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The Civil War and the 1800s on the Civics Test

Updated: October 30, 2026

The Civil War (1861 to 1865) was the war between the North (the Union) and the South (the Confederacy). It ended slavery and preserved the United States. The 2025 civics test has an entire section on the 1800s, from the Louisiana Purchase to women's rights leaders, and the Civil War is at its center.

The early 1800s - a growing country

In 1803, the United States bought the Louisiana Territory from France, roughly doubling the size of the country. That is the answer to "What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?" (Thomas Jefferson was president, which is why "doubled the size of the United States" is one of his accepted answers; see the Founding Fathers on the civics test).

The 2025 test asks you to "Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s." Accepted answers:

"Civil War" is the easiest answer to remember because it also answers several other questions.

Causes of the Civil War

By the mid-1800s, the North and South had grown apart. The Southern economy depended heavily on enslaved labor, especially on cotton plantations. The biggest political fight was whether slavery would spread to new western territories. After Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the expansion of slavery, won the presidential election of 1860, several Southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America. Lincoln insisted the Union could not be broken apart.

On the test, "Name the U.S. war between the North and the South" has one answer: the Civil War.

Key events of the war

The 2025 test accepts any one of these for "The Civil War had many important events. Name one."

  1. Battle of Fort Sumter (April 1861): Confederate forces fired on a federal fort in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, starting the war.
  2. Battle of Antietam/Sharpsburg (September 1862): one of the bloodiest single days in American history. The Union victory gave Lincoln the opportunity to announce the Emancipation Proclamation.
  3. Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1863): Lincoln declared enslaved people in the rebelling Confederate states to be free.
  4. Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863): a major Union victory in Pennsylvania, often seen as a turning point. Months later Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address there.
  5. Battle of Vicksburg (1863): the Union captured this Mississippi River city, splitting the Confederacy.
  6. Sherman's March (1864): General William T. Sherman's army marched through Georgia to the sea, destroying Confederate resources.
  7. Surrender at Appomattox (April 1865): Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia.
  8. Lincoln was assassinated (April 1865): shot days after Lee's surrender, Lincoln died before he could lead the country's recovery.

Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln, the 16th president, is the most important figure in this section. His question is marked with an asterisk, so it is also on the 65/20 list.

Accepted answers to "Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one."

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do? Accepted answers: freed the slaves, freed slaves in the Confederacy, freed slaves in the Confederate states, or freed slaves in most Southern states. Historically, it applied to areas in rebellion. Slavery was abolished everywhere by the 13th Amendment in 1865.

What U.S. war ended slavery? The Civil War.

Reconstruction and the new amendments

After the war, during Reconstruction, three amendments changed the Constitution:

For "When did all men get the right to vote?" USCIS accepts after the Civil War, during Reconstruction, (with the) 15th Amendment, or 1870. In practice, many Black Americans were blocked from voting for decades afterward by poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation, a story continued in the civil rights movement on the civics test.

Women's rights in the 1800s

The fight for women's rights also began in this era, notably at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. Question 99 asks you to name one leader of the women's rights movement in the 1800s:

Several of these women, including Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman, were also leading voices against slavery. Tubman escaped slavery herself and led others to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Women won the national right to vote in 1920 with the 19th Amendment, which is covered in 20th-century U.S. history for the civics test.

The 1800s questions at a glance

Check the exact wording on the civics questions page.

Frequently asked questions

What war ended slavery in the United States?

The Civil War. The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, formally abolished slavery throughout the country.

What is Abraham Lincoln famous for?

He freed the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation, preserved the Union, led the country during the Civil War, was the 16th president, and delivered the Gettysburg Address. Any one of these is accepted.

What amendment made people born in the U.S. citizens?

The 14th Amendment. It says all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to its jurisdiction, are citizens.

When did all men get the right to vote?

USCIS accepts after the Civil War, during Reconstruction, with the 15th Amendment, or 1870.

Who was a women's rights leader in the 1800s?

Susan B. Anthony is the most common answer. USCIS also accepts Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Lucretia Mott, and Lucy Stone.

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Informational article, not legal advice. Civio is not affiliated with USCIS or any government agency; always check current requirements at uscis.gov.

Keep reading: Continuous Residence and Physical Presence, Explained · Documents to Bring to Your Citizenship Interview - Checklist · Dual Citizenship and the U.S.: What New Citizens Should Know · Example civics test questions