80 The American Civil War Trivia Questions with Answers
80 public questions with answers, drawn from the well. How many can you answer?
Test your knowledge of the American Civil War, from secession and major campaigns to famous commanders, prisons, speeches, forts, and naval battles. These 80 questions cover the conflict’s political causes, turning points, military leaders, and enduring words.
Can you identify the fort whose bombardment began the war, the nearly ten-month siege that became its longest, or the Union admiral who ordered, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”? This collection suits Civil War enthusiasts, history classrooms, pub quizzes, and game nights looking for a challenging American history round.
What was the longest siege of the American Civil War, lasting nearly ten months?
Answer
Siege of Petersburg
Which November 1863 speech by Abraham Lincoln is only about two minutes long?
Answer
Gettysburg Address
Which fort in Charleston Harbor was bombarded to start the Civil War?
Answer
Fort Sumter
Which Confederate general won the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863?
Answer
Robert E. Lee
What Confederate prison camp in Georgia had the official name Camp Sumter?
Answer
Andersonville Prison
Which Union general commanded the Army of the Potomac during the Peninsula Campaign?
Answer
George B. McClellan
Which Union admiral captured New Orleans in 1862?
Answer
David Farragut
Which famous African American Union regiment led the 1863 assault on Fort Wagner?
Answer
54th Massachusetts Infantry
Which U.S. general proposed the Union's Anaconda Plan?
Answer
Winfield Scott
Which three-day 1863 battle had the largest number of casualties in the Civil War?
Answer
Battle of Gettysburg
What proclamation declared enslaved people in Confederate-held areas free from January 1, 1863?
Answer
Emancipation Proclamation
What 1861 law created the first U.S. federal income tax to help fund the Civil War?
Answer
Revenue Act of 1861
Who commanded the U.S. Colored Troops division at the Battle of the Crater?
Answer
Edward Ferrero
Which Confederate commerce raider fired the last shot of the Civil War?
Answer
CSS Shenandoah
Which Texas battle in May 1865 was the last land battle of the Civil War?
Answer
Palmito Ranch
Which Civil War nurse founded the American Red Cross in 1881?
Answer
Clara Barton
Which photographer's New York gallery exhibited The Dead of Antietam in 1862?
Answer
Mathew Brady
Which Union warship was sunk by the submarine H. L. Hunley in 1864?
Answer
USS Housatonic
Which fort near Savannah fell to Union rifled artillery in April 1862?
Answer
Fort Pulaski
Which Confederate general led the division in Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg?
Answer
George Pickett
Which 1862 New Mexico battle is sometimes called the Gettysburg of the West?
Answer
Glorieta Pass
Which June 1863 battle was the largest cavalry battle of the Civil War?
Answer
Brandy Station
Who was Abraham Lincoln's vice president during his first term?
Answer
Hannibal Hamlin
Which state was admitted to the Union in 1863 after separating from Virginia?
Answer
West Virginia
Which Virginia city became the main Confederate capital in 1861?
Answer
Richmond
Which constitutional amendment abolished slavery in the United States?
Answer
Thirteenth Amendment
Which state was the first to secede from the United States in 1860?
Answer
South Carolina
Which Union spy, known as 'Crazy Bet', operated a spy ring in Richmond?
Answer
Elizabeth Van Lew
On what exact date did Robert E. Lee surrender at Appomattox Court House?
Answer
April 9, 1865
Who was the last Confederate general to surrender his command?
Answer
Stand Watie
Which Union ironclad was sunk by a torpedo at the Battle of Mobile Bay?
Answer
USS Tecumseh
Which Confederate general was wounded by friendly fire at the Battle of the Wilderness?
Answer
James Longstreet
Which Union general was known as 'the Rock of Chickamauga'?
Answer
George Henry Thomas
What Union victory in July 1863 split the Confederacy along the Mississippi River?
Answer
Siege of Vicksburg
Which Confederate general died at the Battle of Shiloh?
Answer
Albert Sidney Johnston
What was the largest Confederate prisoner-of-war camp for Union soldiers?
Answer
Andersonville Prison
Which Confederate raider sank 65 Union merchant ships?
Answer
CSS Alabama
Who commanded the Union Army at the Battle of Gettysburg?
Answer
George G. Meade
How many states seceded from the Union?
Answer
11
Which female Confederate spy was imprisoned in the Old Capitol Prison in Washington?
Answer
Rose O'Neal Greenhow
The American Civil War trivia — quick answers
What are good American Civil War trivia questions?
Good questions span secession, battles, generals, prisons, speeches, naval operations, and wartime politics. Examples include identifying the final state to secede, naming the siege that lasted nearly ten months, recognizing the Gettysburg Address, and recalling which Union admiral said, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
How hard is American Civil War trivia?
American Civil War trivia ranges from introductory to difficult. Questions about Abraham Lincoln, the Gettysburg Address, Fort Sumter, and the major battles are broadly familiar, while questions about lesser-known officers, prison camps, campaign commanders, and naval actions require more specialized knowledge.
What event began the American Civil War?
The war began when Confederate forces opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, on April 12, 1861. The fort surrendered on April 13. President Abraham Lincoln’s subsequent call for troops prompted additional Southern states to secede.
What was the longest siege of the American Civil War?
The Siege of Petersburg was the longest major siege of the American Civil War, lasting from June 1864 until April 1865. Union forces aimed to cut the Confederate supply lines into Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia, eventually forcing General Robert E. Lee to abandon both cities.
What was the Gettysburg Address?
The Gettysburg Address was a short speech Abraham Lincoln delivered on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In it, Lincoln connected the war to equality, representative government, and the preservation of the Union.