US History - Civil War

Front

Which sequence of events correctly identifies a rise in tensions, bringing the nation closer toward armed conflict? John Brown’s raid + Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850 + Dred Scott decision, Kansas-Nebraska Act + Admission of California to statehood, “Bleeding Kansas” + Admission of Maine and Missouri to statehood

Back

Compromise of 1850 + Dred Scott decision

Answer explanation

The Compromise of 1850 and the Dred Scott decision heightened tensions over slavery, leading to increased conflict between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions, pushing the nation closer to armed conflict.

Front

Which event was the catalyst for the secession of the first seven Southern states in 1861? Options: passage of a higher protective tariff, issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, the election of Abraham Lincoln as President, the shipment of Union supplies to Fort Sumter

Back

the election of Abraham Lincoln as President

Answer explanation

The election of Abraham Lincoln as President in 1860 was seen as a threat to slavery and Southern interests, prompting the first seven Southern states to secede in 1861.

Front

What was the main objective of the Anaconda Plan described in General Winfield Scott's letter?

Back

to suffocate the South by controlling the Mississippi River and the Southern ports

Answer explanation

The main objective of the Anaconda Plan was to suffocate the South by controlling the Mississippi River and Southern ports, thereby cutting off supplies and resources, leading to a quicker end to the conflict with less bloodshed.

Front

Why did the Union impose a naval blockade on the South during the Civil War?

Back

to strangle the shipment of supplies to the Confederacy

Answer explanation

The Union imposed a naval blockade on the South to strangle the shipment of supplies to the Confederacy, limiting their resources and weakening their ability to sustain the war effort.

Front

Which of these strategies was NOT used by the South to counter the North's advantages in resources during the Civil War?
- The South would invade and capture major Union cities.
- The South would fight a defensive war on its own terrain.
- The South would use its pool of talented military experience.
- The South would conscript troops and print its own paper money.

Back

The South would invade and capture major Union cities.

Answer explanation

The South did not typically invade and capture major Union cities, as their strategy focused on defensive tactics and leveraging their own resources and military experience.

Front

What was a significant impact of the Emancipation Proclamation?

Back

The war became a moral contest over slavery.

Answer explanation

The Emancipation Proclamation shifted the Civil War's focus, making it a moral battle against slavery, which galvanized support for the Union cause and changed the war's purpose.

Front

What were the major consequences of the Civil War? Options: the end of slavery and a strengthening of the power of the federal government, recognition of the rights of states to leave the Union and to nullify federal laws, an end to racial discrimination and establishment of social equality throughout the nation, the abolition of slavery in all Northern states and in all federal territories north of 36°30' N

Back

the end of slavery and a strengthening of the power of the federal government

Answer explanation

The Civil War resulted in the end of slavery through the 13th Amendment and increased federal authority, solidifying the federal government's power over states, which is reflected in the correct answer.

Front

Which of the following contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War? Southerners feared that Northerners intended to abolish slavery. Southern states wanted a free hand in suppressing local slave revolts. The Dred Scott decision led Northern state officials to defy federal law. Northerners opposed the shipment of Southern cotton to Great Britain.

Back

Southerners feared that Northerners intended to abolish slavery.

Answer explanation

Southerners feared that Northerners intended to abolish slavery, which heightened tensions and contributed significantly to the outbreak of the Civil War.

Front

What contradiction does this Civil War historian find in the secession of the Southern states?

Back

Confederates demanded the freedom to enslave others.

Answer explanation

The historian highlights the contradiction that Confederates sought the liberty to own slaves, which inherently denies freedom to others. This demand for the right to enslave contradicts the principles of liberty they claimed to uphold.

Front

Which social issue is addressed in the cartoon published in 1850?

Back

the conditions of Southern slaves

Answer explanation

The cartoon from 1850 addresses the conditions of Southern slaves, highlighting the social issue of slavery during a time when it was a significant and contentious topic in American society.