Name _____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________
The Civil War
Section 2
MAIN IDEAS
1. Union and Confederate forces fought for control of the war in Virginia.
2. The Battle of Antietam gave the North a slight advantage.
3. The Confederacy attempted to break the Union naval blockade.
Key Terms and People
Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson Confederate general who helped fight Union troops
at the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run battle near Manassas Junction, Virginia, in 1861
George B. McClellan general sent by President Lincoln to capture Richmond
Robert E. Lee Confederate general during many important battles of the Civil War
Seven Days’ Battles series of battles that forced McClellan to retreat from near
Richmond
Second Battle of Bull Run Confederate attack that helped push Union forces out of
Virginia
Battle of Antietam battle in Maryland that resulted in Lee’s retreat to Virginia
ironclads ships that were heavily armored with iron
Academic Vocabulary
innovation a new idea or way of doing something
Section Summary
WAR IN VIRGINIA
In July 1861, the Union and Confederate armies
clashed near Manassas Junction, Virginia, along
Bull Run Creek. At first the Union soldiers, under
General Irvin McDowell, pushed back the left side
of the Confederate line. Then Southern troops,
inspired by General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson,
fought back. With reinforcements arriving, the
Confederate troops drove the Union army back. This
conflict, called the First Battle of Bull Run,
showed that the war would not be an easy victory for
the Union.
What did the First Battle of
Bull Run show?
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Guided Reading Workbook
Name _____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________
Section 2, continued
After the failed attempt to take Richmond,
Lincoln tried again. This time he sent new
commander General George B. McClellan. In the
spring of 1862, McClellan led 100,000 soldiers on a
slow march to Richmond.
Then, in June, General Robert E. Lee took
command of the Confederate forces. On June 26 the
two armies met in the Seven Days’ Battles. These
battles pushed McClellan away from Richmond.
During the Second Battle of Bull Run, Jackson’s
troops defeated another Union army before it could
march directly on Richmond.
Underline all the Civil War
battles identified on this
page.
BATTLE OF ANTIETAM
A copy of Lee’s battle strategy left behind led to the
next major battle of the Civil War. The Union
discovered the Confederates were going to attack
Harpers Ferry. McClellan sent his troops to stop
them. The Battle of Antietam took place on
September 17, 1862. It halted Lee’s northward
march. Despite this success the battle was the
bloodiest of the Civil War and of United States
history.
BREAKING THE UNION’S BLOCKADE
Despite the distance it had to control, the Union
blockade of Southern ports was very effective. It
reduced the number of ships entering southern ports
from 6,000 to 800 per year. Even though both sides
had the innovation of ironclads, the Union
continued the blockade unbroken.
Circle the sentence that
supports the statement that
the Union blockade of
Southern ports was very
effective.
CHALLENGE ACTIVITY
Critical Thinking: Explain How was a mistake
responsible for the Battle of Antietam?
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Guided Reading Workbook
Name _____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________
Section 2, continued
Battle of Antietam
Seven Days’ Battles
ironclads
Robert E. Lee
George B. McClellan
First Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run
Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
DIRECTIONS Use five of the vocabulary words from the word list to
write a letter that relates to the section.
Dear _________________________ ,
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____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
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DIRECTIONS On the line provided before each statement, write T if a
statement is true and F if a statement is false. If the statement is false,
write the correct term on the line after each sentence that makes the
sentence a true statement.
_____ 1. Abraham Lincoln had asked George B. McClellan to lead the Union army,
but he declined and resigned his commission to become a general in the
Confederate army.
___________________________________________________________
_____ 2. The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single-day battle of the Civil
War, with a total of more than 25,000 casualties.
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_____ 3. The North’s hopes of winning the war quickly and easily were crushed
when the Union army was defeated at the Second Battle of Bull Run.
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_____ 4. General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson led Confederate troops to victory
during the First Battle of Bull Run.
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