Oligarchy
gov’t in which power is held by a select few individuals, or by a small class of powerful people
Bigotry
narrow-mindedness; prejudice; stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one’s own; the actions, beliefs, prejudices, etc. of a bigot
Spiritual
religious folk song, esp. one of African-American slave origin
Manifest Destiny
phrase coined by journalist John O’ Sullivan in 1845 to express the popularly held 19th century belief that the US would inevitably expand westward to the Pacific Ocean, due to their god-given right, and due to the superiority of the American people and their institutions
Martyr
person who sacrifices something of great value, esp. their life, for a higher cause or principal
Bombastic
speech or writing that is pompous, high-sounding, inflated, pretentious, or intended to impress
Stalwart
firm, steadfast, or uncompromising
Incumbent
person who currently holds political office
Dark Horse
a candidate who is unexpectedly nominated at a political convention
Fire-Eater
an early and extreme Southern advocate of secession before the Civil War
Secede
to withdraw formally; to officially leave or separate from another
Popular Sovereignty
doctrine which states that the people living in a given territory should be free from federal interference to decide upon internal policy issues, esp. with regard to slavery
Free-Soiler
person opposing the further expansion of slavery, or the admission of more slave states into the Union (but not necessarily an abolitionist)
Placer Mining
when individual prospectors wash surface mineral deposits (often alluvial, i.e., deposited by rivers or flowing water) to separate the gold or other valuable elements from the surrounding sand or small gravel particles
Doughface
a Northerner who sympathized with the South during the sectional controversies over new territories and slavery before the Civil War
Belligerent
of warlike character; aggressively hostile; bellicose
Electorate
body of persons entitled to vote in an election
Border Ruffians
pro-slavery forces from Missouri, who poured into neighboring Kansas territory after the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854); heavily armed and suing fraudulent election tactics in the effort to fore Kansas to become a slave state, they contributed to the violence that became known as Bleeding Kansas (1854-1861)
Jayhawkers
militant anti-slavery abolitionists and free-soilers, who flocked into Kansas after the Kansas-Nebraska Act in order to fight in the guerilla war known as “Bleeding Kansas”, a dress rehearsal for the Civil War to come; the enemies of the “border ruffians”
Attrition
military strategy in which a belligerent attempts to win a war by gradually wearing down its enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and material
Emancipation
the freeing of someone from the control of another, or from any social, political, or legal restrictions
Enfranchise
to admit to citizenship, esp. to the right to vote
Forage
to wander in search of provisions (i.e. food, supplies), by stripping the countryside; to ravage or raid for supplies
Siege
military tactic in which an enemy is surrounded and starved in order to force their surrender
Writ of Habeas Corpus
formal document ordering a prisoner to be brought before a judge or court, to secure the person’s release, unless lawful grounds for their imprisonment are shown; the constitutional right that protects citizens against arbitrary arrest and detention
Martial Law
when the military enforces the law or takes control of the normal administration of justice, esp. when civilian authority has broken down, or during times of war or national crisis
Greenback
paper currency issued during the US Civil War that was legal tender, but which was not backed up by gold or silver, only the good credit of the US gov’t; led to gradual inflation
Scuttle
to deliberately sink a vessel; to abandon, withdraw from, undermine, or cause to be abandoned or destroyed
Copperhead
Northern Democrat who opposed the Civil War, advocating peace and restoration of the Union, even if it meant that slavery continued in the South
Total War
(aka scorched earth policy) harsh and controversial military strategy used by Union Generals such as William T Sherman against Southern civilians; it is designed to destroy the enemy’s will to go on fighting and thus shorten the war
Amnesty
a general pardon for offenses, esp. political crimes against a gov’t often granted before any trial or conviction
Chattel
any moveable article of personal property, either animate or inanimate