Many Copperheads were also War Democrats that by 1862 believed that the war was simply not going well enough to support it. With the encouragement of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, the Copperheads were most active in the Midwestern states. There they operated by running Democrats for public offices, obstructing the Union's various draft acts , to outright plans for overt acts of rebellion. The latter never took place but were a threat to Republican power.
Peace Democrats but there enemies called them copperheads
The two most influential newspapers during the US Civil War era were the New York Tribune and the New York Herald. Both had a national readership, and were located in New York City.
They were the anti-war branch of the Democratic party. If the Democrats had won the 1864 General Election, it is well possible that the Copperheads would have been able to call off the war.
Copperheads were a faction of Northern Democrats during the Civil War who opposed the war and advocated for a negotiated peace with the Confederacy. Their presence in the North and parts of the West highlighted significant political divisions and dissent against wartime policies, particularly regarding conscription and the emancipation of enslaved people. The Copperheads' activities and rhetoric often fueled tensions between different political factions, reflecting the broader societal conflicts of the time. Their influence waned as the war progressed, but they remain a notable example of internal opposition during a period of national strife.
The Peace Democrats felt that the southern sates could be coaxed back into the Union by diplomatic means, or, failing that, that they should be allowed to secede peacefully.
copperheads
The Republicans called the Peace Democrats "Copperheads" because they were comparing them to venomous snakes.
Peace Democrats but there enemies called them copperheads
They were called Copperheads.
Northerners who were sympathetic to the South during the American Civil War were sometimes called "Copperheads" or "Peace Democrats." They opposed the war and supported a negotiated peace settlement with the Confederacy.
They were referred to as Copperheads.
Copperheads
Democrats who opposed the American Civil War and sought a negotiated peace with the Confederate States. They were called "Copperheads" because copper was seen as a symbol of treachery. The Copperheads were mainly concentrated in the Midwest and had significant political influence during the war.
Anti-war Democrats ("Copperheads")
Copperheads (Anti-war Democrats)
copperheads
Anti-war Democrats ('Copperheads')