Compromise & Conflict Before the War
Why did the debate over slavery grow after the Mexican War?
A. The United States gained new western lands and had to decide if slavery would be allowed there
B. The United States had to decide whether Texas would remain part of the country
C. The Missouri Compromise had already ended all arguments over slavery
D. California asked to enter the Union as a slave state
A. The United States gained new western lands and had to decide if slavery would be allowed there
What was one major goal of the Republican Party when it formed in the 1850s?
A. To end the Fugitive Slave Act but protect slavery in all territories
B. To support popular sovereignty in every new state and territory
C. To ban slavery in new territories
D. To make the Democratic Party stronger in the North
C. To ban slavery in new territories
What does it mean to secede?
A. To formally join a military force
B. To leave a country or union
C. To surround a city during war
D. To free enslaved people by law
B. To leave a country or union
Why were the border states important to the Union?
A. They were the only states that allowed slavery during the Civil War
B. They had ties to both sides and included key locations
C. They were the first states to secede after Lincoln’s election
D. They controlled most of the South’s cotton production
B. They had ties to both sides and included key locations
How did the Civil War affect many school-aged children?
A. They all became soldiers after the draft began
B. They attended school more often because new schools opened
C. They were sent to work only in Northern factories
D. Many did not go to school because of the war
D. Many did not go to school because of the war
Why was the Battle of Antietam important?
A. It stopped Lee’s invasion of the North
B. It gave the Union full control of the Mississippi River
C. It was the final battle before Lee surrendered
D. It allowed Sherman to capture Atlanta
A. It stopped Lee’s invasion of the North
What was the main idea of the Wilmot Proviso?
A. California should become a slave state
B. Slavery should be banned in lands gained from Mexico
C. Runaway enslaved people should be returned to slaveholders
D. Settlers in Kansas and Nebraska should vote on slavery
B. Slavery should be banned in lands gained from Mexico
Why was the Dred Scott decision so important?
A. It said Dred Scott became free after living in a free territory
B. It said Congress could ban slavery in western territories
C. It allowed popular sovereignty to continue in Kansas
D. It said Congress and voters could not ban slavery in territories
D. It said Congress and voters could not ban slavery in territories
What is a casualty?
A. A person who refuses to fight in a war
B. A state located between the North and South
C. A soldier who is killed, wounded, captured, or missing
D. A warship covered with iron plating
C. A soldier who is killed, wounded, captured, or missing
What was one major goal of the Anaconda Plan?
A. Capture Atlanta and then march to the sea
B. Defend Richmond from Union attack
C. Blockade Southern ports and control the Mississippi River
D. Let border states decide whether to join the Confederacy
C. Blockade Southern ports and control the Mississippi River
Which statement best describes how women contributed during the Civil War?
A. They served as nurses, spies, workers, and sometimes soldiers
B. They were only allowed to help by writing letters to soldiers
C. They served as generals in both the Union and Confederate armies
D. They were required to work in prison camps
A. They served as nurses, spies, workers, and sometimes soldiers
Which statement about the Emancipation Proclamation is true?
A. It immediately freed every enslaved person in the United States
B. It caused the border states to secede
C. It made ending slavery an official Union war goal
D. It allowed the Confederacy to gain support from Britain
C. It made ending slavery an official Union war goal
Which statement about the Compromise of 1850 is true?
A. It made Kansas and Nebraska free territories
B. It ended slavery in every part of the United States
C. It allowed California to enter as a free state
D. It caused the first shots of the Civil War
C. It allowed California to enter as a free state
Which statement about the Lincoln-Douglas debates is true?
A. Lincoln became more nationally known even though he lost the Senate race
B. Lincoln defeated Douglas and immediately became president
C. Douglas joined the Republican Party after the debates
D. The debates ended the national argument over slavery
A. Lincoln became more nationally known even though he lost the Senate race
What is an ironclad?
A. A soldier who leaves the army without permission
B. A law requiring men to serve in the military
C. A person who dies for a great cause
D. A warship protected with iron plating
D. A warship protected with iron plating
Which statement about the beginning of the Civil War is false?
