Download Study Guide Civil War and Reconstruction Prior to the Civil War

Study Guide
Civil War and Reconstruction
1. Prior to the Civil War, what was the economy like in the South? Did they support or oppose high protective
tariffs and why?
2. Which territory entered the Union as a free state under the provisions of the Compromise of 1850?
3. What were the terms of the Compromise of 1850?
4. Which part of the Compromise of 1850 angered Northerners the most?
5. What novel was published in 1852 that depicted slavery as an evil institution?
6. Why was Harriet Tubman known as the “Moses” of her people?
7. What is popular sovereignty?
8. What impact did the Kansas-Nebraska Act have on the Union?
9. What was the civil war that erupted in Kansas of the issue of slavery become known as?
10. Which political party was formed in 1854 as a result of the slavery issue?
11. What led to national recognition for Abraham Lincoln, and set him up to be the Republican candidate for
president in 1860?
12. What was decided in the Dred Scott decision?
13. What was John Brown’s primary purpose in attacking Harper’s Ferry?
14. What impact did the Election of Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860 have on the South?
15. During the Civil War, which major event occurred at Appomattox Court House?
16. What was the main message of the Gettysburg Address?
17. Why was Ulysses S. Grant an important asset to the Union?
18. Which Civil War leader commanded the Army of Northern Virginia from June 1862 until he surrendered in April
1865?
19. Why was the Emancipation Proclamation significant?
20. Which battle of the Civil War was significant because, as a Union victory, it marked the turning point of the war
in the North’s favor?
21. During the Civil War, most of the troops from the North were fighting for ____________________________,
while most of the troops from the South were fighting for ________________________________. (HINT: Think
about the ultimate goal that Lincoln and the North had, and think about the “catch phrase” that most
southerners used)
22. What were the advantages of the Union over the Confederacy?
23. The first shots of the Civil War were fired at__________________________________.
24. What was Lincoln’s primary goal during the Civil War?
25. Which former slaver became a prominent black abolitionist prior to the Civil War?
26. How did the Emancipation Proclamation change the goal of the Civil War for the North?
27. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued after what event?
28. Who became known as the “Angel of the Battlefield” for her nursing efforts at the Battle of Antietam?
29. What battle is known as the “bloodiest single day battle in American history”?
30. Stonewall Jackson was killed at which battle?
31. What was the Union’s plan nicknamed?
32. During which speech did Lincoln state “with malice towards none, with charity for all…to bind up the nation’s
wounds”?
33. What were the terms of the Compromise of 1877?
34. Who assassinated Abraham Lincoln?
35. How did Lincoln’s assassination impact Reconstruction?
36. Why was the 15th Amendment significant?
37. Which amendment officially abolished slavery?
38. What did the 14th Amendment do?
39. What was the state of the Northern economy after the war?
40. What impact did the war have on the South’s economy?
41. During Reconstruction, what was the group called that constantly challenged President Andrew Johnson?
42. In the post-Civil War South, the system of land usage that replaced slavery was called ___________________
43. The term “Scalawags” was used to describe which group of people?
44. What ended Reconstruction in the South?
45. What were the results of the Compromise of 1877?
46. Identify and explain the historical significance of the following topics. Your response should be written in
complete and thorough sentences.
1. Abraham Lincoln
2. Gettysburg Address
3. Robert E. Lee
4. Ten-Percent Plan
5. 15th Amendment
6. Sharecropping