Unit 6: The Civil War and Reconstruction (1860 1876) Identifications:

Cotton Gin: A machine for cleaning the seeds from cotton fibers
invented by Eli Whitney in 1793. (215) Significance: It made the process of separating seeds from the cotton faster. Since it made slavery more profitable, people could extract the seeds much faster than a man could by hand. The cotton gin made it possible to farm short staple cotton in the southern part of the United States

Fugitive Slave Act 1793: A law which stated all runaway slaves from
south who flee to free states shall be capture and returned to owners in south Significance: The overall significance of this law was it created high amounts of sectional tension between the north and the south as northerners refused to enforce this law given their strong belief in slave freedom.

Fugitive Slave Act 1850: A law enacted as a part of the Compromise

of 1850, designed to insure that escaped slaves would be returned into bondage. (310) Significance: The importance of the Fugitive Slave Act was because slaves kept running away from their masters. The Fugitive Slave Act gave slave owners rights that created a strong backlash in Northern states.

Great Compromise 1850: A series of congressional measures

intended to settle the major disagreements between free- states and slave states. (307) Significance: It was significant because the republicans and democrats were finally happy. It set California as a fee state, popular sovereignty in south west (Utah, New Mexico) and no slave trade in D.C.

Underground Railroad: A system of routes along which run-away slaves were helped to escape to Canada or to safe areas in the freestates. (311) Significance: The Underground Railroad was the most successful way for a slave to escape. It created a successful way for slaves to escape.

Kansas-Nebraska Act: A law, enacted in 1854, that established the

territories of Kansas and Nebraska and gave their residence the rights to decide whether to allow slavery. Significance: It created the Nebraska and Kansas territories. It repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and allowed settlers to determine if they wanted slavery or not. Also, it started to create the opportunity to for Mid-eastern Transcontinental Railroad, and brought back the debate of slavery again among the Northern and Southern states.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates: Debate between Lincoln and Douglas in

which a serious of issues were discussed, one being the Dred Scott case Significance: This was the first time in history in which Lincoln gained public support as he demonstrated his knowledge and power in politics. In addition, this debate caused Douglas to loss supporters given the way Douglas addressed the ideas of the Dred Scoot case.

Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857): Supreme Court case in which Dred

Scott a slave moved from a slave state to Free State was suing for his freedom stating his freedom should be given after being moved to a free state. Significance: The Supreme Court ruled that slaves were indeed property and therefore could not even sue in court. This outraged northerners and also demonstrated that the Missouri compromise was unconstitutional. Overall this even led to further sectional tension between north and south.

Antebellum: The period before the civil war

Significance: In this time period, conflicts and tension was building between the north and south as both sections had different beliefs on the primary issue of slavery. The south was dependent on slavery as a cheap labor source to produce cotton were as the north sough slave labor to be unethical and therefore be expunged from society.

Harpers Ferry/John Brown: A revolt led by abolitionist John Brown in

Harpers Ferry Virginia. Brow attempted to cause a slave revolt as he seized an armory at Harpers Ferry, however was quickly defeated by US marines given lack of men and support. Significance: This event in history demonstrated the two types of abolitionist in the time period, violent extremist who wanted to see change now and peaceful progressives who urged change over a period of time.

 Confederacy: The confederate states of America, a confederation

formed in 1861by the southern states after their secession with the union. Significance: The confederate states of America were overall an enemy to the union as they both contrasted in beliefs and engaged in warfare during the time of the civil war.

Jefferson Davis: President of the Confederate States of America

Significance: President of the Confederates who managed to obtain no foreign aid during the time of the Civil War, one of the primary causes for the Confederates loss. In addition Davis also highly lacked economic skill causing the Confederate dollar to inflate tremendously and was worth almost nothing by the end of the Civil War. Overall, Davis was a terrible president of the Confederates which in term led to his nations downfall.

Fort Sumter: Union Fort fired on my Confederates

Significance: This event sparked the Civil war as violence had finally broken out between the two nations.

Bull Run: First Major ground battle of the civil war which took place
on July 21st, 1861 at Bull Run near the city of Manassas in Virginia. Significance: The Confederate victory of this battle sent a message to the North that this war was not going to last six months as predicted. This battle proved the Confederates were a strong force, and willing and able to fight for what they believed in.

Stonewall Jackson: General of Confederate Amy and served under

General Robert E. Lee. Wounded and killed in battle by friendly fire. Significance: Jackson being a top graduate at West Point was highly experienced in battle tactics and strategy. Jackson served as General Lees right hand man and drove the Confederate army to a large amount of victories. Without Jacksons experience, the Confederate army would have quickly been crushed by the superior power of the Union army.

George MeClellan: General for the union at the beginning of the

civil war and know for his rather lacking military tactics and strategy. Nicknamed Tardy George as he was a perfectionist and would often wait long periods of time before commanding his troops

to charge Significance: The overall significance of George MeClellan was the organization and training of troops before and during the begging of the Civil War thus preparing the Union for Conflict.

