Copy of AMSCO Unit 5 Vocabulary Flashcards
What is an alternative name some historians use for the Civil War?
Second American Revolution: A term reflecting the fundamental changes in freedom, industrialization, and modernization.
What was the Confederate States of America?
A country formed by the seceded Southern states in 1861, modeled after the U.S. Constitution but with protections for slavery.
Who was Jefferson Davis?
President of the Confederate States of America who struggled to unite the Confederate states.
Who was Alexander H. Stephens?
Vice president of the Confederate States who urged for Georgia’s secession from the Confederacy.
Who was Winfield Scott?
General-in-Chief of the Union army at the beginning of the Civil War who created the Anaconda Plan.
What was the Anaconda Plan?
A successful Union military strategy developed by Winfield Scott to cut off supplies to the Confederacy.
What was the significance of the Battle of Bull Run?
The first major battle of the Civil War, ending in a Confederate victory and revealing the war’s brutality.
Who was Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson?
A successful Southern general known for early victories, killed at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
Who was George B. McClellan?
Commander of Union forces in the East, known for his training skills but hesitant in battle.
Who was Robert E. Lee?
Brilliant commanding general of the Confederate Army, eventually defeated by General Ulysses S. Grant.
What was the Battle of Antietam?
A major battle known for the deadliest single day of combat, resulting in a Union victory.
What happened at the Battle of Fredericksburg?
A major battle resulting in massive Union casualties due to reckless strategies.
What was the significance of the Monitor vs. Merrimac battle?
An important naval battle that marked a turning point in naval warfare with the use of ironclad ships.
Who was Ulysses S. Grant?
A successful Union general known for his war of attrition strategy.
What was the Battle of Shiloh?
A major battle that began with a surprise attack but ended in a Union victory.
Who was David Farragut?
Union admiral who captured New Orleans, aiding the Anaconda Plan.
What was the Trent Affair?
A diplomatic crisis that nearly led to British support for the Confederacy.
What was Cotton Diplomacy?
The Confederacy’s hope to secure European allies through cotton reliance, which ultimately failed.
What was the Battle of Vicksburg?
A major battle that resulted in a Union victory and control of the Mississippi River.
What was the significance of the Battle of Gettysburg?
The deadliest battle of the Civil War, resulting in a major Union victory.
What was Sherman’s March?
A military campaign utilizing total war tactics to break the South’s will.
What was the Appomattox Court House?
The site of the final surrender of Confederate forces, marking the end of the Civil War.
What is habeas corpus?
The right to be informed of charges before imprisonment, controversially suspended by Lincoln.
What were the Confiscation Acts?
Laws allowing the Union military to seize enemy property and free enslaved people.
What was the Emancipation Proclamation?
Lincoln’s order declaring all slaves in rebelling states free, making the war about ending slavery.
What was the Massachusetts 54th Regiment?
An all-black military unit of the Union army that served valiantly despite discrimination.
Who were the Copperheads?
Northern Democrats who opposed the Civil War and sought a negotiated peace.
What was Ex parte Milligan?
A landmark SCOTUS case ruling military tribunals for citizens unconstitutional when civilian courts operate.
What was the Gettysburg Address?
Lincoln’s speech honoring Union soldiers and reinforcing commitment to the war.
What are greenbacks?
Paper currency issued by the U.S. Treasury during the war, contributing to inflation.
What was the Morrill Tariff Act (1861)?
An act raising tariff rates to increase revenue and protect American manufacturers.
What was the Homestead Act (1862)?
A law promoting settlement of the Great Plains by offering free land to farmers.
What was the Morrill Land Grant Act (1862)?
An act encouraging states to use federal land sales to fund agricultural colleges.
What was the Pacific Railway Act (1862)?
An act authorizing the building of a transcontinental railroad to link eastern and western states.
Who was Andrew Johnson?
President after Lincoln, favored leniency for the South, leading to conflict with Congress.
What is Reconstruction?
The plan for rebuilding and readmitting Southern states into the Union post-Civil War.
What was the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction (1863)?
Lincoln’s lenient plan requiring oaths of allegiance and support for emancipation.
What was the Wade-Davis Bill (1864)?
