D.N. Kundra Textbook Solutions The American Civil War - History Class 8

History - Chapter 3

Class 8 - DN Kundra History & Civics Solutions

Objective Type Questions

Read the two statements given below about the American Civil War. Select the option that shows the correct relationship between (A) and (R).

Assertion (A): Nearly all the fighting had taken place on the Southern soil, due to which they suffered heavy damages.

Reason (R): There was a period of reconstruction and it took a few decades for the Southern states to recover from the wounds of the Civil War.

1. (R) contradicts (A)
2. (R) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (R) is false
4. (A) and (R) are independent of each other

Ans:

Explanation:

(i) Assertion: The assertion is true. Most major battles and much of the military destruction occurred on Southern territory, which caused widespread damage to infrastructure, farms and towns.

(ii) Reason: The reason is true in that there was a long period of Reconstruction after the war and it took decades for the South to recover economically and socially.

(iii) Justification: The correct relationship is that A led to R - the heavy damage in the South (A) made a prolonged period of reconstruction necessary (R). The Reason given is not the cause of the Assertion; rather it is the consequence of it.

Identify the major results of the American Civil War.

P: Abolition of slavery

Q: Speeded up the economic reconstruction of the country

R: End of racial discrimination or apartheid

S: Introduction of Five Year Plan

1. P and Q
2. R and S
3. P and R
4. Q and S

Ans: (a)

Explanation: P (abolition of slavery) and Q (an acceleration of economic change and reconstruction) are direct results of the Civil War. R is incorrect because racial discrimination continued long after the war; apartheid is not a correct term for post-Civil War America. S is incorrect because Five Year Plans were not part of US policy; that term belongs to other countries' economic planning.

Pooja is preparing a speech on the American Civil War. Which of the following person's contribution she must mention in her speech?

1. James Madison
2. Martin Van Buren
3. Andrew Jackson
4. Abraham Lincoln

Ans: (d)

Explanation: Abraham Lincoln was the President during the Civil War and played a central role in preserving the Union and issuing the Emancipation Proclamation that led to the abolition of slavery. The other persons listed were not the key leaders associated with the Civil War period.

Which of the following events is being depicted by the given picture?

1. Army prize distribution ceremony, Dallas
2. Zurich Court House, 1895
3. Surrender of Robert Lee at Appomattox Court House, 1865
4. People celebrating abolition of slavery

Ans: (c)

Explanation: The picture shows General Robert E. Lee formally surrendering to Union forces at Appomattox Court House in 1865, an event that effectively ended major Confederate resistance and brought the Civil War to a close.

Identify the ODD ONE out of the following main personalities associated with American Civil War.

1. Ulysses S. Grant
2. Franklin D. Roosevelt
3. Robert Lee

Ans: (b)

Explanation: Franklin D. Roosevelt was President during the 1930s-1940s (Great Depression and World War II) and was not associated with the Civil War era. Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee were leading generals in the Civil War.

Rubin is preparing a project on "American Civil War". Which of the following aspects she is MOST LIKELY to highlight?

1. Arms race
2. Industrialisation
3. Colonialism
4. Slavery

Ans: (d)

Explanation: Slavery was the primary issue that divided North and South and directly led to secession and war. While industrialisation and other factors mattered, slavery is the central topic for studies of the Civil War.

Consider the statements given below and choose the correct answer.

Statement I: Anti-slavery movements in the North made relations worse between North and South.

Statement II: The words of Abraham Lincoln have become a definition of democracy today.

1. Statement (I) is correct and statement (II) is incorrect.
2. Statement (I) is incorrect and statement (II) is correct.
3. Both statements (I) and (II) are incorrect.
4. Both statements (I) and (II) are correct.

Ans: (d)

Explanation: Statement I is correct because Northern abolitionist activity increased tensions with the South, where slavery was central to the economy. Statement II is also correct: Lincoln's phrase "government of the people, by the people, for the people" is widely used as a clear expression of democratic government.

Which among the following statements is incorrect?

1. The Southern states wanted no interference by the Federal Government in the state affairs.
2. Abraham Lincoln became the President during the most critical period of American history.
3. The Anti-Slavery Movement of 1840 was a great threat to the South.
4. Before the Civil War, the prevalence of slavery in the North became a controversial issue.

Ans: (d)

Explanation: Statement (d) is incorrect because slavery was primarily practised and defended in the Southern states; it was not prevalent in the North before the Civil War. The other statements correctly describe Southern resistance to federal interference, Lincoln's critical presidency, and Northern anti-slavery activity being seen as a threat by the South.

The term 'Confederate States' is associated with.

1. The eleven Southern States of the USA which started the American Civil War.
2. The nine Southern States of the USA which started the American Civil War.
3. The eleven Northern States of the USA which started the American Civil War.

Ans: (a)

Explanation: The "Confederate States" refers to the eleven Southern states that seceded from the Union and formed the Confederacy at the start of the Civil War.

Who among the following was the Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate Army?

1. George Washington
2. Robert E. Lee
3. Mathew George
4. William Smith

Ans: (b)

Explanation: General Robert E. Lee served as the leading commander of the Confederate Army and is the most prominent military leader associated with the South during the Civil War.

Fill in the blanks

Fill in the blanks.

