The Civil War

Abraham Lincoln

Definition: 16th president of the U.S. Impact: Led the Union through the bloodiest war in American history. Works: Emancipation Proclamation Gettysburg Address Civil War

Ulysses S. Grant

Definition: 18th president of the U.S. Impact: worked closely with President Abraham Lincoln to lead the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy in the American Civil War Works: Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse

First Battle of Bull Run

Definition: Also known as First Manassas (the name used by Confederate forces), was fought on July 21, 1861. Impact: It was the first major battle of the American Civil War. Works: Confederate victory followed by a disorganized Union retreat.

Shiloh

Definition: Also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6-7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. Impact: Confederate forces were forced to retreat from the area, ending their hopes of blocking the Union advance into northern Mississippi. Works: Union Victory

Robert E. Lee

Definition: American soldier known for commanding the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War from 1862 until his surrender in 1865. Impact: Once he took command of the main field army in 1862 he soon emerged as a shrewd tactician and battlefield commander, winning most of his battles, all against far superior Union armies. Works: Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse

Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson

Definition: Confederate general during the American Civil War. Impact: Best-known Confederate commander after General Robert E. Lee. Works: Never lost a battle(or very few, at least).

Homestead Act of 1862

Definition: It provided that any adult citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. government could claim 160 acres of surveyed government land. Impact: It opened up the land for anyone who did not take arms against the Union. Works: Southern Homestead Act of 1866

George B. McClellan

Definition: Major general for the Union during the American Civil War and the Democratic presidential nominee in 1864, who later served as Governor of New Jersey. Impact: Early in the war, he played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union. Works: Army of the Potomac

Clara Barton

Definition: Pioneering nurse who founded the American Red Cross. Impact: She is noteworthy for doing humanitarian work at a time when relatively few women worked outside the home. Works: Red Cross

Emancipation Proclamation

Definition: President Abraham Lincoln issued the it on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. It declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." Impact: It had the practical effect that as soon as a slave escaped the control of the Confederate government, by running away or through advances of federal troops, the slave became legally free. Eventually it reached and liberated all of the designated slaves. Works: Freedmen in the South

Jefferson Davis

Definition: President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Impact: He took personal charge of the Confederate war plans but was unable to find a strategy to defeat the Union. His diplomatic efforts failed to gain recognition from any foreign country, and at home, the collapsing Confederate economy forced his government to print more and more paper money to cover the war's expenses, leading to runaway inflation and devaluation of the Confederate dollar. Works: Confederacy

William Tecumseh Sherman

Definition: Served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Impact: received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched earth" policies that he implemented in conducting total war against the Confederate States Works: Sherman's "March to the Sea"

Greenbacks

Definition: They were paper currency (printed in green on the back) issued by the United States during the American Civil War. They were in two forms: Demand Notes, issued in 1861-1862, and United States Notes issued in 1862-1865. Impact: They changed currency in the U.S. Works: Dollar bills

Morrill Land Grant Acts

Definition: United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges Impact: allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges Works: Morrill Act of 1862 Morrill Act of 1890

Gettysburg

Definition: Was fought July 1-3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. Impact: The battle involved the largest number of casualties of the entire war and is often described as the war's turning point. Works: Gettysburg Address

Appomattox Courthouse

Definition: Was fought on the morning of April 9, 1865, was one of the last battles of the American Civil War. Impact: It was the final engagement of Confederate Army general Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia before it surrendered to the Union Army under Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Works: End of Civil War

Antietam

Definition: first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Union soil Impact: bloodiest single-day battle in American history Works: Death

March to the Sea

Definition: military Savannah Campaign in the American Civil War, conducted through Georgia from November 15 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army Impact: Works: Union Victory

U.S. Sanitary Commission

Definition: private relief agency created by federal legislation on June 18, 1861, to support sick and wounded soldiers of the U.S. Army during the American Civil War Impact: It operated across the North, raised an estimated $25 million in Civil War era revenue and in-kind contributions to support the cause, and enlisted thousands of volunteers. Works: Henry Whitney Bellows Frederick Law Olmsted

Fort Sumter

Definition: sea fort in Charleston, South Carolina, notable for two battles of the American Civil War Impact: location where the first shots of the Civil War took place Works: 1st/2nd Battle of Fort Sumter