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The '''Copperheads''' were a powerful [[Democratic Party|faction of the Democratic party]] in the North who opposed the [[American Civil War]], wanting an immediate peace settlement with the [[Confederate States of America]] knowing that meant independence for the Confederacy and the continuation of slavery. They bitterly opposed the U.S. government under [[Abraham Lincoln]], denouncing him as a tyrant; some collaborated with Confederates and were tried for treason fo so doing.  Their opponents in the Democratic Party were supporters of the war called [[War Democrats]]. The Copperheads battled the War Democrats and usually succeeded in taking control of the Democratic party in most the northern states. After the war the Republicans for decades ridiculed many Democras as "Copperheads" even if their were passive during the war.

The '''Copperheads''' were a powerful [[Democratic Party|faction of the Democratic party]] in the North who opposed the [[American Civil War]], wanting an immediate peace settlement with the [[Confederate States of America]] knowing that meant independence for the Confederacy and the continuation of slavery. They bitterly opposed the U.S. government under [[Abraham Lincoln]], denouncing him as a tyrant; some collaborated with Confederates and were tried for treason fo so doing.  Their opponents in the Democratic Party were supporters of the war called [[War Democrats]]. The Copperheads battled the War Democrats and usually succeeded in taking control of the Democratic party in most the northern states. After the war the Republicans for decades ridiculed many Democras as "Copperheads" even if they were passive during the war.

The name ''Copperheads'' was given to them by their opponents the [[Republican party]], after a hard-to-spot venomous snake.  Copperheads reinterpreted this insult as a term of honor, and wore copper liberty-head coins as badges. They were also called "Peace Democrats" and "Butternuts". The most famous Copperhead was Ohio's [[Clement L. Vallandigham]], who was a vehement opponent of President Lincoln's policies.  For many years after the war Republicans ridiculed Democratic politicians for taking support from Copperheads who were treasonous during the war.  

The name ''Copperheads'' was given to them by their opponents the [[Republican party]], after a hard-to-spot venomous snake.  Copperheads reinterpreted this insult as a term of honor, and wore copper liberty-head coins as badges. They were also called "Peace Democrats" and "Butternuts". The most famous Copperhead was Ohio's [[Clement L. Vallandigham]], who was a vehement opponent of President Lincoln's policies.  For many years after the war Republicans ridiculed Democratic politicians for taking support from Copperheads who were treasonous during the war.  

==Historiography==

==Historiography==

Two central questions have run through the historiography of the Copperheads: how serious a threat did they pose to the Union war effort and hence to the nation's survival? And to what extent and with what justification did the Lincoln administration and other Republican officials violate civil liberties to contain the perceived menace?<ref>Charles W. Calhoun, "The Fire in the Rear," ''Reviews in American History'' 35.4 (2007) 530-537 online at [[Project Muse]]</ref>  Neither question can be conclusively answered, as the Copperheads often operated secretly, and there were no public-opinion polls in the 1860's.

Two central questions have run through the historiography of the Copperheads: how serious a threat did they pose to the Union war effort and hence to the nation's survival? And to what extent and with what justification did the Lincoln administration and other Republican officials violate civil liberties to contain the perceived menace?<ref>Charles W. Calhoun, "The Fire in the Rear," ''Reviews in American History'' 35.4 (2007) 530-537 online at [[Project Muse]]</ref>  Neither question can be conclusively answered, as the Copperheads often operated secretly, and there were no public-opinion polls in the 1860s.

The first book-length scholarly treatment of the Copperheads appeared in 1942, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In ''The Hidden Civil War'', Wood Gray decried the "defeatism" of the Copperheads; he argued they deliberately served the Confederacy's war aims. Also in 1942 George Fort Milton published ''Abraham Lincoln and the Fifth Column'', which likewise condemned the traitorous Copperheads and praised Lincoln as a model defender of democracy.  

The first book-length scholarly treatment of the Copperheads appeared in 1942, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In ''The Hidden Civil War'', Wood Gray decried the "defeatism" of the Copperheads; he argued they deliberately served the Confederacy's war aims. Also in 1942 George Fort Milton published ''Abraham Lincoln and the Fifth Column'', which likewise condemned the traitorous Copperheads and praised Lincoln as a model defender of democracy.  

Klement in the 1950s argued that the Copperheads' activities, especially their supposed participation in treasonous anti-Union secret societies, were mostly false inventions by Republican propaganda machines designed to discredit the Democrats at election time. Curry sees Copperheads a poor traditionalists battleing against the railroads, banks and modernization.  In his standard history ''Battle Cry of Freedom,'' (1988) James M. McPherson asserted that Klement had taken "revision a bit too far. There was some real fire under that smokescreen of Republican propaganda."  

Klement in the 1950s argued that the Copperheads' activities, especially their supposed participation in treasonous anti-Union secret societies, were mostly false inventions by Republican propaganda machines designed to discredit the Democrats at election time. Curry sees Copperheads a poor traditionalists battleing against the railroads, banks and modernization.  In his standard history ''Battle Cry of Freedom,'' (1988) James M. McPherson asserted that Klement had taken "revision a bit too far. There was some real fire under that smokescreen of Republican propaganda."  

Jennifer Weber's ''Copperheads'' (2006) agrees more with Wood and Milton than with Klement. She argues first,there was great strength in Northern antiwar sentiment, so that Peace Democrats came close to seizing control of their party in mid-1864. Second, she shoes peace sentiment led to deep divisions and occasional violence across the North. Third, she concludes the peace movement deliberately weakened the Union military effort by undermining enlistment and the operation of the draft. Indeed Lincoln had to divert combat troops to retake control of New York City from the peace rioters in 1863. Fourth, Weber shows how the attitudes of Union soldiers affected partisan battles back home. The soldiers' rejection of copperheadism and their overwhelming support for Lincoln's reelection in 1864 was decisive in securing the Northern victory and the preservation of the Union. The Copperheads' appeal, she argues, waxed and waned with Union failures and successes in the field.  

Jennifer Weber's ''Copperheads'' (2006) agrees more with Wood and Milton than with Klement. She argues first,there was great strength in Northern antiwar sentiment, so that Peace Democrats came close to seizing control of their party in mid-1864. Second, she shoes peace sentiment led to deep divisions and occasional violence across the North. Third, she concludes the peace movement deliberately weakened the Union military effort by undermining enlistment and the operation of the draft. Indeed, Lincoln had to divert combat troops to retake control of New York City from the peace rioters in 1863. Fourth, Weber shows how the attitudes of Union soldiers affected partisan battles back home. The soldiers' rejection of copperheadism and their overwhelming support for Lincoln's reelection in 1864 was decisive in securing the Northern victory and the preservation of the Union. The Copperheads' appeal, she argues, waxed and waned with Union failures and successes in the field.