Put Your American Civil War Knowledge to the Test

By: Alyssa Miller | Published: Mar 15, 2024

The American Civil War was one of the bloodiest conflicts fought between Americans. With major battles fought along the Eastern coast of the United States, the scares of the centuries old war are still felt in America today.

The Civil War remains one of the most important events in American history as it has reshaped the nation politically, socially, and economically. But how well do you remember details of the conflict? Let’s put your Civil War knowledge to the test!

1. Between what years was the Civil War fought?

A) 1775–1783

B) 1861–1865

C) 1914–1918

D) 1754–1763

Source: The American civil war book and Grant album, "Art Immortelles"/Flickr

Answer

B) 1861–1865

A grayscale image of a group of soldiers in camp during the Civil War

Source: National Archives and Records Administration/GetArchives

2. Who was the President of the United States of America at that time?

A) Thomas Jefferson

B) Abraham Lincoln

C) George Washington

D) John Adams

An oil painting of a man with long white hair and a old fashion suit

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Answer

B) Abraham Lincoln

Source: Archives New Zealand/Flickr

3. What was the secessionist faction of the Civil War called?

A) The Union

B) The United States of America

C) The Free Southern Territories

D) The Confederate States of America

A cover of Southern sheet music during the Civil War

Source: Library of Congress

Answer

D) The Confederate States of America

A vintage flag with 13 stars, two red stripes, and one white stripe

Source: Public.Resource/Flickr

4. Where were the first shots of Civil War fired?

A) Philadelphia

B) Fort Sumter

C) Baltimore

D) Gettysburg

Source: Library of Congress

Answer

B) Fort Sumter

A color drawing of Fort Sumter on a sunny day

Source: Library of Congress

5. What major court case stripped African Americans of their right to U.S. citizenship?

A) McCulloch v. Maryland

B) Roe v. Wade

C) Dred Scott v. Sandford

D) Gideon v. Wainwright

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Answer

C) Dred Scott v. Sandford

A close up of the court documents for a court case

Source: PBS/YouTube

6. What was the second state to secede from the Union?

A) Georgia

B) South Carolina

C) Mississippi

D) Virginia

A gray scale image of soldiers in the Civil War

Source: Library of Congress

Answer

C) Mississippi

A grayscale drawing of the Battle of Jackson

Source: Wikimedia Commons

7. Which battle in the Civil War resulted in the most deaths in a single day?

A) Gettysburg

B) The Battle of Antietam

C) The Second Battle of Bull Run

D) The Battle of Chickamauga

Between two farm fields in Sharpsburg, Md., there was a sunken road, which Confederates used as a rifle pit until they were overrun by federal troops. The road has since been known as "Bloody Lane."

Source: Library of Congress

Answer

B) The Battle of Antietam

Source: Wikimedia Commons

8. What was the name of the first major battle fought between the Union and the Confederacy?

A) The First Battle of Bull Run

B) The Battle of Gettysburg

C) The Battle of Wilson’s Creek

D) The Battle of Port Royal Sound

A colored painting of the First Battle of Bull Run

Source: Library of Congress

Answer

A) The First Battle of Bull Run

A gray scale drawing of the First Battle of Bull Run

Source: Library of Congress

9. What was the approximate death toll of the Civil War?

A) 1.5 million

B) 250,000

C) 750,000

D) 2.6 million

A memorial of the African American men who fought in the Civil War covered in snow

Source: Ted Eytan

Answer

C) 750,000

A man with a beard sitting on a hill drawing on a notepad

Source: Wikimedia Commons

10. What was the major reason behind the Southern secession?

A) The institution of slavery

B) Taxation without representation

C) Despotic monarchy

D) Native American incursions

A grayscale drawing of an auction of slaves in America

Source: elycefeliz/Flickr

Answer

A) The institution of slavery

A political cartoon of a man making a sacrifice for his wants

Source: Wikimedia Commons

11. The Battle of Crater happened during what siege?

A) Siege of Petersburg

B) Siege of Fort Blakeley

C) Siege of Suffolk

D) Siege of Corinth

A grayscale image of men standing next to canons during the Civil War

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Answer

A) Siege of Petersburg

A colored painting of the Siege of Petersburg

Source: Library of Congress

12. Which two commanders lead the Battle of Antietam?

A) Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee

B) John Pope and Robert E. Lee

C) Dixon S. Miles and Stonewall Jackson

D) George B. McClellan and Robert E. Lee

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Answer

D) George B. McClellan and Robert E. Lee

Source: Wikimedia Commons

13. When did Union forces capture New Orleans?

A) April 25, 1862

B) August 27, 1861

C) June 13, 1861

D) July 19, 1862

A grayscale drawing of the Capture of New Orleans

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Answer

A) April 25, 1862

Source: Missouri History Museum

14. What amendment to the U.S. Constitution officially ended slavery?

A) The 10th Amendment

B) The 17th Amendment

C) The 5th Amendment

D) The 13th Amendment

Source: Public Domain/Pixy

Answer

D) The 13th Amendment

Abolishing Slavery. Joint resolution of the thirty eight Congress of the United States of America, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, abolishing slavery.

Source: Library of Congress

15. What was the standard issue rifle for Union soldiers

A) British Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle-musket

B) The Lorenz Rifle

C) Springfield Model 1861 Rifle-musket

D) Spencer Breech-loading Rifle

A grayscale photograph of Union Soldiers boxing

Source: Thiophene_Guy/Flickr

Answer

C) Springfield Model 1861 Rifle-musket

Springfield Model 1861 Rifle-musket on a black background

Source: Wikimedia Commons/Canva