Secession: The act of withdrawing or separating from an association or organization, such as when Southern states seceded from the Union to form the Confederate States during the Civil War.
Emancipation Proclamation: An executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 that declared freedom for enslaved individuals in Confederate-held territories during the Civil War.
Reconstruction Era: The period after the Civil War (1865–1877) when efforts were made to rebuild and integrate the Southern states back into the Union, including addressing issues related to slavery and civil rights.