American Civil War: Economic Struggles, Battles, and Reconstruction

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to the American Civil War, including economic factors, major battles, political dynamics, and the post-war Reconstruction era.

War Bonds

Debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations or expenditures.

Income Taxes

Taxes imposed on individuals or entities based on their income or profits.

Inflation

A general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money.

Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order by President Lincoln in 1863 that freed slaves in the Confederate states.

Victory at Gettysburg

Significant Union victory in a three-day battle from July 1-3, 1863, that marked a turning point in the Civil War.

Total War

A military strategy that involves not only attacking enemy troops but also destroying civilian resources.

Scorched Earth

A military tactic that involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or retreating from an area.

Copperheads

Northern Democrats who opposed the Civil War and wanted an immediate peace settlement with the Confederacy.

Election of 1864

A presidential election where Lincoln was re-elected, facing Democrat George McClellan who sought to end the war.

Appomattox Courthouse

The location where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the Civil War.

Lincoln's Assassination

The assassination of President Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, which occurred while he attended a play at Ford's Theater.

Reconstruction

The period following the Civil War in which the Southern states were reorganized and reintegrated into the Union.

10 Percent Plan

Lincoln's proposal for reconstruction where a state could rejoin the Union if 10% of its voters took an oath of allegiance.

Freedmen's Bureau

A federal agency established to aid freed slaves in the South during the Reconstruction era.

Wade-Davis Bill

A 1864 proposal for Reconstruction that required 50% of a state's voters to take a loyalty oath, which Lincoln opposed.

Andrew Johnson

Vice President who succeeded Lincoln and faced significant challenges during Reconstruction.