid laborers doing hard, routine work. Violence was less common than popular culture suggests.

George A. Custer

Custer was a U.S. Army officer killed at the Battle of Little Bighorn. His defeat symbolized Native American resistance.

Ghost Dance

The Ghost Dance was a Native American spiritual movement promising restoration of land and life. U.S. officials viewed it as a threat.

Sitting Bull

Sitting Bull was a Lakota leader who resisted U.S. expansion. He played a key role in the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Fort Pillow

At Fort Pillow, Confederate troops killed surrendering Black Union soldiers. The massacre intensified Northern resolve.

William T. Sherman

Sherman led a brutal campaign through the South using total war tactics. His March to the Sea weakened Southern morale and resources.

Freedmen’s Bureau

The Freedmen’s Bureau helped former slaves with education, food, and employment. It played a crucial role during early Reconstruction.

Compromise of 1877/end of Reconstruction

This compromise resolved the disputed 1876 election by removing federal troops from the South. It ended Reconstruction and allowed segregation to rise.

Native American vs. white settlers’ ideas on land ownership

Native Americans viewed land as communal and sacred, while settlers believed land could be owned and sold. This clash fueled conflict and displacement.

Railroads opening the West to settlement

Railroads made western travel and trade easier and faster. They encouraged migration, economic growth, and Native American displacement.