Wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Unit 7.1 Causes of the Civil War

Total questions: 35

Worksheet time: 18mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Why did Northerners and Southerners fight to keep a balance of free and slave states?

a)

to make sure slaves could not rebel against the government

b)

to ensure that one side would not control all of the power in Congress

c)

to make sure the Missouri Compromise does not pass

d)

to make sure land was divided equally between the North and South

2.

Which statement below correctly describes the view of Northerner states on the power of the government?

a)

The Northern states wanted a weak federal government

b)

The Northern states wanted to have a strong federal government

c)

The Northern states wanted strong state governments

d)

The Northern states had no preference on what kind of government should exist

3.

Which of the statements below describes the views of Southern states on the power of the government?

a)

The Southern states wanted a strong federal government

b)

The Southern states wanted a weak federal government

c)

The Southern states wanted strong state governments

d)

The Southern states had no preference on the government style

4.

According to the Missouri Compromise, what was the new border that separates free states from slave states?

a)

49th Parallel

b)

Mississippi River

c)

36'-30' Line

d)

Ohio River

5.

Under the Compromise of 1850, California entered the United States with what status?

a)

as a free state

b)

as a slave state

6.

What does the term, "popular sovereignty," mean?

a)

that the people do not get to choose the status of the state

b)

that a king will choose for the people

c)

that the people get to vote on whether their state is a free state or slave state

7.

The map attached describes which compromise?

a)

Northwest Ordinance

b)

Missouri Compromise

c)

Compromise of 1850

d)

Kansas-Nebraska Act

8.

The map attached describes which compromise?

a)

Northwest Ordinance

b)

Missouri Compromise

c)

Compromise of 1850

d)

Kansas-Nebraska Act

9.

Abraham Lincoln was the first ____________ president

a)

Democratic

b)

Republican

c)

Unionist

d)

Progressive

10.

The ________________ meant that the states above the 36-30N Latitude line must be free, while states below could be entered as slave states

a)

Compromise of 1850

b)

Fugitive Slave Act

c)

Wilmot Provio

d)

Missouri Compromise

11.

The ________ made it more difficult for enslaved people to escape and angered many northerners who refused to enforce this law.

a)

Fugitive slave act

b)

Compromise of 1850

c)

Missouri Compromise

d)

Underground Railroad

12.

The South's economy was focused on _______, while the North was more industrial.

a)

Factories

b)

plantations

c)

agriculture

d)

creating things

13.

What compromise did Henry Clay propose for admitting Missouri to the Union?

a)

Admit Missouri as a free state and allow slavery in all other new states from that time forward

b)

Admit Missouri as a free state and Maine as a slave state

c)

Admit Missouri as a slave state and ban slavery in all other new states from that time forward

d)

Admit Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state

14.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act

a)

Was signed in 1850

b)

Allowed the residents to use popular sovereignty to decide if the would be pro-slave or free

c)

Was proposed by Henry Clay

d)

Was very unpopular among the citizens

15.

How did the Civil War begin?

a)

Federal troops attacked Fort Sumter, South Carolina.

b)

Confederate troops attacked Fort Sumter, South Carolina.

c)

Confederate troops attacked federal forts off the coast of Florida.

d)

Union troops attacked Confederate forts off the coast of Florida.

16.

This man led a raid at Harper's Ferry to show people they could use violence to try and end slavery.

a)

Jefferson Davis

b)

John Brown

c)

Robert E. Lee

d)

Abraham Lincoln

17.

This person was elected as president of the Confederacy.

a)

Jefferson Davis

b)

John Brown

c)

Robert E. Lee

d)

Abraham Lincoln

18.

Secede means to...

a)

separate

b)

get rid of

c)

abolish

d)

fugitive

19.

Runaway slaves were called_____.

a)

abolitionists

b)

raids

c)

runaways

d)

fugitives

20.

Being loyal to your country

a)

Nationalism

b)

Sectionalism

c)

Fugitive

d)

Compromise

21.

The South threatened _____ if the North ended slavery.

a)

Raid

b)

Secession

c)

Nationalism

d)

Secetionalism

22.

Henry Clay created two ______ that tried to keep an equal amount of free and slave states.

a)

Fugitives

b)

Compromises

c)

Economies

23.

John Brown and 22 men set out to _____ a federal arsenal.

a)

Economy

b)

Raid

c)

Fugitive

d)

Compromise

24.

The Fugitive Slave Act

a)

Banned slavery in Washington D.C.

b)

Provided safety for escaped slaves

c)

Forced all Americans to help catch escaped slaves

d)

Offered free slaves land in the West

25.

What was decided in the Supreme Court case of Dred Scott v. Sanford?

a)

Slaves who were taken into free Northern states could not be taken back into the South and enslaved again

b)

Slavery was a violation of First Amendment rights

c)

Slaves were not permitted to serve in the United States Army

d)

Slaves had no citizen rights and were not protected by the Constitution

26.

In the North, the most disturbing outcome (for Northerners) of the Compromise of 1850 was

a)

New Mexico and Utah becoming free states

b)

Banning of slavery in the District of Columbia

c)

The Fugitive Slave Act

d)

California being admitted as a free state

27.

In 1860 and 1861 seven Southern states seceded from the Union in protest of

a)

The election of Republican Abraham Lincoln

b)

John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry

c)

The beating of Charles Sumner

d)

The Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision

28.

The Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850 were attempts by the federal government to

a)

Settle border disputes with Mexico

b)

Control the migration of settlers to the western territories

c)

Reduce the conflict over slavery

d)

Limit immigration from Europe

29.

Why is the battle of Fort Sumter significant?

a)

It was the final battle of the Civil War

b)

It was the largest battle of the Civil War

c)

It was the turning point for the North in the Civil War

d)

It was the first battle of the Civil War

30.

Someone who believed in states’ rights would probably support which statement?

a)

States should only pass legislation on issues set out in the U.S. Constitution.

b)

National laws always take precedence over state laws

c)

The national government has no right to tell states how to operate

d)

Disputes between states should always be settled by the national government

31.

How did the Missouri Compromise deal with the issue of slavery?

a)

It required all territories to abolish slavery before becoming states.

b)

It made the Mississippi River the dividing line between slave states and free states

c)

It prohibited slavery in states above the 36⁰30’N line

d)

It stated that all future states would be required to be slave states except for Missouri

32.

The “Georgia Platform” was a statement supporting ___.

a)

slavery throughout the U.S.

b)

popular sovereignty

c)

the Compromise of 1850

d)

states’ rights

33.

The Dred Scott decision made by the Supreme Court in 1857 declared that ___.

a)

a slave in a non-slave state was considered free

b)

slaves were property and had no constitutional rights

c)

Dred Scott should be set free and given protection in the North

d)

slave owners had to pay slaves a fair wage

34.

The early 1800s belief of some people that a state could ignore a federal law was known as ___.

a)

justification

b)

nullification

c)

absolution

d)

ratification

35.

What do you call a person who was opposed to slavery and worked toward ending it?

a)

Fugitive

b)

Abolitionist

c)

Secessionist

d)

Whig