WorksheetsCivil War Trivia
Total questions: 100
Worksheet time: 50mins
Ironically, what did Alexis de Tocqueville say about Americans fewer than 30 years before the Civil War?
He focused on Taney Supreme Court and the Dred Scott case was a practical solution to slavery.
Americans are among the happiest people in the world.
He predicted that a war would come soon and that 1 million citizens would be killed.
He said the issue of slavery would eventually bring about the death of a president.
What invention made cotton "king" in the South?
steamboat
reaper
John Deere plow
cotton gin
Who is credited for the inventing of the cotton gin?
J.D. Rockefeller
Susan B. Anthony
John Deere
Eli Whitney
At the start of the Civil War, how many enslaved people lived in the South?
500,000
1.5 million
4 million
2.5 million
What fraction of the Southern population owned slaves by the mid 1800's?
1/4
1/3
1/8
1/2
What percentage of the Southern population owned 100 slaves or more?
10%
20%
less than 1%
5%
What percentage of the population owned 5 or fewer slaves in the South?
20%
30%
75%
50%
What was the value of the slaves in the South?
$3 billion. This was more than the value of the land and the crops combined.
$10 billion.
$500 million. This was less than half the value of the cotton and tobacco crops combined.
$250 million.
Approximately, what would a fit young male slave cost at a slave auction?
$1,000
$500
$2,000
$750
Approximately, how much would a baby boy sell at a slave auction?
$100
$300
$700
$1,000
People who worked to end slavery were called...
abolitionists
freedom fighters
civil rights advocates
runaway slaves
How did many in the South refer to slavery?
"slavery"
""peculiar institution"
"cotton ginners"
"economic principles"
Which abolitionist printed the newspaper titled The Liberator?
Sojourner Truth
William Tecumseh Sherman
George McClellan
William Lloyd Garrison
Why would some Northern laborers fear the abolition of slavery?
The textile mills were worried they would not be able to access cotton if slavery ended.
There was a housing shortage in the urban areas in the North.
They were afraid of job competition.
There was a drought in the North and therefore a food shortage.
What phrase in the Declaration of Independence bolstered the abolitionists' cause?
"All men are created equal."
"We the people."
"Separate but equal"
"Right to bear arms"
Which former runaway slave became a leading speaker of the abolitionist movement? He was an eloquent speaker.
Abraham Lincoln
Nat Turner
W.E.B. DuBois
Frederick Douglass
What was Frederick Douglass's abolitionist newspaper called?
Pathways
Freedom Now
The North Star
Underground Railroad Ticket
Which slave led a revolt in 1831 killing 57 whites?
Nat Turner
Frederick Douglass
John Brown
Robert Smalls
During her 19 trips into the South to help slaves escape, how many people did Harriet Tubman help to save?
50
19
175
over 300
Which of the following was NOT a condition of the Missouri Compromise? This compromise was put in place to maintain sectional balance.
Missouri would be a slave state.
No slave state would be added to the Union north of the 36 30 parallel
Popular Sovereignty would be used in Kansas
Maine would be admitted as a free state.
What term or phrase allowed for the people to decide if slavery would be allowed in the state?
executive privilege
congressional arbitration
free will
popular sovereignty
The Free Soil Party ( a political party of the time) wanted to ban slavery in the land acquired through the war with Mexico. This proposal was called the .....
Dred Scott Decision
Wilmot Proviso
Missouri Compromise
Kansas-Nebraska Act
When was the Gold Rush in California?
1825
1861
1848
1865
Which of the following was NOT part of the Compromise of 1850?
The runaway slave laws became stricter.
Slave trade was outlawed in Washington, D.C.
California would come into the country as a free state.
the secession of South Carolina.
What did the Fugitive Slave Act do?
Fined those who helped runaway slaves and forbid trials for runaway slaves.
Established the death penalty for runaways and those who assisted in their escape.
Forced Northern law enforcement officers to arrest any freedmen (black people who weren't enslaved)who could not show formal documentation of freedom.
