period 5

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin; her novel exposed the horrors of slavery to a wide audience, fueling anti-slavery sentiment.

William Lloyd Garrison

Editor of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator; a leading voice advocating for the immediate emancipation of enslaved people.

Dred Scott Decision

A Supreme Court ruling in 1857 declaring that African Americans were not U.S. citizens and increasing sectional tensions.

Abraham Lincoln

The 16th president of the United States; led the Union during the Civil War and issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Clara Barton

Nurse and founder of the American Red Cross; provided critical medical care during the Civil War.

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederate States of America; led the Confederacy throughout the Civil War.

Mathew Brady

A pioneering photographer during the Civil War; documented the war through photographs.

Stonewall Jackson

A Confederate general known for his tactical brilliance; played a crucial role in several Confederate victories.

U.S. Grant

Union general and the 18th president of the United States; instrumental in the Union’s victory during the Civil War.

Robert E. Lee

General of the Confederate Army; key figure in the Civil War, surrendering to Grant at Appomattox.

Charles Francis Adams

U.S. diplomat during the Civil War; played a key role in preventing British recognition of the Confederacy.

Mary Todd Lincoln

Wife of Abraham Lincoln; supported her husband during the Civil War while facing personal tragedies.

Robert Gould Shaw

Union colonel who led the 54th Massachusetts Infantry; symbolized the bravery of Black soldiers.

William Sherman

Union general known for his 'March to the Sea'; his strategy of total war devastated the South.

McClellan

Union general during the early Civil War; known for his cautious approach and removal from command.

John Wilkes Booth

Actor and Confederate sympathizer who assassinated Abraham Lincoln; shocked the nation.

Homestead Act

A law passed in 1862 granting 160 acres to settlers for a small fee; encouraged westward expansion.

Morrill Land Grant Act

A law passed in 1862 providing federal land to states to establish colleges; promoted higher education.

Commodore Matthew Perry

U.S. naval officer who opened Japan to trade in 1854; ended Japan’s isolation.

Steven Douglas

U.S. senator and architect of the Kansas-Nebraska Act; advocated for popular sovereignty.

Frederick Douglass

An escaped slave and leading abolitionist; his eloquence highlighted the horrors of slavery.

Harriet Tubman

Escaped slave and conductor on the Underground Railroad; helped many enslaved people to freedom.

Louisa May Alcott

Author of Little Women; her work addressed the war’s impact on families and women.

Carl Schurz

German immigrant and Union general; advocated for abolition and civil rights.

Angelina and Sarah Grimké

Sisters and abolitionists who advocated against slavery and for women’s rights.

Sally Tompkins

Confederate nurse who operated a private hospital; the only woman commissioned as an officer.

Caning of Sumner

An 1856 attack on Senator Charles Sumner by Representative Preston Brooks; highlighted sectional divides.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Treaty ending the Mexican-American War in 1848; added vast territories to the U.S.

Compromise of 1850

A series of laws addressing slavery and territorial expansion; aimed to ease tensions.

Fugitive Slave Act

Law requiring escaped slaves to be returned; increased Northern opposition to slavery.

Harpers Ferry/John Brown

John Brown’s 1859 raid on a federal armory to incite a slave rebellion; deepened sectional tensions.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Allowed popular sovereignty to decide the slavery issue; led to 'Bleeding Kansas'.

Manifest Destiny

Belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America; fueled westward expansion.

Popular Sovereignty

Policy allowing settlers to vote on slavery in new territories; led to violent conflicts.

Lincoln/Douglas Debates

A series of debates in 1858 between Lincoln and Douglas; highlighted the issue of slavery.

Election of 1850

Refers to the political environment around the Compromise of 1850; critical moment in the slavery debate.

Secession

The act of Southern states leaving the Union; directly led to the Civil War.

Free Soil Party

Political party opposing the expansion of slavery into western territories; shaped the Republican platform.

Republican Party

Political party formed in 1854 opposing the expansion of slavery; became dominant anti-slavery party.

Radical Reconstruction

Period after the Civil War focused on harsh measures against the South and rights for freedmen.

Freedmen’s Bureau

Government agency established to aid freed slaves; provided education and economic assistance.

13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments

Amendments abolishing slavery, granting citizenship and voting rights; key civil rights milestones.

Gettysburg Address

Speech by Abraham Lincoln reaffirming the Union’s commitment to equality and democracy.

Scalawags and Carpetbaggers

Scalawags were Southern whites supporting Reconstruction; carpetbaggers were Northerners who moved South.