Post-Civil War Reconstruction Summary

Irish Potato Famine

Catastrophic period of potato crop failure leading to Irish starvation

NINA

Acronym for 'No Irish Need Apply' signifying discrimination against Irish immigrants

German Peasant Revolts

Social disruptions in Germany leading to emigration to the United States

Westward Surge

Movement of population westward with a significant portion under 30 years old

Nativism

Prejudice against immigrants, particularly the Irish and Germans

Know-Nothing Party

Political party opposing immigration, particularly Catholic immigrants

Erie Canal

Man-made waterway connecting the Great Lakes to the Hudson River

Steamboat

Vessel powered by steam engine, revolutionizing transportation

Telegraph

Communication device transmitting messages over long distances via electric signals

Interchangeable Parts

Identical components allowing for mass production and repair of machinery

American Factory System

Industrial production method using machinery and division of labor

Lowell Mills

Textile factories in Lowell, MA, employing mainly women workers

Wage Slaves

Workers trapped in low-paying jobs with harsh conditions

Mule Spinning

Labor-intensive process of spinning yarn using mule machines

Cult of Domesticity

Belief emphasizing women's role in the home and family

Cash Cropping

Farming method focused on growing crops for sale rather than personal use

King Cotton

Dominance of cotton production in the Southern economy, fueled by slavery

Slave Revolts

Uprisings by enslaved individuals seeking freedom and resistance against oppression

Sojourner Truth

Freed black woman and abolitionist preacher advocating for equality and rights

Harriet Tubman

Famous abolitionist who helped free numerous slaves through the Underground Railroad

Underground Railroad

Network aiding slaves' escape to freedom

American Colonization Society

Founded Liberia to resettle freed slaves

Abraham Lincoln

President who aimed to free slaves and repatriate them to Africa

Liberia

Country established for freed American slaves

William Lloyd Garrison

Published 'The Liberator,' advocating immediate end to slavery

David Walker

Author of 'Appeal to the Colored Citizens,' promoting violent end to slavery

Sarah and Angelina Grimke

Sisters who fought slavery and promoted women's rights

Frederick Douglass

Former slave turned abolitionist writer and speaker

Rev. Elijah Lovejoy

Abolitionist publisher martyred for his beliefs

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, influencing anti-slavery sentiment

John Tyler

President who faced opposition for vetoing the Bank of the US

Manifest Destiny

Belief in American right to expand westward

Stephen Austin

Led American settlement in Texas, defying Mexican rules

Battle of San Jacinto

Houston's victory securing Texas independence from Mexico

Oregon Trail

Route for settlers from Missouri to Oregon, symbolizing westward expansion

James K. Polk

President known for Manifest Destiny and Mexican War

Mexican Cession

Land acquired by the US after the Mexican War

Wilmot Proviso

Proposed ban on slavery in territories acquired from Mexico

Free-Soil Party

Opposed slavery expansion, supported by Northern farmers

Lewis Cass

War of 1812 veteran and proponent of popular sovereignty

Popular Sovereignty

Concept of letting the people decide on slavery issues

Free Soilers

Led by Martin Van Buren, blamed for Jackson's policies

Whigs

Led by Zachary Taylor, wealthy slave owner with no political experience

California Gold Rush 1848

Discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill, leading to mass migration

49ers

Gold seekers in California after the discovery in 1848

Squatters

Result of the Gold Rush, leading to lawlessness and greed

Levi Strauss

Used denim to create the first blue jeans, becoming wealthy

Compromise of 1850

Legislation addressing slavery issues, including Fugitive Slave Law

Fugitive Slave Law

Law allowing judges to decide on the status of escaped slaves

William Seward

Advocated for excluding slavery from territories based on moral law

Millard Fillmore

13th President who signed the Compromise of 1850 into law

Gadsden Purchase

Acquisition of land for a transcontinental railroad completion

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Proposed by Stephen Douglas, repealed Missouri Compromise

Republican Party

Formed in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, uniting various groups

Pottawatomie Creek

Site of John Brown's violent anti-slavery actions in Bleeding Kansas

Lecompton Constitution

Proslavery Kansas constitution rejected by Free Soilers

Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner

Violent incident in Congress over slavery, Sumner beaten by Brooks

Dred Scott v Sanford

Landmark 1857 Supreme Court case denying citizenship to African Americans

Panic of 1857

Economic crisis triggered by financial speculation and declining cotton prices

Lincoln-Douglas Debate

Series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in Illinois

John Brown

Abolitionist who led the raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859

Election of 1860

Presidential election won by Abraham Lincoln, leading to Southern secession

Crittenden Compromise

Failed attempt to prevent Civil War by proposing a slavery compromise

Fort Sumter

Federal fort in Charleston Harbor shelled by South Carolinians, starting the Civil War

Anaconda Plan

Union strategy to blockade Southern ports and split the Confederacy

First Battle of Bull Run

First major battle of the Civil War, also known as First Battle of Manassas

Trent Affair

Diplomatic incident involving the Union and Britain over Confederate diplomats

Monitor vs Merrimac

Naval battle between ironclad warships during the Civil War

Peninsula Campaign

Union attempt to capture Richmond led by General George McClellan

Antietam

Bloody battle in Maryland, the bloodiest single day in American history

Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln's order freeing slaves in Confederate territories

Shiloh

Battle in Tennessee where Grant faced a surprise attack but ultimately won

Chancellorsville

Battle where Lee outsmarted Union forces, but lost Stonewall Jackson

Gettysburg

Turning point battle where Union forces repelled Lee's invasion

Gettysburg Address

Lincoln's speech emphasizing national unity and equality

Vicksburg Falls

Siege ending on July 4, 1863, splitting the Confederacy in half

Sherman's March to the Sea

Destructive Union campaign led by General Sherman through Georgia

Total War

Sherman's strategy to destroy everything in the South

Copperheads

Northerners sympathetic to the South during the Civil War

Salmon P. Chase

Critical member of Lincoln's Cabinet

Vallandigham

Exiled Democrat from Ohio critical of Lincoln

Election of 1864

McClellan vs. Lincoln, Johnson as VP

Grant's Promotion

Grant becomes Lieutenant General, defeats Lee

Appomattox Court House

Site of Lee's surrender to Grant

Reconstruction Results

620,000 dead, $15 billion cost, 4 million freed slaves

Emancipation

Uneven spread of knowledge of freedom for slaves

Freedmen's Bureau

Provided aid to freed slaves after the Civil War

Lincoln's Assassination

Assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865

Andrew Johnson

17th President, clashed with Radical Republicans

10% Plan

Lincoln's plan for Southern states to rejoin the Union

Wade-Davis Bill

Radical Republicans' stricter plan for readmitting states

Black Codes

Laws in the South restricting freed slaves' rights

Reconstruction Amendments

13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments post-Civil War

Congressional Concerns

Worries about Southern power post-war

Military Reconstruction

Divided South into districts, disenfranchised states

Carpetbaggers

Northerners who moved South for post-war opportunities