Study Questions & Essay Topics Always use specific historical examples to support your arguments. Study Questions 1. In your opinion, was the Civil War inevitable? Were the North and the South doomed from the beginning to battle each other eventually over the slavery issue? Answer for Study Question 1 >> The Civil War was essentially inevitable. Ever since Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin in the 1790s, the South had been on a completely different economic and social path from the North. In the 1850s, social and political developments, including the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the Fugitive Slave Act, Bleeding Kansas, the Dred Scott decision, and John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, drove the regions further apart. Although the North and the South tried to reconcile their differences with major political compromises in 1820 and in 1850, both attempts failed. The cotton gin transformed the slave South completely in the early 1800s, when plantation owners abandoned almost all other crops in favor of the newly profitable cotton. To raise more cotton, planters also purchased more slaves from Africa and the West Indies before the slave trade was banned in 1808. Thousands of blacks were brought into the United States during these years to tend to cotton fields. The size of plantations increased from relatively small plots to huge farms with as many as several hundred slaves each. Because the entire Southern economy became dependent on cotton, it also became dependent on slavery. Although Northern factories certainly benefited indirectly from slavery, Northern social customs were not tied to slavery as Southern customs were. Events in the 1850s proved that the North-South slavery divide was irreconcilable. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which awakened Northerners to the plight of Southern slaves, became an overnight bestseller in the North but was banned in the South. The book was particularly powerful in the wake of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, which forbade both Northerners and Southerners to assist runaway slaves—a law that troubled even those who had shown little sympathy for the abolitionist cause. The “Bleeding Kansas” violence of 1856 between proslavery groups and Free-Soilers shocked people in the North and in the South and demonstrated just how strongly the opposing camps felt about their beliefs. In 1857, the Dred Scott decision outraged Northerners because it declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional and effectively opened the North to slavery. Finally, John Brown’s 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, and subsequent execution proved to be the last straw for many on both sides. Northerners mourned the “martyr” Brown, while Southerners celebrated his death as a great victory. These events of the 1850s convinced Americans in both the North and South that there could be no compromise on the slavery issue. Both sides had tried to resolve the issue on numerous occasions, but to no avail. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 had established the 36˚ 30' parallel as the border between the slave states and the free states. This compromise satisfied both sides for a while but eventually became too restrictive for the South. The Compromise of 1850 likewise sought to end the slavery debate after the Mexican War and the Wilmot Proviso raised the question of slavery in the West—but in the end these peaceful resolutions were also unsatisfactory. As a result, in light of the deep political, economic, and social divides, as well as the failure of compromise attempts, armed conflict was thus inevitable. Close 2. Why were the border states so important to Lincoln? Answer for Study Question 2 >> When South Carolina seceded from the Union in 1860, four of the other fourteen slave states—Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri—chose to remain in the Union rather than join the Confederacy. West Virginia eventually seceded from Virginia in 1863 to become a nonslave state in the Union, too. These five border states were crucial to the North both geographically and economically. As a result, Lincoln was careful to maintain the border states’ allegiance and refrained from pursuing any policies that might be too bold and potentially alienating to slave owners in those states. Ultimately, the North’s possession of the border states directly affected the outcome of the war. First and foremost, the border states provided a physical and ideological buffer between the North and South: if Maryland had seceded, Washington, D.C., would have been entirely surrounded by Confederate territory. Lincoln was acutely aware of Maryland’s importance: in the spring of 1861, he even turned to military force and instituted martial law in the state to keep it loyal to the Union. The border states were just as important economically, especially because Maryland and Delaware contained many factories and industrial complexes. Had just those two states joined the Confederacy, they would have doubled the South’s manufacturing capability. Lacking these factories, though, the South ended up