Vocabulary

Chapter 5 Vocabulary Abolition- the immediate and total end to slavery Artillery Batteries- heavy guns and cannon and the soldiers who operate them Ascendancy- on the rise; moving up Bushwhackers- guerilla fighters and outlaws who terrorized civilians during and after the Civil War Casualities- those killed, wounded, or missing after a battle Cavalry- soldiers mounted on horseback Conditionalists- those in the South who wanted to secede from the Union only under certain conditions, namely, on the condition that President Lincoln took actions harmful to the South Consequences- something that happens as a direct result of certain actions; the outcome of an act Contraband- the Union army term for slaves from the Confederacy who fled from their homes into the Union army camps to find freedom Cooperationists- those in the South who were willing to wait and see what Lincoln might do as president rather than secede merely on the basis of his election Dysentery- a disease characterized by severe cramps and diarrhea resulting in dehydration and sometimes death. It is usually caused by bacterial infection from unclean water or food Electoral College- group representing all states which casts the final vote in presidential elections, based upon the majority vote in each state. A candidate may win only 51 percent of the popular votes in a state but win all the state's electoral votes. The number of electoral votes assigned each state is based upon population; the electoral vote of each sate is equal to the number of its members of the House of Representatives plus its two sentators Enmity- hostility; the state of being enemies Freedmen's Bureau- an agency set up by the U.S. government to provide food, clothing, shelter, and education to black Americans after they were freed from slavery Guerilla- individuals and independent bands taking part in irregular warfare, or special forcces engaged in harassment and sabotage Homestead Law- to encourage western settlement, the U.S. Congress in 1862 passed a law granting 160 acres free to any man and family who would occupy and cultivate the land Infantry- foot soldiers carrying rifles; the largest group in an army Insurrection- revolt, uprising Jayhawkers- outlaws who terrorized civilians during and after the Civil War; so-called because they were believed to have come from Kansas, the Jayhawk state Martial Law- military rule which may take over the civil government in times of crisis or war Mendacity- lying, dishonesty Morphine- a powerful narcotic derived from opium used to deaden pain Patronage- the power to make appointments to government jobs based on grounds other than merit Quinine- a drug derived from cinchona bark used to treat the symptoms of malaria Secede- to withdraw from an organization or a government Unanimous- in total; 100 percent agreement Usurpation- taking by force a position of power that does not belong to one