The Civil War (1861-1865)

Question 1

First Battle of Bull Run (1861)

Answer 1

early Civil War engagement ending in defeat for the Union Army. This showed the North that it wouldn’t be an easy war over the Confederacy

Question 2

Emancipation Proclamation (1863)

Answer 2

freed slaves in Southern territory were now controlled by the Union army

Question 3

Battle of Gettysburg (1863)

Answer 3

bloodiest battle in the Civil War: many historians claim that the Confederate defeat was the beginning of the end for the Confederacy

Question 4

Appomattox

Answer 4

Virginia courthouse where General Robert E. Lee surrendered Confederate forces on April 9th, 1865

Question 5

Fort Sumter

Answer 5

federal fort in Charleston, SC that was fired on by the Confederates in 1861: the first shots of the Civil War. A public outcry from the North began and the mobilization of the federal army began.

Question 6

Crittenden Plan (1860)

Answer 6

compromise proposal on slavery to diffuse tension between the North and South. This would’ve allowed slavery in the South and denied Congress the power to regulate slave travel. Republicans voted against this on the advice from Lincoln.

Question 7

states’ rights

Answer 7

the concept that individual states have the power to decide if federal legislation or regulations should be enforced. This was taken up in New England during the Jefferson Administration and by the South leading up to the Civil War.

Question 8

Anaconda Plan

Answer 8

critical component of Union plants to win the Civil War to capture Southern ports and the Mississippi River. This would create major economic and strategic difficulties for the Confederacy

Question 9

Second Battle of Bull Run

Answer 9

decisive victory over General Lee and Confederate forces over the Union army in August 1862

Question 10

Merrimack

Answer 10

union iron clad ship captured by the Confederates during the Civil War and renamed the Virginia

Question 11

Monitor

Answer 11

union ironclad ship utilized during the Civil War and fought one battle against the Virginia (the South’s ironclad ship)

Question 12

conscription

Answer 12

getting recruits for military service using a draft. This was used by the U.S. government in nearly all major wars from the Civil War onward. This was viewed most negatively during the Vietnam War.

Question 13

greenbacks

Answer 13

paper money issued by the government during the Civil War that was not backed by gold or silver.

Question 14

martial law

Answer 14

during a state of emergency, the law can be suspended and the government is controlled by military or police authorities. During the Civil War, Kentucky was placed under martial law.

Question 15

Copperheads

Answer 15

Democrats in Congress during the beginning of the Civil War who opposed Lincoln and his attack on the South claiming that the war would result in a massive disruption of the Northern economy due to slave populations.

Question 16

writ of habeas corpus

Answer 16

allows a person suspected of a crime to not sit in jail indefinitely. Such a suspect must be brought to court and charged or they will be released from jail. Lincoln suspended this right so that his opponents could be contained.

Question 17

Battle of Fredericksburg

Answer 17

battle in December of 1862 where the Union army suffered a major defeat by Confederate forces

Question 18

Battle of Chancellorsville

Answer 18

A Confederate attack on Union forces in May of 1863. Union defeat led to pessimism in the North and convinced many in the South that victory was in sight.

Question 19

Battle of Vicksburg

Answer 19

this Confederate city was taken by Union forces in July 1863. This gave the Union control of the Mississippi and took a significant blow to the Confederacy.

Question 20

Gettysburg Address

Answer 20

speech by Lincoln at a dedication ceremony for Union Soldiers after the Battle of Gettysburg. Lincoln stated that freedom should exist for all men and that the government is designed for the people.