The American Civil War - A quick review

Microsoft Word Version

 

Name_______________________                                                                 Date____________________________

 

The Civil War was a (1)_________ over slavery in the United States, but it did not

explode until South Carolina seceded from the Union and attacked (2)_________ troops stationed at Fort Sumter in April 1861. The Civil War lasted (3)_________ long years.  When it was over, slavery was (4)_________ and the Union was (5)_________, but much of the (6)_________ lay in ruins and hundreds of thousands had lost their lives in battle.

abolished   conflict   Federal   four   preserved   South

 

When the Union was formed by the (1)____________ of the Constitution in 1789, slavery had largely (2)____________ in the North. At that time many people, including Southerners like Washington, (3)____________, and Madison, believed that slavery would some day disappear from the South too. By the 1820’s, however, it became clear that the South was developing an (4)____________ based on large plantations, cotton, and slave (5)____________ - and by the 1830’s “(6)____________ was king” in the South. 

cotton   disappeared   economy   Jefferson   labor   ratification

 

The cotton economy not only (1)___________ on slavery, it also depended on western (2)___________ because the cotton crop quickly (3)___________ the soils it grew in.  Much of the conflict between North and South was over (4)___________ of the western territories and states. Southern plantation owners wanted Western lands for new, huge, cotton (5)___________ worked by (6)___________.  The Northerners wanted the West open for small farmers so that free (7)___________ men could fulfill their (8)___________ to own land.  It also became important to both the North and the South that neither side gained control of the (9)___________.  Adding a new state to the Union also added two (10)___________. Therefore, every time a new state applied for (11)___________ to the Union, it was cause for tension and (12)___________ between North and South.

 

control   depended   dreams   exhausted   expansion   membership   plantations   Senate   senators   slaves   suspicion   white

 

 

 

 

Between 1820 and 1857 there were a series of (1)___________ conflicts and difficult (2)___________ regarding slavery and its ability to (3)___________ westward.  Because of their slave (4)___________, few blacks were allowed to (5)___________ in these (6)___________ discussions, arguments, and compromises. Influential southerners gradually stopped being (7)___________ about slavery and developed extremely racist belief systems that (8)___________ slavery as a positive good.  Abolitionists, a small, but very (9)___________ group of people who wanted to (10)___________ slavery, could also be extreme at times. The Dred Scott decision of 1857 basically abolished all the old compromises  - and the (11)___________ of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 was enough to provoke secession in the South.

abolish   apologetic   compromises   democratic   election   frightful   justified   participate   spread   status   vocal

 

When it became clear that the South would not (1)______________ rejoin the Union, the North resorted to brute (2)______________.  Some military historians see the American Civil War as the first major step into modern (3)______________ war.  It took Lincoln some time before he found (4)______________ who were astute (and ruthless) enough to use the North’s industrial advantage in an effective (and deadly) way. The North had quickly established a fairly effective navel (5)______________ that cut off the South’s exports (cotton) and (6)______________ (food and weapons).  Then General Grant was able to (7)______________ the South in two by seizing control of the Mississippi River.  Finally General Sherman split the South again with a bloody and fiery (8)______________ from Atlanta to the sea as Grant bore down on the (9)______________ Confederate troops who could finally no longer protect Northern Virginia.

blockade   force   generals   imports   industrialized   march   split   starving   willingly

 

The Civil War destroyed the (1)______________ economy which had been supported by (2)______________. The Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment (3)______________ abolished slavery.  For a brief time, known as (4)______________, the presence of Northern troops began to allow new, less racist, Southern customs and (5)______________ to develop.  But racism, (6)______________ with bad feelings about the war, was too (7)______________.  The North eventually looked away as new racial customs and institutions based on hatred and (8)______________ took control in the (9)______________.

   combined   institutions   legally   plantation   Reconstruction   slavery   South   strong   terror

 

 

 

 

 

Compromise

a deal or bargain

Seize

to take, to grab (to take by force)

Atlanta

the capital of Georgia

Proclamation

a public announcement, a declaration

Emancipation

freedom, the condition of being free, the process of gaining freedom

Reconstruction

literally “rebuilding”, the period of time after the Civil War when Union troops occupied the South

Custom

a tradition, something expected by society, a practice associated with a specific nation, land, or people

