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Civil War Terms
Important terms for the American Civil War
Term | Definition |
---|---|
abolitionist | Someone who wishes to abolish or get rid of slavery. |
Attrition Warfare | Attrition warfare is a strategic concept which states that to win a war - one's enemy must be worn down to the point of collapse by continuous losses in personnel and materiel. |
Cash Crop | A crop such as tobacco or cotton which was grown to be sold for cash --not grown for food like corn or wheat |
Confederacy | Also called the South or the Confederate States of America, the Confederacy incorporated the states that seceded from the United States of America to form their own nation. Confederate states were: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississip |
Emancipation | Freedom from slavery |
Howitzer | A cannon which fired hollow projectiles and was generally lighter and shorter than its solid-shot cousins. A howitzer's projectiles had a smaller powder charge. Also, canister projectiles contained more small balls than other types of canister. Howitzers |
Siege of Vicksburg | The Siege of Vicksburg (May 18 - July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. The Confederate States surrendered. |
Union | Also called the North or the United States, the Union was the portion of the country that remained loyal to the Federal government during the Civil War. Union states were: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michi |
Whig Party | A political party generally against slavery and its expansion into the territories. The Whig party had basically been swallowed up by the Democrat and Republican parties by the time of the Civil War |
Gettysburg Address | A speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Lincoln was speaking at the dedication of a soldiers' cemetery at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg. |