starving under the Union’s naval blockade. Indeed, the Civil War was in many ways an economic war, and doubling Southern manufacturing output could have seriously altered the duration and even the outcome of the conflict. Finally, the border states’ loyalty to the Union showed that slave states had an alternative to secession. The South, for its part, had justified secession by claiming that slave states had to secede to save their “peculiar institution” and their way of life. The fact that the border states—where slavery was practiced—remained in the Union severely weakened this claim. For all these reasons, Lincoln remained careful not to offend slave owners in the border states. The most notable example of his sensitivity to this issue is the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, which declared slaves free in only the secessionist states—not the loyal border states. Ultimately, Lincoln’s measures were effective, and the continued loyalty of the border states was a major factor in the Union’s eventual victory. Close 3. Compare the North and the South in 1860 and then again in 1864. Why did the North win the war? Answer for Study Question 3 >> Although both the North and the South thought they would easily win the Civil War, the South was in many ways doomed from the start. Indeed, by 1864 the South was in ruins, its economy destroyed by blockade, hyperinflation, and the North’s campaign of total warfare. In the end, it was the Northern economy and deficiencies in the Southern political system that won and lost the war. When war broke out in 1861, both sides thought they would win quickly and easily. The Union had experience and international recognition, a robust industrial economy, a strong federal government, twice the population of the South, and twice as many young men for its army. On the other hand, the new Confederacy had cotton (which it believed to be superior to industry), had better military commanders, and believed it could bring Britain into the war on its side. Just as important, however, was the South’s feeling of righteousness that followed secession: Southerners felt they were carrying on the tradition of overthrowing tyrannous governments that the founding fathers of the United States had begun. In addition, Southern soldiers, fighting on their home territory, also had an intense desire to fight to protect their homes and families. By the end of 1864, however, the South lay in ruins, and very little remained of the once-proud Cotton Kingdom. The price of goods was so high and money was so worthless that it cost Southerners in some places several hundred Confederate dollars to buy a single loaf of bread. As a result, hunger and malnutrition became rampant. In addition, much of the landscape from Tennessee to Georgia and up to South Carolina had been razed by General William Tecumseh Sherman’s troops on their March to the Sea. Many slaves in the South effectively emancipated themselves by refusing to work and flocking to Union lines in droves. The North, meanwhile, was in many ways better off in 1864 than it had been before the war, for the economy had experienced an enormous boom during the war years and had set the industrial machine into high gear. This industrial boom in the North, coupled with the Richmond government’s inability to provide cohesive leadership, won the war for the Union. Virtually all the effective measures passed by the Union government went unanswered by the Confederacy. Congress in Washington, D.C., for example, stabilized the Northern economy early on in the war by passing the Legal Tender Act, replacing the hundreds of different state and private bank currencies with a single federal dollar. Because this “greenback” currency was supported by the U.S. Treasury, investors knew it was safe and reliable. The National Banking Act also gave the federal government unprecedented control over the banking system and the economy as a whole. The Confederate government, on the other hand, dominated by states’ righters, never enacted any such federal laws but instead continued to reserve most powers for the individual states. This inaction, combined with the devastating economic effects of the Union’s naval blockade of the South, left the Confederate war effort doomed early on. Close Suggested Essay Topics 1. Which side benefited more from the Compromise of 1850, the North or the South? 2. In 1850, most Northerners would never have dreamed they would be fighting a war against the South. Why did Northern public opinion change? 