Allowed for the continued use of slave auctions in New York City.
What was the Underground Railroad?
Tunnels and pathways used by abolitionists to get their newspapers out.
It was a system of railroads built by Northern abolitionists that took enslaved people from the South to Canada.
It was another term for waterways that were used to move people from the slave South to the free North.
A network of safe houses and sympathizers who helped slaves escape to their freedom. It was informal, secretive, and lacked leadership.
How many slaves escaped through the Underground Railroad?
1,000
5,000
20,000
40,000
Who wrote the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin?
Sojourner Truth
Harriet Beecher Stowe
John Brown
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Which proposal suggested that two new territories be created. The people would vote if the territories would allow slaver. This would bring about chaos and violence.
Missouri Compromise
Compromise of 1820
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Fugitive Slave Act
Which senator was caned to death over the issue of slaver?
John Quincy Adams
Charles Sumner
Daniel Webster
Stephen Douglas
Which slave sued for his freedom in court but was found that he had no right to file because in the court, he was considered property rather than a person?
Dred Scott
Frederick Douglass
Nat Turner
George Washington Carver
Which political party would die in 1856 and which would replace it?
Whig/Republican
Free Soil/Democrat
Republican/American
Republican/Democrat
Who would Abraham Lincoln marry?
Martha Custis
Amelia Bloomer
Mary Todd
Edith Wilson
Which Lincoln opponent was called the "Little Giant"?
John Bell
George McClellan
Jefferson Davis
Stephen Douglas
In which speech would Lincoln claim that the Union would collapse if it remained "half-slave and half'free"?
House Divided Speech
Lincoln's First Inaugural Address
Gettysburg Address
Lincoln's Cooper Union Speech
Which Confederate leader would serve the U.S. as a colonel in the Marines? he would lead the effort against John Brown at Harper's Ferry arsenal?
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
Robert E. Lee
P.T. Beauregard
Ulysses S. Grant
Which abolitionist would plan a raid at Harper's Ferry in Virginia?
Nat Turner
Frederick Douglass
James Bowie
John Brown
What would be John Brown's penalty for the raid at Harper's Ferry?
life in prison
he was killed during the raid
he was forced to fight for the Confederacy
hanging
In which year would Abraham Lincoln be elected president?
1854
1860
1848
1872
Numerically, which president of the United States was Abraham Lincoln?
12th President
14th President
16th President
18th President
Of the four candidates for President of the U.S. in 1860, which won?
Stephen Douglas
John Bell
John Breckenridge
Abraham Lincoln
Who was the first Republican president of the United States?
James Polk
James Buchanan
Andrew Jackson
Abraham Lincoln
Which was the first state to secede from the Union?
South Carolina
North Carolina
Kentucky
Texas
Who would be selected to serve as the president of the Confederate States of America?
Jefferson Davis
John C. Calhoun
Martin VanBuren
Robert E. Lee
How did the North see the act of secession by Southern states?
It was seen as illegal.
It was seen as an option to deal with slavery.
It was a valid response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act
It was seen as a problem for the South.
What did Abe Lincoln see as his most important job as president?
defeating George McClellan
keeping the Republican Party in power.
ending slavery
preserving the Union
At which location were the first shots of the Civil War taken?
Atlanta
the new ship Minnesota
Fort Sumter
Gettysburg
Which was NOT an advantage for the North during the war?
Military leadership
Civilian leadership in President Lincoln
a greater population
more miles of railroads
Of the following conditions, which was NOT one that the South had in its favor?
cotton trade
better soldiers
better civilian leadership
defended their own land
Which of the following were southern states that remained in the Union?
Kentucky
Delaware
Maryland
Missouri
What did General Winfield Scott, veteran of the war of 1812 and the war with Mexico, all his strategic plan to defeat the South?
Operation Choke Hold
Reunification Plan
Anaconda Plan
Manhattan Project
What was unique about the First Battle of Bull Run?
neither side won the battle
Residence brought picnic baskets so that they could watch the battle from the sidelines.