Ulysses S. Grant: General for the Union army after the removal of
George Meclellan. Grant graduated in the lower percent of West Point opposite compared to his opponent Robert E. Lee. Significance: General Grant was eventually able to end the Civil War with victory at Appomattox Court house forcing the Confederates to surrender.

Shiloh: Battle between Confederates and Union in southwestern

Tennessee, which eventually led to Union victory under Major Grant. Significance: This battle along with the Campaign in Tennessee led by Major Grant, proved Grants ability in combat thus making allowing him to later take up the rank of General and lead Union forces to victory and the end of the Civil War.

Monitor and Merrimack: Monitor: An Ironclad ship used by the North

in the Civil war. Merrimack: An Ironclad ship used by the South in the Civil war. Significance: The Monitor and Merrimack were the first iron clad ships which marked the era of the new battle ship being made entirely from steel and metal given its effectiveness and ability to repel heavy artillery.

Robert E. Lee: Confederate General of the South during the time of

the civil war. Significance: Robert E. Lee was the general of the south who engaged union forces in multiple locations, however eventually lost the war at Appomattox Court house, thus allowing the era of reconstruction and the Confederate states resubmission to the Union.

Antietam: Major Battle of the Civil war resulting in Union victory.

Union victory owed to luck as enemy battle plans were discovered wrapped around a pack of cigars dropped accidently by Confederate a solider prior to the battle. Significance: This was the turning point of the war in which now President Lincoln could issue the Emancipation Proclamation thus

declaring slaves freedom in the south.

Emancipation Proclamation: An executive order issued by Abraham

Lincoln on January 1, 1863, freeing the slaves in all regions behind Confederate lines. Significance: This act gave all slaves their freedom; however union army would have to first seize control of that territory to enforce this act.

Clara Barton: Clara Barton was a nurse who was most famous for
her establishment of the Red Cross which assisted those in crisis in the time of war in the United States. Significance: Barton was overall successful in her ability to help those wounded in the civil war as she provided medical care. In addition, the Red Cross has also been carried on into present day as a form healthcare in times of disaster.

Andersonville: Confederate Prison camp during the Civil War, were

thousands of Union troops were killed do to starvation, disease, and malnutrition. Significance: The terrible conditions in which troops were kept shocked the public and led to the first informal agreements of as too prisoners of war should be kept.

Gettysburg Address: A famous speech delivered by Abraham

Lincoln in November 1863, at the dedication of a national cemetery on the site of the Battle of Gettysburg. Significance: This speech was overall a political appearance in which president Lincoln both mourned for the loss of life, however also made a point to the public to let him be reelected to finish what he has started.

Chancellorsville: Battle in Chancellorsville Virginia between General

Hooker and General Robert E. Lee. Significance: This battle demonstrated Robert E. Lees overall military strength and strategy as he was able to defeat a much larger force by dividing his army and flanking his opponent.

Vicksburg: The battle of Vicksburg was led by General Grant as he

defeated Confederate forces and crossed the Mississippi River

Significance: With the victory at this battle, the Union had seized control of the Mississippi River, a vital resourced needed to start the southern campaign

William Tecumseh Sherman: General of the Union during end part

of the Civil war. Used methods of total war meaning the discretion among everything that stood in his path. Significance: Shermans tactics of total war destroyed both the economy and moral of the south which in term led to an earlier surrender as all major economic aspects of their nation were destroyed.

Appomattox Court House: Town near Appomattox, Virginia, where

Lee surrendered to Grant on April 9, 1865, thus ending the civil war. Significance: The surrender at Appomattox Court House marked the Confederates loss in the Civil War, which allowed the Union to be restored.

Thirteenth Amendment: An amendment to the U.S constitution,

adopted in 1865, that had abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. Significance: This amendment was the first steps to social equality along black African Americans as they were now given their freedom.

John Wilkes Booth: Stage actor who assassinated President Lincoln

in the Ford Theater in Washington D.C. Significance: With Lincolns death in office, Andrew Johnson came in to office and carried out Reconstruction with a different philosophy compared to Lincoln. This in term led to a longer period of hate between the north and south doing the era of Reconstruction.

Radical Republican: One of the congressional republicans who, after

the civil war, wanted to destroy the political power of former slave holders and to give African Americans full citizenship and the right to vote. Significance: Radical Republicans caused more sectional tension both politically and socially between the north and the south as they aimed to blame and punish the south for the war.

 Andrew Johnson: President after the assignation of Lincoln.

Significance: Andrew Johnson was the leader of the Reconstruction area and proposed different ideas that failed to represent the new freeman and thus caused tension in the Republican Party.

Freedmens Bureau: A federal agency set up to help former slaves

after the civil war. Significance: This society allowed newly freed African American to gain jobs, land, and even education. This eventually allowed African Americans to move up in society through economic and educational improvements.