A more restrictive Reconstruction plan that was pocket-vetoed by Lincoln.
What was the Freedmen’s Bureau?
A government agency meant to assist former slaves with housing, food, and education.
What was Congressional Reconstruction?
The second round of Reconstruction dominated by Radical Republicans to protect African Americans.
Who were the Radical Republicans?
Members demanding harsh Reconstruction policies to punish Southern states and protect African Americans.
Who was Charles Sumner?
Leader of the Radical Republicans in the Senate.
What was the 13th Amendment?
An amendment that banned slavery in the United States.
What was the Civil Rights Act of 1866?
A law declaring all African Americans citizens, but deemed insufficient by Republicans.
What was the 14th Amendment?
An amendment guaranteeing citizenship rights and equal protection under the law.
What is the Equal Protection of the Laws?
A clause requiring laws to be applied equally to all citizens.
What is Due Process of Law?
A clause ensuring fair treatment under established legal principles.
What were the Reconstruction Acts?
Laws placing the South under military occupation and increasing readmission requirements.
What was the Tenure of Office Act (1867)?
A law prohibiting the president from removing federal officials without Senate approval.
Who was Edwin Stanton?
Secretary of War dismissed by Johnson, leading to impeachment proceedings.
What is impeachment?
The process of officially accusing a federal official of misconduct.
What was the 15th Amendment?
An amendment prohibiting denial of voting rights based on race or previous servitude.
What was the Civil Rights Act of 1875?
A law guaranteeing equal accommodations in public places, poorly enforced.
What are scalawags?
Southern Democrats’ term for Southerners sympathetic to Republican policies.
What are carpetbaggers?
Southern Democrats’ term for Northern newcomers seeking opportunities in the South.
Who was Blanche K. Bruce?
One of two African Americans elected to the Senate during Reconstruction.
Who was Hiram Revels?
One of two African Americans elected to the Senate, taking a seat once held by Jefferson Davis.
What are spoilsmen?
Republican leaders who manipulated politics through patronage in the early 1870s.
Who was Thaddeus Stevens?
A Radical Republican leader supporting harsh Reconstruction policies.
Who was Benjamin Wade?
A Radical Republican leader in the Senate advocating for harsh Reconstruction.
What is patronage?
The practice of politicians giving jobs to supporters.
Who was Jay Gould?
A financier involved in a scheme to corner the gold market.
What was Crédit Mobilier?
A controversy involving a railroad company giving stocks to Congress members to avoid investigation.
Who was William Tweed?
Boss of Tammany Hall, known for corrupt schemes to steal taxpayer money.
Who was Thomas Nast?
A political cartoonist who exposed Tweed’s corruption, leading to his arrest.
Who was Horace Greeley?
Editor of the New York Tribune and presidential candidate for reform-minded Republicans.
Who were the Liberal Republicans?
Reform-minded Republicans advocating for civil-service reform and troop withdrawal from the South.
What was the Panic of 1873?
An economic disaster caused by overspeculation, leaving many Northern laborers jobless.
What is women’s suffrage?
The right to vote for women, starting in Wyoming in 1869 and nationally passed in 1920.
Who were the Redeemers?
Southern conservatives who regained control of state governments near the end of Reconstruction.
What was the Ku Klux Klan?
A white supremacy group founded during Reconstruction using violence to intimidate African Americans.
What were the Force Acts?
Laws giving the federal government authority to stop Klan violence and protect civil rights.
What were Black Codes?
Laws restricting the rights and movements of African Americans under Johnson’s Reconstruction plan.
What is sharecropping?
A labor system replacing slavery, allowing farming for oneself but keeping former slaves dependent.
What was the Amnesty Act of 1872?
An act removing restrictions on ex-Confederates, allowing conservatives to regain control in the South.
Who was Rutherford B. Hayes?
The 19th president, whose presidency was marked by the Compromise of 1877 ending Reconstruction.
Who was Samuel J. Tilden?
Democratic nominee in the 1876 election who won the popular vote but lost the presidency.
What was the Election of 1876?
A controversial election between Tilden and Hayes, resolved by the Compromise of 1877.
What was the Compromise of 1877?
An agreement allowing Hayes to become president in exchange for ending Reconstruction.
