Download Words to Know: Slavery and Anti-Slavery in Illinois (under

Words to Know: Slavery and Anti-Slavery in Illinois (under construction – contains Johns
definitions)
Abolitionists In the 1800s, a group of people that worked to make slavery illegal in The United
States.
ancestors
Atlantic Slave Trade The business of buying and selling African slaves in The Americas. The Atlantic
Slave Trade as run by European businesspeople. Plantation masters would buy slaves from the
businesspeople, to work in their fields.
The Black Code A series of laws passed in The Indiana Territory; The Black Code made the period of
time that a slave had to work for his/her master very long. Before The Black Code, slaves in the
North worked for a short period of time, then became free people.
Bond, Shadrach (1773-1830) The first governor of Illinois, Bond served from 1818-1822. Bond
supported slavery and worked to make it legal in the state of Illinois.
border The area of land that separates one state from anther.
bounty hunter A man, or group of men, hired to hunt down runaway slaves and return them to their
plantation master. Bounty hunters were given big rewards for their work, and were very dangerous
for runaway slaves.
sugar cane The plant that, when it is harvested, can be turned into sugar. Can sugar was one of the
main crops grown on Southern plantations.
The Civil War The war in the United States between the Union (the North) and the Confederacy (the
South) from 1861 to 1865. One of the main causes of The Civil War was the disagreement over
slavery, especially in the new states and territories west of the Mississippi River.
Confederacy During The Civil War, the name of the country that the South tried to form.
Confederate Army During the Civil War, the Army of the South.
Congress The branch of the United States government that makes laws.
cotton A soft-fiber plant that can be used to make clothing, linens, and other household gods.
Cotton was one of the most common crops grown in the South before The Civil War.
crops A plant or vegetable that is grown and harvested on a farm.
Fort Sumter In South Carolina, the Fort where the first battle of The Civil War took place.
Douglass, Frederick (1817-1895) The abolitionist and writer who escaped from slavery (1838) and
became a leader in the North and abroad.
furnace An oven that burns wood to cook food or heat a room.
free states The group of states that opposed slavery; also knows as the North.
freed slaves Former slaves who had gained their independence; many freed slaves worked with the
Abolitionists.
Fugitive Slave Laws Federal acts (laws) of 1793 and 1850 providing for the return of fugitive
(runaway) slaves between states.
Garrett, Thomas (1789-1871) A prominent Quaker, and one of the leaders of The Underground
Railroad.
garrison A group of soldiers stationed at a fort or base.
Garrison, William Lloyd (1805-1879) A leading Abolitionist who founded and published an antislavery
journal in Wilmington, Delaware.
big house On a plantation, the house where the plantation master lived.
harvest The time when a crop is taken out of the ground and prepared for sale.
homeland The place where a person is born.
illegal Against the law; not legal.
Illinois Anti-Slavery Society A group of people who worked against slavery in Illinois. They organized
meetings, delivered speeches, wrote petitions, and distributed anti-slavery documents throughout the
state.
lanterns Special lanterns used by the Abolitionists to signal a safe place for runaway slaves. These
lanterns were usually hung by “stations” on the Underground Railroad.
lawyer
Lincoln, Abraham (1809-1865) The 16th President of the United States (1861-1865).
Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858) A series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas,
two people who ran for Senator from Illinois in 1858. The two candidates debated whether slavery
should be legal in the United States, and whether the North and the South should be separate
nations. Their speeches were published throughout the country. These debates were the first time
that most American people met Lincoln.
Lovejoy, Elijah (1802-1837) Illinois’s most famous Abolitionist. Elijah Lovejoy wrote articles for and
published Illinois’s first Abolitionist newspaper, The Alton Observer. He also organized many people
against slavery in Illinois. Elijah Lovejoy died in November, 1837, when a mob of people who
supported slavery stormed his office, destroyed his printing press, and killed him.
manacles
Mason-Dixon Line
North The group of states located to the north of the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland.
During the Civil War, the North was against slavery and tried to prevent the South from forming its
own country, The Confederacy.
Drinking Gourd A star located almost directly over the North Pole; it could be followed in the
direction of North.
Northwest Territory An area of land the United States received from England after the Revolutionary
War. It includes the area where Ohio, Ind., Ill., Mich., Wis., and part of Minn. are located today.
plantation A large farm where crops are grown.
plantation master The person who owns and runs a plantation.
prominent Very important.
Quakers A religious group of people who helped The Abolitionists, and believed all people were
equal.
refuge
regiment A large type of military group.
rights Things that a person can do in a society.
runaway slaves Slaves who chose to run away from their plantations and tried to escape to free land
in the north, usually Canada.
slave codes Special laws passed in the South that took away the rights of slaves.
slave states The group of states that supported slavery; also knows as the South.
slow downs The name for the decision by slaves to do their work more slowly, so that the plantation
master would have to negotiate with them.
South The group of states located to the south of the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland.
During the Civil War, the South supported slavery and tried to form its own country, The
Confederacy.
Still, William A prominent black businessman and Abolitionists who was also a leader of The
Underground Railroad.
Tubman, Harriet (1820-1913) An Abolitionist who escaped from slavery and became the best-known
leader of the Underground Railroad.
Turner, Nat (1800-1831) A slave leader who organized about 70 followers and led a rebellion in
Virginia, during which 50 whites were killed (1831). He was then captured and executed.
Underground Railroad A system of people and places in the North that helped runaway slaves
escape to the North and Canada.
Union Another term for the United States.
Union Army The Army of the United States; during the Civil War, it was the Army of the North.
The border between North and South is called the Mason-Dixon Line.
Map of the United States in 1860 showing the Mason-Dixon Line
Picture of Confederate and Union flags