American Civil War - Primary Sources

Question 1

Who is the first letter from and to?

Answer 1

Fred Spooner to his brother, Henry Spooner

Question 2

What is the date of the first letter?

Answer 2

April 30th 1861

Question 3

Where are they from?

Answer 3

The North - Rhode Island

Question 4

What does the letter demonstrate?

Answer 4

The enthusiasm of Northerners at the beginning of the war

Question 5

What did he believe about the war? (2)

Answer 5

1. The North were loyal

2. Believed the war was being fought on “noble and just principles”

Question 6

What did he call the Southerners?

Answer 6

Traitors

Question 7

What did he believe about the North before the war?

Answer 7

That they were lazy and that they are only now just being “aroused from the inactivity”

Question 8

What 3 things did Fred Spooner think gave them the advantage?

Answer 8

1. Men
2. Money
3. Military Enthusiasm

Question 9

What did he link the war to?

Answer 9

Aspects of religion e.g. believed it was “the Holy Cause”

Question 10

What else did he call the South?

Answer 10

Bullies

Question 11

What event does the bullying of senators link to?

Answer 11

The canning of Charles Sumner in the Senate in BLANK

Question 12

What else did Spooner say?

Answer 12

“They must be put down”

Question 13

Who is the second letter from and to?

Answer 13

Alexander McNeill to Almirah Heseltine Simmons

Question 14

When was it written?

Answer 14

21st June 1861

Question 15

Where were they from?

Answer 15

The South

Question 16

What did McNeill think about the Confederate States?

Answer 16

They had the right to own slaves and that it was none of the North’s concern whether they did or not - it was not unconstitutional

Question 17

What was he worried about?

Answer 17

Their lack of money to fund a war - mentions that the North were able to pay their soldiers

Question 18

What else did he believe?

Answer 18

That the war would be over by winter of 1861

Question 19

What was Frederick Douglass’ essay called?

Answer 19

Nemesis

Question 20

When was it published?

Answer 20

May 1861

Question 21

What did Douglass think?

Answer 21

Slavery is the cause of the war, not a foreign nation

Question 22

Quote about the war

Answer 22

“Our enemies are those of our household”