Chapter Fifteen: Secession and the Civil War, 1860-1865

Practice Quiz:

1. The Confederate Constitution
a. allowed the Atlantic slave trade to be reopened.
b. abolished the three-fifths clause in determining congressional representation.
c. prohibited free states from joining the new Confederacy.
d. required the government to protect slavery in the states and the territories.

2. The Crittenden compromise would have
a. extended the Missouri Compromise to the Pacific.
b. changed the Constitution to allow slavery to be abolished in all the states.
c. denied federal compensation to the owners of escaped slaves.
d. guaranteed slavery in all new territories.

3. “Greenbacks” were
a. green-shirted Irish volunteers who served in the Confederate army.
b. inexperienced recruits who were not ready for combat.
c. militant anti-war Democrats (sometimes referred to as Copperheads).
d. unsecured treasury notes issued as currency by the federal government.

4. During the war, the Confederate economy
a. managed to produce a surplus of industrial goods.
b. easily evaded the effects of the northern blockade.
c. suffered from severe inflation.
d. actually benefited from the Emancipation Proclamation.

5. Which identifies a key reason for the South’s defeat in the Civil War?
a. The Confederacy lacked a single competent general to lead its troops.
b. Southern planters were reluctant to start growing food crops instead of cash crops.
c. Confederate armies lacked the conviction to fight a prolonged war with the North.
d. The South was too industrialized to adapt well to a wartime economy.

6. In 1861, Lincoln declared martial law and suspended the ___________ in the area between Philadelphia and Washington.
a. Constitution
b. writ of habeas corpus
c. right to bear arms
d. freedom of speech protections

7. As a war leader, Confederate President Jefferson Davis
a. focused more on policymaking than controlling the military.
b. had an excellent relationship with his generals.
c. lacked initiative and leadership on the home front.
d. had the full support of southern governors.

8. Why was Lincoln angry with General McClellan after the battle at Antietam?
a. McClellan retreated while he still had a chance to win the battle.
b. McClellan killed Robert E. Lee rather than taking him prisoner.
c. McClellan lost the battle, despite having a clear advantage in the field.
d. McClellan was slow to pursue Robert E. Lee after the battle and let Lee escape.

9. Why did northern sentiment to free the slaves increase as the war dragged on?
a. People began to realize that slavery was immoral.
b. People recognized that emancipation could be used as a weapon against the South’s economic and social systems.
c. Congress thought it would be easier to reintegrate the southern states into the Union if slavery were abolished.
d. Hatred for the South and the Confederacy had increased.

10. African American soldiers did all of the following during the Civil War EXCEPT
a. serve in segregated units under white officers.
b. make a vital contribution to the North’s victory.
c. serve in integrated units under black officers.
d. participate disproportionately in heavy labor behind the lines.

11. The Enrollment Act of March 1863
a. drafted white men but allowed them to hire a substitute or pay a fee to avoid service.
b. drafted black males into the armed forces but denied them pay for their service.
c. allowed black men to join the American armed forces for the first time.
d. required that all military service be voluntary rather than mandatory.

12. During the war, the North
a. lacked the resources to produce manufactured goods.
b. suffered from a weak railroad system.
c. was plagued by a series of violent antidraft riots.
d. finally overcame the problem of anti-African American racism.

13. In the Summer of 1863, Union victories at ______ & ______ turned the tide in favor of the North
a. Petersburg and Cold Harbor
b. Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville
c. Bull Run and Shiloh
d. Gettysburg and Vicksburg

14. What caused the New York Riot of July 1863?
a. a combination of racial prejudice and class conflict
b. a combination of fervent abolitionism and religious zeal
c. a strong anti-immigrant sentiment
d. southern agitators who were trying to stir up trouble

15. Which statement best characterizes Sherman’s march through Georgia?
a. Sherman defied Lincoln by refusing to implement a scorched-earth policy.
b. Sherman destroyed almost anything of military or economic value in his path.
c. Sherman was careful not to alienate the local population.
d. Sherman avoided major population centers in order to travel as quickly as possible.

16. Approximately ________ soldiers died in the Civil War.
a. 50,000
b. 125,000
c. 620,000
d. 950,000

17. What did the Sanitary Commission promote?
a. cleanliness, nutrition, and medical care in northern army camps
b. healthy drinking water in northern cities
c. improved sewer systems in southern urban centers
d. nutrition and medical care for freed or escaped slaves

18. As a result of the war, how did American society change?
a. The United States became a more highly organized country in which large corporations grew.
b. The United States became more reliant on individuals and small producers for economic progress.
c. The United States began to emulate nostalgic representations of life in the Old South.
d. The United States became militantly anti-corporation.

19. How did the role of government change as a result of the Civil War?
a. State governments were confirmed as being supreme over the federal government.
b. The federal government became less involved in economic policy.
c. All constitutional restrictions on federal government were dissolved.
d. The federal government became recognized as supreme over state governments.