Download Critical Events in the Civil War

Name
Date
REVIEW
CALIFORNIA CONTENT
STANDARD 8.10.6
Critical Events in
the Civil War
Specific Objective: Describe critical developments and events in the war, including
the major battles, geographical advantages and obstacles, technological advances, and
General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.
Read the summary below to answer the questions on the next page.
Strengths, Weaknesses, and Strategies
• North: huge advantages in manpower and resources, including factories, railroads,
and shipyards; strong leader in Lincoln; strategy to blockade the Southern coast and
control the Mississippi River to cut the Confederacy in two; most fighting was in the
South, far from Union supply lines
• South: main advantage was good leaders like Lee; fought a defensive war, close
to supply lines and motivated to defend their homes. Hoped to use cotton to get
France and Britain to support the Confederacy.
Advances in Military Technology
• Rifles that shot minié balls much farther and more accurately than muskets could.
Direct assaults by infantry and cavalry were less effective. Higher casualty rates,
more severe injuries.
• Ironclads were warships covered with iron. They could withstand attack better than
wooden ships. First used in 1862, especially helped Grant on the Mississippi.
Copyright © McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin Company
Important Civil War Events
1861
• April 12: War begins when Confederates attack Fort Sumter in South Carolina.
• July 12: Union defeated at First Battle of Bull Run.
1862
• Grant wins important victories in Tennessee.
• Union captures New Orleans; gains control of most of the Mississippi River.
• Lee takes over the Army of Northern Virginia; ends Union threat in the state.
• Lee invades Maryland, defeated at Antietam.
1863
• January—Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation.
• Focus of the war shifts to ending slavery.
• African Americans join the Union army in large numbers.
• July: Confederates defeated at Vicksburg, Mississippi and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
• Confederacy split in two; tide turns in the Union favor.
1864
• March: Grant takes control of all Union forces.
• June: Grant begins 10-month siege at Petersburg, Virginia.
• Sherman wages total war across Georgia.
1865
• Lee’s troops are forced to flee Richmond.
• April 9: Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox Court House, ending the war.
• Grant offers generous terms of surrender.
CSS Specific Objective 8.10.6: Review 165
Name
Date
PRACTICE
CALIFORNIA CONTENT
STANDARD 8.10.6
Critical Events in
the Civil War
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer.
The Civil War began at
A
Fort Sumter.
B
Gettysburg.
C
New Orleans.
D
Vicksburg.
2 The North had an advantage over the
South from the start of the Civil War
because it had
4 The Emancipation Proclamation
came after the Union victory at
A
Antietam.
B
Gettysburg.
C
Petersburg.
D
Vicksburg.
5 A new military technology that led to
increased casualties was the use of
A
better military leaders.
A
blockades.
B
more farms that could produce food.
B
ironclad warships.
C
stronger ties with England.
C
minié balls.
D
more people and other resources.
D
sieges.
3 The siege of Vicksburg ended with
A
General Lee’s surrender.
B
Grant taking control of the whole
Union army.
C
the Confederacy split in two.
D
Union troops withdrawing from
Virginia.
166 CSS Specific Objective 8.10.6: Practice
6 What critical event in the Civil War
happened at Appomattox?
A
Lee surrendered to Grant.
B
The South broke through the
Northern blockade.
C
Lee won a battle in the North.
D
The first battle of ironclads was
fought.
Copyright © McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin Company
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