wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

NEW

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Civil War

Total questions: 56

Worksheet time: 29mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Look at the map of the United States. Then answer the questions that follow.

a)

Boston, MA

b)

Gettysburg, PA

c)

Washington, DC

d)

New York City, NY

2.

Which numeral represents the city from which Paul Revere began his midnight ride to warn colonists that the British were coming?

a)

I

b)

II

c)

III

d)

IV

3.

Which numeral represents the city where one would find the Statue of Liberty?

a)

I

b)

II

c)

III

d)

IV

4.

Which city is represented by numeral I on the map?

a)

Boston, MA

b)

Gettysburg, PA

c)

Washington, DC

d)

New York City, NY

5.

Which numeral represents the location of the capital of the United States?

a)

I

b)

II

c)

III

d)

IV

6.

Which city is represented by numeral III on the map?

a)

Boston, MA

b)

Gettysburg, PA

c)

Washington, DC

d)

New York City, NY

7.

Which city is represented by numeral II on the map?

a)

Boston, MA

b)

Gettysburg, PA

c)

Washington, DC

d)

New York City, NY

8.

What did Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation do when it took effect?

a)

It freed all slaves in the United States.

b)

It freed all slaves in the Confederacy.

c)

It granted freed slaves the right to vote.

d)

It gave freed slaves a plot of land to farm.

9.

Which fact helped cause the shortage of labor in the South following the Civil War?

a)

Many white Southerners moved West in search of gold.

b)

Slavery was outlawed in all states.

c)

Many former slaves returned to their home countries.

10.

Read the statement from a US senator. The senator was describing the causes of which war?

a)

the Civil War

b)

the First Seminole War

c)

the Revolutionary War

d)

the War of 1812

11.

Which of the following statements accurately describes the public's reaction to Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin?

a)

Northerners viewed the book as nothing more than abolitionist exaggerations.

b)

Southerners felt the book did not accurately describe slavery.

c)

Abolitionists believed the book harmed their cause and tried to have it banned.

d)

The book was largely ignored by the public until after Reconstruction.

12.

Why did General William T. Sherman want to capture Atlanta, Georgia, during the Civil War?

a)

to take control of Southern ports

b)

to take control of Southern factories

c)

to take control of Southern railroads

d)

to take control of Southern cotton fields

13.

Based on the picture, which of the following statements about the Battle of Fort Sumter are correct?

a)

This was the first major battle of the Civil War.

b)

The battle took place on the Mississippi River.

c)

Union forces attacked a Confederate fort.

d)

This was the last major battle of the Civil War.

14.

Why was Jefferson Davis a popular choice for president of the Confederate States of America?

a)

He was a famous hero of the American Revolution.

b)

He was a famous hero of the Mexican-American War.

c)

He was well known because he helped write the US Constitution.

d)

He was well known because he helped lead a raid on Harpers Ferry.

15.

Why was it easier for the North to recover from the Civil War than the South?

a)

Other countries would not trade with the Southern states.

b)

Most of the fighting during the war took place in the South.

c)

Slavery continued to be legal in the North but not in the South.

d)

The federal government made the Southern states pay for the war.

16.

How did Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin help cause the Civil War?

a)

by increasing discrimination against African Americans in the North

b)

by increasing demands for the government to end slavery in all states

c)

by causing the federal government to increase taxes in Southern states

d)

by convincing Southerners they should not buy goods made in the North

17.

How did Sherman's March to the Sea end?

a)

with the capture of Atlanta, Georgia

b)

with Robert E. Lee's surrender to William T. Sherman

c)

with the capture of Savannah, Georgia

d)

with William T. Sherman's surrender to Robert E. Lee

18.

What made the Battle of Gettysburg a turning point in the Civil War?

a)

The Union victory convinced Great Britain to support the Union.

b)

The Confederate victory convinced France to support the Confederacy.

c)

The Confederate victory allowed the Confederacy to capture Union territory.

d)

The Union victory forced the Confederacy to stop advancing into Union territory.

19.

Look at the map showing Sherman's March to the Sea. Then answer the question that follows. What was the goal of Sherman's March to the Sea?

a)

to recruit American Indians to fight for the Union

b)

to destroy Confederate supply lines in Georgia

c)

to capture Confederate naval bases in Georgia

d)

to control important harbors in the South

20.

Who was the President of the United States of America during the Civil War?

a)

Robert E. Lee

b)

Jefferson Davis

c)

Abraham Lincoln

d)

Ulysses S. Grant

21.

