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WorksheetsAH1: Unit 4 - Civil War and Reconstruction
Total questions: 40
Worksheet time: 1hrs 20mins
"A house divided against itself cannot stand." I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other."
-Abraham Lincoln, 1858
Why did Lincoln's "House Divided" speech worry southern slaveholders?
Southern slaveholders feared Lincoln would ban the importation of slaves.
Southern slaveholders believed Lincoln would support the expansion of slavery into the western territories.
Southern slaveholders believed Lincoln would support the abolition of slavery throughout the United States.
Southern slaveholders feared Lincoln would allow states to make their own decisions about slavery.
Why did the presidential election of 1860 prompt the secession of seven southern states?
Some slave states believed the incoming Republican administration would be hostile toward slavery.
Some slave states believed the incoming Republican administration would remove protective tariffs.
Some slave states believed the incoming Republican administration would repeal the Indian Removal Act.
Some slave states believed the incoming Republican administration would support the expansion of slavery into the territories.
"It is a fact well known to every intelligent Southerner that we are compelled to go to the North for almost every article of utility and adornment...that we have no foreign trade, no merchants...and that we are dependent on Northern capitalists for the means necessary to build our railroads, canals, and other improvements."
-Hinton Helper, The Impending Crisis of the South, 1857
Why was Hinton Helper's book not well-received in the South?
Helper argued that free-soilers and abolitionists had prevented cotton from becoming a significant cash crop in the South.
Helper argued that southern states should focus only on growing cotton and expanding the institution of slavery.
Helper criticized the South for not seceding before the election of Abraham Lincoln.
Helper criticized the South for relying too much on cotton and slavery and not developing a diverse economy.
"a State, as a party to the constitutional compact, has the right to secede, acting in the same capacity in which it ratified the constitution...All this results, necessarily, from the nature of a compact between sovereign parties."
-John C. Calhoun, 1853
According to John C. Calhoun in the passage above, what right do states have?
the right to declare war
the right to secede from the union
the right to regulate interstate commerce
the right to require property ownership as a condition for voting
"I hold that, in contemplation of universal law and of the Constitution, the Union of these States is perpetual. Perpetuity is implied, if not expressed, in the fundamental law of all national governments. It is safe to assert that no government proper ever had a provision in its organic law for its own termination."
-Abraham Lincoln's first Inaugural Address, 1861
Which of the following can be inferred from the passage above?
Abraham Lincoln was intent on abolishing slavery throughout the United States.
Abraham Lincoln wanted slavery to expand into the western territories.
Abraham Lincoln did not believe states had a right to secede from the Union.
Abraham Lincoln believed the president had no duty to preserve the Union.
"What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him,more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim..."
-Frederick Douglass, 1852
How does Frederick Douglass' speech illustrate the sectional tensions of the 1850s?
Douglass represented the industrialization of the North while the South remained agricultural.
Douglass represented the division in the Democratic party over the protective tariff.
Douglass represented the growing free-soil movement in the cotton belt.
Douglass represented the growing abolitionist movement in the North.
"Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments, I submit; so let it be done!"
-John Brown, 1859
John Brown's opinion of slavery would have been most similar to which of the following?
Frederick Douglass
John C. Calhoun
Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson Davis
"The fifth amendment to the Constitution provides that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, and property without due process of law...It is the opinion of this court that the (Missouri Compromise) which prohibited a citizen from holding and owning property of this kind (slaves) in the territory of the United States north of the line therein mentioned is not warranted by the Constitution, and is therefore void."
-Roger Taney's opinion in Dred Scott v. Sanford
How did the Dred Scott decision help lead to the Civil War?
The decision created a new division based on supporters and opponents of a protective tariff.
The decision deepened the divide between those who wanted slavery to expand and those who wanted to prevent its expansion.
The decision was favored by abolitionists but opposed by Southern slave owners.
The decision threatened to upset the balance of free and slave states by rejected California's and Missouri's statehood.
"Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery...Its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth...a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization..."