Abraham Lincoln was on the battlefield.
Robert E. Lee was wounded in battle.
How did General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson earned his nickname?
During the First Battle at Bull Run, he held his position as though he were a stone wall.
His father was stoic and rarely smiled.
His mother had him in a brick hospital.
He rode out in the middle of the fight and sat on his horse while he directed the battle.
Why did the Confederates use the "rebel yell"?
It was the sound of the Confederate soldiers that were wounded in battle as they lay dying from their wounds.
It allowed Confederate soldiers to know who their comrades were.
It was used to bring about fear in his opponents.
A "rebel yell" was like a cheer to get the Confederate soldiers excited for battle.
Which side won the First Battle at Bull Run?
South
North
General George McClellan would be lovingly referred to by this nickname.
"original baboon"
"Little Giant"
"Mac and Cheese"
"Little Mac"
Logs painted as cannons were nicknamed
"Second Amendment Johnnies"
"Quaker Guns"
"Confederate Tubes"
"Rebel Slippers"
How did McClellan disrespectfully refer to President Lincoln?
"Well being baboon" or "Original gorilla"
"Bearded Giant"
"Lanky girl in a pinafore"
"Log Cutter"
What was the major criticism of General George McClellan of the Union?
He put too many people in POW camps.
He took too many risks during battle.
He was too cautious and over drilled his soldiers.
He assassinated any enslaved people his men met on the battlefield.
What strategy did the U.S. Navy use against the Confederacy?
to destroy Southern ships by burning them as they were manufactured
it focused on submarine warfare
steal the shipments of cotton and take them to Europe
blockade Southern ports
Which Union officer would be responsible for the word "sideburns"?
Captain Mustache
General Burnside
General Hooker
General Jackson
The Union would build five new ironclad ships to ward off the Confederate ship the Virginia. The flagship of the five ironclads would run aground in its battle with the Virginia. What was the name of the ship?
Minnesota
Missouri
New Orleans
Wisconsin
In which year would the Civil War begin? In which year did it end?
1858/1866
1861/1865
1866/1872
1871/1877
What were considered the essential supply routes of the West?
railroads
underground railroad
Oregon Trail
rivers
Ulysses S. Grant became known as what (nicknames)?
The North Star
Unconditional Surrender Grant or the Butcher
Lincoln's Little Giant
The hero of the North
Where was the Confederate capital?
Washington, D.C.
Richmond, Virginia
Raleigh, North Carolina
Atlanta, Georgia
Which mean-spirited Union general was removed from his position by an angry Abe Lincoln and sent to put down the Sioux uprising in Minnesota?
William Pitt
Robert E. Lee
P.T. Beauregard
John Pope
What helped McClellan win at the Battle of Antietam?
They found a copy of General Lee's plans for the battle.
An officer was captured in an earlier battle and shared the plans with McClellan.
The wife of a Confederate officer was kidnapped by the Union military.
A map was drawn in the sand at Virginia Beach that showed Lee's plans.
Which battle was the bloodiest single-day battle of the Civil War?
Fredericksburg
Antietam
First Battle of Bull Run
Shiloh
On which date would the Emancipation Proclamation go into effect?
November 11, 1860
January 1, 1863
July 4, 1865
December 25, 1871
Which slaves were freed as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation?
None because it only freed slaves in the rebel states.
All states living in the continental United States.
Only those living in the Union.,
Only those who were currently in the military fighting for the Union.
What were Northerners called who wanted the end of the war bad enough that they were willing to end it in a split. This would allow the states that seceded to remain their own country.
Unionists
Rattlesnakes
Cobras
Copperheads
How did Stonewall Jackson die?
He was killed at Gettysburg.
He died of Scarlet Fever.
He fought a duel with Andrew Jackson.
He was shot by his own men by accident and later died from his wounds.
Why was U.S. Grant discharged from the military in 1854?
he had defectors killed
his wife was ill and he left without permission
he drank too much
he marched his men into battles that were too risky
What was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War? It was also seen as the turning point of the war.