3. Some historians have claimed that the Mexican War was the first battle of the Civil War. Do you agree? Why or why not? 4. What effect did the Bleeding Kansas crisis have on the slavery debate in the years immediately before the war? 5. Compare and contrast Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis as wartime presidents. What challenges did they face and how did they overcome them? Who, in your opinion, was the better leader, and why? 6. What was Britain’s role in the Civil War? 7. What was the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation? What effect did it have on the North and on the South? Quiz Scroll through the page to review your answers. The correct answer is highlighted in green. Your incorrect answers (if any) are highlighted in red. If you'd like to take the test over again, click the reset button at the end of the test. 1. What did the Wilmot Proviso do? (A) Banned slavery in the Mexican Cession (B) Overturned the Missouri Compromise of 1820 (C) Opened Kansas to slaveholding settlers (D) Applied the doctrine of popular sovereignty to settlement of the West 2. Why was the election of 1848 significant? (A) It marked the first time a Whig won the presidency (B) It was the first election in which Southern Whigs voted with Southern Democrats (C) The Free-Soilers diverted enough votes from the Democrats to let Taylor win (D) Americans overwhelmingly voted for popular sovereignty in the territories 3. All of the following were components of the Compromise of 1850 except (A) A new Fugitive Slave Law was passed (B) Slavery was banned in Washington, D.C. (C) Popular sovereignty would determine the future of slavery in the territories (D) California was admitted as a free state 4. All of the following steeled Northern public opinion against the South except (A) The Kansas-Nebraska Act (B) The Wilmot Proviso (C) Uncle Tom’s Cabin (D) The Fugitive Slave Law 5. Where did Franklin Pierce and his Southern expansionist supporters acquire new territory? (A) Cuba (B) Nicaragua (C) Mexico (D) Japan 6. Pierce’s administration is best described as (A) Abolitionist and expansionist (B) Proslavery but conciliatory (C) Conciliatory and abolitionist (D) Expansionist and proslavery 7. Why did the Kansas-Nebraska Act anger Americans in the North? (A) It effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise (B) It split both the Whig and Democratic Parties (C) It led to shocking violence in Kansas (D) It contradicted Southern concessions made in the Compromise of 1850 8. Who were the “border ruffians”? (A) Ambivalent Americans living in the border states during the Civil War (B) Proslavery Marylanders who attacked federal troops marching to Washington, D.C., in 1861 (C) Proslavery Missourians who rushed to Kansas after Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act (D) British troops stationed in Canada who threatened Lincoln with war over the Trent Affair 9. Why did Stephen Douglas push the Kansas-Nebraska Act through Congress in 1854? (A) He wanted a northern transcontinental railroad to terminate in Chicago (B) He wanted to resolve the slavery debate (C) He wanted to increase his stature within the Democratic Party (D) All of the above 10. John Brown’s Pottawatomie Massacre (A) Was hailed as an abolitionist victory in the North (B) Began the Bleeding Kansas crisis (C) Was denounced by most Northerners but lauded by Republicans (D) All of the above 11. All of the following were consequences of the Kansas-Nebraska Act except (A) The breakup of both the Whig and Democratic Parties (B) The effective repeal of the Missouri Compromise (C) The Bleeding Kansas crisis (D) The Wilmot Proviso 12. The 1857 Dred Scott v. Sanford decision prompted (A) South Carolina to threaten secession (B) John Brown to kill five proslavery whites in the Pottawatomie Massacre (C) Border ruffians to burn Lawrence, Kansas (D) Stephen Douglas to announce the Freeport Doctrine 13. Roger Taney declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional on the grounds that (A) Blacks could not sue in federal courts because they were not citizens (B) Popular sovereignty was illegal (C) The federal government could not restrict the movement of private property (D) Slavery was illegal in both the North and South 14. What statement best describes President James Buchanan’s position? (A) He supported the South because of his dependency on Southern Democrats (B) He supported Northern Democrats in the face of increasing opposition in the South (C) He took no stand on the slavery issue in order to get reelected (D) He tacitly supported Northern Free-Soilers in exchange for votes 15. All of the following were true about the election of 1860 except (A) It was primarily a sectional election (B) No candidate received a majority of the popular vote (C) Lincoln threatened to invade the South after he won (D) The Democratic Party split after failing to nominate a single candidate 16. What did Lincoln do in his first inaugural address? (A) Threatened to invade the South if the state legislature refused to retract their vote to secede (B) Threatened to emancipate all the slaves in the South if more states seceded (C) Professed his friendship for the South and said he would ignore South Carolina’s illegal secession (D) Said he would forgive the South if it emancipated all its slaves 17. In terms of structure, the Confederate government was similar in many ways to (A) The Union government (B) The U.S. government under the Articles of Confederation (C) Britain’s parliament (D) The Second Continental Congress 18. What did John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry demonstrate? (A) That Southern slaves were not ready to rebel (B) That Republicans were secretly backing slave insurrections (C) That the Compromise of 1850 had failed (D) That Northern and Southern opinions on slavery were