Who was the President of the Confederate States of America?

a)

Robert E. Lee

b)

Jefferson Davis

c)

Abraham Lincoln

d)

Ulysses S. Grant

22.

Who was the Commanding General of the United States Army?

a)

Robert E. Lee

b)

Jefferson Davis

c)

Abraham Lincoln

d)

Ulysses S. Grant

23.

Who was the Commander of the Confederate Army?

a)

Robert E. Lee

b)

Jefferson Davis

c)

Abraham Lincoln

d)

Ulysses S. Grant

24.

Look at the picture showing the Battle of Gettysburg. Which statements about this battle and its outcome are correct?

a)

The battle was an important victory for the Union Army.

b)

The battle was an important victory for the Confederate Army.

c)

The battle was over quickly and only a small number of soldiers died.

25.

Why did the Southern states have trouble recovering after the Civil War?

a)

European countries refused to buy cotton from Southern states.

b)

Most Southern men had been employed by the Confederate Army.

c)

The Union Army destroyed railroads and bridges in the South.

d)

The federal government refused to provide aid to needy Southerners.

26.

Which of the following events of the Civil War occurred first?

a)

President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

b)

The Union Army completed the March to the Sea in Georgia.

c)

General Grant became the commander of the entire Union Army.

d)

The Union and Confederate Armies fought in the Battle of Gettysburg.

27.

Robert E. Lee opposed secession before the Civil War. Why did he fight for the Confederacy instead of the Union?

a)

He was bitter about his loss in the 1860 presidential election

b)

He was loyal to the state of Virginia, and Virginia seceded.

c)

He was offered the Confederate presidency in return for leading their army.

d)

He was loyal to Jefferson Davis, under whom he once served in the military.

28.

Name the battle: Confederate forces fired the first shots of the Civil War

a)

Battle of Gettysburg

b)

Battle of Fort Sumter

29.

Name that battle: Tens of thousands of Americans died during this lengthy battle

a)

Battle of Gettysburg

b)

Battle of Fort Sumter

30.

Name that battle: This battle ended quickly and without any casualties on either side

a)

Battle of Gettysburg

b)

Battle of Fort Sumter

31.

Name that battle: The Union stopped the advancement of Confederate forces into the North

a)

Battle of Gettysburg

b)

Battle of Fort Sumter

32.

Name that battle: Robert E. Lee and his men were forced to retreat following this battle

a)

Battle of Gettysburg

b)

Battle of Fort Sumter

33.

What was the MAIN reason that the South built more factories following the Civil War?

a)

European demand for American cotton decreased.

b)

Northern demands for manufactured goods increased dramatically.

c)

A lot of Southern farmland was destroyed during the war.

d)

Reconstruction laws banned former slaveholders from owning farms.

34.

The first battle of the Civil War took place at

a)

Atlanta

b)

Appomattox

c)

Gettysburg

d)

Fort Sumter

35.

During the period before the Civil War, Southern leaders argued that the idea of states' rights meant that

a)

Each state had the legal right to secede from the United States

b)

The constitutions of each state were the supreme laws within the states' territories

c)

States had the right to make separate treaties with the American Indians

d)

Federal laws did not apply in a state unless that state's senators voted for them

36.

Look at the picture showing the event that ended the Civil War. Based on your knowledge of social studies, what is this picture showing?

a)

Jefferson Davis surrendering to Abraham Lincoln at Appomattox Court House

b)

Abraham Lincoln surrendering to Jefferson Davis after the Battle of Gettysburg

c)

Ulysses S. Grant surrendering to Robert E. Lee after the Battle of Gettysburg

d)

Robert E. Lee surrendering to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House

37.

During the March to the Sea, General William T. Sherman ordered his men to steal food, kill farm animals, and destroy railroads and factories. What was this called?

a)

Just war

b)

Lightning war

c)

Total war

d)

Moral war

38.

In 1863, during the third year of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Which of the following correctly describes the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation?

a)

to grant the right to vote to women

b)

to free all slaves in the United States

c)

to free all slaves in states in revolt against the United States

d)

to take away the right to vote from slaveholders

39.

Look at the quote. What was the “immediate cause” of the Civil War that Stephens referred to in this quotation?

a)

the slavery debate

b)

the War of 1812

c)

the rise of industry

d)

the Emancipation Proclamation

40.

