CHAPTER 15: BATTLE CRIES AND FREEDOM SONGS: THE CIVIL WAR 1861–1865
Multiple Choice
1. In the spring of 1862, the Confederacy __________.
A) had to turn away recruits because so many had volunteered
B) enacted the first general draft in American history
C) was recognized by the government of England
D) exiled thousands of pro-Union southerners
2. Why did the Confederacy have a difficult time developing a national consciousness?
A) Southerners were very similar to the people of the nation they had renounced.
B) Southerners longed for the days of close business ties with the North.
C) The people of the South had little faith in their military generals.
D) The soldiers of the South fought only for the purpose of preserving slavery.
3. Before the first battle of the Civil War, most people on both sides thought __________.
A) the war would be a long, bitter affair
B) that their generals were incompetent
C) all Democrats would side with the South
D) their side would win easily
4. At the beginning of the war, the North controlled __________ percent of the nation’s industrial
capacity.
A) 25
B) 50
C) 77
D) 90
5. Which of the following states initially joined the Confederacy?
A) Maryland
B) Kentucky
C) Delaware
D) North Carolina
6. Which state stayed in the Union when President Lincoln called for troops?
A) Virginia
B) Kentucky
C) Tennessee
D) North Carolina
7. This state’s strategic position north of Washington, D.C. made it vital for the Union cause.
A) Maryland
B) Virginia
C) Delaware
D) North Carolina
8. President Lincoln earned an early political and military advantage when __________.
A) England refused to consider supporting the Confederacy
B) all of the leading generals from West Point joined the Union cause
C) the Union managed to keep key border states in the Union
D) the Confederates refused to draft for the purpose of enlarging their army
9. What flaw existed in the Confederacy’s strategy for victory?
A) Their offensive strategy was unrealistic because of the huge size of the North.
B) They could not achieve the overwhelming conquest that their leaders had demanded.
C) Their defensive strategy contradicted their desire to conquer the major cities of the North.
D) They did not possess enough resources to stay the course of their defensive strategy.
10. Several counties in the western part of __________ supported the Union and eventually became the
35th state.
A) Kentucky
B) Tennessee
C) Virginia
D) Missouri
11. Which state was formed when it seceded from the Confederacy?
A) North Carolina
B) West Virginia
C) Missouri
D) Arkansas
12. In the West, General Ulysses S. Grant employed the wise strategy of __________.
A) guerrilla war tactics
B) deceptive stalling tactics
C) recruiting dissatisfied southerners
D) combined land and river attacks
13. Union victories in the West gave them key strategic control of the __________.
A) capitol of the Confederacy
B) Erie Canal
C) Mississippi River
D) Rappahannock River
14. Robert E. Lee opposed secession, but was __________.
A) willing to do anything to preserve slavery
B) unwilling to take up arms against his native Virginia
C) offered more money by the Confederate government
D) never a supporter of any national military operations
15. When Joseph Johnston was badly wounded at the Battle of Seven Pines, he was replaced by
__________.
A) Ulysses S. Grant
B) Thomas Jackson
C) Robert E. Lee
D) Ambrose Burnside
16. Robert E. Lee __________.
A) was born in Georgia
B) came from an impoverished background
C) had a famous father who fought in the Revolutionary War
D) had avoided military service until the outbreak of the Civil War
17. The Second Confiscation Act of 1862 __________.
A) earned French support for the Union’s cause
B) ordered the seizure of land from disloyal southerners
C) was unpopular among northern abolitionists
D) extended the naval blockade of the South
18. The Emancipation Proclamation __________.
A) was widely opposed in the North
B) did not provide any military advantages for the Union
C) emancipated only the slaves of the border states
D) freed the slaves of all states in rebellion
19. The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution outlawed __________.
A) slavery in just the Deep South
B) slavery in just the border states
C) slavery everywhere in the United States
D) illegal trade with the Confederacy
20. Why did African American men volunteer to serve in the Union Army?
A) the chance for a paid wage
B) the opportunity for freedom and redemption
C) to pay for their families’ passage out of the South
D) to combat rumors that they were cowards
21. In what way does the Emancipation Proclamation serve as a symbol today?
A) It symbolizes the hope of true racial equality.
B) It symbolizes the end of war.
C) It symbolizes political victory.
D) It symbolizes major changes in the economy.
22. The Confederate economy was especially hurt by __________.
A) their inability to print currency
B) England’s refusal to buy exports from the South
C) the Union’s effective naval blockade on cotton exports
D) the government’s refusal to sell interest-bearing bonds
23. The bloodiest single day of fighting in American history occurred at __________.
A) Vicksburg
B) Antietam
C) Fredericksburg
D) Seven Pines
24. Why was Antietam a major turning point in the Civil War?
A) It was the last time Confederate troops would enter Union territory.
B) The close victory afforded President Lincoln the opportunity to announce emancipation.
C) Robert E. Lee lost his aggressiveness for the rest of the campaign in Virginia.
D) Confederate forces were forced to hurriedly withdraw into the Carolinas.
25. The result of Pickett’s Charge was __________.
A) the retreat of Meade’s forces
B) a heavy loss of lives for the charging Confederates
C) a stunning victory for the Confederates
D) a virtual standoff
26. Which statement about the Battle of Chancellorsville is true?
A) Robert E. Lee realized that General Jackson’s death would not matter to the South.
B) The South won the battle, but suffered a high cost in lives.
C) It was among Robert E. Lee’s many stunning defeats in 1863.
D) Joseph Hooker displayed his talents as an effective leader of Union forces.
