These worksheets cover the Civil War, the most divisive and deadly conflict ever fought on American soil.

The American Civil War was fought between the northern section of the United States that consisted of twenty-five states and the southern section which consisted of eleven states. The North was referred to as the Union, where the South was referred to as the Confederacy. The four-year war (1861-1865) was the deadliest war in United States history with over six-hundred thousand casualties. This account for a two-percent decrease in the U.S. population, at the time. The source of the conflict that started the war was over the concept of states’ rights. States wanted to be able to set their own laws and political powers. Most southerners wanted to be able to own slaves to work their fields and not have that taken away by the government. The Northerners wanted a more dynamic government that could banish the practice of owning others.

The following collection of worksheets examines significant individuals, events, and reasons behind the American Civil War. Your students will learn about the political stances of the northern and southern states, key battles and extended campaigns, important political decisions, famous speeches and documents, and more. There is even a fascinating worksheet on the different names given to the conflict, and how they reflect the perspectives of the groups using them. Answer keys have been provided. Fun Fact: March 8, 1862 saw the first instance of two ironclad warships meeting in battle - the Monitor and the Merrimack. Tactically, it is considered to be a draw.



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Battle of Antietam

This major Civil War battle was the first to be fought on Northern soil. The two leaders were Gen. George McClellan for the North and Gen. Robert E. Lee for the South.

Early Days

Following the election of Republican Abraham Lincoln, representatives from southern states met to discuss the participation in a Union that opposed slavery.

Cradle of the Confederacy Trees

Along the north side of the Alabama Capitol stands one Cradle of Confederacy Sycamore tree.

The North

During the Civil War, the North was at a better advantage point than the South. The North had a much larger population.

The South

A very large advantage the South had over the North was that they were able to fight on their own terrain.

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman risked her own life to help others reach freedom. After escaping slavery herself, she returned over and over again to help others on the Underground Railroad.

The Names of the War

The event most known as the American Civil War has been given many names. The particular perspective of origin selected names.

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass escaped slavery in 1838. He was a wonderful and charismatic speaker who used his skills to speak out against slavery.

The Liberator

The Liberator supported the abolitionist movement and used the well-known newspaper to voice antislavery views.

Southern Views

Prior to the election of President Abraham Lincoln, members of the South expressed their intent to secede from the Union if he were to be elected.

Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Davis was a U.S. Senator from the southern state of Mississippi. While only seven states existed in the Confederacy, Davis was inaugurated as President of the Confederate States of America.

Soldier Life

Both the North and the South had inexperienced men as soldiers. Estimates of the ages of men who participated as soldiers placed about one million of the roughly 2.7 million who fought at age 18.

American Soldiers

American soldiers represented either the South or the North. Northern soldiers were often called Billy Yanks. Sometimes the Southern troops were called Johnny Rebs.

Armies

Arrangements of men in the army were made up of several groups. The armies were divided into what are called corps.

Glory Brigade

A unit of the Union that attacked Confederate Fort Wagner was the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry.

Women in the War

Many women stayed at home to help and support the men fighting by making bandages, sewing uniforms and knitting socks. While the importance of Women's role on the impact on battlefield is often over looked, they did make quite a dent.

The Stats of War

The War lasted for four years from 1861 until 1865. More than 600,000 Americans were killed. More people died in this War than other American wars collectively.

Lincoln and the Pending War

Abraham Lincoln won the Presidential election in 1860. His victory was also a victory for the antislavery Republicans and the pinnacle of 30 years of conflict among members of the Union.

The Division

Early America had many serious differences. Many of these differences were able to be settled with the democratic process.

Eli Whitney

Eli Whitney designed and invented the cotton gin in 1793. Cottonseed was able to be separated from cotton fiber with the cotton gin.

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant served as the 18th President of the United States of America. He served from 1869 through 1877.

The Life of Soldiers

Soldiers of the American Civil War represented a wide range of society.

First Virginia Calvary

Soldiers from the Union regiment Berdan's Sharpshooters wore green uniforms. This group of soldiers was from the east.

America Divided

Early America was divided among members of the North and the South. Represented in the North was the United States of America. President of the Confederate States of America was President Jefferson Davis.

Stamps

Postage stamps have long commemorated historical events and figures. In the United States Postal Service's choice of the Civil War, 16 images reflect the event in the second issue of "Classic Collection" stamps.

Harriet Tubman

When Harriet Tubman was in her late twenties, she escaped slavery she fled a plantation in Maryland and headed North.

Stonewall Jackson

Thomas Jonathan Jackson became known as Stonewall Jackson following a battle near the banks of Bull Run.