Look at the painting of John Brown and Frederick Douglass. The painting shows Brown and Douglass discussing Brown's plan to lead an attack on Harpers Ferry. Douglass did not think it was a good idea. Based on your knowledge of social studies, what was MOST LIKELY the reason Douglass objected?

a)

Douglass believed that only a violent revolution could end slavery.

b)

Douglass believed that slavery was important to the national economy.

c)

Douglass believed that the attack would lead to a war between the states.

d)

Douglass believed that the attack would anger people and hurt Brown's cause.

41.

During the 1850s, demands for the federal government to respect the rights of states caused which of these difficulties?

a)

challenges to the national government by Southern states

b)

challenges to the national government by Northern states

c)

conflicts between the Northern states over the meaning of the Constitution

d)

conflicts between the Southern states over the meaning of the Constitution

42.

Which group had the highest number of deaths during the Civil War?

a)

American Indians

b)

Union soldiers

c)

Confederate soldiers

d)

Freed slaves

43.

Which military leader was part of the Atlanta Campaign of the Civil War?

a)

Robert E. Lee

b)

Thomas Jackson

c)

William Sherman

d)

Ulysses S. Grant

44.

Why did Robert E. Lee take up arms against the United States of America even though he considered himself a patriot?

a)

Lee owed his patriotism to the Confederate States of America.

b)

Lee valued his loyalty to the State of Virginia more than his patriotism.

c)

Lee was a dishonest person and was not loyal to any country or state.

d)

Lee worked as a spy for the United States while pretending to fight against it.

45.

What ended with the Battle of Gettysburg?

a)

the Civil War

b)

the Atlanta Campaign

c)

Lee's invasion of the North

d)

Sherman's March to the Sea

46.

Robert E. Lee was the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia during which span of years during the Civil War?

a)

1861 to 1863

b)

1861 to 1865

c)

1862 to 1865

d)

1864 to 1865

47.

The Civil War happened largely because states believed state governments had which TWO rights?

a)

the right to allow women to vote in elections

b)

the right to decide whether or not to allow slavery

c)

the right to make treaties with other countries

d)

the right to force American Indians out of their states

48.

Why did a lot of Northerners migrate South after the Civil War?

a)

so they could buy farms and plantations

b)

so they could escape the destroyed North

c)

so they could practice their religions freely

d)

so they could find work in Southern factories

49.

Which difference between the North and South helped caused the Civil War?

a)

There were more slaves in the South, and wealthy slaveowners believed their way of life would be destroyed if the federal government outlawed slavery.

b)

There were more factories in the South, and many factory workers believed their way of life would be destroyed if the federal government raised taxes.

c)

There were more shipping companies in the South, and boat builders believed they would not have enough business if the federal government outlawed foreign trade.

d)

There were more American Indians in the South, and many farmers believed they would not have enough labor if the federal government forced the American Indians to move.

50.

What made the Battle of Gettysburg a turning point in the Civil War?

a)

It ended the Confederacy's advance into the North.

b)

It was the beginning of Sherman's March to the Sea.

c)

The Confederacy captured a major port on the Atlantic Coast.

d)

The Union gained control of the South's largest railroad station.

51.

Look at the stamp showing General William T. Sherman. Why did the government honor General Sherman with a stamp?

a)

because he helped Texas win its independence from Mexico

b)

because he helped lead the Union to victory during the Civil War

c)

because he helped American forces achieve victory during the War of 1812

d)

because he helped the United States win its independence from Great Britain

52.

Which part of the Civil War did General Sherman take part in?

a)

the events of the Atlanta Campaign

b)

the Battle of Fort Sumter

c)

the surrender at Appomattox Court House

d)

the Battle of Gettysburg

53.

Why did John Brown attack a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859?

a)

to obtain guns to use to capture escaped slaves

b)

to obtain guns to arm slaves and carry out a rebellion

c)

to convince the federal government to invade the South

d)

to convince the Northern states to secede from the Union

54.

During the Civil War, the Atlanta Campaign took place as a result of which turn of events?

a)

a Union victory in Florida

b)

a Union defeat in Alabama

c)

a Union victory in Tennessee

d)

a Union defeat in South Carolina

55.

John Brown angered many Southerners because he threatened to change their way of life. How did his actions do so?

a)

He destroyed railroads that farmers used to ship their crops.

b)

He burned the cotton crops that farmers sold to make a living.

c)

He wanted to free the slaves, who did much of the work in the South.

d)

He attacked the British, who bought most of the cotton grown in the South.

56.

Which is NOT a reason Sherman used a scorched earth strategy?

a)

to make the South want to quit supporting the war

b)

to punish the Southerners for seceding

c)

to destroy the South's ability to fight

d)

to prevent further death and destruction