HISET Social Studies Practice

Which states were involved in the Civil War?

1. The United States of America and Canada.

2. The Union and the Confederate States of America.

3. Only the Southern states that remained loyal to the Union.

4. The Northern and Southern territories exclusively.

The correct answer is: The Union and the Confederate States of America.

The correct answer is about the Union and the Confederate States of America because these two groups were the principal parties in the Civil War. The Union represented the Northern states that were loyal to the federal government, while the Confederate States were made up of the Southern states that seceded from the Union. This division was a direct result of differing views on issues such as slavery, states’ rights, and economic interests. Other choices do not accurately represent the states involved in the Civil War. For instance, while The United States of America and Canada are mentioned, Canada did not participate in the conflict as it was a British colony at the time. The Civil War was strictly a conflict within the United States, between its states. Additionally, the notion of only the Southern states that remained loyal to the Union overlooks the fact that the Southern states were primarily divided into those that seceded and those that did not; some adjacent areas were indeed Union loyalists, but the term "Southern states" does not accurately reflect the full scope of the Union's involvement. Lastly, saying only the Northern and Southern territories excludes significant complexities and nuances, such as border states and their roles, which were also crucial to the war's unfolding.