Civil War & Reconstruction Era Flashcards
7 cards from real SOL practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Civil War & Reconstruction Era flashcards as text
Which event most directly triggered the secession of Southern states from the Union in 1860–1861?
Answer: The election of Abraham Lincoln as president
Abraham Lincoln's election alarmed Southern states, who feared he would restrict or abolish slavery, prompting their secession from the Union.
Which Confederate general surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, in April 1865?
Answer: Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the Civil War.
What did President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, declare?
Answer: That enslaved people in Confederate states still in rebellion were declared free
The Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people only in Confederate states still in rebellion; it did not apply to border states or Union-controlled areas.
Which 1863 battle is most often considered the turning point of the Civil War, halting the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's second invasion of the North?
Answer: Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863) ended Lee's second northern invasion and is widely considered the turning point of the war in the Eastern Theater.
Which constitutional amendment, ratified in 1865, formally abolished slavery throughout the United States?
Answer: 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment, ratified in December 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the entire United States.
Which Virginia city served as the capital of the Confederate States of America for most of the Civil War?
Answer: Richmond
Richmond, Virginia, served as the Confederate capital from May 1861 until its fall to Union forces in April 1865.
What was General Winfield Scott's 'Anaconda Plan,' the Union's initial strategic concept at the start of the Civil War?
Answer: A naval blockade of Southern ports and Union control of the Mississippi River to strangle the Confederacy
Scott's Anaconda Plan called for a naval blockade of Southern ports and Union control of the Mississippi River to economically cut off and strangle the Confederacy.