period 5
1. Harriet Beecher Stowe
Definition: Author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Her novel exposed the horrors of slavery to a wide audience, fueling anti-slavery sentiment in the North and intensifying sectional tensions.
2. William Lloyd Garrison
Definition: Editor of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator.
He was a leading voice in the abolitionist movement, advocating for the immediate emancipation of enslaved people.
3. Dred Scott Decision
Definition: A Supreme Court ruling in 1857 that African Americans were not U.S. citizens and could not sue in federal court.
It declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, increasing sectional tensions and pushing the nation closer to civil war.
4. Abraham Lincoln
Definition: The 16th president of the United States. Led the Union during the Civil War, issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and delivered the Gettysburg Address. He was assassinated in 1865.
5. Clara Barton
Definition: Nurse and founder of the American Red Cross.
Barton provided critical medical care during the Civil War and later revolutionized humanitarian aid.
6. Jefferson Davis
Definition: President of the Confederate States of America.
Led the Confederacy throughout the Civil War, representing the Southern states’ fight for secession and slavery.
7. Mathew Brady
Definition: A pioneering photographer during the Civil War.
Documented the war through photographs, bringing its realities to the public.
8. Stonewall Jackson
Definition: A Confederate general known for his tactical brilliance.
Played a crucial role in several Confederate victories before his death in 1863.
9. U.S. Grant
Definition: Union general and the 18th president of the United States.
Grant’s military leadership was instrumental in the Union’s victory during the Civil War.
10. Robert E. Lee
Definition: General of the Confederate Army.
Lee was a key figure in the Civil War, surrendering to Grant at Appomattox Court House in 1865.
11. Charles Francis Adams
Definition: U.S. diplomat during the Civil War.
Played a key role in preventing British recognition of the Confederacy.
12. Mary Todd Lincoln
Definition: Wife of Abraham Lincoln and First Lady during his presidency.
Supported her husband during the Civil War while facing personal tragedies and political criticism.
13. Robert Gould Shaw
Definition: Union colonel who led the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, an African American regiment.
His leadership symbolized the bravery of Black soldiers and their contributions to the war effort.
14. William Sherman
Definition: Union general known for his “March to the Sea.”
His strategy of total war devastated the South, weakening its ability to continue fighting.
15. McClellan
Definition: Union general during the early Civil War.
Known for his cautious approach, McClellan’s hesitancy frustrated Lincoln and led to his removal from command.
16. John Wilkes Booth
Definition: Actor and Confederate sympathizer who assassinated Abraham Lincoln.
His actions shocked the nation and led to intensified efforts to preserve the Union.
17. Homestead Act
Definition: A law passed in 1862 that granted 160 acres of public land to settlers for a small fee.
Encouraged westward expansion and the settlement of the American frontier.
18. Morrill Land Grant Act
Definition: A law passed in 1862 providing federal land to states to establish colleges.
Promoted higher education and agricultural research in the U.S.
19. Commodore Matthew Perry
Definition: U.S. naval officer who opened Japan to trade with the West in 1854.
His mission ended Japan’s isolation and initiated significant cultural and economic changes.
20. Steven Douglas
Definition: U.S. senator and architect of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
Advocated for popular sovereignty, fueling tensions over slavery and opposing Lincoln in the famous debates.
21. Frederick Douglass
Definition: An escaped slave, abolitionist, writer, and speaker.
His eloquence and activism inspired the abolitionist movement and highlighted the horrors of slavery.
22. Harriet Tubman
Definition: Escaped slave and conductor on the Underground Railroad.
Tubman helped many enslaved people escape to freedom and supported Union efforts during the Civil War.
23. Louisa May Alcott
Definition: Author of Little Women and a nurse during the Civil War.
Her work shed light on the war’s impact on families and women.
24. Carl Schurz
Definition: German immigrant, Union general, and politician.
Advocated for abolition, civil rights, and Reconstruction reforms.
25. Angelina and Sarah Grimké
Definition: Sisters and abolitionists who advocated against slavery and for women’s rights. Their speeches and writings bridged the abolitionist and women’s rights movements.
26. Sally Tompkins
Definition: Confederate nurse who operated a private hospital. The only woman commissioned as an officer in the Confederate Army, her hospital had exceptional success rates.
27. Caning of Sumner
Definition: An 1856 attack on Senator Charles Sumner by Representative Preston Brooks.
Highlighted the deep sectional divides over slavery, with violence even occurring in Congress.
28. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Definition: Treaty ending the Mexican-American War in 1848.
Added vast territories to the U.S., intensifying the debate over slavery in new lands.
29. Compromise of 1850
Definition: A series of laws addressing slavery and territorial expansion.
Temporarily eased tensions but included the controversial Fugitive Slave Act.
30. Fugitive Slave Act
Definition: Law requiring escaped slaves to be returned to their owners.
Increased Northern opposition to slavery and spurred the abolitionist movement.
31. Harpers Ferry/John Brown
Definition: Abolitionist John Brown’s 1859 raid on a federal armory to incite a slave rebellion.
Deepened sectional tensions and made Brown a polarizing figure.
32. Kansas-Nebraska Act
Definition: Allowed popular sovereignty to decide the slavery issue in Kansas and Nebraska. Led to “Bleeding Kansas” and further divided the nation.
33. Manifest Destiny
Definition: Belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America.
Fueled westward expansion, territorial acquisitions, and conflicts over slavery.
34. Popular Sovereignty
Definition: Policy allowing settlers to vote on slavery in new territories.
Led to violent conflicts like “Bleeding Kansas.”
35. Lincoln/Douglas Debates
Definition: A series of debates during the 1858 Illinois Senate race between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.
Highlighted the issue of slavery and boosted Lincoln’s national profile.
36. Election of 1850
Definition: Likely refers to the tumultuous political environment around the Compromise of 1850.
Marked a critical moment in the debate over slavery’s expansion.
37. Secession
Definition: The act of Southern states leaving the Union in 1860-1861.
Directly led to the Civil War.
38. Free Soil Party
Definition: Political party opposing the expansion of slavery into western territories.
Helped shape the Republican Party’s platform.
39. Republican Party
Definition: Political party formed in 1854 opposing the expansion of slavery.
Became the dominant anti-slavery party and elected Abraham Lincoln in 1860.
40. Radical Reconstruction
Definition: Period following the Civil War focused on harsh measures against the South and rights for freedmen.
Led to significant changes in Southern society and politics.
41. Freedmen’s Bureau
Definition: Government agency established to aid freed slaves.
Provided education, healthcare, and economic assistance during Reconstruction.
42. 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
Definition: Amendments abolishing slavery, granting citizenship, and voting rights to African Americans.
Key milestones in civil rights.
43. Gettysburg Address
Definition: Speech by Abraham Lincoln at the Gettysburg battlefield.
Reaffirmed the Union’s commitment to equality and democracy.
44. Scalawags and Carpetbaggers
Definition: Scalawags were Southern whites supporting Reconstruction; carpetbaggers were Northerners who moved South post-war.
Both groups faced criticism but contributed to rebuilding the South