Civil War Flashcards

Key Figures in the Civil War

• Stephen Douglas: Illinois senator known for the Kansas-Nebraska Act, promoting popular sovereignty to decide on slavery, aimed at securing a railroad route through Chicago.
• Abraham Lincoln: President during the Civil War who aimed to preserve the Union and issued the Emancipation Proclamation; assassinated in 1865.
• Henry Clay: Known as the "Great Compromiser," he played a key role in the Missouri Compromise and worked to ease sectional tensions.
• Jefferson Davis: President of the Confederate States during the Civil War.
• Robert E. Lee: Commander of the Confederate Army, known for leading forces at battles like Antietam.
• Ulysses S. Grant: Union general who advocated for total war strategy and ultimately defeated Lee at Appomattox, ending the Civil War.
• William T. Sherman: Noted for his destructive "March to the Sea," targeting Southern infrastructure to diminish morale.
• Frederick Douglass: Former slave and abolitionist who became a leading voice for emancipation and equality.
• John Brown: Militant abolitionist who attempted to incite a slave rebellion by raiding Harper’s Ferry.

Major Legislation and Events

• Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): Established Kansas and Nebraska with the right for territorial residents to vote on slavery, heightening tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions.
• Missouri Compromise (1820): Allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state, prohibiting slavery above 36°30' latitude in the Louisiana Territory.
• Emancipation Proclamation: Issued by Lincoln during the Civil War, freeing slaves in Confederate-held territories but not in Border States loyal to the Union; intended as a strategic war measure.

Key Battles and Military Strategies

• Antietam: 1862 battle that was the bloodiest single day in American history, with 23,000 casualties; a strategic Northern victory that prompted the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation.
• Gettysburg: 1863 battle marked as a turning point in the war; Union victory that halted Lee's invasion of the North, resulting in approximately 51,000 casualties.
• Appomattox Courthouse: Site of Lee's surrender to Grant on April 9, 1865, signaling the end of the Civil War with a focus on reconciliation.

Social and Economic Factors

• Cotton Gin: Invented by Eli Whitney, it greatly increased cotton production and worsened slavery conditions, particularly in the Deep South.
• Slave Narratives: Played a crucial role in advocating for abolition and building sympathies for the abolitionist cause among Northerners.
• Northern Racism: Maintained through minstrel shows and literature; Northerners often justified opposition to slavery due to economic fears rather than moral objections.
• Problem of Labor: After the Civil War, concerns arose among Northern whites that freed slaves would compete for jobs and reduce wages.

Tensions and Conflicts

• Bleeding Kansas: Series of violent events in Kansas resulting from the Kansas-Nebraska Act, illustrating the intense conflict over the expansion of slavery.
• Dred Scott v. Sanford: Supreme Court decision declaring that slaves were property, thereby denying them rights to sue in court and invalidating the Missouri Compromise.
• Nullification Crisis: South Carolina attempted to nullify federal tariffs, showcasing state versus federal tensions that would later contribute to secession.

Societal Impact and Legacy

• Underground Railroad: A network assisting enslaved persons to escape to Canada, with figures such as Harriet Tubman instrumental in the efforts.
• Conscription and Draft Riots: Resistance to military drafts revealed socio-economic divides and racial tensions, particularly among poorer citizens uncomfortable with fighting for the freedom of slaves.
• Lincoln's Evolving Views on Race: Transitioned from supporting colonization to advocating for limited rights for African Americans, especially towards the war's end.

Crosscutting Themes

• Cultural and Economic Divide: The North's industrialized economy contrasted sharply with the South's agrarian, slave-dependent system, leading to fundamental political and social rifts.
• Inevitability of Civil War: The unyielding divisions over slavery and states' rights, exacerbated by violent incidents and political failures, made conflict seemingly unavoidable.