A. Fort Sumter was located in Charleston Harbor
B. Confederate troops attacked Fort Sumter
C. Lincoln called for troops after Fort Sumter
D. Fort Sumter ended with Lee surrendering to Grant
D. Fort Sumter ended with Lee surrendering to Grant
Which statement about Civil War prison camps is true?
A. Prisoners usually had clean water and enough food
B. Many prisoners suffered from poor conditions and disease
C. Prisoners were quickly released after every battle
D. Prison camps were only used by the Confederacy
B. Many prisoners suffered from poor conditions and disease
Why was the Battle of Gettysburg a major turning point?
A. It helped Lee capture Washington DC
B. It gave the Confederacy control of Pennsylvania
C. It allowed the South to split the Union in two
D. It ended Lee’s invasion and hurt Confederate hopes for foreign support
D. It ended Lee’s invasion and hurt Confederate hopes for foreign support
How did Stephen Douglas help get the Compromise of 1850 passed?
A. He convinced California to allow slavery
B. He asked the Supreme Court to rule on the plan
C. He removed the fugitive slave law from the compromise
D. He split the plan into separate parts for voting
D. He split the plan into separate parts for voting
Why did John Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry frighten many Southerners?
A. They believed Brown would win the election of 1860
B. They feared it could inspire enslaved people to revolt
C. They thought Brown had support from the Supreme Court
D. They worried Brown had ended slavery in Virginia
B. They feared it could inspire enslaved people to revolt
What does enlist mean?
A. To officially join the army
B. To leave the Union
C. To block a Southern port
D. To print money during wartime
A. To officially join the army
Why was control of the Mississippi River important to the Union?
A. It would split the Confederacy and hurt supply lines
B. It would make Washington DC safer from attack
C. It would force Maryland to stay in the Union
D. It would allow the South to export more cotton
A. It would split the Confederacy and hurt supply lines
Why did many people become angry about the draft?
A. They believed the draft only applied to border states
B. They thought the draft would end the war too quickly
C. They believed rich men could avoid fighting while poor men had to serve
D. They thought the draft prevented African Americans from serving
C. They believed rich men could avoid fighting while poor men had to serve
Why was Vicksburg important to the Union?
A. It was the Confederate capital during most of the war
B. It helped the Union control the Mississippi River
C. It was where the first shots of the Civil War were fired
D. It was where Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation
B. It helped the Union control the Mississippi River
Why did Bleeding Kansas show that popular sovereignty had failed to solve the slavery issue?
A. It showed that Congress refused to create new territories
B. It led pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups to use violence
C. It proved that California should have entered as a slave state
D. It made the Free-Soil Party disappear from national politics
B. It led pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups to use violence
Which statement best explains why Southern states began to secede after Lincoln’s election?
A. They wanted Stephen Douglas to become president instead
B. They believed the Compromise of 1850 had ended slavery
C. They thought Lincoln wanted to expand slavery into the West
D. They believed Lincoln and Republicans threatened slavery
D. They believed Lincoln and Republicans threatened slavery
Which definition best matches total war?
A. A plan to use only the navy during the war
B. A strategy that brings war to all of society, not just the military
C. A battle where neither side wins
D. A system of choosing people for required military service
B. A strategy that brings war to all of society, not just the military
Why was the battle between the Monitor and the Virginia important?
A. It showed that river forts were no longer useful
B. It helped the Confederacy capture New Orleans
C. It showed the importance of ironclad warships
D. It allowed the Union to capture Richmond
C. It showed the importance of ironclad warships
Which statement best explains why the South’s economy suffered more than the North’s?
A. The South had more factories but fewer farms than the North
B. Northern farms and railroads were destroyed more often
C. The South refused to print money or raise taxes
D. Most fighting was in the South, and the blockade hurt trade
D. Most fighting was in the South, and the blockade hurt trade
What happened at Appomattox Court House?
A. The Civil War began when Confederate troops attacked
B. Sherman captured Atlanta and began his march to the sea
C. Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address
D. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant
D. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant