Civil War Introduction — Answer Key
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?
A) The Emancipation Proclamation
B) The 13th Amendment
C) The Gettysburg Address
D) The Bill of Rights
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued January 1, 1863, freed enslaved people in rebel states.
2. Read: 'Lee's army surrendered to Grant in April 1865.' What does this surrender mean?
A) The war began
B) The Civil War ended
C) Reconstruction ended
D) Slavery began
Lee's surrender at Appomattox effectively ended the Civil War in April 1865.
3. Read: 'Three amendments were added to protect formerly enslaved people.' Which best describes these?
A) 1st, 2nd, 3rd Amendments
B) 5th, 6th, 7th Amendments
C) 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments
D) 19th, 20th, 21st Amendments
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments ended slavery, granted citizenship, and protected voting rights.
4. Why is Lincoln's preservation of the Union important to American history today?
A) It started a new country
B) It created the Confederacy
C) It ended democracy
D) It kept the United States as one nation
Preserving the Union ensured the United States remained one country, not two.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. The Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people in Confederate states.
The proclamation applied only to states then in rebellion against the Union.
2. Reconstruction tried to rebuild the South after the Civil War ended.
Reconstruction focused on restoring Southern states and helping freed people.
3. The amendment giving citizenship to all people born in the U.S. is the 14th Amendment.
The 14th Amendment, ratified 1868, defined citizenship for the first time.
4. The first state to leave the Union was South Carolina.
South Carolina seceded in December 1860, before Lincoln took office.
5. After Lincoln was assassinated, the new president was Andrew Johnson.
Andrew Johnson became president and oversaw early Reconstruction efforts.