American Civil War Vocabulary

Aftermath

• The immediate response to a crisis

• The consequences or effects from a significant and difficult event, such as a war or disaster

• A period of recovery and healing

• A planned strategy for future events

Confederacy

• A term for the Union states during the Civil War.

• Another term for the Confederate States of America or the South.

• A military alliance formed in the 18th century.

• A political party in the United States.

Appomattox

• A location where the first battle of the Civil War was fought

• The site where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses Grant, marking the end of the American Civil War

• A famous speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln

• A treaty that ended the American Civil War

Emancipation Proclamation

• Freed all slaves in the Confederate states.

• Freed all slaves in the Union states.

• Freed all slaves in the border states.

• Freed no slaves at all.

Gettysburg

• Union win that stopped General Robert E. Lee from invading the North

• Confederate victory that led to the capture of Washington D.C.

• A battle that resulted in a stalemate between the North and South

• A naval battle that took place on the Mississippi River

Reconstruction

• The period from 1865 to 1877 when the U.S. focused on rebuilding after the Civil War and addressing civil rights for African Americans.

• A time when the U.S. was involved in World War I and focused on international relations.

• The era of the Great Depression when the U.S. struggled economically and socially.

• The time period of the American Revolution when the colonies fought for independence from Britain.

Union

• The term used for the Southern states that seceded from the United States during the American Civil War; also called 'the Confederacy.'

• The term used for the Northern American states that were loyal to the United States Federal government during the American Civil War; also called 'the North.'

• The term used for the territories that were neutral during the American Civil War.

• The term used for the states that were part of the British Empire during the American Civil War.

Compromise of 1850

• Strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act and also admitted California as a free state

• Abolished slavery in all territories

• Established popular sovereignty in all territories

• Created the Kansas-Nebraska Act

Proclamation

• A formal declaration made by a government or authority.

• A type of public speech given by a leader.

• An official, public announcement about something important.

• A written document outlining laws and regulations.

Secession

• The act of formally withdrawing from a government or union.

• A process of joining a new government or union.

• A method of negotiating peace between nations.

• The establishment of a new government without any withdrawal.