Politics of the U. S. Civil War #1 Quiz

Answer: John Slidell and James Mason

The arrest of Mason and Slidell caused much anger in Great Britain. John Surratt was implicated in, though never convicted of Lincoln's assassination. Lowell Mason was a composer of hymns. John Sutter was influential in the American settlement of California. Stephen Mason was a Senator from Virginia in the early 19th century.

Answer: Lord Lyons

The US lost face by giving up the Commissioners but clearly the alternative was unacceptable. Lyons worked with the administration to resolve the matter. Earl Russell was the British Foreign Minister who demanded an apology from Lincoln. Mathew Lyon was a Congressman from Vermont during the administration of John Adams.

Answer: Johnson Resolution

These resolutions fit well with Lincoln's initial idea of fighting not against slavery, but for the Union. As the war progressed poorly for the Union, however, some radicals in Congress, who were bent on punishing the south, succeed in pushing Lincoln toward emancipation.

Answer: Secretary of the Interior

A western lawyer, in 1863 Usher replaced Caleb Smith in what at the time was a less than demanding office.

Answer: Thaddeus Stevens

A committed abolitionist, Stevens played an active role in both passage of the Reconstruction Acts and the impeachment of Andrew Johnson. Ben Wade and Charles Sumner were both Radical Republican Senators. Simeon Cameron was Lincoln's first Secretary of War. He was also from Pennsylvania and was in fact a rival of Stevens.

Answer: Suspended the writ of habeas corpus

The Constitution requires that people arrested or detained be charged with a crime and told what that charge was, except in cases of invasion or rebellion. Lincoln declared the South was in rebellion, so he suspended habeas corpus as a measure to arrest Southern sympathizers. Davis also suspended habeas corpus and declared martial law, yet used the power sparingly.

In 1862 criticism of Davis began mounting over his loyalty to the Secretary of War whom the public blamed for loss of Roanoke Island. Davis obstinately clung to his Secrtetary and used martial law to jail critics of his administration.

Answer: S. C. Pomeroy

Chase was a rival of Lincoln's going back to the 1860 Republican convention. Once in the Treasury, Chase worked hard to secure the nomination. Pomeroy thought this would be a good way to circulate Chase's views. He went too far, however, and Chase was forced to disavow the circular and submitted his resignation to Lincoln, who shrewdly did not accept.

Answer: Confiscation Act

The Confiscation Act (and the second in 1862) was an attempt by the Radical Republicans to inflict some punishment on the South. By declaring that the South would have to pay the price for the war, they were setting the stage for the harsh Reconstruction that followed the fighting.

Answer: Schuyler Colfax

Colfax, from Indiana, later became Grant's Vice-President.

Answer: William Seward

Strangely, the Lincolns went through fourteen people before finding Henry Rathbone and his fiance to join them. Seward was not asked, as he was incapacitated due to a carriage accident. As a result of Booth's conspiracy, Seward was, nonetheless, attacked by Booth's accomplice Lewis Powell.