The American Civil War was one of the most important events in United States history. In this Grade 5 topic, students explore the war that took place from 1861 to 1865 between the Northern Union states and the Southern Confederate states. Students learn about the main causes of the war, including disagreements over slavery, states' rights, and big differences between Northern and Southern economies. They also discover key leaders such as President Abraham Lincoln, Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Union General Ulysses S. Grant, the abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and the brave Underground Railroad guide Harriet Tubman. Important battles like Fort Sumter, Gettysburg, and Appomattox bring the events to life. Students learn how the war ended slavery in America, preserved the Union as one country, and led to the period called Reconstruction. They also study the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, which protected the rights of formerly enslaved people in the country.

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Browse all 12 printable worksheets below — click any card to open the full page.

Easy
Busy Bee
Civil War Introduction
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The American Civil War lasted from 1861 to  
2. The Northern states during the war were called the  
3. The Southern states that left the United States formed the  
4. The president of the United States during the Civil War was Abraham  
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.

Civil War Introduction
Easy
Busy Bee
Civil War Introduction
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The Union general who later became president was Ulysses S.  
2. The Confederate general who surrendered at Appomattox was Robert E.  
3. An escaped slave who became a famous abolitionist speaker was Frederick  
4. The woman who led people to freedom on the Underground Railroad was Harriet  
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.

Civil War Introduction
Easy
Busy Bee
Civil War Introduction
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Northern cities had many  
2. Large southern farms that grew cotton with enslaved labor were called  
3. Soldiers often slept in cloth shelters called  
4. Some children carried messages or played music as  
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.

Civil War Introduction
Easy
Busy Bee
Civil War Introduction
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Union soldiers usually wore uniforms that were the color  
2. Confederate soldiers usually wore uniforms that were the color  
3. A hard cracker that soldiers carried in their packs was called  
4. The patriotic song often sung by Union supporters was 'The Battle  
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.

Civil War Introduction
Medium
Busy Bee
Civil War Introduction
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The biggest cause of the Civil War was disagreement over  
2. The first battle of the Civil War took place at Fort  
3. The major turning point battle of the Civil War was the Battle of  
4. The war ended when General Lee surrendered at  
5. Southern states believed in stronger  
6. The Northern economy was based on factories and  
7. The Southern economy depended on large farms called  
8. When Southern states left the United States, this action was called  
9. The president of the Confederacy was Jefferson  
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Abraham Lincoln
→
Signed the Emancipation Proclamation
Robert E. Lee
→
Surrendered at Appomattox Court House
Ulysses S. Grant
→
Accepted the Confederate surrender
Harriet Tubman
→
Led people to freedom on the Underground Railroad

Civil War Introduction
Medium
Busy Bee
Civil War Introduction
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The Confederacy's capital city during the war was Richmond,  
2. A major Civil War battle along Antietam Creek took place in the state of  
3. Lincoln gave a famous speech at the dedication of a cemetery in  
4. Soldiers who fought for the South wore uniforms colored  
5. Soldiers who fought for the North wore uniforms colored  
6. The North wanted to keep the country together, called preserving the  
7. People who worked to end slavery were called  
8. The crop most grown on Southern plantations was  
9. Eleven Southern states left the Union to form the Confederate States of  
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Fort Sumter
→
Where the Civil War began in 1861
Gettysburg
→
Major turning point Union victory in Pennsylvania
Appomattox
→
Where Lee surrendered to Grant in 1865
Antietam
→
Bloodiest single day of fighting in the war

Civil War Introduction
Medium
Busy Bee
Civil War Introduction
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The Civil War began in April  
2. In 1862, the bloodiest single day battle of the war was at  
3. President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1,  
4. The turning-point battle in July 1863 was fought at  
5. The Union plan to blockade the South was called the  
6. In 1864, General Sherman led his famous March to the  
7. The famous African American Union regiment was the 54th  
8. General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House in April  
9. The brave woman who led many people to freedom on the Underground Railroad was Harriet  
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
1861
→
Fort Sumter attacked, war begins
1863
→
Battle of Gettysburg, turning point
1864
→
Sherman's March to the Sea
1865
→
Lee surrenders at Appomattox

Civil War Introduction
Medium
Busy Bee
Civil War Introduction
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom was the Underground  
2. Harriet Tubman was sometimes called  
3. Safe houses on the Underground Railroad were called  
4. The Anaconda Plan tried to block southern  
5. Splitting the South in two by controlling the Mississippi  
6. The 54th Massachusetts Infantry was famous because it was made up of African  
7. Colonel Robert  
8. Frederick  
9. By the end of the war, about 180,000  
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Underground Railroad
→
Secret network of routes and safe houses
Harriet Tubman
→
Conductor nicknamed Moses
Anaconda Plan
→
Union strategy to blockade the South
54th Massachusetts
→
Famous African American Union regiment