irreconcilable 19. What did Stephen Douglas’s Freeport Doctrine challenge? (A) The Dred Scott v. Sanford decision (B) The Wilmot Proviso (C) The Compromise of 1850 (D) Popular sovereignty 20. Stephen Douglas rejected the Lecompton Constitution on the grounds that (A) Admitting Kansas as a slave state would violate the Missouri Compromise (B) Admitting Kansas as a slave state would destroy the sectional balance in the Senate (C) Kansas could not be admitted without Nebraska (D) Its drafters had been elected illegitimately 21. What did champions of popular sovereignty believe? (A) That states should have the final say over the federal government when interpreting the Constitution (B) That more people, including women and free blacks, should be given the right to vote (C) That each territory should determine whether it became a free or slave state (D) That presidents and senators should be directly elected by the people 22. What did Harriet Tubman and other Underground Railroad “conductors” defy? (A) The Fugitive Slave Law (B) The Wilmot Proviso (C) The Tallmadge Amendment (D) Popular sovereignty 23. Why were the Lincoln-Douglas debates significant in Lincoln’s political career? (A) They won him the Illinois Senate race (B) They boosted him to national prominence (C) They ridiculed the untouchable Stephen Douglas (D) All of the above 24. The seizure of Fort Sumter (A) Shattered Confederate morale (B) Convinced Britain to construct the Laird rams (C) Made Southerners believe the war would be over quickly (D) Convinced Lincoln to fire General McClellan 25. Why did Southern Democrats refuse to support Stephen Douglas in the election of 1860? (A) They disagreed with his popular sovereignty platform (B) He chose a former Free-Soil Party Northerner as his running mate (C) The South wanted to secede while Douglas wanted to remain in the Union (D) He had rejected the Lecompton Constitution 26. Britain and the Union almost went to war over (A) The Laird rams (B) The Trent Affair (C) The Alabama (D) All of the above 27. Which of the following was one reason the border states were so important to the Union? (A) They would have doubled Confederate manufacturing capabilities had they seceded (B) The provided Lincoln with the votes he needed to win the election of 1864 (C) They formed an impenetrable defensive shield for the North (D) The provided the North with slave labor 28. Lincoln was different from Davis in that he (A) Had more leadership experience prior to the war (B) Had a knack for understanding and using public opinion to his advantage (C) Never violated the Constitution (D) Was unable to control the central government well 29. Which of the following states was not a border state? (A) Kentucky (B) Maryland (C) Missouri (D) Ohio 30. What did the Legal Tender Act do? (A) Caused the Panic of 1857 (B) Drastically inflated commodity prices in the South (C) Stabilized the Northern economy (D) Caused the collapse of the national banking system 31. Why was Britain not as dependent on Southern cotton as the Confederacy had believed? (A) Britain’s economy was shifting away from textile manufacturing (B) Cotton could also be obtained from Egypt and India (C) Manufacturers could use wool just as easily as cotton (D) Most Britons were morally opposed to slavery 32. The Richmond Bread Riots were the result of (A) Hyperinflation (B) The collapse of the Southern economy (C) The North’s total warfare tactics (D) All of the above 33. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do? (A) Freed all slaves in the North and South (B) Freed slaves in secessionist states (C) Freed only slaves in the border states (D) Freed all Southern slaves who volunteered for the Union army 34. William Tecumseh Sherman’s March to the Sea (A) Was a classic example of total warfare (B) Was a classic example of limited warfare (C) Forced Robert E. Lee to surrender (D) Caused the collapse of the Confederate government in Richmond 35. The Union victory at Antietam was significant because (A) It convinced Britain not to forge an alliance with the South (B) It gave Lincoln the opportunity to fire George McClellan (C) It gave Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation (D) All of the above 36. The Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg (A) Boosted Confederate morale (B) Nearly convinced France to extend diplomatic recognition to the South (C) Were the major turning point in the war (D) Justified Peace Democrats’ criticism of Lincoln and the war 37. Which of the following actions by Lincoln violated the Constitution? (A) His order of a naval blockade of the South (B) His increase of the size of the U.S. Army (C) His authorization of illegal voting methods in the border states (D) All of the above 38. Why did Lincoln suspend the writ of habeas corpus? (A) To restrict freedom of the press (B) To enable Confederate sympathizers to be arrested without being formally charged (C) To emancipate slaves in Washington, D.C. (D) To increase the size of the U.S. Army 39. The National Banking Act (A) Made it easier to obtain cheap credit (B) Caused a brief financial panic (C) Gave Congress unprecedented control over the economy (D) Curbed rampant inflation