Let’s go through each statement one by one and decide if it’s true or false. We’ll use simple facts about the Civil War to help us.
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1. The Battle of Gettysburg was the first battle of the Civil War.
→ False.
The first major battle was the First Battle of Bull Run (also called Manassas) in July 1861. Gettysburg happened later, in July 1863 — it was a big turning point, but not the first.
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2. The first southern state to secede from the union was South Carolina.
→ True.
South Carolina voted to leave the Union on December 20, 1860 — right after Lincoln was elected. It was the very first.
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3. Eleven southern states eventually seceded from the union leading up to the Civil War.
→ True.
Yes — South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. That’s 11 total.
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4. Virginia was a border state during the Civil War.
→ False.
Border states were slave states that stayed in the Union: Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri (and sometimes West Virginia is included). Virginia left the Union and joined the Confederacy — so it wasn’t a border state.
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5. Lincoln was calling for the abolition of slavery before becoming elected to the presidency.
→ False.
Lincoln’s main goal before election was to stop slavery from spreading into new territories — not to abolish it where it already existed. He said he wouldn’t interfere with slavery in the South until after he became president. His Emancipation Proclamation came in 1863, during the war.
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6. More than three million men fought in the civil war.
→ True.
About 2.1 million fought for the Union and around 900,000–1 million for the Confederacy — totaling over 3 million soldiers. Some sources say closer to 3.5 million.
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7. Only about 100,000 people died in the Civil War.
→ False.
Actually, estimates are between 620,000 and 750,000 deaths — mostly from disease, not just battles. 100,000 is way too low.
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8. The Civil War ended when Confederate troops attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina.
→ False.
Attacking Fort Sumter in April 1861 started the war! The war ended in April 1865 when General Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House.
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9. Frederick Douglass was a Union general during the Civil War.
→ False.
Frederick Douglass was a famous abolitionist and speaker who helped recruit Black soldiers for the Union Army — but he was never a general. He was a civilian leader.
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✔ Final Answers:
1. False
2. True
3. True
4. False
5. False
6. True
7. False
8. False
9. False
Final Answer:
1. False
2. True
3. True
4. False
5. False
6. True
7. False
8. False
9. False
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of worksheet united states civil war.
