Final answer:
The correct answer to the student's question is c) The Confederate army launched a successful surprise attack resulting in their victory at the First Battle of Bull Run. This battle demonstrated that the war would be neither brief nor easy and it led President Lincoln to search for more suitable generals for the Union.
Step-by-step explanation:
The First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas Junction)
At the First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas, which took place on July 21, 1861, the Confederate army launched a successful surprise attack, resulting in a significant victory against the Union forces. The battle occurred in Prince William County, Virginia, near Manassas, and was the first major battle of the American Civil War.
It involved approximately 60,000 troops, with each side sending eighteen thousand into battle. Despite initial faith in a Union victory, the Confederate forces, commanded by Brigadier Generals P.G.T. Beauregard and Joseph E. Johnston, triumphed.
Many Northerners, including those of high society and politics, had come to watch the battle, thinking it would mark a swift end to the secessionist rebellion with a Union victory. However, the Confederate success sent the Union soldiers and the spectators rushing back in retreat.
This major defeat for the Union shattered the North's morale and dispelled the notion that the war would be brief and inevitable in their favor. It also heightened calls for the war to offer emancipation as a primary aim, solidifying the struggle not just as a fight for unity, but also as a moral campaign against slavery.
In the aftermath of the battle, President Lincoln began the search for capable generals to lead the Union army to victory while the Confederacy was buoyed by its success, despite internal command disputes. This engagement vividly demonstrated to both sides that the war would not be quick or easy, setting the stage for a drawn-out conflict.