Civil War Strategies and Impacts

A proposed amendment in 1846 that aimed to ban slavery in any territories acquired from Mexico. It was rejected in the Senate due to a lack of support by the Democratic Party.

The treaty signed in 1848 that officially ended the Mexican-American War. It gave a vast amount of land (including California) to the USA, but it also sparked fierce debates about slavery in these newly acquired territories.

The idea that people residing in a territory should decide on whether to allow slavery or not. This was a central issue in the 1850s that led to violent conflict.

A series of laws aimed at resolving conflicts over slavery triggered by the Mexican Cession. It admitted California as a free state, banned slave trade in Washington D.C., and allowed for popular sovereignty in some territories.

A controversial part of the Compromise of 1850 which forced free states to assist in returning runaway slaves to their owners, sparking outrage among abolitionists who saw it as unjust.

A period of violence and turmoil in the Kansas Territory (1854-1861) caused by clashes between proslavery and antislavery settlers. The conflict escalated to actual battles.

A Supreme Court case in 1857 that ruled that enslaved people were not citizens, could not sue in court, and that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. The decision heightened tensions and solidified the idea that slavery was legal everywhere.

A political party formed in the 1840s that opposed the westward expansion of slavery. They believed that free labor was essential for the country's future and sought to limit the power of slaveowners.

A nativist political party that emerged in the mid-1850s, it aimed to limit the influence of immigrants, particularly Catholics, on American politics. They gained traction as anti-immigrant sentiment grew.

A law enacted in 1854 which repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed for popular sovereignty to determine the status of slavery in the Kansas and Nebraska Territories. This led to violence and unrest.

A new political party formed by Northern Democrats, Free-Soilers, and Know-Nothings. Their main goal was to stop the spread of slavery into western territories.

A series of seven public debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during the 1858 Illinois Senate race. They focused on the issue of slavery's expansion.

When a group of states formally withdraw from the United States, as happened in the South after Lincoln's election in 1860.

A raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, led by abolitionist John Brown, who attempted to start an armed uprising against slavery by capturing a federal arsenal and handing out weapons to slaves.

Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 Presidential Election, despite not winning a single southern state. His victory was seen as a win for abolitionism and a threat to the South.

A proposed amendment to the Constitution offered by Senator John J. Crittenden in 1860, aimed at preventing Southern secession by protecting slavery in existing states and territories.

South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union in December 1860, after Lincoln's election. This sparked a chain reaction of other Southern states leaving the Union.

The Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg were significant turning points in the Civil War. Gettysburg marked the end of Confederate attempts to invade the North, while Vicksburg secured Union control of the Mississippi River, a crucial strategic waterway for the Confederacy.

The Confederate strategy of using their cotton exports to gain support from Britain and France. It aimed to convince European powers to recognize the Confederacy's independence.

A military tactic employed by General Sherman during the Civil War, where Union soldiers destroyed Confederate infrastructure, resources, and civilian property to weaken their ability to fight.

President Lincoln used the telegraph extensively to communicate with his generals, enabling him to direct military operations in real time, demonstrating the impactful potential of new technologies during wartime.

A law enacted in 1863 that mandated military enrollment for all male citizens and immigrants between 20 and 45 years old in the North, effectively initiating conscription.

The first state to secede from the Union in December 1860, driven by the election of Abraham Lincoln and fears about the future of slavery.

President Buchanan believed the federal government had no authority to prevent a state from leaving the Union, leading to a weakened response to secession.

A group of Southern states that seceded from the Union in 1860-1861, forming a new country based on the preservation of slavery.

A federal fort in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired on April 12, 1861.

The Union had a significant population advantage, with 22 million people compared to the Confederacy's 9 million (including 3 million slaves).

The Confederacy boasted strong military leadership with many trained generals, including Robert E. Lee, who had graduated from West Point.

Jefferson Davis was the president of the Confederate States of America, leading the South during the Civil War.

A presidential proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declaring the freedom of enslaved people in Confederate territories. It reframed the Civil War as a fight for freedom and helped to undermine the Confederacy.

A famous speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of a national cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in November 1863. It powerfully called for national unity and reinterpreted the Civil War as a fight to preserve democracy.

The first official Black regiment in the U.S Army, formed in 1863. Over 180,000 Black Americans enlisted in the Union Army, contributing significantly to the war effort.

Black soldiers faced significant discrimination during the Civil War, including lower pay and limited opportunities for advancement. They were not allowed to become officers and were often seen as inferior to their white counterparts.

A pivotal battle in July 1863, where the 54th Massachusetts regiment fought bravely. It resulted in heavy losses, including the death of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, but demonstrated the courage and resilience of Black soldiers.

The Civil War was the deadliest conflict in American history, resulting in an estimated 620,000 deaths. Approximately 504 soldiers died each day, and the total number of casualties (including wounded and missing) reached 1.5 million.

The Civil War tore families apart, often pitting fathers against sons, brothers against brothers. It forced families to choose sides and endure the pain of loss and separation.

The American Civil War, a period of conflict between the Union and the Confederacy from 1861 to 1865, stands as the most devastating war in U.S. history, claiming more lives than any other conflict throughout the nation's history.

Granted citizenship to Black Americans, specifically those born in the U.S.A. after slavery was abolished.

Guaranteed the right to vote regardless of race or previous condition of servitude (for men only at the time).

Established in 1865 to provide aid, including food, clothing, and land, to displaced Southerners, especially newly freed Black Americans.

Laws enacted in former Confederate states aimed at restricting the rights and liberties of Black Americans, essentially codifying their second-class status.

An economic system where former slaves rented land from former plantation owners in exchange for a share of the crop—often leaving them in debt due to unfair practices.

State and local laws in the South that legalized racial segregation and discrimination against Black Americans.

A Supreme Court case that upheld the legality of racial segregation in public facilities under the "separate but equal" doctrine.