American Civil War MCQs Quiz Multiple Choice Questions & Answers

1. .............When did differences regarding slavery begin between the North and the South?

1. 1776 American Constitution
2. 1820 Missouri Compromise
3. 1850 Compromise of 1850
4. 1857 John Browns raids

2. ..........What state was the first to secede the Union?

1. Alabama
2. South Carolina
3. Virginia
4. Texas

3. ..........What state had land taken away from it from the Compromise of 1850 in exchange to have its debts paid of by the US?

1. Arkansas
2. Kansas
3. Missouri
4. Texas

4. ..........Who won the election of 1860?

1. Bell
2. Breckinridge
3. Douglas
4. Lincoln

5. ..........Southern states threatened this if Lincoln was elected.

1. compromise
2. division
3. fillibustering
4. secession

6. ..........The United States does NOT elect a president based on popular vote. Each state is winner take-all, with each of the states delegates going one way or another. What is the name of this?

1. Congressional Priviledge
2. Electoral Collge
3. Parliamentary Procedure
4. Senatorial College

7. ..........What is the name of a person who tries to find middle-ground politically?

1. conservative
2. extremist
3. liberal
4. moderate

8. ..........How many candidates for President were there in 1860?

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4

9. ..........What is it called when a President assumes dictatorial powers?

1. Constitutional
2. Dictatorial
3. Martial Law
4. Powers of the Tyrant

10. ..........What political party was born in Ripon, Wisconsin, about 1850?

1. Constitutionalists
2. Democrats
3. Northern Democrates
4. Republicans.

11. ..........What border state did Lincoln consider the most important to keep in the Union?

1. Delaware
2. Kanahwa
3. Kentucky
4. Maryland

12. ..........Speaking of the Compromise of 1850, where was slavery prohibited?

1. District of Columbia
2. Deleware
3. Virginia
4. Texas

13. ..........What was the first battle of the war?

1. Fort Douglas
2. Fort Saratoga
3. Fort Sumter
4. Fort Thomas

14. ..........What is a person called by his followers when he dies for a cause?

1. Hero
2. Martyr
3. Memorandia
4. Tyrant

15. ..........What controversial man was a hero in the North but a villian in the South in 1858?

1. John Brown
2. Stepehn Douglas
3. Frederick Douglas
4. Abraham Lincoln

16. ..........Where else was slavery prohibited because of the Compromise of 1850?

1. Kansas
2. Missouri
3. Southern California
4. Texas

17. ............What did the Missouri Compromise primarily state?

1. Missouri was north of the compromised line, so it was given special status as a slave state.
2. Missourians would be able to vote on whether or not to allow slavery.
3. Missouri would be admitted as a slave state as long as Maine could be a free state.
4. Both Missouri and Kansas would be considered soverign states in which they would vote yes or no for slavery.

18. ..........How many southern states broke away from the Union right away, following the election?

1. none
2. four
3. eight
4. eleven

19. ..........How many additonal southern states broke away after the President asked State Militias to support the war?

1. none
2. four
3. eight
4. eleven

20. ..........What did the Fugitive Act state?

1. runaway slaves could be kept.
2. runaway slaves had to be returned to their rightful masters.
3. runaway slaves were granted freedom.
4. runaway slaves had the right to beat their masters if they came after them.

21. ..........What did the Fugitive Act state?

1. runaway slaves could be kept.
2. runaway slaves had to be returned to their rightful masters.
3. runaway slaves were granted freedom.
4. runaway slaves had the right to beat their masters if they came after them.

22. ...............Which of the following statements is true?

1. The South was becoming urbanized
2. The South was becoming industrialized
3. Only 1/3 of Southerners owned slaves
4. Southern factories depended on slaves

23. ..........What did the Kansas-Nebraska Act state?

1. they were to become free states
2. they were to become slave states
3. there were to choose for themselves
4. it was to be decided by the government

24. ..........How does the map of 1860 compare with the map of 2008 as far as a pattern is concerned?

1. Totally Different
2. Totally the Same
3. Very Similar
4. No correlation

25. ...............Though the Civil War was going to be a fight about slavery, what was the Souths main reason to secede?

1. Wanted to protect rural way of life
2. Believed States rights superceded Federal rights.
3. Felt they were losing power in the Senate because of population shifts, prompting them to secede.
4. Believed that the Industrial Revolution was a threat to their way of life.