Ch 21: The Furnace of Civil War

"Peace Democrats"

L: "Peace Democrats" were those in the Democratic party who did not support the war. I: Copperheads, the most extreme, openly obstructed the war through attacks. They did not support Lincoln.

"War Democrats"

L: "War Democrats" were those in the Democratic party who did support the Lincoln administration and the war. I: The division of the Democratic party illustrates the division of the country, and how even in the Union they were not completely united.

Bull Run

L: Bull Run (Manassas Junction), thirty miles west of Washington, was the site of the battle where the Union army marched on a Confederate force. Confederates won and the Union retreated shamefully. I: This resulted in a sharp drop in enlistments in the Confederacy, and caused the Union to realize this wouldn't be a quick war.

Fredericksburg

L: Fredericksburg was the site of a battle where Union commander Burnside led his soldiers against the Confederacy, where they were slaughtered. I: It was nicknamed "Burnside's Slaughter Pen" and demonstrated Burnside's inability to lead the Union army.

George C. McClellan

L: General George C. McClellan (1826-1885) was the commander of the Union army at various times during the Civil War. He led the Army of Potomac and was much loved. He was reluctant to march on the Confederacy because he always believed that he was outnumbered. I: He gave morale to his army and was a brilliant organizer. However, his indecisiveness dragged out the war and endlessly frustrated President Lincoln.

Gettysburg

L: Gettysburg was the site of a three-day battle. Meade, who replaced Hooker as commander of the Union army, and his forces battled the Confederacy and defeated them. I: Commander of the Confederate army, Pickett's last charge broke the heart of the Confederate cause once and for all.

John Wilkes Booth/Lincoln Assassination

L: John Wilkes Booth (1838-1865) was a pro-Confederacy actor at Ford's Theater in Washington. While Lincoln was in his box, he shot him in the head. I: His dramatic death helped to erase the memories of his flaws and shortcomings and rallied people to his glorification. His death increased bitterness in the North.

Pickett's Charge

L: Pickett's Charge refers to commander of the Confederate army Pickett's last desperate charge against the Union army at Gettysburg and the last invasion into the North. I: When this failed, the heart of the Confederate cause was broken once and for all.

Appomattox Courthouse

L: The Appomattox Courthouse was located in Virginia was where Grant, a Union general, cornered Commander Lee of the Confederacy. They negotiated surrender treaties. I: This was the end of the Civil War.

Army of the Potomac

L: The Army of the Potomac was the major Union force near Washington, led by General George McClellan. I: They were the main Union force, and were injected with morale by General McClellan. They fought at Antietam, Gettysburg, and Richmond, among others.

Emancipation Proclamation

L: The Emancipation Proclamation was a speech given by Lincoln in 1863. It declared all the slaves free in the Confederacy. I: This strengthened the moral cause of the Union, though it didn't really free any slaves. It also revealed a real cause of the war was emancipation for black slaves.

13th Amendment

L: The Thirteenth Amendment stated that all men were equal, including blacks. I: This was the legal end to slavery.

Antietam

L: The battle of Antietam was fought in Maryland in 1862. It was fought in three waves. It was technically a draw. I: It was the single most bloody day of battle in the history of the United States. Though a draw, it gave Lincoln the victory he needed to give the Emancipation Proclamation.

"Bayonet Vote"

L: The bayonet vote refers to the group of Union soldiers who voted in the presidential election. I: This mass of votes propelled Lincoln to his reelection.

Crucifixion Thesis

L: The crucifixion thesis refers to the belief that Andrew Johnson, president after Lincoln, was crucified in Lincoln's stead. If Lincoln had lived, he would have suffered Johnson's fate of being impeached by his own party. I: This does not hold up when scrutinized, as there's no doubt Lincoln was a successful and victorious president.

Total War

L: Total war was the strategy used by the Union army. First, suffocate the South. Second, free the slaves. Third, seize control of the Mississippi. Fourth, send troops to Georgia and Carolina. Fifth, capture Richmond. Sixth, engage the main Confederate force everywhere and defeat it. I: These six components of total war helped the Union win the victory.

Ulysses S. Grant

L: Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) was from Ohio. He was a general in the Union army towards the end of the war. I: His military success in the Civil War propelled him into the office of 18th president.

Vicksburg

L: Vicksburg was a fortress on the Mississippi River. General Grant seized it in 1863. I: This was the Confederacy's sentinel in watching and protecting the vital route to western supplies and its conquest was a blow to the Confederacy.

William Tecumseh Sherman

L: William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891) was a ruthless Union general. His force wreaked havoc through border states Georgia and South Carolina because he wanted to prevent supplies from reaching the Confederacy and lower morale. I: His brutal tactics pioneered "total war" and he captured Georgia.