Key Terms from American History

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Emancipation Proclamation

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An executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, freeing slaves in all portions of the United States not then under Union control. This did not free any slaves because it only applied to the Confederacy which was it's own country at this time.

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Habeas Corpus

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Protects U.S. citizens from being put in jail without being charged with a crime. This was suspended by Lincoln during the Civil War.

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Gettysburg Address

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A famous speech by President Abraham Lincoln, delivered during the American Civil War at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

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Malice

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The intention or desire to do evil or cause injury to others.

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13th Amendment

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An amendment to the United States Constitution that abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.

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14th Amendment

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An amendment to the United States Constitution granting citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and guaranteeing all citizens equal protection of the laws.

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15th Amendment

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An amendment to the United States Constitution that prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

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Radical Republicans

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Politicians within the Republican Party from about 1854 until the end of Reconstruction in 1877, known for their strong opposition to slavery and efforts to secure rights for freed slaves. They wanted to help the freedmen by punishing the South.

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Reconstruction

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The period after the Civil War in the United States when the southern states were reorganized and brought back into the Union.

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Confederacy

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The group of 11 Southern states that seceded from the United States in 1860-61, leading to the Civil War.