Civil War Quiz Quiz Questions

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

A The Dred Scott decision B The Raid on Harpers Ferry C The issue of slavery D All of the above

2. Who was the President of the Confederacy?

A Robert E. Lee B Andrew Jackson C Jefferson Davis D Stephen Douglas

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

A Ulysses S. Grant B Irvin McDowell C George B. McClellan D Winfield Scott

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

A The March to the Sea B The Border Strategy C The Anaconda Plan D The Scorched Earth Plan

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

A Virginia B South Carolina C Georgia D North Carolina

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

A Spanish-American War B Revolutionary War C War of 1812 D 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?

A The South had more experienced and talented officers than the North. B The North had more experienced and talented officers than the South. C The majority of the officers serving in both the North and South were extremely talented and experienced. D 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?

A The Southern navy was far superior to the Northern navy. B The Northern navy was powerful and the South did not have a navy. C Both sides had large navies. D 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?

A The North had a substantially larger network of railroads than the South. B The South had a substantially larger network of railroads than the North. C Both the North and South had comparable railroad capacity during the Civil War. D 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?

A The South B The North C Both the North and South had comparable populations. D 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?

A The South B The North C Both the North and the South relied primarily on European imports D Both the North and South had comparable manufacturing capabilities

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

A Copperheads B Pacifists C Bourbon Democrats D Hippies

13. Which of the following battles was the first

A First Bull Run B Shiloh C Gettysburg D Antietam

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

A a long, drawn-out affair. B over within a matter of months. C a certain victory for the North. D a certain victory for the South.

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

A Antietam B Chancellorsville C Gettysburg D 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?

A George B. McClellan B Ulysses S. Grant C Winfield Scott D Irvin McDowell

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

A James Longstreet B Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson C Braxton Bragg D 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:

A Savannah, GA B Mobile, AL C New Orleans, LA D Charleston, SC

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

A Ulysses S. Grant B George B. McClellan C William T. Sherman D Benjamin Butler

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

A George B. McClellan B Winfield Scott C Ulysses S. Grant D Irvin McDowell

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

A Richmond B Wildcat Camp C Perryville D Mill Springs

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

A Vicksburg B Memphis C New Orleans D Chattanooga

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

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

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

A Chattanooga B Cold Harbor C Chancellorsville D Chickamauga

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

A Libertarians B Radical Republicans C Moderate Republicans D Conservative Republicans

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

A Shiloh B Antietam C Gettysburg D Vicksburg

27. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

A Abolished slavery throughout the United States B Proclaimed the end of slavery in the areas of the South which were still in rebellion C Abolished all slavery in the South D 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.”?

A Ulysses S. Grant B Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson C Robert E. Lee D William T. Sherman

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

A Petersburg B Shenandoah Valley C Vicksburg D Peninsular Campaign

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

A Missionary Ridge B Cold Harbor C Wilderness D 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”?

A William T. Sherman B Philip Sheridan C George Armstrong Custer D Ulysses S. Grant

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

A Gorgets B Twisted railroad rails C Nooses D Cravats

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

A Fort Wagner B Fort Pillow C Fort Henry D Fort Donnellson

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

A Atlanta B Antietam C Gettysburg D Petersburg

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

A General Robert E. Lee B General George Pickett C General J. Johnston Pettigrew D General George Meade

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

A Fort Pillow B Fort Henry C Fort Donnelson D Fort Wagner

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

A 1854 B 1862 C 1863 D 1864

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

A Gettysburg B Antietam C Petersburg D Spotsylvania

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

A Andrew Johnson B Ulysses S. Grant C Hannibal Hamlin D Edwin M. Stanton

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

A Wilderness B Spotsylvania C Appomattox D Shenandoah

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

A The Union economy thrived during the war, but the Confederate economy struggled. B The Confederate economy thrived during the war, but the Union economy struggled. C Both the Union and Confederate economies thrived during the war. D Both the Union and Confederate economies struggled during the war.

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

A The North B The South C West of the Mississippi D 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?

A Rifle/musket fire B Bayonet charges C Artillery fire D Disease

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

A The Army of the Trans-Mississippi, led by General Kirby Smith B The CSS Shenandoah, captained by Lieutenant Commander James Waddell C The Army of Northern Virginia, led by General Robert E. Lee D The Confederate Indians, let by Brigadier General Stand Watie