Shiloh
Gettysburg
Vicksburg
Second Battle of Bull Run
How much could a person pay to get out of the draft?
$100
$300
$900
$1,500
Why would the poor Irish in the North not be excited about the draft?
There was a potato famine. They couldn't afford to compete over food.
Ireland was a strong slave country. Therefore to remain true to the beliefs of their motherland, they supported slavery.
They felt they were fighting to free blacks who would compete with them over jobs.
The Irish would have to learn to speak English to speak to the new freedmen who would move North.
What caused the riot in New York on July 11, 1863?
A newspaper listed the names of the newly drafted soldiers next to those who died at Gettysburg.
The urban manufacturing union leadership challenged Lincoln's right to implement a draft.
There was a food shortage due to the Irish potato famine.
The Union loss at Gettysburg.
Which was NOT a manner in which the Irish showed their anger and hostility toward blacks during the riot in New York in July 1863?
burnt a black orphanage
held a mock slave auction
burnt a black church
lynched a black man and then torched him
How many African Americans earned the Congressional Medal of Honor as a result of their heroic fighting during the Civil War?
0
6
17
31
Approximately how many people were killed during the Civil War?
250,000
375,000
620,000
1,200,000
Which of the following was NOT a form of discrimination used against blacks who served for the Union during the Civil War?
paid less
worse medical treatment
less food and ammunition distributed to them
they could only use bow and arrows
Why couldn't President Lincoln spare General Grant?
He liked his companionship.
Grant had the only cannon available during the war.
Grant had access to farmers and their food sources.
He was willing to fight while other generals hesitated.
What was the worst POW camp during the Civil War?
Fort Pillow
Hanoi Hilton
Fort Bragg
Andersonville
Which of the following was NOT one of the ways that blacks were typically treated when captured by the enemy?
sent to their masters
sold into slavery
treated as all other prisoners of war
killed
Combined, how many Americans died in POW camps during the Civil War?
12,000
30,000
56,000
87,000
Who was the leader at Fort Pillow who would have hundreds of black soldiers murdered while the black soldiers begged for mercy?
Stonewall Jackson
Robert E. Lee
Jefferson Davis
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Who would become president after Abraham Lincoln's assassination?
Andrew Jackson
John C. Calhoun
Ulysses S. Grant
Andrew Johnson
Which Union general would lead the capture of Atlanta?
William Tecumseh Sherman
Ulysses S. Grant
Ambrose Burnside
David Farragut
Who ran against Abraham Lincoln in 1864?
David Farragut
Stephen Douglas
Jefferson Davis
George McClellan
Which Union general made it his mission to lay ruin to the South?
William Tecumseh Sherman
Robert E. Lee
P.G.T Beauregard
John Bell Hood
Which amendment ended slavery?
12th Amendment
13th Amendment
14th Amendment
15th Amendment
Which amendment provided for the citizenship of the freedmen?
12th Amendment
13th Amendment
14th Amendment
15th Amendment
Which amendment gave black men and all other male citizens of age the right to vote?
12th Amendment
13th Amendment
14th Amendment
15th Amendment
Lee and Grant met at the end of the war in the House of Wilmer McLean's parlor. Where was this?
Richmond
Raleigh
Vicksburg
Appomattox Courthouse
Who assassinated Abraham Lincoln?
Lee Harvey Oswald
Jefferson Davis
John Breckenridge
John Wilkes Booth
Lincoln had a dream. What was the content of that dream?
He foresaw his death.
He dreamed that his son died during battle.
He dreamed that his wife was killed as she rode to Philadelphia.
He dreamed that the Union was not preserved.
At what theatre was Lincoln assassinated?
Rockefeller Center
Malibu Theatre
Polk Convention Center
Ford's Theatre
What play did Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary see the night of his assassination?
Cats
Wicked
Hamilton
Our American cousin
Where did President Lincoln often keep his papers when he traveled?
In his brief case
In his hat,
He wore a fanny pack
He had a pouch sewn into his suit jackets.
