Civil War and Antebellum Era Key Terms and Events

House divide speech

1858 speech by Abraham Lincoln stating government cannot endure half slave and half free.

Northern Economy (Mid-1800s)

Manufacturing-based society with trade centers, factories, and paid labor.

Compromise of 1850 (Northern Terms)

California admitted as a free state; Utah and New Mexico voted on slavery.

Compromise of 1850 (Southern Terms)

Enacted a stricter Fugitive Slave Act and abolished DC slave trade.

Fugitive Slave Act

Northern state laws that nullified the Fugitive Slave Act and protected free African Americans.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe that increased northern sympathy for enslaved people.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

Allowed voters in Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide on slavery via popular sovereignty.

Bleeding Kansas

Violent clashes between pro-slavery Border Ruffians and anti-slavery settlers like John Brown.

Election of 1856 Outcome

Democrat James Buchanan won after promising to stop agitation over slavery.

Dred Scott v. Sandford Ruling

Supreme Court ruled slaves were property without rights to sue in federal court.

Dred Scott Impact on Missouri Compromise

Declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional for depriving owners of property without due process.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858)

Senate debates in Illinois that brought national prominence to Abraham Lincoln.

John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry

1859 raid on a federal arsenal aimed at inciting a slave rebellion; failed and led to his execution.

Election of 1860 Impact

Lincoln won without southern electoral votes, prompting southern states to secede.

First State to Secede

South Carolina unanimously voted to leave the Union in December 1860.

Confederate States of America Constitution

Stressed state independence, implied a right to secede, and banned international slave trade.

Fort Sumter

Federal fort in South Carolina attacked by Confederate forces in April 1861, starting the Civil War.

Union Advantages in the Civil War

Larger population (22 million), superior industrial output, extensive railroads, and established navy.

Confederate Advantages in the Civil War

Psychological motivation, fighting a defensive war on familiar terrain, and strong military leaders.

The Anaconda Plan

Union strategy to naval blockade southern ports and gain control of the Mississippi River.

Battle of Antietam (1862)

Bloodiest single day of the war; Union victory allowed Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

Border States

Slave states that remained in the Union: Missouri, Kentucky, Delaware, and Maryland.

First Battle of Bull Run (1861)

First major land battle; Confederate victory under Stonewall Jackson shattered Union hopes for a short war.

Battle of Antietam (1862)

Bloodiest single day of the war; Union victory allowed Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

Emancipation Proclamation

Decree freeing enslaved people in rebellious states, transforming the war into a crusade against slavery.

54th Massachusetts Regiment

Famous African American Union unit known for its courageous assault on Fort Wagner.

Battle of Vicksburg (1863)

Union siege led by Grant that captured the Mississippi River and split the Confederacy.

Battle of Gettysburg (1863)

Three-day battle turning point in Pennsylvania that stopped Lee's second invasion of the North.

Gettysburg Address

Civil War nurse who provided battlefield care and later founded the American Red Cross.

Sherman's March to the Sea

General William T. Sherman's total war campaign across Georgia, destroying southern infrastructure.