Historical Figures

Where did the nicknames Yankees and Rebels come from?

The Yankees and Rebels are two rival nicknames used in the American Civil War. The term Yankees was used by Confederates to refer to people from the Northern and Western United States, and Rebels was used by Union soldiers to refer to Confederates. The term Yankee may have originated from the Dutch word "Jan Kees," and the term Rebel is derived from the Latin word "rebellare," meaning "to revolt" or "to resist authority."