Civil War
Definition
The Civil War was a major conflict fought between northern states (known as the Union) and southern states (known as Confederacy) that seceded from the United States over issues including slavery and states' rights from 1861-1865.
Analogy
Imagine if your family had a huge argument over what movie to watch - so big that half decided to start their own separate movie night. That's kind of like how serious disagreements led to actual warfare between different parts of our country during the Civil War.
Related terms
Abraham Lincoln: The 16th President of United States who led during Civil War era; his Emancipation Proclamation declared slaves in Confederate territory free.
Secession: The act of withdrawing formally from an alliance or federation; Southern states did this leading up to Civil War due to disagreements on slavery and states' rights.
Emancipation Proclamation: An executive order issued by Abraham Lincoln declaring slaves in Confederate-held territory to be free.
"Civil War" appears in:
Subjects (5)
Study guides (7)
AP US History - 4.14 Causation in Period 4, 1800-1848
AP US History - 5.1 Contextualizing Period 5
AP US History - 5.3 The Mexican–American War
AP US History - 5.7 Election of 1860 and Secession
AP US History - 5.8 Military Conflict in the Civil War
AP US History - 6.2 Westward Expansion: Economic Development
AP US History - 7.6 World War I: Home Front
Practice Questions (20+)
- Which of the following was NOT a cause of the Civil War?
- Where did General Robert Lee and Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant meet at the end of the Civil War?
- Where were the first shots of the Civil War fired?
- All of the following are Northern advantages in the Civil War EXCEPT:
- What was the main goal of the Union's military strategy during the Civil War?
- According to the Gettysburg Address, what was the purpose of the Civil War?
- Which of the following was a major cause of inflation during the Civil War?
- Which of the following laws provided for the conscription, or drafting, of men into the Union army during the Civil War?
- Which state did not secede from the Union during the Civil War?
- What was the main cause of the failure of compromise leading up to the Civil War?
- The concept of popular sovereignty was a key issue in which of the following events leading up to the Civil War?
- Which of the following was a primary cause of the Civil War?
- Which of the following was a key issue in the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision that contributed to the start of the Civil War?
- Promoters of the "New South" in the years following the Civil War sought to promote
- What was the most significant reason why the Union won the Civil war?
- Which event significantly contributed to the start of the Civil War?
- Which principle persisted throughout the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement?
- What could've happened if President Lincoln hadn't issued the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War?
- What was a significant political event following the Union's victory in the Civil War?
- What common element was central to both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War?
Resources
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.