Important Civil War Figures

There were many people that shaped the entire war, from start to end. Some were great and honorable, others, not quite so.
Abraham Lincoln

Sixteenth President of the United States of America, he started out as Legislator in the House of Representatives. As a result of the Lincoln-Douglass debates, he received high regards from the entire nation and eventually won the Republican nomination for president (See Lincoln-Douglass Debates under Causes of the Civil War) 
His many accomplishments while in office included leading the Union to a victory over the Confederates, the Emancipation Proclamation which freed slaves within the Confederacy, and his development of the 10% Plan for reconstruction after the Civil War ( See 10 Percent Plan in Politics of the War and Reconstruction). Lincoln is well known for the Gettysburg Address which on November 19, 1863 addressed all those who fought and died in the Civil War, honoring them. Lincoln effectively won this war though the use of the advantages the North had over the South: transportation and communication. Lincoln saw the worth of the telegraph and rail road and used these resources to his advantage. He fought smart, and his tactics were very effective. Unlike the South, the North had modernized and this allowed them to have a greater advantage. When he emancipated the slaves in the South, he increased the support of the North by gaining the support of the freed Africans. 
Lincoln was murdered by John Wilkes Booth while attending a play in Washington D.C. Five days after the South had surrendered, April 14th 1865, Booth thinks he can aid the Confederates by assassinating the president, but the Union has already won. So although the country looses an amazing leader, victory still goes to the North.
Jefferson Davis


The first and last president of the Confederacy, Davis was a politician and soldier born and raised in the South. He attempted to create a strategy to win against the Union, but ultimately failed. The economy in the south was failing, Confederate forces were becoming weaker by the day, and eventually the South surrendered to the North. If Davis was a better leader, there may have been a possibility of the South wining this war.



Stephen Douglas

A Democratic Politician involved in the issue with the Lecompton Constitution and the Lincoln-Douglass Debates. (See Lincoln-Douglass Debates under Causes of the Civil War) The Lecompton Constitution had much controversy with the issues of slavery in the new territories and popular sovereignty being used to determine this. Kansas decided to enter the Union as a slave state. But, this area was full of free-state supporters so the election for convention delegates needed to be rigged in order for pro-slavery supporters to win. Once this became evident, the free-staters boycotted it, which caused the proslavery supporters to win. If the results were assesed by the Union they would surely be voted down since the election was not a fair one. As the conflict went on, Douglas spoke out against the Constitution that's goal was to misuse popular sovereignty.  


 Frederick Douglass


At 20 years of age, Frederick Douglass escaped from his owner in Maryland. Publishing his own news paper the North Star, he became a well-known social reformer. As one of the leaders of the abolitionist movement, he was famous for his skills as an orator.Besides the North Star, Douglass had written an autobiography that became a top seller. Douglass was also a supporter of Women's Suffrage. 
John Brown


Leader of the failed raid at Harper Ferry in Virginia, (See John Brown's Raid on Harper Ferry under Causes of the Civil War) John Brown was an abolitionist who felt very strongly about his cause. No man did more than he did to heighten the sectional crisis in the elate 1850s. Known for being so unprejudiced that people often forgot the importance of race and color of skin in his presence. Loved by Africans and abolitionists, many found it difficult to praise him for all he stood for since he had a tendency to resort to violence. In 1856 John Brown lead a raid on pro-slavery settlers living along the Pottawatomie Creek. Here, he and his men murdered five men who had been dragged from their beds. Brown was seen as a hero and a martyr to the antislavery cause, but he was often refereed to as "God's Angry Man" for his mad violence that fueled his rebellion. John Brown was hanged on November 2, 1859 with the charges of treason and murder shortly after the failed raid on Harper Ferry.  

George McClellan


George McClellan had many different occupations throughout his life. He was an U.S. Army officer, railroad president, politician, and briefly, general-in-chief of the Union. McClellan lead the battle at Antietam and was removed from his position as a general after this bloody failure. (See Antietam under Battles and Significant Events) 

Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee, graduate from West Point, became the commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. His main efforts were to destroy George McClellan's forces. Known for his skill on the battle field. his ability was praised by many. But most major battles he fought with the North resulted in a loss. He was the commander of the Confederate army at the battle at Antietam. (See Antietam under Battles and Significant Events) It was at the Appomattox Courthouse that Lee surrendered to the Union as there was no escape from the situation he was in. (See Appomattox Courthouse under Battles and Significant Events)










Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson

Skilled military tactician, Jackson served as a general under Robert E. Lee. He received his nickname Stonewall at the Battle of Bull Run (See Battle of Bull Run under Battles and Significant Events) Throughout the war, he impressed many with his skill and bravery, or the ability to stand like a stone wall. He became a hero in the South, but all that came to an end soon as he was wounded in battle and died a few days later from pneumonia  





P.G.T Beauregard

Born in Louisiana, Beauregard was an author, politician, inventor, and first prominent general of the Confederacy. He had trained to be a civil engineer at the United States Military Academy, and was an engineer in the Mexican- American war. He was the commander at Fort Sumter and Battle of Bull Run. He had poor relations with other generals, but was a skilled tactician.







William Tecumseh Sherman

Never had Sherman seen war like the Civil War. In fact it was his first war. Entering battle for the first time, he got promoted at the Battle of Shiloh, even though his troops had been overrun by the enemy. (See Shiloh under Battles and Significant Events) He quickly became one of the most praised leaders of the Union Army, besides Ulysses Grant himself. As Grant was promoted, so was Sherman, and with his new power he lead his troops through many victories. 


Ulysses S. Grant



A Radical Republican and War Hero, he was in line for the presidency. When he became president, he had a some what weak reign on the country. He did allow Reconstruction to proceed, helped it even, but other than that he turned to his cabinet for help on many situations. As a general, Grant was a much stronger man. He won a great deal of battles and even forced a surrender out of the South. ( See Appomattox Courthouse under Battles and Significant Events) A symbol of victory and hope, Grant helped lead America on as it healed after the war.









 Thaddeus Stevens


A very powerful Radical Republican, he was a member of the House of Representatives while Andrew Jackson was in office. Stevens supported the 14th Amendment and practically lead the House of Representatives during Reconstruction. With such great influence in the house, he was practically leading the nation. He was so powerful, he proposed the idea of impeaching president Andrew Jackson and got the ball rolling. 








Rutherford B. Hayes

A warrior from the Civil War, this hero became a president who was loved by the Americans who were looking to advance America. He supported the temperance movement and his wife removed all Liquor from the White House to show their support. He protected the rights of African Americans and supported Reconstruction of the South. As a president he did much to help push the nation forwards, but there was great confusion and conservatory over his election. But all this aside, he was one of the many people who helped heal America after such a painful time.  
Benjamin Wade


Member of the Whig party, he was the the Senator of Ohio. He was disliked by conservative Republicans because of his position on labor and currency matters. His ideals on these topics were quite radical. As Senate, he became the leader of a small anti-slavery minority that included people such as Thaddeus Stevens. He was for the Homestead Bill and the repeal of the Fugitive Act. Wade was one of the most radical politicians of his time, he supported women and Africans.


John Wilkes Booth


The happiness of the victorious North came quickly to an end when this man murdered Abraham Lincoln. While the president was attending a play at the Ford Theater in Washington, Booth shoots him. The hit is fatal and Lincoln falls. Booth escapes but is soon caught several days after. His original plan was to kidnap the president with his fellow conspirators but as Lincoln's plans changed, so did Booth's. Originally, Lincoln was leaving town, but then he decided to stay in Washington where Lincoln was shot and took his last breath. The following video is a comical yet informative reenactment of the sad story of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.









Ku Klux Klan
This picture of a ritual being performed by the KKK is a primary source that shows the horrific lengths the Klan went to in order to induce fear into the African Americans.
Southern Republican regimes were threatened by secret societies such as the Ku Klux Klan that made it their purpose to restore white supremacy. These societies went about this by intimidating and threatening blacks who would exercise their political rights. The Klan originates from Tennessee where it first congregated in 1866. Soon after, the clan spread to other states. Using brutal tactics and violence to aide their cause, the Klan thrived on support it received from whites of all classes. The Klan caused much terror and was becoming quite a problem. To address this situation, the Force acts were created to make interference with people's voting rights a crime.  


Sources:
Divine, Robert A., T. H. Breen, George M. Fredrickson, R. Hal Williams, Ariela Julie. Gross, and H. W. Brands. America past and Present. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print.
AP United States History 2nd Edition Flashcards Michael R. Bergman, J.D. and Kevin Preis, Ed.M.
http://www.history.com/topics/abraham-lincoln-assassination
http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/jefferson-davis.html
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-brown-hanged

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