People of the Civil WarThe Essentials

Abraham Lincoln

President of the United States during the Civil War

Mostly self-educated (18 months of formal education)

Sought to end the spread of slavery, though did not support equal rights among the races

Signed the Emancipation Proclamation (effective Jan 1, 1863), freeing all slaves

Assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865

Jefferson Davis

Only President of the Confederate States of America

Graduated from West Point, fought in Mexican-American War, US Secretary of War, Senator from Mississippi

Considered a far worse leader than Lincoln, too controlling and out of touch

Captured in May 1865 and charged with treason (though never tried). Not allowed to run for public office ever again.

Robert E. Lee

General of Confederate Army and “hero of the south”

West Point Graduate- 2nd in class

Previously served US military, rejected offer to lead Union troops after his home state of Virginia seceded

Surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, VA in April 1865

Still praised as an icon of military leadership and strategy

Ulysses S. Grant

General of Union Army in Civil War

West Point graduate, fought in Mexican-American War

Accepted surrender of General Lee

Elected President in 1868Irony: Grant owned slaves at

one point, but as President claimed many civil rights victories, including the election of African Americans to Congress

Harriet Tubman

Leading Abolitionist, “Conductor” of the Underground Railroad

Escaped slavery and led 19 missions to bring over 300 slaves to freedom in Canada

Rewards for her capture reached $40,000 but praised as a hero among abolitionists

Served as a nurse for the Union forces

Known as “Moses” by those associated with the Underground Railroad

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Wrote anti-slavery book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”

Book based on abolitionist literature and her personal observations in Kentucky

Praised in the north and led to greater abolitionist movement

Criticized heavily in the south- declared biased propaganda that unfairly portrayed slavery

John Brown

Led raid at Harper’s Ferry, 1859

Although he was white, settled in a black community in New York

Believed he was chosen by God to end slavery

Captured during raid, tried for murder, slave insurrection and treason

Sentenced to death by hanging

Frederick Douglass

Important abolitionist and anti-slavery orator

Born into slavery, bought and sold several times

Taught to read and write by the wife of one of his owners

Successfully escaped slavery in 1848 after several attempts

Helped recruit African-Americans to join Union army during the war

William T. Sherman

Union general, led “Sherman’s March” through the south during Civil War

West Point graduateBurned Atlanta, led

devastating march to the sea, leaving a trail of destruction

Credited with saying “war is hell”

Henry Clay

Known as the “Great Compromiser”, responsible for Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850

Represented Kentucky in Senate and House of Representatives

Dred Scott

A slave who lived for a short time with his owner in free states, and with the help of antislavery lawyers, Scott sued for his freedom.

The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court - the Court decided that Scott had no right to sue because slaves were not citizens, and they said that slaves were property, and property rights are protected by the Constitution.

George McClellan

Briefly served as General in Chief of the Union Army (1860-1862).

Lincoln disagreed with McClellan’s leadership style and removed him as General. In 1864, McClellan ran against Lincoln for President and lost.