Copperhead: A Northerner who supported the South during the Civil War
Northern support for the Civil War was far from unanimous, especially as the years went on with few Northern victories. Those who favored ending the war and recognizing the Confederacy were called Copperheads by their opponents, after the species of pit viper common throughout most of the Southern states. Many people in areas bordering the Confederacy, such as the southern parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, were Copperheads. A majority of recent Irish and German immigrants were also sympathetic to Copperhead principles.
In late 1862, probably beginning in Cincinnati, opponents of the war started wearing "Copperhead Badges," also called "Badges of Liberty." These were made by taking the old large copper pennies (about the size of today's half dollar), featuring Lady Liberty's profile, and cutting away all but the head. Tokens were also manufactured that resembled these reshaped pennies.
Other Civil War characters include carpetbaggers—Northerners who went South after the war—and scalawags—Southerners who supported Reconstruction.