-from the Mississippi Declaration of Secession, 1861
According to the above excerpt, why did states like Mississippi secede from the U.S.?
They believed a national bank was critical to the survival of the southern economy.
They believed tariffs were destroying their ability to sell cotton to foreign nations.
They believed antislavery forces were threatening slavery, on which their economy and society depend.
They believed the expansion of slavery in the western territories would take slaves away from plantations in the Old South.
"It (the hostility toward slavery) has enlisted its press, its pulpit and its schools against us, until the whole popular mind of the North is excited and inflamed with prejudice."
-from the Mississippi Declaration of Secession, 1861
To which of the following might this excerpt be referring?
John C. Calhoun's South Carolina Exposition and Protest
William Lloyd Garrison's The Liberator
Thomas Jefferson's Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments
Why did most free-soilers oppose the Kansas-Nebraska Act?
The Kansas-Nebraska Act declared that popular sovereignty could not be used to settle the slavery question.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act abolished slavery in the western territories.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act would allow slavery in territories that had previously been designated as free territories.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act set more land aside for Native American reservations.
"...on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a state, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever, free..."
-The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863
According to the Emancipation Proclamation, which slaves were free as of January 1, 1863?
Only slaves in the border states of Missouri, Kentucky, and Maryland
All slaves in the United States
Only slaves in states or areas that were in rebellion
Only slaves that applied for freedom
"...on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a state, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever, free..."
-The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863
All of the following are true of the Emancipation Proclamation EXCEPT:
Lincoln believed the Constitution gave him the authority as Commander in Chief to issue the order.
Lincoln believed the order was a necessary wartime measure to suppress the rebellion.
Lincoln believed the order would discourage England and France from recognizing and assisting the Confederacy.
Lincoln issued the order because he no longer believed the Union should be preserved.
"And I further declare and make known that such persons (freed slaves), of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States to garrison forts, positions, and stations, and other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service."
-Emancipation Proclamation, 1863
According to the Emancipation Proclamation, what new role will freed slaves be allowed?
Lincoln will welcome freed slaves into the U.S. military to help win the Civil War.
Lincoln will enforce a plan to colonize all freed slaves in Africa.
Lincoln will permit freed slaves to work in Northern factories and farms only.
Lincoln will allow freed slaves to replace Southern senators and congressmen that had abandoned their seats in Congress.
"It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
-Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address, 1863
Which of the following best explain what Lincoln meant by "a new birth of freedom"?
The Confederate States of America will be reborn as a free, independent nation.
As a result of the Civil War, the United States will be free to expand westward.
As a result of the Civil War, slavery in the United States will likely come to an end.
Southern slaveholders will be free to move to western territories with their property in tact.
"It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
-Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address, 1863
How does the excerpt above reflect Lincoln's goals for the Civil War?
The passage infers the abolition of slavery and the preservation of the United States.
The passage infers the establishment of a confederation of states based on a state's right to allow slavery.
The passage infers the creation of a new republic that does not allow for representative government.
The passage suggests the adoption of a new constitution that emphasizes state's rights.
"Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."
-Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address, 1865
What does the above excerpt suggest?
Lincoln believes God has given the Civil War to the U.S. as a way of decreasing the surplus population.
Lincoln believes the Union cannot be saved even if slavery is abolished.
Lincoln believes the Civil War will end without much destruction and hardship.
Lincoln believes the Civil War may be God's way of punishing the United States for allowing slavery for so long.
"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
-Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address, 1865
What does the above excerpt suggest about Lincoln's post-Civil War plans?
Lincoln wants to exact a painful revenge on the South as a punishment for causing the Civil War.
Lincoln will want to reconstruct the nation in a way that does not cause any more hardships and a cares for all those who have suffered.
Lincoln believes that he will not be allowed to play a role in the rebuilding of the U.S. after the Civil War.
Lincoln will try to convince the radicals in Congress to reject the 13th and 14th Amendments.