1. President Lincoln was assassinated in the year ............... .
2. The Northern states were mainly ............... but in the South ............... was the most important occupation.
3. The Southern farmers grew ............... and ............... .
4. The Confederacy General ............... surrendered to the Union General ............... .

Ans:

1. 1865
2. industrial, agriculture
3. cotton, tobacco
4. Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant

Match the following

Match Column A with Column B.

Ans:

True or False

State whether the following statements are True or False.

1. When the Civil War broke out, the whole country practised slavery.
2. Uncle Tom's Cabin, a novel, highlighted the ugly side of slavery.
3. The Question of States' Rights was also a cause of the Civil War.
4. The Southern states established a new nation - the Confederate States of America.
5. Abraham Lincoln is remembered for abolishing slavery and saving the Union.

Ans:

1. True / False: False. Explanation: This is false. When the Civil War broke out, slavery was practised mainly in the Southern states, not the whole country.
2. True / False: True. Explanation: Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin exposed the harsh realities of slavery and influenced public opinion in the North.
3. True / False: True. Explanation: The question of states' rights - especially whether states could make their own laws on slavery - was an important cause of the Civil War.
4. True / False: True. Explanation: The Southern states did form a separate government called the Confederate States of America after seceding from the Union.
5. True / False: True. Explanation: Abraham Lincoln is remembered for his role in preserving the Union and initiating measures that led to the abolition of slavery.

Answer the following questions briefly

Why was slavery important for the Southern States?

Ans: The South's economy depended on agriculture and large plantations. Slave labour provided the workforce needed for planting, tending and harvesting labour-intensive crops such as cotton and tobacco, so slavery was economically important to Southern farmers and planters.

Name the states which established the Confederation.

Ans: The Southern states that seceded and formed the Confederacy included South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas, among others; ultimately eleven states left the Union to form the Confederate States of America.

Describe Abraham Lincoln's role in the Civil War.

Ans: Abraham Lincoln was President from 1861 during the Civil War. He acted to preserve the Union and led the federal government against the Confederacy. He also moved to end slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation and supported measures that would restore national unity.

Why did the North oppose slavery?

Ans: The North opposed slavery for several reasons:

1. Moral and ethical grounds: Many Northerners and abolitionists considered slavery wrong and inhuman.
2. Economic differences: The North's economy was mainly industrial and did not rely on plantation slavery.
3. Social reform movements: Religious and reform groups in the North campaigned against slavery as a violation of democratic and human principles.
4. Political support for change: Many in the North backed leaders such as Lincoln who opposed the spread and continuation of slavery.

Describe the three main causes of the Civil War.

Ans:

1. Slavery: The main disagreement was over slavery; the South supported it for its plantation economy while the North opposed its expansion.
2. States' Rights: Southern states argued for greater state sovereignty and objected to federal interference, especially on slavery-related laws.
3. Secession: After Lincoln's election, several Southern states seceded from the Union and formed the Confederacy, which led directly to armed conflict in 1861.

What were the main results of the Civil War?

Ans:

1. Destruction in the South: Large parts of the Southern states suffered heavy damage to land, towns and infrastructure.
2. Reconstruction: A lengthy period of political, social and economic rebuilding began to restore the South and re-integrate it into the Union.
3. Abolition of slavery: Slavery was legally ended in the United States.
4. Preservation of the Union: The war settled the question of secession and reinforced federal authority.
5. Economic change: The conflict accelerated industrial and economic development, particularly in the North.

Picture study

(i) Identify the personality.

(ii) Why is he considered one of the greatest Presidents of USA?

(iii) Do you agree with the definition of democracy as given by him?

Ans:

1. (i) Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States.
2. (ii) He is regarded as one of the greatest Presidents because he led the nation through the Civil War, worked to preserve the Union and took decisive steps towards ending slavery.
3. (iii) Yes. Lincoln's phrase "government of the people, by the people, for the people" clearly expresses the idea of popular sovereignty and equal political participation, which are central to democracy.

Assertion-Reason Type Questions

Assertion (A): The Civil War broke out between the Northern and Southern States of the USA in 1961.

Reason (R): The prevalence of slavery was a controversial issue.

1. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
2. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
3. Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
4. Assertion (A) is false but Reason (R) is true.

Ans:

Explanation:

(i) Assertion: False. The Civil War began in 1861, not 1961.

(ii) Reason: True. Slavery was a deeply controversial and central issue that divided the Northern and Southern states.

(iii) Justification: The correct relation is that the Assertion is factually incorrect about the year, while the Reason correctly identifies one of the main causes of the conflict.

Assertion (A): The Civil War cost more American lives than any other war in history.

Reason (R): The Civil War was fought between the industrialised northern states and the agricultural southern states of America.

Ans:

Explanation:

(i) Assertion: True. The Civil War caused the highest number of American military and civilian casualties of any war in U.S. history.

(ii) Reason: True. The war was fought between a largely industrial North and an agricultural South, a significant contrast between the two sides.

(iii) Justification: Although the economic and social differences between North and South were important, the large loss of life resulted from the scale, intensity and nature of the conflict itself - so the Reason does not fully explain why casualties were the highest. Therefore, both statements are true, but the Reason is not the complete explanation of the Assertion.