Question 1
Read the following passage, and answer the question:
"Not only was training to be a soldier a somewhat intimidating task, understanding how to use and fight with changing weaponry proved to be challenging as well. Casualties in the Civil War often occurred at such a high rate because of three reasons: changing weaponry without changing tactics, disease and infection. Before the Civil War, men had fought for years following traditional military tactics. With the change in weaponry, and thereby increased range and accuracy of rifles and bullets (increasing their accuracy by as much as 5 times), the number of casualties during the Civil War soared."
What was the main reason there were so many casualties in the Civil War?
Question 1 options:
changing war tactics
disease
infection
all of the above
Question 2
Read the following passage and then answer the question:
"The invention of the telegraph also drastically changed the way battles were fought. During the Civil War, approximately 15,000 miles of telegraph cable were laid solely for military purposes. Generals could report and receive information from the battlefield faster than ever before. Lincoln frequently would go to the telegraph office in the War Department to stay up-to-date on the most recent battle news. The telegraph also allowed for newspaper reports of battles to be more timely and accurate.
Other Civil War innovations included the concept of aerial reconnaissance and advancements for naval warfare. Both sides used hot air balloons in order to see the opponent’s movements and make adjustments to their own artillery and battle plans. The Civil War was the first war where ‘ironclads’ or ships that added an iron plating to the exterior of the ships were used. Lastly, naval mines were developed by the Confederates to counterattack the Union blockade of Confederate ports. Confederate troops also used torpedoes to fight against the Union navy and destroyed 40 Union ships."
True or False: Aerial reconnaissance was used for the first time in battle during the Civil War.
Question 2 options:
True
False
Question 3
Read the following passage, and answer the question:
"By today’s standards, the medical practices used during the Civil War would be considered archaic, filthy, and downright disgusting. Compared to today’s standards of cleanliness and technology, that may be true. But given the knowledge of the time period, the doctors and surgeons were actually very informed and were using up-to-date techniques. At the time, Civil War doctors had little concept of germs or sanitation. In fact, during this time period, many people believed that diseases spread through “bad air”. Many surgeons were known to go from patient to patient while wiping surgical tools on an apron or nearby rag, but never fully sanitizing them."
During the time of the Civil War, most people believed that diseases were spread through what?
Question 3 options:
bad air
improper handwashing
bad or moldy food
because of a bad deed you may have done
Question 4
Read the following passage, and answer the question:
"Because of these practices, many wounds that are not considered life-threatening today, would have been mortal injuries. A hit in the stomach was almost always fatal as infection would spread through the body. Additionally, with the size and velocity of a lead bullet (up to ¾ ounce of lead traveling at 800-900 feet per second), bones would almost certainly crush and shatter. When a soldier was hit, the new system of ambulance, at this time a wagon that would move injured men from the battlefield, and triage would have been utilized to transport the wounded and assess who was in the direst need for attention. An injury by a lead bullet was almost always resolved by amputation. Surgeons were aware that infections would be fatal, and that lead spread throughout the body in addition to dirt and other grime in wounds would lead to infection. Therefore, they were quick to amputate as a way to prevent infection and increase blood flow to the area left intact."
Most bullet wounds were:
Question 4 options:
fixed on the battle field
fixed in surgery
amputated to avoid infection
tended to in a state of the art hospital