Test your knowledge of the American Civil War with this quiz and answer whether the following 10 statements about the conflict are true or false!
1. True or False: The American Civil War began in 1860.
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This statement is FALSE. The American Civil War started on April, 12th 1861 when Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina.
2. True or False: South Carolina was the first US state to secede from the Union.
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This statement is TRUE: South Carolina became the first state to secede from the United States when they issued the Ordinance of Secession on December 20th, 1860 followed by the Declaration of Secession on December 24th, 1860.
3. True or False: Abraham Lincoln was the President of the United States at the beginning and the end of the American Civil War.
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This statement is FALSE: Abraham Lincoln became President of the United States on March 4th, 1861 and was re-elected at the 1864 Presidential election but was assassinated on the evening of April 14th, 1861 (dying the following morning), around a month before the final principal battle of the American Civil War. Lincoln's successor Andrew Johnson declared the war legally over with proclamation on August 20th, 1866.
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4. True or False: About 10% of the US population served in the military during the American Civil War.
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This statement is TRUE: The population of the United States in 1860 was just over 31 million and around 3.2 million men enlisted during the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865. This means that just over 10% of the population took part in the American Civil War.
5. True or False: Ulysses S. Grant is the only US President who was a veteran of the American Civil War.
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This statement is FALSE: Seven men that held the office of the President of the United States are considered veterans of the American Civil War. These are: Ulysses S. Grant, William McKinley, James Garfield, Andrew Johnson, Rutherford B. Hayes, Chester A. Arthur, and Benjamin Harrison. All of the Presidents listed served in the Union Army.
6. True or False: Submarines were first used in warfare during the American Civil War.
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This statement is FALSE: While submarines were used during the American Civil War, and the first sinking of an enemy ship by a submarine occurred, the first documented use of a submarine in warfare was during the American Revolutionary War. The submarine, called Turtle, attempted and failed to sink the British ship HMS Eagle.
7. True or False: According to the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission, of the 384 principal battles of the American Civil War, more battles occurred in Virginia than in any other US state.
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This statement is TRUE: The 384 battles occurred in 26 states with 123 of them taking place in Virginia which is more than any other state. The next 3 after Virginia were Tennessee (38), Missouri (29), and Georgia (28).
8. True or False: The last soldier killed in the American Civil War was a Union Army soldier.
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This statement is TRUE: John Jefferson Williams of the 34th Indiana Infantry Regiment, Union Army is widely recognized as the last person to be killed during the American Civil War. He was killed at the Battle of Palmito Ranch near Brownsville, Texas on May 13th, 1865.
9. True or False: The battle with the most casualties of the American Civil War was the Battle of Gettysburg.
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This statement is TRUE: The casualties at the Battle of Gettysburg reached 51,000 (23,000 for the Union Army and 28,000 for the Confederate Army) which is more than any other battle during the war.
10. True or False: Robert E. Lee was the last Confederate General to surrender on land.
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This statement is FALSE: Brigadier-General Stand Watie was the last Confederate general to surrender, doing so on June 23rd, 1865. This was over 2 months after Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia on April 9th, 1865.
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