The Civil War and Reconstruction Quiz

The bloodiest single-day battle in US history, with around 22,000 casualties. Though tactically a stalemate, it was a strategic Union victory that gave President Lincoln the confidence to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

A presidential proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, freeing enslaved people in Confederate states. It shifted the war's goal to include abolition and made foreign intervention less likely.

A major turning point in the Civil War fought in July 1863. The Union victory marked the end of General Robert E. Lee's invasion of the North and shifted the war's momentum in favor of the Union.

A pivotal battle in the Vicksburg Campaign, lasting from May to July 1863. It resulted in Union control of Vicksburg, Mississippi, which split the Confederacy in two and disrupted Confederate logistics and trade.

The Union had a larger population, a stronger industrial base, better railroads, and a dominant navy. These advantages allowed them to produce war materials, move troops and supplies efficiently, and blockade Confederate ports.

The South had the advantage of fighting a defensive war on their own territory, and they had skilled military leaders like Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and James Longstreet. They were also highly motivated to fight for their way of life and independence.

The Union had to fight on unfamiliar terrain, and they struggled to find effective generals in the early stages of the war.

The Confederacy had a smaller population and lacked the industrial capacity of the North. They also had limited access to international trade and resources.

The Confederate States of America (CSA) had a smaller population than the Union, making it difficult to field a large army or sustain long-term warfare.

The South's economy was largely agrarian, with limited industry and infrastructure, compared to the Union, which had a more robust industrial base.

The Confederacy hoped for European powers to recognize its independence and provide support, but this never materialized.

Border states like Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri were crucial for the Union's success because they controlled vital waterways and transportation routes.

Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus, allowing for the arrest and detention of suspected Confederate sympathizers without trial.

The Union draft law, which required men to fight, sparked riots in New York City, primarily by working-class Irish immigrants who were opposed to fighting for abolition and resented the draft's exemption for wealthier men.

The Civil War resulted in an estimated 620,000 - 750,000 deaths, with millions more wounded, leaving lasting social, economic, and emotional scars on both sides.

The 13th Amendment formally abolished slavery in the United States.

The 14th Amendment granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all people born or naturalized in the U.S., including former slaves.

The 15th Amendment extended the right to vote to African American men, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

The Freedmen's Bureau was established to help formerly enslaved people and poor whites in the South with food, medical care, housing, and education.

President Andrew Johnson's approach to Reconstruction was lenient, allowing Southern states to rejoin the Union with minimal restrictions on the rights of African Americans.

Radical Republicans in Congress sought a harsher approach to Reconstruction, imposing tougher conditions on the South, including military occupation and the enforcement of civil rights for African Americans.

Reconstruction's short-term effects included political gains for African Americans, but also resistance and violence, which hindered progress.

The long-term effects of Reconstruction included economic and social challenges for African Americans, as well as political setbacks, like the return of white supremacy in the South.