A Level History - America - Practice Exam

Which event is considered a significant trigger for the Civil War?

1. The election of Abraham Lincoln

2. The signing of the Emancipation Proclamation

3. The Kansas-Nebraska Act

4. The Dred Scott Decision

The correct answer is: The election of Abraham Lincoln

The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 is widely considered a significant trigger for the Civil War because it highlighted the deep divisions within the United States regarding slavery. Lincoln's opposition to the expansion of slavery into the territories was met with fierce resistance from Southern states, who viewed his election as a direct threat to their way of life and economy, which relied heavily on slave labor. His victory, without carrying a single Southern state, led to immediate secession by several Southern states, forming the Confederacy and setting the stage for the impending conflict. The other events mentioned also contributed to the tensions leading up to the Civil War: the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation sought to free slaves in the Confederate states but came after the war had started, while the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dred Scott Decision further inflamed sectional conflict, but Lincoln's election is often pinpointed as the immediate catalyst that triggered the secession and ultimately the Civil War.