Civil War & Reconstruction Study Guide Answer Key

Name:________________

This Study Guide is due ___________. The test will be on ________. Make sure you carefully and

neatly answer all questions using complete sentences. You may use a separate sheet of paper if needed.

Key Terms (Define the following words)

 Abolitionist people who wanted to end slavery

 Secede to leave and make one’s own country

 State’s Rights belief that the states had more power than the federal government and didn’t have to

obey federal laws

 Sharecropping a system of farming where plantation owners would lend former slaves a place to live

in exchange for growing crops

 Jim Crow Laws laws that punished African Americans (usually by separating them from whites)

 Freedman’s Bureau a U.S. government agency that was formed after the Civil War to help freed slaves

Key People (Explain why the following people are important)

 Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the Book Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Her book showed

the evils of slavery and turned many people against it.

 John Brown John Brown was an abolitionist who led a raid on Harper’s Ferry (a gun facility.) John

Brown was captured and found guilty of treason but his raid proved people were willing to resort to

violence to end slavery.

 Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was the 16

president of the United States. After he became

president many southern states seceded. He was the president of the Union during the Civil War.

 Jefferson Davis Jefferson Davis was the president of the Confederate States of America (CSA)

during the Civil War.

 Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant was the North’s leading general. His Union troops defeated the CSA.

After the war he was elected president and served two terms.

 Robert E. Lee Robert E. Lee was a great military leader during the Civil War. He was originally

offered a position with the Union but he chose to support Virginia instead. He fought for the CSA to

support state’s rights even though he was against slavery.

 William T. Sherman William T. Sherman led Sherman’s March to the Sea.

 Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson Stonewall Jackson was a skilled general in the Confederate Army. He was

called “Stonewall” because he was as calm as a stone wall during battles.

Key Places (Describe why the following places were important during the Civil War & Reconstruction)

 Fort Sumter The battle at Fort Sumter (in South Carolina) marked the start of the Civil War.

Confederate soldiers fired at the Union troops that were inside Fort Sumter. The Confederacy won

this battle.

 Gettysburg The battle at Gettysburg was important because it was a turning point in the Civil War.

After this battle the Confederacy did not have a chance to win the Civil War.

 Harper’s Ferry Harper’s Ferry was an arsenal (gun facility) in West Virginia. It was raided by an

abolitionist named John Brown and caused tension between the Northern and Southern states before

the Civil War.

 Appomattox Courthouse The Civil War ended when Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at

the Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia on April 9, 1865.

Key Events (Explain how the following events impacted the Civil War & Reconstruction Era)

 Atlanta Campaign William T. Sherman moved his army from Tennessee to Atlanta, GA. During their

travels his troops fought against Confederate soldiers and caused a lot of destruction. A lot of the south

has to be rebuilt after the Civil War because of the damage his troops caused.

 Sherman’s March to the Sea After William T. Sherman’s troops made it to Atlanta they traveled to

Savannah (a city by the sea.) During the march the soldiers cut Confederate supply lines and crushed

the spirit of the Confederate Army.

 13

Amendment The 13

Amendment freed slaves in all states. This amendment abolished slavery in the

U.S. and all U.S. territories.

 14

Amendment The 14

Amendment made all former slaves citizens of the United States. It also

granted citizenship to all people born in the U.S. and guaranteed them equal rights.

 15

Amendment The 15

Amendment granted all American males the right to vote and hold a position in

office.

Short Answer. (Answer all parts of the question using a complete sentence.)

 What were the two main causes of the Civil War? The two main causes of the Civil War were slavery

and state’s rights.

 Did former slaves benefit from sharecropping? Why or why not? Former slaves did not benefit from

sharecropping. They made very little profit so they had to continue working to pay back money to the

plantation owner

 Describe the differences between the North and South before the Civil War. Be sure to include

specific details about views on slavery, state’s rights and their economies. Before the Civil War the

South had different views on slavery, state’s rights and economics than the North did. The Southern

states grew crops on large plantations to support their economy. They relied on slaves for labor and

were afraid they would make no money if they did not have slave labor. The Southern states also

believed that rights of a state were more important than federal laws. The Northern states felt that

federal laws were the most important laws and that all states should stay in the Union. The Northern

states had an industrial economy (relied on fishing and factories) and felt that slavery should be

abolished.

 Name three ways the Freedman’s Bureau helped people following the Civil War. The Freedman’s

Bureau helped people following the Civil War by providing food, clothing, shelter, education, medical

care and legal aid.

 Was the 15

amendment effective? Why or why not? Directly following the Civil War the 15

Amendment was not effective. Even though African Americans had the right to vote many southern

states required poll taxes and literacy tests. African Americans were too poor to pay poll taxes and

had as slaves had not been taught to read.