Gettysburg Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. A historian describes a major Confederate infantry attack on July 3 that crossed open ground toward the Union center on Cemetery Ridge. Which action is being described?
Pickett’s Charge
The Wheatfield assault
The defense of Culp’s Hill
The cavalry fight at East Cavalry Field
2. When did the Battle of Gettysburg take place?
September 17–19, 1862
July 1–3, 1863
May 1–3, 1863
November 19–21, 1863
3. Which commanders led the principal opposing armies at Gettysburg?
Ulysses S. Grant for the Union and Joseph E. Johnston for the Confederacy
George G. Meade for the Union and Robert E. Lee for the Confederacy
George B. McClellan for the Union and Thomas Jackson for the Confederacy
William T. Sherman for the Union and James Longstreet for the Confederacy
4. Why were Confederate troops advancing toward Cemetery Ridge on July 3 especially exposed?
They had to cross a deep river while under naval fire
They advanced through dense forest that prevented units from seeing one another
They were trapped inside Gettysburg’s buildings with no route toward Union lines
They crossed a long stretch of relatively open ground under Union artillery and rifle fire
5. Which pairing is most closely associated with the Union defense of Little Round Top?
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the 20th Maine Infantry
J. E. B. Stuart and the Confederate cavalry
George Pickett and the Virginia divisions
John Buford and the 1st Minnesota Infantry
6. Why was Cemetery Hill tactically important to the Union position?
It concealed the entire Union army from Confederate observation
It contained the railroad junction supplying both armies
It offered the only source of drinking water near Gettysburg
Its elevation commanded approaches and helped anchor the Union defensive line
7. What was the immediate operational outcome after the fighting ended on July 3?
Lee’s army withdrew from Gettysburg and retreated toward Virginia
Meade surrendered the Army of the Potomac to Lee
The Confederate Army occupied Philadelphia
Both armies remained at Gettysburg until the war ended
8. Lincoln opened the Gettysburg Address with “Four score and seven years ago.” From 1863, this points back to which year and event?
1787 and the signing of the United States Constitution
1812 and the beginning of the War of 1812
1776 and the Declaration of Independence
1820 and the Missouri Compromise
9. Which statement best captures the central argument of the Gettysburg Address?
The battle proved that military leaders should replace elected officials during war
The cemetery alone completed the nation’s obligation to those who died
The living should honor the dead by renewing the nation’s commitment to liberty, equality, and self-government
The conflict mattered chiefly because Gettysburg was an economically important town
10. Which broader military situation brought the opposing armies into Pennsylvania before Gettysburg?
The Union Army was invading Virginia after capturing Richmond
Robert E. Lee’s second invasion of the North brought his army into Pennsylvania
Both armies had been assigned to defend the Pennsylvania capital together
The Confederate Army was retreating from a Union invasion of North Carolina
11. At what kind of event did Abraham Lincoln deliver the Gettysburg Address?
A ceremony celebrating the surrender of the Confederate government
A military conference planning the Battle of Gettysburg
A campaign rally announcing his first presidential candidacy
The dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg
12. On July 1, Union cavalry fought dismounted northwest of Gettysburg while awaiting infantry support. What was this action mainly intended to accomplish?
Capture the Confederate supply base before nightfall
Open a direct route for an immediate Union advance into Virginia
Delay the Confederate advance and preserve useful defensive ground
Draw Union forces away from the hills south of town
13. A battlefield account mentions fighting among large boulders below Little Round Top. Which location does it most likely describe?
Cemetery Hill
Devil’s Den
East Cavalry Field
Seminary Ridge
14. Gettysburg was not originally selected by both armies as a planned battlefield. Why did the town’s road network still matter?
It allowed warships to supply the armies from the Chesapeake Bay
It formed an impassable barrier that stopped movement through southern Pennsylvania
It provided the only paved road between Washington and Richmond
Several roads converged there, helping draw scattered forces toward the same area
15. Which assessment best reflects Gettysburg’s military significance?
The Union defeat left Washington permanently exposed to Confederate occupation
The battle destroyed every major Confederate army and ended the war immediately
The Confederate defeat weakened Lee’s Pennsylvania campaign, but the Civil War continued for nearly two more years
The battle transferred control of the Mississippi River directly to Lee’s army
16. What familiar shape is commonly used to describe the Union defensive line at Gettysburg?
A fishhook
A full circle
A three-pronged fork
A straight east–west wall