1. What military advantages did the Confederacy possess at the start of the Civil War?

2. How did the Union's population advantage and access to African American soldiers affect its military prospects?

1. What economic advantages did the Union possess over the Confederacy?

2. Why did the Confederacy believe that European demand for cotton would help it win the war?

1. How did the Confederacy's commitment to states' rights undermine its war effort?

2. What was the Confederate strategy for winning the war, and why did it depend on Northern public opinion?

1. What powers did the Confederate constitution deny to Congress, and how did this reflect Southern ideology?

2. What financial problems did the Confederacy face during the war, and what methods did it use to raise money?

3. How did inflation and currency devaluation affect the Confederate war effort?

1. What were the three main components of General Winfield Scott's strategy for winning the war?

2. Why did the Union's initial expectations about the war's duration prove incorrect?

1. What was the significance of the Union's defeat at Bull Run in July 1861?

1. Why did General McClellan's Peninsula Campaign fail, and how did Robert E. Lee contribute to the Union defeat?

1. How did General Lee's tactics at the Second Battle of Bull Run demonstrate his military skill?

1. What advantage did McClellan have at Antietam, and how did he obtain it?

2. Why was Antietam significant despite being essentially a draw on the battlefield?

1. What lesson did the Battle of Fredericksburg teach Union commanders about Civil War tactics?

1. How did the battle between the Monitor and Merrimac affect the Union's blockade strategy and naval warfare?

1. What victories did Ulysses S. Grant achieve in western Tennessee and Mississippi in early 1862?

2. How did Grant's successes in the West complement the Union's overall strategy for controlling the Mississippi River?

1. What was the Trent Affair and why did it threaten to bring Britain into the war on the Confederate side?

2. How did Lincoln's decision to release Mason and Slidell affect Confederate diplomatic efforts?

1. What role did British shipyards play in the Confederate war effort, and what were the long-term consequences?

1. Why did the Confederacy's strategy of using cotton as a diplomatic tool fail to secure European recognition?

2. How did the Emancipation Proclamation and Lee's defeat at Antietam influence Britain's decision not to recognize the Confederacy?

1. What was the strategic importance of Vicksburg, and what did its fall accomplish for the Union?

1. What were Lee's objectives in invading Pennsylvania, and why did the Battle of Gettysburg prevent him from achieving them?

2. How did Gettysburg mark a turning point in the war?

1. What strategy did Grant employ as commander of all Union armies, and how did it differ from previous Union approaches?

2. How did Grant's strategy of attrition transform the nature of the Civil War?

1. What was Sherman's strategy of total war, and what did his troops destroy during the march through Georgia and South Carolina?

2. How did Sherman's march contribute to the Union victory and the Confederacy's collapse?

1. What prevented the Confederacy from negotiating a peace settlement with the Union?

2. How did Grant treat Lee at Appomattox, and what did this reveal about Grant's character?