Quiz  /  Civil War Quiz

  • 1. 
    Which of the following contributed to the outbreak of the American Civil War?

  • The Dred Scott decision
  • The Raid on Harpers Ferry
  • The issue of slavery
  • All of the above

  • 2. 
    Who was the President of the Confederacy?

  • Robert E. Lee
  • Andrew Jackson
  • Jefferson Davis
  • Stephen Douglas

  • 3. 
    Who was the Commanding General of the United States Army at the beginning of the Civil War?

  • Ulysses S. Grant
  • Irvin McDowell
  • George B. McClellan
  • Winfield Scott

  • 4. 
    What name was given to the strategic plan that General Winfield Scott proposed at the start of the Civil War?

  • The March to the Sea
  • The Border Strategy
  • The Anaconda Plan
  • The Scorched Earth Plan

  • 5. 
    The Civil War began when Confederate guns bombarded a federal fort located in what state?

  • Virginia
  • South Carolina
  • Georgia
  • North Carolina

  • 6. 
    Most of the generals from both the North and South gained experience as junior officers in what previous American war?

  • Spanish-American War
  • Revolutionary War
  • War of 1812
  • Mexican-American War

  • 7. 
    Which of the following best describes the quality of the military officers in the North and South at the start of the Civil War?

  • The South had more experienced and talented officers than the North.
  • The North had more experienced and talented officers than the South.
  • The majority of the officers serving in both the North and South were extremely talented and experienced.
  • The majority of the officers in both the North and South were comparable in their talents and military experience.

  • 8. 
    Which of the following best describes the navies in the North and South at the beginning of the Civil War?

  • The Southern navy was far superior to the Northern navy.
  • The Northern navy was powerful and the South did not have a navy.
  • Both sides had large navies.
  • Neither side had a powerful navy, but the North had a lot more ships and more expert crews.

  • 9. 
    Which of the following best describes the railroad capacity of the North and South during the Civil War?

  • The North had a substantially larger network of railroads than the South.
  • The South had a substantially larger network of railroads than the North.
  • Both the North and South had comparable railroad capacity during the Civil War.
  • The railroads were largely ineffectual for both the North and the South during the Civil War due to widespread railway damage and coal shortages.

  • 10. 
    Which faction had a larger pool of manpower from which to draw soldiers during the Civil War?

  • The South
  • The North
  • Both the North and South had comparable populations.
  • The South had a smaller white population than the North, but had a larger overall population when slaves were counted.

  • 11. 
    Which faction had more industrial capacity and could more easily manufacture weapons and equipment during the Civil War?

  • The South
  • The North
  • Both the North and the South relied primarily on European imports
  • Both the North and South had comparable manufacturing capabilities

  • 12. 
    What name was given to Northern Democrats who opposed the Civil War?

  • Copperheads
  • Pacifists
  • Bourbon Democrats
  • Hippies

  • 13. 
    Which of the following battles was the first

  • First Bull Run
  • Shiloh
  • Gettysburg
  • Antietam

  • 14. 
    Initially, the popular opinion in both the North and South was that the war would be…

  • a long, drawn-out affair.
  • over within a matter of months.
  • a certain victory for the North.
  • a certain victory for the South.

  • 15. 
    At which battle did General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson earn his nickname?

  • Antietam
  • Chancellorsville
  • Gettysburg
  • First Bull Run

  • 16. 
    Of which Union general was President Lincoln speaking when he said “I can’t spare the man; he fights” although the officer had nearly been defeated at the Battle of Shiloh?

  • George B. McClellan
  • Ulysses S. Grant
  • Winfield Scott
  • Irvin McDowell

  • 17. 
    Which southern general commanded the Army of Northern Virginia before Robert E. Lee took over?

  • James Longstreet
  • Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
  • Braxton Bragg
  • Joseph E. Johnston

  • 18. 
    By capturing this important Confederate port in 1862, Union forces seriously disrupted the Confederate war effort and cut off access to the mouth of the Mississippi River:

  • Savannah, GA
  • Mobile, AL
  • New Orleans, LA
  • Charleston, SC

  • 19. 
    Which controversial Northern general commanded the occupation of New Orleans?

  • Ulysses S. Grant
  • George B. McClellan
  • William T. Sherman
  • Benjamin Butler

  • 20. 
    Which general, known for his cautious approach, commanded Union forces during the Peninsula Campaign?

  • George B. McClellan
  • Winfield Scott
  • Ulysses S. Grant
  • Irvin McDowell

  • 21. 
    Which battle in 1862 secured Union control of Kentucky?

  • Richmond
  • Wildcat Camp
  • Perryville
  • Mill Springs

  • 22. 
    The Union gained control of the Mississippi River after capturing which of the following Southern cities?

