90 Thought-Provoking Civil War Trivia Questions and Answers
The Civil War was a time of immense struggle, courage, and transformation, and its impact still resonates today. ⚔️ But how much do you know about this transformative period in American history 🤔? In this trivia challenge, you’ll find 90 questions and answers that take you through the battles, key figures, and events that shaped our country. Are you ready to test your knowledge?
- Who was the President of the United States during the Civil War?
- What was the first state to secede from the Union?
- Which battle is considered the turning point of the Civil War?
- Who was the commander of the Confederate Army?
- In which year did the Civil War begin?
- Which event marked the official start of the Civil War?
- What was the capital of the Confederacy after Montgomery?
- Who was the Union general who led the March to the Sea?
- Which amendment to the Constitution officially abolished slavery?
- Where did General Lee surrender to General Grant, effectively ending the Civil War?
- What was the primary cause of the American Civil War?
- Who served as the President of the Confederate States during the Civil War?
- Which famous speech did Abraham Lincoln deliver after the Battle of Gettysburg?
- What was the name of the ironclad warship used by the Confederates?
- What battle was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history?
- What was the name of the famous Confederate general who was accidentally shot by his own men?
- Which city was the final capital of the Confederacy before its fall?
- What was the name of the first African-American regiment to fight in the Civil War?
- Which Union general was known for his 'scorched earth' tactics?
- Which battle was the first major land battle of the Civil War?
- What major river did the Union gain control of after the Siege of Vicksburg?
- Which Confederate general earned the nickname 'Stonewall' at the First Battle of Bull Run?
- What famous document did Abraham Lincoln issue on January 1, 1863?
- Which general led the Union Army to victory in the Western Theater, particularly in Tennessee and Mississippi?
- What was the outcome of the Battle of Fort Sumter?
- What was the name of the failed Confederate assault on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg?
- Which Union general's cautiousness led to his dismissal after the Battle of Antietam?
- What was the significance of the Battle of Fort Wagner for African-American soldiers?
- What term describes the Northern states during the Civil War?
- Which Southern city was captured by the Union in April 1862, securing an important port?
- Which state was the first to secede from the Union, starting the chain of events leading to the Civil War?
- What famous Union victory in 1863 effectively split the Confederacy in two?
- Who led the Union forces in the Battle of Gettysburg?
- What battle is often referred to as 'The High Water Mark of the Confederacy'?
- Which Union admiral famously said, 'Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!' during the Battle of Mobile Bay?
- What was the significance of the Battle of Appomattox Court House?
- Which Confederate city served as the capital for most of the Civil War?
- What strategy did Union General Ulysses S. Grant use to wear down the Confederate forces?
- Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery after the Civil War?
- Who was the Union general known for his facial hair, which led to a famous style of beard being named after him?
- What was the name of the Confederate ironclad ship that fought the Union's USS Monitor?
- Which battle is considered the first major engagement of the Civil War?
- Which Union general led the infamous 'March to the Sea,' devastating the Confederacy’s infrastructure?
- Where did Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrender to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, ending the Civil War?
- Who was the Vice President of the Confederacy during the Civil War?
- What 1864 battle was one of the bloodiest of the Civil War and resulted in no decisive victor?
- Which Union general ran for president against Abraham Lincoln in the 1864 election?
- Which Union victory in 1863 gave control of the Mississippi River to the North?
- What Confederate general was accidentally shot by his own men during the Battle of Chancellorsville?
- Which Civil War battle is known as the single bloodiest day in American history?
- Who was the President of the Confederacy during the Civil War?
- What was the first major conflict of the Civil War?
- Which general led the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during most of the Civil War?
- What was the primary goal of the Union’s Anaconda Plan?
- What famous document, issued in 1863, declared that all slaves in Confederate states were free?
- Which Confederate general earned the nickname 'Stonewall' during the First Battle of Bull Run?
- What was the bloodiest multi-day battle of the Civil War, occurring in 1862 in Tennessee?
- Which general became known for his 'scorched earth' tactics during the Civil War?
- What fort in Charleston Harbor was the site of the first shots of the Civil War?
- Which Confederate general led a failed charge on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, now known as 'Pickett's Charge'?
- What was the nickname for Northern Democrats who opposed the Civil War and advocated for peace with the South?
- Which Union general was relieved of command by Abraham Lincoln for being too cautious?
- What 1862 law provided free land in the West to anyone willing to farm it, even during the Civil War?
- Which city was the capital of the Confederacy after Montgomery, Alabama?
- Which battle in 1862 was the first major Union victory in the Western Theater?
- What notorious Confederate prison held thousands of Union soldiers in horrific conditions?
- Which Union general won a series of victories in the West, earning the nickname 'Unconditional Surrender'?
- Which major battle, fought from May to June 1864, was a costly and inconclusive part of Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign?
- What was the last major Confederate port on the Mississippi River to fall to the Union?
- Which Confederate general was killed by friendly fire at the Battle of Chancellorsville?
- Who was the Union general that accepted the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House?
- What was the name of the famous Union ironclad ship that fought the Confederate ship CSS Virginia?
- What was the main economic reason the Southern states seceded from the Union?
- Which battle is often considered the turning point of the Civil War in favor of the Union?
- What was the Union general George Meade's role during the Battle of Gettysburg?
- Which famous speech did Abraham Lincoln deliver in November 1863 at a battlefield in Pennsylvania?
- Which Southern state was the first to secede from the Union in 1860?
- Which Civil War battle had the single bloodiest day of combat?
- Who led the famous 'March to the Sea', devastating the South's infrastructure?
- What was the capital of the Union during the Civil War?
- Which Confederate general famously lost his left arm but continued to lead troops in the Civil War?
- What was the first state admitted to the Union after the Civil War began?
- What executive order issued by Abraham Lincoln freed slaves in the Confederate states?
- What was the last major battle fought by Confederate General Robert E. Lee before his surrender?
- Who was the famous nurse who later founded the American Red Cross after working during the Civil War?
- Which Confederate general earned the nickname 'The Wizard of the Saddle' for his cavalry tactics?
- Which famous 54th Massachusetts Infantry was one of the first African American regiments to fight in the Civil War?
- What Confederate general led a failed charge at the Battle of Gettysburg that became known as 'Pickett's Charge'?
- What was the primary reason for the Union's naval blockade of the South during the Civil War?
- Which battle, fought on July 21, 1861, was the first major battle of the Civil War?