Prelude to the Civil War Quiz

What was the primary purpose of the Missouri Compromise?

• To allow Missouri to enter the Union as a free state

• To balance the power between free and slave states

• To abolish slavery in the northern states

• To declare all territories north of Missouri as slave territories

In what year was the Kansas-Nebraska Act passed?

• 1820

• 1850

• 1854

• 1861

What did the Dred Scott Decision declare?

• Slaves were property and could not sue for their freedom

• Slavery was unconstitutional

• Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional

• Slaves were citizens and had the right to sue

What was the outcome of John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry?

• It successfully ended slavery in the southern states

• It led to the immediate secession of several southern states

• It was a failure, and John Brown was captured and executed

• It sparked a nationwide slave rebellion

Which event directly led to the secession of several southern states?

• The Missouri Compromise

• The Dred Scott Decision

• John Brown's Raid

• The election of Abraham Lincoln

How did the Kansas-Nebraska Act impact the spread of slavery?

• It allowed states to decide on the legality of slavery through popular sovereignty

• It banned slavery in all territories

• It made slavery legal in all territories

• It had no impact on the spread of slavery

What was a significant effect of the Missouri Compromise?

• It ended slavery in the United States

• It maintained a balance between free and slave states

• It led to the Civil War

• It made the Kansas-Nebraska Act necessary

Why was the Dred Scott Decision controversial?

• It declared that Congress could not ban slavery in the territories

• It stated that slaves were not citizens and could not sue in federal courts

• Both A and B

• It overturned the Missouri Compromise

What was the main issue debated in the election of Abraham Lincoln?

• The expansion of slavery into the territories

• The rights of states versus the federal government

• The economic policies regarding tariffs

• The right to secede from the Union

Which of the following was NOT a reason for the secession of Southern states?

• The election of Abraham Lincoln

• The fear of slavery being abolished

• The desire for more land for cotton cultivation

• The Dred Scott Decision