in the North 40. What did George McClellan and other Peace Democrats want? (A) To punish the South for causing the Civil War (B) To end the war and let the South go (C) To make Kansas a slave state (D) To fight only a limited war, not a total war, against the South 41. Why did Jefferson Davis request the Hampton Roads Conference with the North? (A) He knew the Confederacy was doomed (B) He knew the North was growing weaker and weaker (C) He wanted to claim that he had tried to make peace with the North (D) He objected to the North’s tactics of total warfare 42. All of the following were Confederate strengths going into the Civil War except (A) Superior military commanders (B) The fact that it would be fighting a defensive war (C) A larger population and army (D) An extensive manufacturing base 43. Toward the end of the war, many poorer whites in the South felt (A) That they were willing to die for the honor of the South (B) Angry that they were fighting a rich man’s war (C) That they were close to victory (D) That Robert E. Lee had failed them 44. All of the following were Northern strengths going into the war except (A) Superior military commanders (B) A stable and internationally recognized government (C) A larger population and army (D) An industrial economy 45. The Confederacy collapsed at the end of the war for all of the following reasons except (A) Hyperinflation (B) Class struggles (C) Massive slave uprisings (D) The federal government’s inability to maintain control over the states 46. Lincoln’s primary objective during the war was (A) To free the slaves (B) To restore the Union (C) To uphold federal authority over the states (D) All of the above 47. What did Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin do? (A) Prompted South Carolina to secede from the Union (B) Turned many ambivalent Northerners into abolitionists (C) Convinced many Northerners that reconciliation was possible (D) Criticized Lincoln for the war 48. The First Battle of Bull Run (A) Convinced Northerners the war would be over quickly (B) Convinced Southerners the war would be over quickly (C) Convinced the North and the South the war would be over quickly (D) Convinced the North and the South the war would be long and bloody 49. The Battle of Shiloh (A) Convinced Northerners the war would be long and bloody (B) Convinced Southerners the war would be long and bloody (C) Convinced both the North and the South the war would be long and bloody (D) Convinced the South the war would be over quickly 50. Who won the presidential election of 1864? (A) James Buchanan (B) Andrew Johnson (C) Ulysses S. Grant (D) Abraham Lincoln 1. The first state to leave the Union was . 2. The first state to leave the Union left on . 3. Name another state that left the Union shortly after South Carolina. For mark, press or click Tab. 4. Which was NOT a reason the South gave for leaving the Union? The United States had broken the Constitution. The United States failed to enforce the Fugitive Slave Laws. Robert E. Lee was not President. The government would not allow slavery in the new territories. 5. The Civil War began with the southern troops firing on . 6. The Civil War begin in the state of . 1. Which of the following was NOT an aim of the northern generals at the beginning of the war: to capture California. to capture Richmond, Virginia. to cut the southern forces in half by capturing the Mississippi River. to blockade southern ports. 2. On July 21, 1861 the South won a big victory by defeating the Union army at Manassas near Creek. For mark, press or click Tab. 3. The first battle of ironclad ships was when the fought. For mark, press or click Tab. 4. It fought against the . For mark, press or click Tab. 5. The Emancipation Proclamation freed . 1. Andrew Johnson 2. Black Codes 3. Freedmen's Bureaus 4. 13th Amendment 5. 14thAmendment 6. 15th Amendment 7. Ku Klux Klan 8. Carpetbaggers 9. Radical Republicans a. passed tough laws for the South to come back into the Union b. Northerners who ran Southern governments c. became President when Lincoln was killed d. frightened away Black voters and beat them e. gave food, clothing and medical care to ex-slaves f. kept Blacks from getting their rights g. gave the right to vote to all Black males over the age of 21 h. made slavery unconstitutional i. Blacks were made citizens of the United States 1 At the outset, President Lincoln held that the Civil War was being fought to?: end all state sovereignty. carry out the goals of the abolitionist movement. free the slaves. preserve the Union. all of these choices are correct. 2 During the Civil War, Kansas and Missouri were?: away from the fighting, thus largely peaceful. the scene of four major battles. ravaged by guerilla bands from both sides. attacked by Indians allied with the Confederacy. 3 The major battle in the western theater during the Civil War which had the effect of splitting the Confederacy in half was?: the Battle of the Wilderness. Vicksburg. Gettysburg. Antietam. First Bull Run. 4 Why did both the South and North experience rioting during the Civil War?: in the South over easing slave codes; in the North over jailing dissidents. on both sides, over military regulations like the draft and economic controls. in the South over food; in the North over the draft. on both sides, over centralization of political power. 