Institution

a set of rules and roles that exist independently of any group of individuals, an organization or tradition that has existed for a long time

Terror

the political use of FEAR to control or influence others

Influential

having the ability to change the opinions or actions of others, persuasive

Abolish

to get rid of, to eliminate by law

Abolitionist

one who believed that slavery should be abolished

Racism

the belief that one race is superior or inferior to another

Provoke

to deliberately cause anger

Brute

animal like, relying on strength rather than intelligence or persuasion

Blockade

a navel action where ships are prevented from entering or leaving ports, an act of war where a nation state is cut off from ocean born commerce

Ruthless

without mercy or pity, without hesitation or doubt,

Senator

one of 100 legislators who meet in the upper house of the US Congress

Conflict

a clash or opposition, a disagreement, an incompatibility

Secede

to withdraw or separate from a larger organization

Stationed

placed, located

Preserve

to keep or save from ruin or harm

Ruin

destruction or what is left after destruction

Ratification

to make official or legally valid

Plantation

a large commercial farm usually dedicated to one or more cash crop

Economy

a system of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services, a system by which wealth is created and distributed.

 

 

The American Civil War - A quick review

 

The Civil War was a conflict over slavery in the United States, but it did not
explode until South Carolina seceded from the Union and attacked Federal troops stationed at Fort Sumter in April 1861. The Civil War lasted four long years.  When it was over, slavery was abolished and the Union was preserved, but much of the South lay in ruins and hundreds of thousands had lost their lives in battle.

 

When the Union was formed by the ratification of the Constitution in 1789, slavery had largely disappeared in the North. At that time many people, including Southerners like Washington, Jefferson, and Madison, believed that slavery would some day disappear from the South too. By the 1820’s, however, it became clear that the South was developing an economy based on large plantations, cotton, and slave labor – and by the 1830’s “cotton was king” in the South. 

 

The cotton economy not only depended on slavery, it also depended on western expansion because the cotton crop quickly exhausted the soils it grew in.  Much of the conflict between North and South was over control of the western territories and states. Southern plantation owners wanted Western lands for new, huge, cotton plantations worked by slaves.  The Northerners wanted the West open for small farmers so that free white men could fulfill their dreams to own land.  It also became important to both the North and the South that neither side gained control of the Senate.  Because adding a new state to the Union also added two senators, for every free state that joined the Union, the South insisted that a slave state also join, and vice versa. 

 

Between 1820 and 1857 there were a series of frightful conflicts and difficult compromises regarding slavery and its ability to spread westward.  Because of their slave status, few blacks were allowed to participate in these democratic discussions, arguments, and compromises. Influential southerners gradually stopped being apologetic about slavery and developed extremely racist belief systems that justified slavery as a positive good.  Abolitionists, a small, but very vocal group of people who wanted to abolish slavery, could also be extreme at times. The Dred Scott decision of 1857 basically abolished all the old compromises  - and the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 was enough to provoke secession in the South.

 

When it became clear that the South would not willingly rejoin the Union, the North resorted to brute force.  Some military historians see the American Civil War as the first major step into modern industrialized war.  It took Lincoln some time before he found generals who were astute (and ruthless) enough to use the North’s industrial advantage in an effective (and deadly) way. The North had quickly established a fairly effective navel blockade that cut off the South’s exports (cotton) and imports (food and weapons).  Then General Grant was able to split the South in two by seizing control of the Mississippi River.  Finally General Sherman split the south again with a bloody and fiery march from Atlanta to the sea as Grant bore down on the starving Confederate troops who could finally no longer protect Northern Virginia.

 

The Civil War destroyed the plantation economy that had supported slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment legally abolished slavery.  For a brief time, known as Reconstruction, the presence of Northern troops began to allow new, less racist, Southern customs and institutions to develop.  But racism, combined with bad feelings about the war, was too strong.  The North eventually looked away as new racial customs and institutions based on hatred and terror took control in the South.

 

 

Compromise

Seize

Atlanta

Proclamation

Emancipation

Reconstruction

Custom

Institution

terror

Influential

Abolish

Abolitionist

Racism

Provoke

Brute

Blockade

Ruthless

Senator

Conflict

Seceded

Stationed

Abolish

Preserve

Ruin

Ratification

Plantation

Economy