Frederick Bailey

Frederick Bailey became Frederick Douglass upon escaping to the North to freedom.

The North Star

The North Star was an abolitionist newspaper. The North Star originated by Frederick Douglass.

Stand Watie

Many Native American tribes were divided on the issue of the War. This event effectively split apart the Cherokee nation.

David Glasgow Farragut

An extremely brazen and ambitious member of the Union was a man named David Glasgow Farragut. Farragut was well known for his ability to make a decision and his brazen approach to battles.

Mary Boykin Miller Chesnut

A well-known and elaborated diarist was Mary Boykin Miller Chesnut. Chesnut was born to a onetime governor of South Carolina.

Johnny Tremain

Johnny Tremain worked as an apprentice for a silversmith. As an apprentice, he was learning the trade. Johnny was very artistic, had a good sense of management, and was a responsible businessman. T

Apprenticeship

Long before there were colleges and universities, people learned the skills needed for work by serving as an apprentice.

Committee of Correspondence

Before the American Revolution, other Committees of Correspondence were established throughout the colonies. These groups were formed as a way to deliver messages and communicate between the colonies.

Boston Tea Party

The purpose of this event was based on principle. The American colonists did not want to pay tax on items unless they had voice in ways the tax could be used upon them.

Sons of Liberty

Originally, what started as The Loyal Nine, the group grew into what was called The Sons of Liberty.

Paul Revere

He started to draw political cartoons that attracted a lot of attention. He eventually became a member of the Sons of Liberty.

Declaration of Independence

Prior to it's delivery to Congress on June 28, 1776, the document went through 39 revisions!

Declaration of Independence Part 2

July 4, 1826 marked the 50 th anniversary of the adoption of the American Declaration of Independence. It also marks the deaths of political rivals John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who died within hours of each other.

Midnight Ride

Although no fire power erupted between the colonists and British soldiers, the British knew the Colonists were collecting arms and munitions in Concord, Massachusetts.

The Treaty of Paris

A peace treaty between Great Britain and the United States was formally signed on September 3, 1783. This treaty, known as the Treaty of Paris, officially ended the American Revolutionary War.

Technology of the Time

Technology and new inventions introduced during the era of the American Civil War included the telegraph, train transportation, and the use of land mines.

C.S.S. Hunley

It was during this time that the C.S.S. Hunley was the first submarine to sink a rival vessel.

The Gettysburg Address

The Gettysburg Address was delivered by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863. This document, considered a cornerstone in American culture dedicated the cemetery located at the site of the Gettysburg battlefield.

Soldiers

The Emancipation Proclamation made the recruiting of African American soldiers official in 1863. Despite this, they were often paid less and poorly treated by their white commanding officers.

Christian Fleetwood

Christian Fleetwood was a Sergeant Major in the 4 th U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) during the War.

U.S. Colored Troops (USCT)

The role of the color bearer was considered to be a high honor. This role was also, very often brief, as the color bearer was an easy and open target.

Sherman's March

Sherman's March is often referred to as the most controversial attack of the War.

Generals

Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant were often considered the two best known generals of this time.

President Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was shot on April 14, 1865 at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C.

Bill Arp

Charles Henry Smith was a politician and writer from Rome, Georgia. Prior to a medical discharge in 1863 from the Confederate Army, Smith was a major.

Deaths of the War

If the number of casualties were combined in all other US wars, it would just about equal the number of deaths in the Civil War.

Reasearch and History

This War is among the most widely researched as well as documented conflicts in American history. The creation of photography provided an unmatched accumulation of diaries, letters, official documents, and images.

Time Snapshot (1850-1865)

A look and interpretation of a war time-line for you.

Fight Against Slavery

By 1850, the issue began to divide the newly established country. Many different points of view existed between the North and the South in the prewar era.

Slavery

Individuals who were enslaved in Charleston, South Carolina during the 1850’s were assigned something called tags.

Photography

The birth and young development of photography in 1861 resulted in the American Civil War becoming the most photographed war in American history.

Correspondence

Letters from home and loved ones were extremely valued by soldiers on both the Northern and Southern sides during the Civil War.

Dixie

The song Dixie was written by Daniel D. Emmett, from Ohio, in 1859. Shortly after its birth, the song became a popular tune.

Battle Hymn of the Republic

Initially somewhat ignored, the poem was eventually adopted by Union soldiers as they put the words to another popular tune "Glory Hallelujah".

The Wounded

Medical attention provided to wounded soldiers on both sides during the war was very poor.

General Knowledge Quiz

These are some general question that are very common knowledge. A good jump off point for teachers.

General Knowledge Reading Worksheet

The conflict began with the coexistence of a slave owning south with an antislavery North.