5 During the Civil War, southern women played an especially important part as?: managers of farms and plantations. typists and telegraph operators. members of auxiliary units of the armed forces. replacements for men in the South's light industries. 6 The Emancipation Proclamation?: freed the slaves and abolished slavery in all the states of the Union and the Confederacy. freed slaves only in areas in rebellion against the United States but not in areas that remained loyal. was formulated by the Radical Republicans and issued by Lincoln despite his strong personal objections. convinced England and France to enter the war on behalf of the Union in order to win the crusade against slavery. 7 The United States Congress during the Civil War?: could do little because of the absent southern representatives. due to a lack of funds neglected legislation not directly related to the war. played a major role in choosing and firing generals to lead the Union forces. adopted a tariff, a homestead law, and a transcontinental railroad. 8 Suspension of the writ of habeas corpus for all people living between Washington and Philadelphia provides evidence of which of the following?: local law enforcement collapsed in many northern states. Union generals often usurped presidential power. presidential power increased during the Civil War. Congressional power increased during the Civil War. 9 The key event that guaranteed Lincoln's re-election in 1864 was?: the fall of Vicksburg to General Grant. the capture of New Orleans by Admiral Farragut. the defeat of Lee's army by General Meade at Gettysburg. the successful defense of Nashville by General Thomas against repeated Confederate counterattacks. the fall of Atlanta to General Sherman. 10 The final Union war strategy included all of the following components EXCEPT?: guerilla warfare. undermining the Confederate economy. a naval blockade. seizing control of the Mississippi River. 1 The content of the Constitution of the Confederate States of America indicated that a major difference between the South and the North concerned the understanding of?: the role of the executive. the federal relationship of the states and the national government. representation in Congress. the impact of Supreme Court decisions. 2 Sea power played an especially important role in the Civil War in the form of the?: Confederate raids on northern shipping. transportation of revel troops and supplies on steamboats. Union blockade of the Confederate coast. ironclad ships that appeared during the war. 3 In foreign affairs, President Lincoln's most significant achievement was his success in?: gaining the support of the czar of Russia for the Union cause. negotiating the demilitarization of the Canadian-American boundary. meeting the challenge to the Monroe Doctrine in Mexico. restraining foreign powers from recognizing the Confederacy. establishing claims to islands in the Pacific. 4 The Battle of Antietam was?: the bloodiest single day's fighting of the war. a victory for General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. a proof to President Lincoln of the inspired leadership of General George B. McClellan. all of these choices are correct. 5 During the Civil War, northern black leaders such as Frederick Douglass worked as army recruiting agents because they believed that?: it was the best way to prevent blacks from being drafted. blacks were more resistant to the diseases that ravaged white soldiers in the garrisons. blacks would get to see their loved ones in the South only by fighting for the Union. black participation in the army would be a step toward black citizenship. 6 During the Civil War, most of the Five Civilized Tribes in the Indian Territory of present-day Oklahoma?: supported the Confederacy. remained neutral. supported the Union. gave up their slaves. 7 States that sold public lands granted to them under the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862 were required to use the income to?: subsidize the construction of factories important to the war effort. train and supply state militia units. provide loans to railroad construction companies. promote public education in agriculture. 8 What was Jefferson Davis' central problem?: in a culture that prized the English country gentry, Davis was rough-hewn and awkward. in a society that prized states' rights, Davis had to centralize authority. in a crisis that demanded tough-minded attention to military details, Davis was more of a grand strategist. in a war that required rapid mobilization of a whole society, most ordinary folk in the south expected a protracted conflict and hence were reluctant to enlist. 