Civil War Introduction
Hard
Busy Bee
Civil War Introduction
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. When did President Lincoln issue the Emancipation Proclamation?
2. Which amendment officially ended slavery in the United States?
3. Which amendment guaranteed citizenship to all people born in the United States?
4. What was the period after the Civil War called when the South rebuilt?
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President  
2. The 13th Amendment officially ended  
3. Reconstruction lasted from 1865 until the year  
4. The 15th Amendment gave African American men the right to  
5. After the war, the United States remained one country, called preserving the  

Civil War Introduction
Hard
Busy Bee
Civil War Introduction
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Read: 'On January 1, 1863, Lincoln declared enslaved people in Confederate states free.' What did Lincoln issue?
2. Read: 'Lee's army surrendered to Grant in April 1865.' What does this surrender mean?
3. Read: 'Three amendments were added to protect formerly enslaved people.' Which best describes these?
4. Why is Lincoln's preservation of the Union important to American history today?
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. The Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people in  
2. Reconstruction tried to rebuild the  
3. The amendment giving citizenship to all people born in the U.S. is the  
4. The first state to leave the Union was South  
5. After Lincoln was assassinated, the new president was Andrew  

Civil War Introduction
Hard
Busy Bee
Civil War Introduction
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Lincoln began the Gettysburg Address with 'Four score and seven years ago.' How many years is that?
2. Why did Lincoln give the Gettysburg Address in November 1863?
3. When Lincoln said the nation was 'conceived in liberty,' he meant the country was:
4. The famous closing line says government should be 'of the people, by the people, and for the ___.'
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address in the state of  
2. In the speech, Lincoln honored the soldiers who died defending the  
3. The audience for the speech was the people gathered at the  
4. The Gettysburg Address is famous for being short, only about  
5. Lincoln said the soldiers gave the 'last full measure of  

Civil War Introduction
Hard
Busy Bee
Civil War Introduction
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Frederick Douglass said, 'Once let the Black man get upon his person the brass letters U.S....' What was he urging?
2. Which best describes the Union's overall strategy?
3. Which best describes the Confederacy's overall strategy?
4. Which is a long-term effect of the Civil War still seen today?
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. The Union strategy named after a giant snake was the  
2. The Confederate capital that the Union wanted to capture was  
3. The amendment that ended slavery in the United States is the  
4. African American men gained the right to vote with the  
5. The period of rebuilding the South after the war was called  

Civil War Introduction

What's Included in This Download

12 Printable Pages covering civil war introduction
Complete Answer Key for easy grading
Printer-Friendly Format in black & white
Variety of Activities to keep kids engaged
Common Core Aligned grade 5 standards
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What You'll Learn

These civil war introduction worksheets help grade 5 students develop essential social studies skills through engaging activities.

How to Use These Worksheets

  1. Download & Print: Click the download button to get the PDF. Print on standard 8.5" x 11" paper.
  2. Start Simple: Begin with easier pages before moving to more challenging activities.
  3. Daily Practice: Dedicate 10-15 minutes each day for consistent learning.
  4. Use Manipulatives: Pair worksheets with physical objects like blocks or counters.
  5. Provide Encouragement: Celebrate progress and effort to build confidence.
  6. Check Progress: Use the included answer key to review work together.

Common Mistakes to Watch For

  • Mixing up which side each general fought for. Robert E. Lee led Confederate troops, while Ulysses S. Grant commanded Union forces during the war.
  • Confusing the Emancipation Proclamation with the 13th Amendment. The proclamation came first in 1863; the amendment ended slavery nationwide in 1865.
  • Thinking the Civil War was only about states' rights. Slavery was the main issue, even though states' rights and economy also played important roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the American Civil War start and end?

The Civil War began in April 1861 when Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina. It ended in April 1865 when General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia.

What were the main causes of the Civil War?

The main causes were disagreements over slavery, states' rights versus federal power, and major differences between the Northern industrial economy and the Southern plantation economy. Slavery was the central issue that divided the country between free and slave states.

Who were the most important leaders during the Civil War?

Key leaders included President Abraham Lincoln, who led the Union, and Jefferson Davis, who led the Confederacy. Generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant commanded armies. Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman fought against slavery throughout the war.

What did the Emancipation Proclamation actually do?

Issued by Lincoln on January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation declared enslaved people in Confederate states to be free. It changed the war's purpose to include ending slavery and allowed African Americans to join the Union army officially.

What were the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments?

These three Reconstruction Amendments came after the war. The 13th Amendment ended slavery in 1865. The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all people born in the U.S. in 1868. The 15th Amendment gave African American men voting rights in 1870.

Are these worksheets really free?

Yes! All our worksheets are 100% free to download and print. There's no subscription, no hidden fees, and no registration required.

Can I use these in my classroom?

Absolutely! Teachers are welcome to print and use these worksheets in their classrooms. Make as many copies as needed for your students.

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