Key Terms of the American Civil War Era

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Abolitionist

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A person who advocated for the ending of slavery.

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Abraham Lincoln

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16th President of the United States who led the country during the Civil War and worked to end slavery.

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Anaconda Plan

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A military strategy proposed by Union General Winfield Scott to defeat the Confederacy by blockading southern ports and controlling the Mississippi River.

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Antebellum

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A term used to describe the period in the Southern United States before the Civil War.

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Civil War

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A war between citizens of the same country; in the U.S., it refers to the conflict between the Northern states (Union) and Southern seceding states (Confederacy) from 1861-1865.

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Compromise

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An agreement or settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions.

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Confederacy

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The group of 11 Southern states that seceded from the United States in 1860-61.

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Emancipation Proclamation

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An executive order issued by President Lincoln in 1863 that freed slaves in the Confederate states.

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Frederick Douglas

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A former enslaved African American who became a prominent activist, author, and public speaker.

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Gettysburg Address

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A famous speech by President Lincoln in 1863 at the dedication of a national cemetery on the site of the Battle of Gettysburg.