9 During the Civil War, the term "Copperhead" referred to?: Northerners who supported slavery. Southerners who opposed the Confederacy. Northerners who called for the abolition of slavery. Southerners who called for the abolition of slavery. Northerners who opposed the Civil War. 10 The Battle of Gettysburg was significant because it?: led to an immediate end to the war. opened an invasion route to the North. inflicted a major loss on General Lee's army. cut off supplies to states west of the Mississippi River. FROM BRINKLEY TEXTBOOK The first state to secede from the Union was A. Alabama. B. South Carolina. C. Virginia. D. North Carolina. E. Mississippi. President Buchanan believed that A. no state had the constitutional right to secede from the Union. B. the federal government had no authority to stop a state from seceding from the Union. C. both a and b D. neither a nor b The Confederacy was formed A. before Lincoln was inaugurated. B. when all the states had seceded. C. with President Buchanan's blessing. D. in Washington, D.C. E. in accordance with the requirements of the Crittenden Compromis The Crittenden Compromise A. called for amending the Constitution. B. proposed a vote in each state on the matter of continuing slavery. C. was generally supported by Republicans. D. required the abandonment of the Missouri Compromise E. was proposed by a coalition of Northerners and Southerners. In his inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln A. offered to withdraw federal troops from Fort Sumter as a concession to the South. B. suggested mediation by Great Britain. C. declared that the Union was older than the Constitution. D. all of the above E. none of the above President Lincoln's handling of the Fort Sumter crisis included a decision to send A. supplies to the beleaguered fort. B. troops to the beleaguered fort. C. both a and b D. neither a nor b Following the surrender of Fort Sumter, A. no more slave states left the Union. B. some slave states decided to remain in the Union. C. both a and b D. neither a nor b Which military advantage did NOT lie with the North? A. Its population was much larger. B. Its transportation system was better. C. It was united in its commitment to the war. D. Its industrial base was stronger. The North sought to finance the Civil War by A. printing money. B. levying taxes. C. issuing bonds. D. all of the above E. only a and b Which statement concerning the economy and economic policy of the North is the LEAST accurate? A. For the first time the federal government levied an income tax. B. Inflation was a serious problem. C. The war was financed primarily by printing money. D. A new national banking system was put in place E. The federal government issued currency not backed by gold or silver. When it came to raising an army at the start of the war, President Lincoln A. knew that most of the fighting would have to be done by state militia volunteers. B. was already commander in chief of a large army that had to be made even larger still. C. could call on his experience as a political and military leader in Illinois. D. turned almost instantly to a military draft. E. none of the above The draft law passed by the North A. drew much grumbling, but little significant opposition. B. discouraged voluntary enlistments. C. procured only a small percentage of those who ultimately fought in the war. D. made it quite difficult to escape military servicE. none of the above As president, Lincoln A. asked for a declaration of war. B. increased the size of the army without the approval of Congress. C. proclaimed a naval blockade of the South. D. only b and c E. only a and c The term "Copperheads" referred to A. new federal coins. B. Lincoln's cabinet. C. incompetent military commanders. D. Peace Democrats. E. Southerners loyal to the North. The Confiscation Act of 1861 A. was passed by the new Confederate government. B. was the enabling legislation for the military draft. C. took foreign-owned properties. D. could be described as antislavery. E. abolished slavery in Washington, D.C. The Emancipation Proclamation A. followed a Union military defeat. B. freed all slaves. C. was passed by Congress. D. all of the above E. none of the above The Emancipation Proclamation A. applied only to slaves over which the federal government had no direct control. B. made it clear that the war would be fought to end slavery for good. C. both a and b D. neither a nor b During the Civil War, Northern industrial workers A. rejected unions as damaging to the war effort. B. at least did not have to face competition from foreign labor, because immigration had virtually ceased. C. saw their purchasing power decline because of inflation. D. fled to Canada and the western territories in increasing numbers. E. organized antiblack societies at an alarming rat The government of the Confederacy was A. organized in Richmond, Virginia, and remained there B. organized in Montgomery and moved to Richmond. C. organized in Richmond and moved to Montgomery. D. organized in Montgomery and remained ther The Union and the Confederacy were similar in A. their political systems. B. that they both drafted soldiers. C. the methods each used to finance their war. D. both a and b E. all of the first three The Confederate constitution explicitly sanctioned A. state sovereignty. B. slavery. C. secession. D. both a and b E. both b and c Jefferson Davis A. was initially elected president of the Confederacy by a popular vote. had been a strong proponent of secession before the war. C. did not have opposition for the presidency