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US War Quizzes

Civil War Quiz

Test your knowledge of the American Civil War with this free online quiz. These Civil War questions cover major battles, famous generals, key events, slavery and emancipation, and the political divisions that shaped the conflict. Challenge yourself and see how much you know about one of the most important periods in American history.

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US War Quizzes

US War Quizzes

Civil War Quiz

Next: World War 1 Quiz

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1. Question

Which of the following contributed to the outbreak of the American Civil War?

2. Question

Who was the President of the Confederacy?

3. Question

Who was the Commanding General of the United States Army at the beginning of the Civil War?

4. Question

What name was given to the strategic plan that General Winfield Scott proposed at the start of the Civil War?

5. Question

The Civil War began when Confederate guns bombarded a federal fort located in what state?

6. Question

Most of the generals from both the North and South gained experience as junior officers in what previous American war?

7. Question

Which of the following best describes the quality of the military officers in the North and South at the start of the Civil War?

8. Question

Which of the following best describes the navies in the North and South at the beginning of the Civil War?

9. Question

Which of the following best describes the railroad capacity of the North and South during the Civil War?

10. Question

Which faction had a larger pool of manpower from which to draw soldiers during the Civil War?

11. Question

Which faction had more industrial capacity and could more easily manufacture weapons and equipment during the Civil War?

12. Question

What name was given to Northern Democrats who opposed the Civil War?

13. Question

Which of the following battles was the first major military engagement of the Civil War?

14. Question

Initially, the popular opinion in both the North and South was that the war would be…

15. Question

At which battle did General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson earn his nickname?

16. Question

Of which Union general was President Lincoln speaking when he said “I can’t spare the man; he fights” although the officer had nearly been defeated at the Battle of Shiloh?

17. Question

Which southern general commanded the Army of Northern Virginia before Robert E. Lee took over?

18. Question

By capturing this important Confederate port in 1862, Union forces seriously disrupted the Confederate war effort and cut off access to the mouth of the Mississippi River:

19. Question

Which controversial Northern general commanded the occupation of New Orleans?

20. Question

Which general, known for his cautious approach, commanded Union forces during the Peninsula Campaign?

21. Question

Which battle in 1862 secured Union control of Kentucky?

22. Question

The Union gained control of the Mississippi River after capturing which of the following Southern cities?

23. Question

Which Confederate cavalry commander led a series of raids into Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio in 1863?

24. Question

At which battle was General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson accidentally shot by friendly soldiers?

25. Question

What name was given to the Republican politicians who strongly supported equal rights for African Americans from approximately 1854 to 1877?

26. Question

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation after which key Civil War battle?

27. Question

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

28. Question

Which general said, “It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it”?

29. Question

During which campaign did the Battle of the Crater occur?

30. Question

What was general Ulysses S. Grant’s most costly and lopsided defeat?

31. Question

In 1864, which Union commander executed his total war strategy for attacking the Confederate South that became known as the “March to the Sea”?

32. Question

To what did the slang “Sherman’s neckties” refer?

33. Question

During which battle in 1864 were many African-American soldiers from the Union army massacred while trying to surrender?

34. Question

Which of these battles resulted in a Confederate defeat that was a turning point in the Civil War?

35. Question

Who ordered the fatal charge that would ultimately lead to the Confederates’ defeat at Gettysburg?

36. Question