How Well Do You Know the Civil War? Check Quiz Questions and Answers With Facts

The American Civil War from 1861-1865 was a monumental internal war between the Northern and Southern states. Its Central issue was slavery and its expansion in the newly acquired western territories. Following Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860, the Southern states began to withdraw from the Union fearing federal restrictions regarding slavery.

 A total of eleven Southern states eventually declared their secession and fought for four brutal years in one of American History’s bloodiest conflicts, involving such famous battles as Gettysburg and Antietam. More than 600,000 lives were lost in what became known as 'the war between the states'. The Union victory preserved the United States of America as one nation and resulted in the ending of slavery altogether with the ratification of the 13th Amendment. 

In addition to ending slavery, the Civil War forever altered the political, social, and economic landscapes of the nation, particularly the South, which continued to reckon with the legacy of Reconstruction. The Civil War is still one of the most defining moments in American History, forever altering the course of the nation as it sought to grapple with freedom and equality.

Check Out: What was the Civil War? Check History, Aftermath, and Key Events

Here are 10 multiple-choice questions about the American Civil War, each with four options, test your knowledge:

1. What was the primary cause of the Civil War?
A) Taxation
B) States' rights
C) Slavery
D) Foreign interference
Correct Answer: C) Slavery
Explanation: While issues like states’ rights were involved, slavery especially its expansion into new territories was the main cause of the conflict.

2. Who was the president of the United States during the Civil War?
A) Andrew Johnson
B) Ulysses S. Grant
C) Abraham Lincoln
D) Thomas Jefferson
Correct Answer: C) Abraham Lincoln
Explanation: Lincoln served from 1861–1865 and led the Union through the Civil War.

3. Which event marked the beginning of the Civil War?
A) The Emancipation Proclamation
B) Attack on Fort Sumter
C) Lincoln’s election
D) Battle of Gettysburg
Correct Answer: B) Attack on Fort Sumter
Explanation: Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in April 1861, officially starting the war.

4. How many Southern states seceded from the Union?
A) 9
B) 11
C) 13
D) 7
Correct Answer: B) 11
Explanation: Eleven Southern states broke away to form the Confederacy.

5. What was the Confederacy’s capital?
A) Charleston
B) Atlanta
C) Richmond
D) New Orleans
Correct Answer: C) Richmond
Explanation: Richmond, Virginia, became the Confederate capital in May 1861.

6. What battle is considered the turning point of the war?
A) Antietam
B) Gettysburg
C) Bull Run
D) Vicksburg
Correct Answer: B) Gettysburg
Explanation: The Union victory at Gettysburg in July 1863 halted Lee’s advance into the North.

7. What document did Lincoln issue to free slaves in Confederate states?
A) Civil Rights Act
B) 13th Amendment
C) Emancipation Proclamation
D) Homestead Act
Correct Answer: C) Emancipation Proclamation
Explanation: Issued on January 1, 1863, it declared freedom for slaves in rebelling states.

8. Who was the commanding general of the Confederate Army?
A) William Sherman
B) Ulysses S. Grant
C) Robert E. Lee
D) George McClellan
Correct Answer: C) Robert E. Lee
Explanation: Lee led the Confederate Army from 1862 until his surrender in 1865.

9. When did the Civil War end?
A) 1863
B) 1865
C) 1866
D) 1864
Correct Answer: B) 1865
Explanation: The war ended when Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House in April 1865.

10. What amendment abolished slavery in the U.S.?
A) 14th
B) 13th
C) 15th
D) 12th
Correct Answer: B) 13th
Explanation: Ratified in December 1865, the 13th Amendment officially ended slavery in the United States.