of the Confederacy. D. represented the old Southern aristocracy of the East Coast. E. was able to provide strong leadership in a losing caus Which statement comparing Lincoln and Davis is the MOST accurate? A. Presidents Lincoln and Davis both carefully observed their respective constitutions. B. Neither president carefully observed his constitution. C. Davis was more careful than Lincoln in observing his constitution. D. Lincoln was more careful than Davis in observing his constitution. The Confederacy financed its war effort mainly by A. selling bonds. B. printing money. C. foreign loans. D. requisitioning money from the states. E. an income tax. Which statement about the finances of the Confederacy is the MOST accurate? A. By using cotton as collateral, the Confederacy was able to borrow large sums of money from European countries. B. The Confederacy refused to challenge individual states by turning to an income tax. C. To finance the war, the Confederacy first tried to requisition money from the states. D. Inflation was a significant problem in the South, but it was a greater problem in the North. E. The Confederacy did have serious financial problems, but the lack of a uniform currency was not one of them. Which statement about Confederate conscription is the LEAST accurate? A. To win the war rapidly, the Confederacy moved to draft soldiers almost immediately. B. Like their Northern counterparts, Southerners could avoid the draft by hiring a substitute. Poor whites were angry enough about their plight to protest Confederate draft policies. D. Owners of a set number of slaves could be exempt from the draft. E. The Confederacy called for the drafting of slaves. The greatest division within the South over the war concerned A. class differences. B. states' rights issues. C. tax policies. D. racial tensions. E. draft policies. The wartime South saw all of the following EXCEPT A. major food riots led by women. B. large public demonstrations against conscription. C. significant slave revolts. D. both a and b E. both b and c President Lincoln understood that the proper objective of the Union armies was to A. occupy Southern territory. B. protect Washington, D.C. C. destroy Southern armies. D. control Southern ports. E. divide the South between East and West. The Trent affair A. saw the capture of Union diplomats. B. pleased Lincoln. C. saw a Union commander act on his own. D. led England to extend diplomatic recognition to the Confederacy. E. made up for the Alabama claims. The First Battle of Manassas A. was a victory for the North. B. was a victory for the South. C. ended in a stalemate D. did not dispel the illusion that the war would soon be over. E. both b and d Which state was admitted to the Union during the Civil War? A. Iowa B. Minnesota C. Wisconsin D. West Virginia E. Kansas The first decisive military operations of 1862 took place A. in the West. B. on the Gulf Coast. C. around Washington, D.C. D. along the East Coast. E. in the North. General McClellan A. was a superb trainer of men. B. a fine field commander. C. both a and b D. neither a nor b The Peninsular campaign A. saw McClellan capture Richmond. B. saw Confederate troops briefly invade Washington, D.C. C. led directly to McClellan's dismissal. D. represented Grant's first appearance in the war in the East. E. saw Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee be successful. Which statement about the Battle of Antietam is NOT true? A. It was the bloodiest engagement of the war. B. Technically, it was a Confederate victory. C. The North lost an opportunity to destroy much of the Confederacy. D. It led Lincoln to remove and then reinstate McClellan. Who died in the Battle of Chancellorsville? A. Lee B. Hooker C. Burnside D. Jackson E. none of the above The Confederacy was organized before Lincoln was inaugurated. President Buchanan did not believe that a state had the legal right to secede from the Union. The Crittenden Compromise was essentially acceptable to Lincoln and the Republicans. No additional states seceded from the Union once the war had begun at Ft. Sumter. The material advantages of the North were obvious right from the start of the war. The South was committed to fighting a defensive war. Opinion about the war was more divided in the North than in the South. The North financed the Civil War primarily by borrowing money. The Emancipation Proclamation was first an executive order before it became an act of Congress. The Emancipation Proclamation did not apply to all of the slave states. The Confederate constitution was almost identical to the Constitution of the United States. The Confederate constitution explicitly acknowledged the sovereignty of the individual states and the right of secession. Jefferson Davis was popularly elected to be the president of the Confederacy. The Confederacy financed the Civil War primarily by printing paper money. The First Battle of Bull Run dealt a severe blow to Union morale and dispelled the illusion that the war would be a short one Both Antietam and Shiloh could be described as Union victories. General McClellan was a great trainer of soldiers, but he was reluctant to commit those soldiers to battle.