Civil War Pretest

Read the following passage and answer the following question.

On both sides, most soldiers were under the age of 21. War, however, quickly turned gentle boys into tough men. Soldiers drilled and marched for long hours. They slept on the ground even in rain and snow. In combat, boys of 18 learned to stand firm as cannon blasts shook the earth and bullets whizzed past their ears.
As the death toll rose, the age restrictions for soldiers were relaxed. The South drafted boys as young as 17 and men as old as 50.
New technology added to the horror of war. Cone-shaped bullets made rifles twice as accurate. Improved cannons hurled exploding shells several miles. The new weapons had deadly results. In most battles, one-fourth or more of the soldiers were killed or wounded.
Sick and wounded soldiers faced other horrors. Medical care on the battlefield was crude. Surgeons routinely amputated injured arms and legs. At the time, doctors did not know how germs cause infection and disease. As a result, minor wounds often became infected. In addition, poor sanitary conditions in the army camps allowed disease to spread rapidly. Diseases such as pneumonia and malaria killed more men than guns or cannons did.
On both sides, prisoners of war faced horrifying conditions. At Andersonville, a prison camp in Georgia, many Union prisoners died of disease or starvation.
The difficult life of soldiers led many to desert. One out of every seven Union soldiers and one out of every nine Confederate soldiers deserted.

Based on the passage, which statement best summarizes army life during the Civil War?

Read the following paragraph and answer the following question.

Women on both sides worked as nurses. At first, doctors were unwilling to permit even trained nurses to work in military hospitals. When wounded men began to swamp army hospitals, however, this attitude soon changed. In fact, women performed so well that nursing became an accepted occupation for women after the war.

Based on the paragraph, how did the work of Civil War nurses change employment opportunities for women in American society?

What was one effect of the Emancipation Proclamation?

Which of the following is an accurate assessment of the result of the Union’s victory?

President Abraham Lincoln understood that a long, difficult struggle lay ahead for the United States. He stated, “The war is over...the rebels are our countrymen one again.” Which adjective best describes Lincoln’s goals for peace?

Why did the Civil War mark a major turning point in American history?

What is the correct meaning of the word siege?

Why did Lincoln handle the slavery issue cautiously at the beginning of the Civil War?

Use the map to answer the following question.
Which statement summarizes the significance of the battle at the location labeled B?

Which of the following was a major result of the Civil War’s outcome?

Use the map to answer the following question.
What battle was fought at the location labeled B on the map?

Read the following passage and answer the following question.

The army assigned African American volunteers to all-black units, commanded by white officers. At first, the black troops served only as laborers. They performed noncombat duties such as building roads and guarding supplies. Black troops received only half the pay of white soldiers.
African American soldiers protested against this policy of discrimination that denied them the same treatment as other soldiers. Gradually, conditions changed. By 1863, African American troops were fighting in major battles against the Confederates. In 1864, the United States War Department announced that all soldiers would receive equal pay. By the end of the war, about 200,000 African Americans had fought for the Union. Nearly 40,000 lost their lives.

Based on the passage, how did African Americans in the Union Army contribute to the war effort?

Use the map to answer the following question.
Which of the following happened at the location labeled A?

Early Civil War battles were unexpected in their results. Which of the following was a cause for these unanticipated outcomes?

How did Ulysses S. Grant’s concept of total war differ from earlier strategies?

Which of these people would have been most likely to disapprove of the Emancipation Proclamation?

Read the following sentences.

As the war dragged on, public support dwindled. When the war began, the North offered men money to enlist. However, some men abused the system. They would sign up, collect the money, and then desert. Soon, however, there was a shortage of volunteers to serve in the Union army. Congress passed a draft law in 1863.

Based on the sentences above, which of the following is the best meaning of the word draft?

Read the following sentences.
By mid-1862, Lincoln came to believe that he could save the Union only by broadening the goals of the war. He decided to emancipate enslaved African Americans living in the Confederacy. This would not affect slaves in the four loyal slave states. Nor would if affect slaves in Confederate lands that had already been captured by the Union, such as the city of New Orleans.
Based on the sentences above, the reader can infer that the meaning of the word emancipate is:

Which statement accurately describes the early days of the Civil War?

Read the following excerpt and answer the following question.

In his second Inaugural Address, Lincoln looked forward to the coming of peace:
“With malice toward none, with charity for all … let us strive … to bind up the nation's wounds … to do all which may achieve a just and a lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
— Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address

Based on the excerpt from Lincoln’s second inaugural address, after he was reelected, President Lincoln stated that his major goal was to

Which of these individuals was the President of the Confederacy during the Civil War?

Use the map to answer the following question.
What battle was fought at the location labeled A on the map?

Having read several passages on the road to Civil War, which of the following would you infer was the first goal of the North in the Civil War?

Read the following paragraph, then answer the following question.
Congress passed a draft law in 1863. It required all able-bodied males between the ages of 20 and 45 to serve in the military if they were called. Under the law, a man could avoid the draft by paying the government $300 or by hiring someone to serve in his place. This angered many people, who began to see the Civil War as “a rich man's war and a poor man's fight.”

Based on the paragraph, why did small southern farmers resent the Confederacy’s draft law?