Civil War Flashcards
Abolitionism
A movement to end slavery.
Cause of the Civil War: Abolitionists’ calls for the end of slavery caused tensions, especially in Southern states where slavery was integral to the economy.
Frederick Douglass
An escaped slave who became a leading abolitionist and writer.
Cause of the Civil War: Douglass’s activism helped spread awareness about the cruelty of slavery, fueling anti-slavery sentiment in the North.
American Anti-Slavery Society
A group formed to organize efforts to end slavery.
Cause of the Civil War: This organization played a key role in pushing the anti-slavery agenda, which angered pro-slavery Southerners.
Elections of 1860, 1864
Presidential elections where Abraham Lincoln’s victory in 1860 led to Southern states seceding, and his re-election in 1864 showed the North’s resolve to end the war.
Cause of the Civil War: Lincoln’s anti-slavery stance triggered secession, leading to the war. His 1864 victory confirmed the North’s commitment to preserving the Union.
“Anaconda”
A Union strategy to blockade the South and squeeze it into submission.
Purpose of the Civil War: The Anaconda Plan was a military strategy to weaken the Confederacy by cutting off supplies and trade.
Appomattox
The site of General Lee’s surrender to General Grant in 1865, ending the Civil War.
Purpose of the Civil War: The surrender at Appomattox marked the end of the conflict and the preservation of the Union.
Battle of Antietam
A bloody battle in 1862, resulting in a draw but giving Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
Purpose of the Civil War: The battle’s aftermath allowed Lincoln to take a stronger anti-slavery stance, shifting the war’s purpose towards abolition.
Battle of Gettysburg
A turning point battle in 1863 where Union forces defeated the Confederacy, ending its hopes of invading the North.
Purpose of the Civil War: The Union victory at Gettysburg helped secure Northern morale and moved the war toward a fight for emancipation.
John Wilkes Booth
The assassin who killed President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.
Purpose of the Civil War: Booth’s assassination was a tragic moment after the war, but the Confederacy’s defeat had already been sealed.
Border States
Slave states that stayed loyal to the Union (e.g., Kentucky, Maryland).
Cause of the Civil War: These states were crucial for the Union’s military and political power and were a point of tension during the conflict.
John Brown
An abolitionist who led violent uprisings against slavery, including the raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859.
Cause of the Civil War: Brown’s raid further inflamed tensions between the North and South over slavery.
Henry Clay
A statesman known for crafting compromises between North and South, including the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850.
Cause of the Civil War: Clay’s compromises tried to ease tensions over slavery but were ultimately temporary fixes that failed to prevent the war.
Compromise of 1850
A series of laws aimed at settling disputes over slavery in newly acquired territories.
Cause of the Civil War: The Compromise included the Fugitive Slave Act, which angered Northerners and deepened sectional divisions.
“Contraband”
Term used for escaped slaves who joined Union forces during the Civil War.
Purpose of the Civil War: The Union used “contrabands” as both a military and moral strategy, weakening the South’s economy and bolstering the Union cause.
Jefferson Davis
President of the Confederate States of America.
Cause of the Civil War: Davis led the Confederacy in its effort to maintain slavery and independence from the Union.
Stephen A. Douglas
A senator who supported popular sovereignty to decide the issue of slavery in new territories.
Cause of the Civil War: Douglas’s support for popular sovereignty in the Kansas-Nebraska Act deepened the division over slavery.
Emancipation Proclamation
An executive order by Lincoln in 1863 that freed slaves in Confederate-held territory.
Purpose of the Civil War: The proclamation shifted the war’s focus to abolition, weakening the Confederacy and changing its moral character.
Fall of Atlanta
A major Union victory in 1864, signaling the Confederacy’s weakening strength.
Purpose of the Civil War: The fall of Atlanta was a key moment that contributed to the Union’s victory and helped secure Lincoln’s re-election.
Fall of Vicksburg
A Union victory in 1863 that gave the North control of the Mississippi River.
Purpose of the Civil War: The victory split the Confederacy and was a major strategic blow.
First Battle of Bull Run
The first major battle of the war, where the Confederacy won.
Cause of the Civil War: The battle showed the war would not be short and would require serious effort from both sides.
Fort Sumter
The site where Confederate forces first attacked a U.S. military installation, starting the Civil War.
Cause of the Civil War: The attack on Fort Sumter marked the beginning of armed conflict over slavery and Union preservation.
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
A law that required Northerners to return escaped slaves to the South.
Cause of the Civil War: The law angered Northerners and intensified sectional tensions over slavery.
