Former Confederates

Definition

Former Confederates refers to individuals who were part of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. They were those who fought against the Union and supported secession from the United States.

Related terms

Unionists: Individuals who remained loyal to the United States during the Civil War and opposed secession.

Pardons: The act of granting forgiveness or amnesty to individuals who have committed offenses or crimes. After the Civil War, some former Confederates received pardons from President Andrew Johnson.

Ku Klux Klan (KKK): A white supremacist organization founded after the Civil War which aimed at terrorizing African Americans and their supporters through violence and intimidation in order to maintain white supremacy in Southern states.