Level 1
Toward the end of the Civil War, how did General Grant’s actions affect southern civilians?
He ordered his generals to impose a “total war” strategy on the South.
What was the main reason the Confederacy eventually began drafting soldiers from ages 17-50?
the rising death tolls forced the Confederacy to enlist more soldiers.
Why was Vicksburg so important for Union forces?
the city’s location on a river
Explain how Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin supported the abolitionist movement, and the reaction the book stirred.
Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin illustrated the evils of slavery. The book helped to spread the message of the abolitionist movement that worked to end slavery and the abuse suffered by enslaved people. While the characters were based largely on stereotypes of enslaved African Americans and slave owners, the novel was wildly popular. The book helped to create further support for the abolitionist movement, but also created more anger among southerners toward northerners, as they felt they had been unfairly depicted in Stowe’s novel.
True or False: There was only one attempt at assassinating Lincoln.
False (3)
Why did the Kansas-Nebraska Act anger many northerners?
They thought it went against the Missouri Compromise’s promise to keep slavery from spreading.
What was the role of women in the Civil War?
women’s involvement as nurses
Why might some southerners have been surprised when Lincoln was elected President?
Lincoln’s name had not appeared on ballots in most southern states.
What impact did the Supreme Court ruling in the Dred Scott v. Sanford case have on life in the United States?
The case involved Dred Scott, an enslaved man who had been enslaved in Missouri. He later moved with his slaveholder to Illinois and then to the Wisconsin Territory, where slavery was not allowed. After the slaveholder died, his wife and then her brother, John Sanford, took ownership of Dred Scott. Antislavery lawyers helped Scott file a lawsuit arguing that since Scott had lived in a free territory, he had become a free man. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Scott could not file a lawsuit because enslaved people were not citizens and Congress did not have the power to ban slavery in the territories. The decision had a far-reaching impact on life in the United States. It meant that enslaved African Americans could not find freedom anywhere in the United States, and together with the Fugitive Slave Act, that no part of the United States could be completely free of slavery. The decision also further increased tensions between the North and South. The decision also increased support for abolition in the North.
True or False: Grant was known as the bloodiest general.
False (Robert E Lee)
According to Lincoln, why did the Constitution give him the right to suspend habeas corpus?
The draft riots were examples of rebellion that threatened the public safety.
Why did the Confederates finally surrender at Appomattox?
Lee knew the Confederates were no longer in a position to fight effectively.
Why were there so many more battles in Tennessee than Mississippi?
Tennessee had many more battles because it was closer to Union territory.
How did the 1860 election reflect the growing sectional differences in the United States?
Abraham Lincoln was able to win the election because the Democratic party splintered on the issue of slavery. Southern Democrats wanted the party to call for slavery in all new territories, but the northern Democrats refused. Each side picked a different candidate for the presidency. Some Americans wished to smooth the divide by forming a new party, the Constitutional Union party. This party chose yet another candidate to run. This reflected the growing divide of opinions in the country and how views on slavery were strongly felt by each side.
True or False: Two-thirds of soldiers died of disease during the war.
True
As the leader of the Republican Party, Lincoln was outspoken in his views on slavery and expressed them during the debates of 1858. Which act/decision best reflects his views?
Wilmot Proviso
Despite southern protests, what gave the western territories the right to request to enter the Union as free states?
popular sovereignty
How did the governor’s order that only officers from Georgia could command Georgia’s troops demonstrate a problem in the South?
The Confederate military had difficulty organizing itself.
Compare the leadership roles of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.
President Abraham Lincoln had little political or war experience, but he did gain the respect of those who met him. Many remembered him for his sense of humor and his ability to accept criticism. Despite his lack of experience, Lincoln proved himself quite capable of war planning and being a strong leader. In contrast, Confederate President Davis had not wanted the position he was elected to. Davis had gained respect as a strong military leader, and preferred to continue as an active solider of the army than as President of the Confederacy. Though he had proven himself courageous and a strong military leader, he spent most of his time fighting with his advisors.
True or False: 2% of the American population died in the Civil War
True
Read the following excerpt from a Confederate soldier’s letter home to his family in 1862. “Our regiment did not have many wounded nor killed but a good many taken prisoners. . . . Pa, I want you to have me a pair of boots made. Those shoes you had made for me ripped all to pieces. Our regiment used everything we had. I have no blanket nor any clothes but what I have got.” What aspect of war does this soldier’s letter exhibit?
Soldiers suffered from poor conditions and inadequate supplies.
How did the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 strengthen the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793?
The new law required all citizens to help catch African Americans trying to escape slavery, and be subject to a fine or jail time if they refused.
The new law set up special courts to handle runaway cases and judges were given an incentive for deciding that the accused was an escaped slave.
Which battle of the civil war was considered the bloodiest?
Antietam
Explain the significance of ironclad ships in the Civil War.
Ironclad ships were ships that were covered in iron, and were much more resistant to cannon fire. The South first began implementing ironclad ships to help evade the Union blockades on southern ports. The North tried to block all southern ports in order to block trade and supplies from being delivered into the south. The ironclad ships were extremely effective and the Union also began using them.
True or False: The oldest soldier to serve in the war was 70 years old.
False (80)