27. General Meade correctly guessed that the Confederates’ attack on day three at Gettysburg would
_________.
A) be one of their weakest assaults of the war
B) be a frontal assault rather than a flanking maneuver
C) originate on the eastern side of the Rappahannock River
D) result in the final defeat of the Confederacy
28. Which statement about Texas during the Civil War is true?
A) It was originally a vital source of supplies for the Union.
B) Union gunboats were never able to stop supply lines along the Rio Grande.
C) Areas of northern Texas were Confederate strongholds.
D) Mexican-Americans tended to support the Union.
29. The Battle of Glorieta Pass __________.
A) was the last major victory for the Confederates
B) gave the South firm control of southern Virginia
C) gave the Union firm control of the Southwest
D) resulted in the resignation of George McClellan
30. The Union captured Vicksburg by __________.
A) not using their navy as the Confederates expected
B) launching a guerrilla attack in the swamps of Mississippi
C) surrounding it and laying siege with artillery fire
D) recruiting disgruntled southerners to the Union cause
31. Copperheads were __________.
A) southerners who worked to sabotage the Confederate cause
B) slaves who escaped to freedom and joined the Union army
C) northern Democrats suspected of having Confederate sympathies
D) members of the Confederate Congress who wished to negotiate peace
32. The Homestead Act __________.
A) granted 40 acres to settlers
B) was passed during the last days of the Civil War
C) required settlers to cultivate the land and build a house
D) was opposed by President Lincoln
33. President Lincoln suspended the right of habeas corpus for the purpose of __________.
A) providing better financing for the war effort
B) gaining support for the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment
C) widening the pool of men who could be drafted for military service
D) making it easier to arrest and hold suspected Confederate agents
34. The New York Draft Riot __________.
A) turned into violence based on social class and racism
B) revealed that rioters harbored ardent anti-immigrant feelings
C) showed that the Democratic Party was unpopular in New York City
D) was not viewed as a major threat by the federal government
35. During the Civil War, the northern economy __________.
A) sunk into depression
B) experienced a recession
C) showed an increase in real wages
D) grew and prospered
36. During the Civil War, women in the North __________.
A) entered the workforce in large numbers
B) experienced few changes in their lifestyles
C) always retained their traditional domestic roles
D) were never allowed near battlefields
37. Members of the Order of the Heroes of America __________.
A) were southerners who dissented against the Confederacy
B) fought bravely at the Battle of Fort Wagner
C) believed the Confederacy should never be allowed to return to the Union
D) supported George McClellan’s candidacy for president
38. A major problem in the South during the years of 1863–1865 was __________.
A) no system of public welfare
B) a sharp drop in prices
C) a lack of food
D) an increase in population
39. Early in the war, southern women __________.
A) were afforded many new job opportunities
B) helped the war effort within their domestic domain
C) angrily protested the Confederacy’s declaration of war
D) took over the field work done by slaves
40. Who did President Lincoln name as commander of all Union forces in March 1864?
A) William T. Sherman
B) Ulysses S. Grant
C) George McClellan
D) Ambrose Burnside
41. What was one of the effects of the Union’s takeover of Atlanta?
A) Abraham Lincoln’s bid for reelection became less secure.
B) The Union now had access to the richest farmland in Georgia.
C) The Union destroyed all of the city’s industry.
D) Robert E. Lee decided to surrender his army.
42. Early in the Atlanta campaign, William T. Sherman refused to make the mistake of __________.
A) trying flanking maneuvers
B) fighting on Confederate soil
C) launching a frontal assault
D) committing a large number of troops in battle
43. Many of General Grant’s victories in Virginia were characterized by __________.
A) miscalculations made by Robert E. Lee
B) his use of guerrilla warfare
C) large loss of lives by the Union army
D) winning despite having less troops
44. General Grant’s effective strategy for winning the war was based on __________.
A) coordinating Union attacks on all fronts of the war
B) emphasizing the naval blockade and not land battles
C) a careful, steady pace that would eventually tire the Confederacy
D) avoiding battles on Confederate soil
45. After the election of 1864, the Republicans controlled __________.
A) only the presidency
B) only the presidency and the Senate
C) only the presidency and the House
D) the presidency, the Senate, and the House
46. Confederate defeats at the battles of Franklin and Nashville __________.
A) resulted in General Johnston’s resignation
B) removed any threat from the rear of General Sherman’s army
C) were the last Union victories of the war
D) were narrow victories for Union forces
47. Confederate General Johnston realized that the assassination of Abraham Lincoln __________.
A) was the only victory the South had gained in two years
B) was the worst thing that could have happened for the South’s future
C) could have been avoided by an earlier Confederate surrender
D) would put an end to radical Republican policies in Congress
48. General Lee surrendered his army to General Grant at the courthouse in __________.
A) Richmond, Virginia
B) Appomattox, Virginia
C) Washington, D.C.
D) Columbia, South Carolina
49. The last army surrendered by the Confederacy was the __________.
A) army of Northern Virginia
B) trans-Mississippi army
C) army of Tennessee
D) Order of the Heroes of America
50. John Wilkes Booth __________.
A) was tried for murder and hanged
B) was shot to death in a barn in northern Virginia
C) escaped to Europe for the rest of his life
D) also planned the assassination of William Sherman
Essay Questions
51. What evidence reveals that, in 1861 and 1862, Confederate generals were consistently outwitting their
Union opponents?
52. In what ways were the battles of Antietam and Gettysburg turning points in the Civil War?
53. What were the vital factors that led to a Union victory in the Civil War?
