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American Studies
Mr. Carlson
Name __________________________________ Period _____
April 1865:
The Month That Saved America
Review the following questions from the video. This material will be included in the Unit 6
Exam.
Identify the following people and terms:
Robert E. Lee
Ulysses S. Grant
Jefferson Davis
John Wilkes Booth
Joseph Johnston
Phillip Sheridan
William T. Sherman
Frederick Douglass
Andrew Johnson
benevolent
Confederate
inauguration
malice
segregation
Union
Dixie
egregious
guerilla warfare
retribution
trench warfare
Yankee
How Will the Victor Treat the Vanquished?
1. Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address was said to be one of the most "terribly profound and
terribly extraordinary" political speeches in American History. How does the speech
reflect Lincoln's intent for dealing with the South when the war is over?
2. What did many Northerners feel was missing from his speech?
3. What effect did the Union siege on Richmond have on General Robert E. Lee and his
troops stationed to defend the city? (this was his hometown, which early in the war he claimed should NEVER be
abandoned)
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4.
5.
What was Lee's family background? (His relatives?) Why was he the type of person likely to
become a war hero?
What new policy did the Southern government narrowly pass? (hint… it involved slaves and look at
question 6)
6.
Explain the following quote made by a Confederate politician after slaves are allowed to
serve in the Confederate army, "if slaves will make good soldiers, then our entire effort is
a lie." Do you think the south was willing to sacrifice slavery in order to gain
independence?
7.
What was the result of Lee's last ditch effort to punch through union defense and capture
Grant's headquarters in City Point, Virginia?
8.
After visiting the battlefield, why did Lincoln voice his compassion for the battered
Confederate soldiers?
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9.
What was the fear of the southerners "taking to the hills."? What type of war would be
waged if the Confederate troops moved to those territories?
10. Why did Lincoln tell his military leaders "no bloody work" when the war ends? What is the
significance of this statement?
11. Where was Grant when the war began? Was he the type of person likely to become a war
hero? Why did Union General Sherman call him the "quintessential average man?"
12. What is significant about Confederate president Jefferson Davis leaving his desk neat
before evacuation Richmond? Why was the capture of Richmond a symbolic "beginning
of the end" for the south?
13. Why was Lee retreating with his army South? What was he hoping to accomplish after
abandoning Richmond? What administrative error hampered the retreat of General Lee
and his troops? What was the only thing Lee and his troops left Richmond without?
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14. In the film, Lincoln went down to Richmond after the Union forces had captured the city.
Why is this important?
15. Write Lincoln's quote from the chair of Jefferson Davis when asked how the
Confederates should be treated by the newly-in-charge Union forces. What was symbolic
about Lincoln sitting at Davis’ desk?
16. While retreating, the Confederate forces are attacked from behind by the Union troops.
What actions did General Lee take in order to boost his soldiers' morale? (the flag?) How
are his actions symbolic of the Lee's importance to the Confederate cause?
17. On April 8, 1865, Grant sends a message to Lee suggesting surrender. What was Lee's
response to this message? Why is "surrender" considered the most dreaded word in the
Confederate vocabulary?
18. Why did Grant offer General Lee such generous terms to Lee in the wake of his
surrender? What did Lincoln want out of the surrender?
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19. What type of warfare was Lee and his advisors thinking about taking up shortly before the
surrender? How would fighting like this have affected the country?
20. Even after General Lee surrenders, why and where was there still fighting during the Civil
War?
21. The film stated, "Robert E. Lee's finest moment was in peace." What is the significance
of this quote?
22. In a speech from the White House after Lee's surrender, what again is the tone of
Lincoln's words? What response did the speech bring?
23. How did the formal surrender of Confederate troops on April 12, 1865 demonstrate that
both sides of the conflict were willing to honor and respect each other? (actions of the soldiers?)
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24. How did Lincoln's dreams prove prophetic? (predicting the future) How did Lincoln justify
his decision to send his personal bodyguard home the night he is assassinated?
25. What was the goal of John Wilkes Booth and his group of conspirators in mid-April
of 1865? Who else besides Lincoln was targeted? (which government officials?) Why?
26. What impact did the death of Abraham Lincoln have on those who wanted to
punish the South for their role in the Civil War?
27. How did Congress (and many Northerners) feel about the terms of surrender
established by Generals Sherman and Johnston?
28. After his surrender, how did Robert E. Lee become more important to southerners
than Jefferson Davis? What was he trying to accomplish by writing a letter to
Davis?
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29. How did the assassination of Lincoln change the way people felt about him as a
president? What were people's opinions about Lincoln during his terms as
president?
30. What happened to John Wilkes Booth?
31. What was Jefferson Davis' plan to continue fighting the Civil War? What did
Johnston do with the orders from Davis?
32. What goals and aspirations for the country did Robert E. Lee share in his only
interview after he surrendered his army? What was his message?
33. How did Jefferson Davis try to escape capture in the South? Why was his attempt
to avoid arrest considered disgraceful?
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34. Who was the last man to die in the Civil War on May 13, 1865?
35. According to the video, what battle was still left to fight after the physical conflict of
the Civil War had ended? (this is what the war was really about – try to answer this before you have to ask)
36. How was the final scene of this movie symbolic of the issues the new, reconciled
America would have to face?
Additional notes.
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