AP US History · Topic 5.7
Election of 1860 and Secession Practice
Part of Period 5: 1844–1877.
Practice questions
8
Sample questions
5 of 8 — sign in to practice the rest with adaptive difficulty and mastery tracking.
Sample 1difficulty 2/5
Why was Lincoln's policy toward the border states (green band) considered crucial to Union victory?
- A
Their congressmen held the balance of power in Congress
- B
They were the only sources of cotton for Northern textile mills
- C
They controlled the only railroads connecting east and west
- Dcheck_circle
Their loss would have given the Confederacy access to the Ohio River and key population and industrial resources
Why
Keeping the border slave states in the Union preserved Northern strategic geography (Ohio River, Washington's defense), denied the Confederacy major resources, and is why Lincoln moved cautiously on emancipation early in the war.
- A
Sample 2difficulty 3/5
The Republican Party formed in the mid-1850s on a platform of
- Acheck_circle
Stopping the expansion of slavery into the territories
- B
Aggressively expanding slavery into all Western territories
- C
Establishing a national Protestant church by amendment
- D
Promoting unrestricted free trade as their defining issue
Why
United former Whigs, Free Soilers, and anti-slavery Democrats; emerged as a major party rapidly.
- A
Sample 3difficulty 3/5
The Confederate States of America was formed in early 1861 with
- A
All fifteen slave states immediately, forming a unified Southern republic
- B
Only South Carolina, which stood alone as the sole seceded state
- C
All states in the Union except Texas, which remained loyal to Washington
- Dcheck_circle
Seven Deep South states; four more joined after Fort Sumter
Why
SC, MS, FL, AL, GA, LA, TX seceded first; VA, AR, TN, NC after Fort Sumter.
- A
Sample 4difficulty 3/5
"Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and normal condition." — Alexander H. Stephens, Cornerstone Speech, March 1861
[object Object]Stephens delivered this speech in the immediate context of:
- A
The fall of Fort Sumter and outbreak of military hostilities
- B
Lincoln's issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation
- C
Sherman's March to the Sea through Georgia
- Dcheck_circle
The recent secession of seven Deep South states and adoption of the Confederate Constitution
Why
Stephens spoke in March 1861, weeks after the Deep South states seceded and adopted the Confederate Constitution but before Fort Sumter (April 1861) triggered war.
- A
Sample 5difficulty 3/5
The four-way split shown was most immediately consequential because:
- Acheck_circle
Lincoln won the presidency without carrying any Southern state, prompting secession
- B
It produced a contingent election decided by the House of Representatives
- C
It led to a recount that delayed inauguration by six months
- D
It allowed Stephen Douglas to win on a free-soil platform
Why
Lincoln won a clear electoral majority despite getting under 40% of the popular vote and zero Southern electors, convincing seven Deep South states to secede before his inauguration.
- A