Gettysburg Address
A famous speech by President Abraham Lincoln delivered during the American Civil War at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It emphasized the principles of human equality and the importance of preserving the Union.
U.S. Sanitary Commission
A private relief agency created by federal legislation to support sick and wounded soldiers of the U.S. Army during the American Civil War. It was instrumental in promoting sanitation in military camps and hospitals.
Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)
The first major battle of the American Civil War, fought on July 21, 1861, in Virginia. It was a Confederate victory, revealing that the war would be longer and more brutal than initially anticipated.
Women’s National Loyal League
An organization formed in 1863 by women's rights activists, including Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, to support the abolition of slavery and advocate for women's rights.
Contraband
During the Civil War, this term referred to escaped slaves who sought refuge in Union military camps. They were considered "contraband of war" and were not returned to their Confederate owners.
Enrollment Act
Also known as the Conscription Act of 1863, it was the first instance of compulsory service in the federal military in American history, leading to resistance and riots, notably in New York City.
Battle of Shiloh
A major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought in April 1862 in southwestern Tennessee. It resulted in a Union victory with significant casualties on both sides.
Copperheads
A faction of Northern Democrats during the Civil War who opposed the war and wanted an immediate peace settlement with the Confederates. They were often criticized for their lack of patriotism.
Battle of Antietam
Fought on September 17, 1862, it was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. The Union victory provided President Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
Battle of Gettysburg
A critical battle fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, often considered the turning point of the Civil War. It ended General Robert E. Lee's invasion of the North.
Emancipation Proclamation
An executive order issued by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declaring the freedom of all slaves in Confederate-held territory.
Siege of Vicksburg
A decisive Union victory that split the Confederacy in two, occurring from May 18 to July 4, 1863, in Mississippi. It gave the Union control of the Mississippi River.
Hard War
A military strategy adopted during the latter part of the Civil War, characterized by the Union’s aggressive tactics to destroy Confederate resources, thereby diminishing their ability to sustain the war.
Refugee Communities
Groups of displaced people, including freed slaves and others, who fled their homes during the Civil War, often settling in makeshift camps or Northern cities.
Sherman’s March to the Sea
A military campaign conducted by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman from November 15 to December 21, 1864, aimed at crippling the South’s war effort by destroying infrastructure and resources.
Juneteenth
Also known as Emancipation Day, it commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the freedom of slaves, marking the end of slavery in the United States.
Field Order Number 15
Issued by General Sherman in January 1865, it temporarily granted freed families forty acres of land along the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia. It was later rescinded, but it remains symbolic of the unmet promise of land redistribution.
Thirteenth Amendment
Ratified in December 1865, it abolished slavery in the United States, ensuring that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude... shall exist within the United States."