"It matters but little whether you call them States out of the Union, and now conquered territories, or assert that...they are only dead as to all national and political action, and will remain so until the Government shall breathe into them the breath of life anew...In either case, it is very plain that it requires the action of Congress to enable them to form a State government and send representatives to Congress."
-Thaddeus Stevens, On the South, 1865
According to Thaddeus Stevens and the "Radical Republicans," which part of government should be in charge of Reconstruction?
Congress
The President
The Supreme Court
State legislatures
"We have turned loose four million slaves without a hut to shelter them or a cent in their pockets. The infernal laws of slavery have prevented them from acquiring an education or of managing the ordinary business of life. This Congress is bound to provide for them until they can take care of themselves...if we leave them to the legislation of their late masters, we had better have left them in bondage..."
-Thaddeus Stevens, On the South, 1865
Which of the following was a government agency designed to help accomplish what Thaddeus Stevens refers to in the above passage?
Ku Klux Klan
Treasury Department
Freedmen's Bureau
Credit Moblier
How did the idea of popular sovereignty propose to solve the question of slavery in the territories?
It called for the President to use an executive order to decide the slave question.
It called for the Supreme Court to make a ruling on the constitutionality of slavery.
It called for the people of a territory to vote for or against allowing slavery.
It called for Congress to pass legislation protecting slavery throughout the nation.
Why did the South react negatively to the Freeport Doctrine?
The Freeport Doctrine provided a way to prevent slavery from expanding into the territories
The Freeport Doctrine called for jury nullification of the Fugitive Slave Act
The Freeport Doctrine called for the U.S. government to use the army to protect slavery in the territories
The Freeport Doctrine stated that slavery violated the U.S. Constitution
All of the following were reasons used to justify secession EXCEPT:
States were losing too much authority to the hands of the national government
Southern states were constantly denied a tariff to protect their manufacturing
Southern democrats believed the Republicans, now in control, were hostile toward slavery
The lax enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law meant that the contract between the union and states was broken
How did Lincoln expand the power of the presidency during the Civil War?
He declared slavery to be abolished throughout the United States
He used an executive order to impeach Democratic senators
He suspended habeas corpus rights to prevent a vote for secession in Maryland
He denied the right of Congress to enact a conscription act
What was significant about the Battle of Vicksburg?
It was a major Confederate victory in the Mississippi River valley.
It was the first time a Union general defeated Robert E. Lee.
It was the last major battle of the Civil War.
It was the victory that gave the Union control of the Mississippi River.
What was the Massachusetts 54th Regiment?
One of the first African American regiments that fought in the Civil War
The unit of the U.S. Army that repelled the Confederates during Pickett’s Charge
The unit of the Confederate Army that supported Stonewall Jackson at the 1st Battle of Bull Run
The Union regiment that surrendered Fort Sumter at the beginning of the War
Why did Congressional Republicans oppose Lincoln’s plan for Reconstruction?
They believed it was too harsh on the South.
They believed it was too lenient and did not provide protections for freed slaves.
They did not want to disrupt the social order of pre-Civil War South.
They did not believe that the Southern states would accept Lincoln’s plan.
"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."
-13th Amendment to the Constitution
How did the 13th Amendment change American society?
Convicted criminals could no longer be sentenced to hard labor
Chattel Slavery (slaves as property) was no longer allowed by the Constitution
Women were guaranteed the right to vote
Slavery was allowed to exist only in new territories
"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."
-13th Amendment to the Constitution
Which other part of the Constitution was made invalid by the 13th Amendment?
The Supremacy Clause of Article VI
The Full Faith and Credit Clause of Article IV
The 8th Amendment protection from cruel and unusual punishment
The Fugitive Slave Clause of Article I
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States...No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States...nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
-14th Amendment to the Constitution
Which Supreme Court decision was made invalid by the 14th Amendment?
Dred Scott v. Sanford
McCulloch v. Maryland
Marbury v. Madison
Worcester v. Georgia
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States...No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States...nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
-14th Amendment to the Constitution
What was the purpose of the the 14th Amendment?
