Period 5 ID Terms

Harriet Beecher Stowe – Abolitionist and author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, a novel that raised awareness of the harsh realities of slavery.

William Lloyd Garrison – Prominent abolitionist and journalist, best known for founding the Liberator, an anti-slavery newspaper.

Dred Scott Decision – 1857 Supreme Court case where it was ruled that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, could not be American citizens and that the federal government had no power to regulate slavery in the territories.

Abraham Lincoln – 16th President of the United States who led the nation during the Civil War, issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and delivered the Gettysburg Address.

Clara Barton – Nurse and founder of the American Red Cross, she provided critical care to soldiers during the Civil War.

Jefferson Davis – President of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.

Mathew Brady – Famous photographer known for documenting the Civil War through his photographs.

Stonewall Jackson – Confederate general renowned for his leadership and tactics, famously earning his nickname at the Battle of Bull Run.

U.S. Grant – General in the Union Army and 18th President of the United States, credited with leading the Union to victory in the Civil War.

Robert E. Lee – General in the Confederate Army, known for his leadership and military strategy during the Civil War.

Charles Francis Adams – U.S. diplomat and son of President John Quincy Adams; played a key role in preventing British intervention during the Civil War.

Mary Todd Lincoln – Wife of Abraham Lincoln, First Lady during the Civil War, and a controversial figure due to her mental health struggles and support for her husband's policies.

Robert Gould Shaw – Union Army officer, leader of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the first official African American units in the Civil War.

William Sherman – Union general known for his "March to the Sea" during the Civil War, which devastated the South’s resources.

George McClellan – Union general early in the Civil War, known for his cautious nature and eventual run for President in 1864.

John Wilkes Booth – Actor and assassin of President Abraham Lincoln.

Homestead Act – 1862 law that provided 160 acres of public land to settlers willing to farm it for at least five years.

Morrill Land Grant Act – 1862 law that provided federal land to states to fund colleges focusing on agriculture and the mechanic arts.

Commodore Matthew Perry – U.S. naval officer who played a key role in opening Japan to the West with the 1854 Treaty of Kanagawa.

Stephen Douglas – U.S. senator and political rival to Abraham Lincoln, known for the Lincoln-Douglas debates and advocating for popular sovereignty.

Frederick Douglass – Former enslaved African American who became a leading abolitionist, writer, and speaker advocating for the rights of African Americans.

Harriet Tubman – Former enslaved woman who became a conductor on the Underground Railroad, leading many slaves to freedom.

Louisa May Alcott – Author of Little Women, she was also a nurse during the Civil War and supported the abolitionist cause.

Carl Schurz – German-American abolitionist, politician, and reformer who supported the Union during the Civil War.

Angelina and Sarah Grimké – Sisters and abolitionists who were among the first women to speak publicly against slavery.

Sally Tompkins – Confederate nurse and the only woman to hold an official rank in the Confederate Army.

Caning of Sumner – 1856 incident where Congressman Preston Brooks attacked Senator Charles Sumner with a cane on the Senate floor, symbolizing rising tensions over slavery.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo – 1848 treaty that ended the Mexican-American War, granting the U.S. vast territories in the Southwest.

Compromise of 1850 – A series of laws passed to resolve disputes over slavery, including admitting California as a free state and enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act.

Fugitive Slave Act – Part of the Compromise of 1850, it required the return of escaped enslaved people to their owners, even in free states.

Harpers Ferry/John Brown – In 1859, abolitionist John Brown attempted to lead a slave rebellion by raiding the U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, but was captured and executed.

Kansas-Nebraska Act – 1854 law that allowed settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery, leading to violence known as "Bleeding Kansas."

Manifest Destiny – The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Popular Sovereignty – The principle that the people of a territory should decide whether or not to allow slavery, promoted by Stephen Douglas.

Lincoln/Douglas Debates – Series of debates in 1858 between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas for Illinois Senate seat, focusing on the issue of slavery.

Election of 1850 – Likely a typo, as there was no election in that year; the major election of the 1850s was in 1856 or 1860. The 1860 election brought Abraham Lincoln to the presidency.

Secession – The act of Southern states leaving the Union, starting with South Carolina in 1860, leading to the formation of the Confederacy.

Free Soil Party – A political party formed in 1848 that opposed the expansion of slavery into the western territories.

Republican Party – Founded in 1854, the Republican Party was an anti-slavery party, and Abraham Lincoln was its first successful presidential candidate.

Radical Reconstruction – Post-Civil War period marked by strict policies to rebuild the South, including the implementation of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, and the imposition of military rule in the South.

Freedmen's Bureau – Government agency created in 1865 to assist former slaves by providing food, medical care, and education.

13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments – Amendments to the U.S. Constitution that abolished slavery (13th), granted citizenship and equal protection (14th), and protected voting rights regardless of race (15th).

Gettysburg Address – A speech by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 dedicating the Soldiers' National Cemetery and reaffirming the principles of equality and freedom.

Scalawags and Carpetbaggers – Terms used during Reconstruction; scalawags referred to Southern whites who supported Reconstruction, while carpetbaggers were Northern migrants who moved to the South during Reconstruction for political or economic gain.