Civil War Vocabulary: Union, Confederacy, and Secession

Which statement best describes the Union during the American Civil War?

• All states that joined after the war ended

• Northern states loyal to the federal government

• Southern states forming a separate nation

• Border states that stayed neutral in fighting

Complete the sentence with the correct term: The (a)   was the group of southern states that broke away from the United States.

Which statement best defines a civil war?

• A war between opposing groups within one country

• A war that ends without any major battles anywhere

• A war between different countries on different continents

• A war fought only by citizens against their government

Fill in the blank: (a)   is the act of setting a person or group free from slavery or oppression.

Which statement best describes the executive branch in the United States government?

• The branch that interprets laws and writes court opinions

• The branch that implements and enforces laws, including the president

• The branch that drafts laws and represents the states in Congress

• The branch that amends the Constitution through state conventions

Fill in the blank: The Gettysburg Address was a brief 1863 speech that honored Civil War soldiers and affirmed national unity and (a)   .

Decide if this statement is accurate: The Confederacy was the group of northern states that stayed loyal to the Union. Choose the best answer.

• Accurate; Confederacy meant loyal border states

• Inaccurate; Confederacy was seceding southern states

• Inaccurate; Confederacy included all northern states

• Accurate as stated

Fill in the blank with the correct term: When a state (a)   , it leaves the country or union.

Decide which statement best matches the term abolitionist.

• A person focused on settling western lands

• A person supporting only limited slaveholding rights

• A person working to end slavery everywhere

• A person seeking to expand slavery into territories

Fill in the blank with the most accurate definition: Emancipation means setting (a)   people free.