To protect voting rights for women
To protect religious freedom
To protect rights of citizenship for freedmen (former slaves)
To eliminate state governments
"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
-15th Amendment to the Constitution
What was the intention of the 15th Amendment?
to protect the right to vote for Freedmen (former slaves)
to disenfranchise former Confederate leaders
to guarantee rights to Native Americans
to eliminate elections in former Confederate states
"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
-15th Amendment to the Constitution
How did some Southern states get around the voting protections in the 15th Amendment?
by instituting martial law during elections
by passing poll taxes and literacy tests
by outlawing the Republican party
by refusing to hold elections for U.S. Congress
"...in the 1870s, Northern voters grew indifferent to events in the South. Weary of the 'Negro Question' and 'sick of carpet-bag' government, many Northern voters shifted their attention to such national concerns as the Panic of 1873 and corruption in Grant's administration...the tide of public opinion in the North began to turn against Reconstruction policies."
-Gerald Danzer, The Americans, 1998
According to the excerpt above, what contributed to the end of Reconstruction?
the failed impeachment trial against Andrew Johnson
the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
increasing activity of terrorist organizations like the KKK in Northern cities
decreasing support in the North due to economic problems and political scandals
"It is my mournful duty to inform you that our friend John W. Stephens, state senator from Caswell, is dead. He was foully murdered by the Ku-Klux in the Grand Jury room of the Court House on Saturday...He was stabbed five or six times, and then hanged on a hook in the Grand Jury room...Another brave, honest Republican citizen has met his fate at the hands of these fiends..."
-Albion Tourgee, Letter on Ku Klux Klan Activities, 1870
Which of the following statements is best supported by the above excerpt?
Very few Republicans were elected to state legislatures in the years after the Civil War.
Few Northern Republicans moved to the South to take advantage of Reconstruction policies.
Southern Democrats supported most Reconstruction policies.
Efforts to enforce Reconstruction policies were hindered by violent groups such as the KKK.
"...When the Hebrews were emancipated, they were told to take [property] from the Egyptians...But not so when our slaves were emancipated. They were sent away empty-handed, without money, without friends, and without a foot of land to stand upon..."
-Frederick Douglass, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, 1881
According to the excerpt, which of the following ideas would Frederick Douglass have supported?
the repeal of the 13th Amendment
a program to redistribute land to the freed slaves
a program to colonize freed slaves in Africa
a system of laws that kept whites and blacks separate in public places
"The South is manufacturing a great variety of things needed in the house, on the farm, and in the shops, for home consumption, and already sends to the North and West several manufactured products. With iron, coal, and timber easily obtained, the amount sent out is certain to increase as the labor becomes more skillful..."
--Charles Warner, The South Revisited, 1887
Which of the following terms fits best with the passage above?
Popular Sovereignty
The Enlightenment
The New South
Era of Good Feelings
A consequence of the Kansas-Nebraska Act was:
violence between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups
gold was discovered in Nebraska
Frederick Douglass led a slave revolt
Dred Scott sued for his freedom
What was Sherman's strategy of total war?
destroying all civilian and military resources
killing prisoners of war
attacking from land and sea
killing all the slaves in the south
"...Congress passed the Southern Homestead Act in June, 1866. This law set aside 45 million acres of government-owned land in southern states to provide free farms for African-Americans. Few freedmen had the means to buy seed, animals, and equipment, however. As a result, only about 4,000 families took advantage of the offer, and the law was repealed in 1872."
-from the American Anthem, 2008
Which of the following conclusions about Reconstruction best fits with the passage above?
Reconstruction failed to improve the lives of any freedmen after the Civil War.
Reconstruction resulted in the repeal of the 13th and 14th Amendments.
Reconstruction resulted in new economic opportunities for some freedmen, but fell short of its intended goals.
Reconstruction achieved all of its goals concerning rights and opportunities for freedmen and their families.