Black codes: The discriminatory laws passed throughout the post

-civil war South which severely restricted African Americans lives, prohibiting such activities as traveling without permits, carrying weapons, serving on juries, testifying against whites, and marrying whites. Significance: These codes in term limited the rights of newly freed African Americans which led to future discrimination and the idea of separate but equal.

Fourteenth Amendment: An amendment to the U.S constitution,

adopted in 1868, that makes all persons born or naturalized in the United States-including former slaves-citizens of the country and guarantees equal protection of the laws. Significance: This amendment protected the rights of all people regardless of their race, skin color, or religion.

Fifteenth Amendment: An amendment to the U.S constitution,

adopted in 1870, that prohibits the denial of voting rights to people because of their race or color or because they have previously been slaves. Significance: This amendment in term gave blacks the ability to vote in the United States which in term led to less discrimination given African Americans now had a say in the government.

Sharecropping: A system in which landowners give farm workers

land, seed, and tools in return for a part of the crops the raise. Significance: Sharecropping was the primary source of cheap labor resorted to after the civil war, which in term kept African Americans serfs to the land as the only skill they had was agricultural related.

 Tenant farming: A system in which farm workers supply their own

tools and rent farmland for cash. Significance: Tenant Farming was a higher, more dignified profession of ex slaves compared to Sharecropping, as they now possessed enough money to rent land and provide their own tools and animals.

Ku Klux Klan: A secret organization that used terrorist tactics in an

attempt to restore white supremacy in Southern States after the Civil war. Significance: The Ku Klux Klan created high influence in the south and continued the unethical treatment of African Americans as they influenced the Southern government to institute Jim Crow laws.

Compromise of 1877: A series of congressional measures under

which the democrats agrees to accept the Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes as president, even though he had lost the popular vote. The measures included the withdrawal of federal troops from Southern States, federal money for improving Southern infrastructure, and the appointment of a conservative Southern cabinet member. Significance: The compromise of 1877 demonstrated the north and souths ability to come together through peaceful compromise along with further strengthen the hostile relationship.

Home rule: A states powers of governing its citizens without federal

government involvement. Significance: The significance of home rule is the power in which is given to the state governments. This act allows states or cities to create laws without the federal governments approval, thus strengthening the idea of state government.

Jim Crow laws: Laws enacted by Southern State and local

governments to separate white and black people in public and private facilities. Significance: These laws created a still racist atmosphere in the south as blacks were discriminated against still and limited in their rights. This sets the stage for future black rights movements later in history led my Martin Luther King Jr.

 Poll tax: An annual tax that formerly had to be paid in some

Southern States by anyone wishing to vote. Significance: This allowed only those on the wealthier end of society to vote, thus indirectly restricting blacks ability to vote

Grandfather clause: A provision that exempts certain people from a

law on the basis of previously existing circumstances- especially a clause formerly in some Southern states constitutions that exempted whites from the strict voting requirements used to keep African Americans from the polls. Significance: This act created barriers in the south to prevent newly freed African Americans from voting. However these barriers did not apply to whites in the south.

Segregation: The separation of people on the basis of race.

Significance: The overall significance of segregation was the fact that it divided African Americans into separate but equal facilities. This in term led to a future rein of discrimination to those who skin color was dark for many years to come.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896): An 1896 case in which the Supreme

Court ruled that separation of the races in public accommodations was legal, thus establishing the separate but equal doctrine. Significance: This ruling in court set the stage for further discrimination of African Americans as society could now be separate but equal were in truth society was divided but not off of equal aspects.

Key Terms:

Nullification: A states refusal to recognize an act of Congress that is

considers unconstitutional. Significance: Nullification set the stage for a states ability to succeed as a state now had the ability to reject a law, which in term created a more independent attitude of government that can be seen in North Carolina as the led the way in both Nullifications and in succession.

Sectionalism: The placing of the interests of ones own region ahead

of the nations as a whole.

Significance: Sectionalism created tension between the north and the south as they both had different ideas on day to day issues, one primarily being slavery.

Suffrage: The right to vote.

Significance: The right to vote gave power to the public as voting gave them the ability to select who why wanted in office to represent themselves.

Abolition/abolitionists: A movement to end slavery.

Significance: Provoked the south slave states and created tension between north and south which in term became one of the primary reasons for succession.

Succession: The separation of a territory or state from the Union.

Significance: Succession overall created the Confederacy as all states who successes formed together under the Confederate flag.

Habeas corpus: A court order requiring authorities to bring a

prisoner before the court so that the court can determine whether the prisoner is being held legally. Significance: The significance of Habeas Corpus is that it protects the rights of a prisoner of war issued to him by the constitution and bill of rights.

Conscription: The drafting of citizens for military service.

Significance: This allowed both the Union and the Confederates to create such a vast fighting force as ordinary citizens were forced to enter into the armies.

Income tax: A tax on earnings.

Significance: Was primary source of income which was used by both the north and the south to finance the Civil War.