  • Vicksburg
  • Memphis
  • New Orleans
  • Chattanooga

  • 23. 
    Which Confederate cavalry commander led a series of raids into Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio in 1863?

  • Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
  • John Hunt Morgan
  • Nathan Bedford Forest
  • J.E.B. Stuart

  • 24. 
    At which battle was General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson accidentally shot by friendly soldiers?

  • Chattanooga
  • Cold Harbor
  • Chancellorsville
  • Chickamauga

  • 25. 
    What name was given to the Republican politicians who strongly supported equal rights for African Americans from approximately 1854 to 1877?

  • Libertarians
  • Radical Republicans
  • Moderate Republicans
  • Conservative Republicans

  • 26. 
    President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation after which key Civil War battle?

  • Shiloh
  • Antietam
  • Gettysburg
  • Vicksburg

  • 27. 
    What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

  • Abolished slavery throughout the United States
  • Proclaimed the end of slavery in the areas of the South which were still in rebellion
  • Abolished all slavery in the South
  • Gave slaves the right to vote

  • 28. 
    Which general said, “It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it.”?

  • Ulysses S. Grant
  • Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
  • Robert E. Lee
  • William T. Sherman

  • 29. 
    During which campaign did the Battle of the Crater occur?

  • Petersburg
  • Shenandoah Valley
  • Vicksburg
  • Peninsular Campaign

  • 30. 
    What was general Ulysses S. Grant’s most costly and lopsided defeat?

  • Missionary Ridge
  • Cold Harbor
  • Wilderness
  • Spotsylvania Court House

  • 31. 
    In 1864, which Union commander executed his total war strategy for attacking the Confederate South that became known as the “March to the Sea”?

  • William T. Sherman
  • Philip Sheridan
  • George Armstrong Custer
  • Ulysses S. Grant

  • 32. 
    To what did the slang “Sherman’s neckties” refer?

  • Gorgets
  • Twisted railroad rails
  • Nooses
  • Cravats

  • 33. 
    During which battle in 1864 were many African-American soldiers from the Union army massacred while trying to surrender?

  • Fort Wagner
  • Fort Pillow
  • Fort Henry
  • Fort Donnellson

  • 34. 
    Which of these battles resulted in a Confederate defeat that was a turning point in the Civil War?

  • Atlanta
  • Antietam
  • Gettysburg
  • Petersburg

  • 35. 
    Who ordered the fatal charge that would ultimately lead to the Confederates’ defeat at Gettysburg?

  • General Robert E. Lee
  • General George Pickett
  • General J. Johnston Pettigrew
  • General George Meade

  • 36. 
    At which battle did the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, a unit of black soldiers, lead a famous yet unsuccessful assault?

  • Fort Pillow
  • Fort Henry
  • Fort Donnelson
  • Fort Wagner

  • 37. 
    In what year was Ulysses S. Grant given command of all Union Armies?

  • 1854
  • 1862
  • 1863
  • 1864

  • 38. 
    Abraham Lincoln coined the iconic phrase “Four score and seven years ago…” in a speech commemorating which civil war battle?

  • Gettysburg
  • Antietam
  • Petersburg
  • Spotsylvania

  • 39. 
    Who became President upon the death of Abraham Lincoln?

  • Andrew Johnson
  • Ulysses S. Grant
  • Hannibal Hamlin
  • Edwin M. Stanton

  • 40. 
    What was the last major campaign of the Civil War?

  • Wilderness
  • Spotsylvania
  • Appomattox
  • Shenandoah

  • 41. 
    How did the Civil War affect the Northern and Southern economies?

  • The Union economy thrived during the war, but the Confederate economy struggled.
  • The Confederate economy thrived during the war, but the Union economy struggled.
  • Both the Union and Confederate economies thrived during the war.
  • Both the Union and Confederate economies struggled during the war.

  • 42. 
    Where were the majority of Civil War battles fought?

  • The North
  • The South
  • West of the Mississippi
  • There were roughly the same number of battles fought in the North and the South

  • 43. 
    Which of the following was responsible for the majority of the soldiers’ deaths that occurred during the Civil War?

  • Rifle/musket fire
  • Bayonet charges
  • Artillery fire
  • Disease

  • 44. 
    What was the last Confederate military unit to surrender?

  • The Army of the Trans-Mississippi, led by General Kirby Smith
  • The CSS Shenandoah, captained by Lieutenant Commander James Waddell
  • The Army of Northern Virginia, led by General Robert E. Lee
  • The Confederate Indians, let by Brigadier General Stand Watie
Report Question
warning
access_time
  Time