Which Side Did German Immigrants Tend to Support During the Civil

question 10

Multiple Choice

Which side did German immigrants tend to support during the Civil War and why?

• A) They tended to support the Confederacy because they were eager to join the effort to take control of the federal arsenal and punish the Union for all the discrimination they had experienced.
• B) They were usually drawn to the Confederacy because they tended to have prior sailing experience from their time in Europe, and the Confederacy was known for its dominant warships.
• C) They most often supported the Confederacy because although the international slave trade had ceased years ago in the United States, it had continued full-force in the German states.
• D) They overwhelmingly supported the Union because the Confederacy reminded them of the suppression of democracy experienced in the German states from which they had fled.
• E) They typically supported the Union because there were barely any other immigrant groups who participated in the Union army and, thus, they avoided clashing with other groups.

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Definitions:

Northwest Passage

A sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic Ocean, sought by explorers for centuries as a potential trade route.

French Explorations

The overseas exploration by France, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries, primarily focused on North America and parts of the Caribbean and South America.

New World

A term used to describe the Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, discovered by European explorers during the Age of Discovery, contrasting with the Old World of Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Permanent European Settlement

The establishment of enduring communities in the Americas, Australia, and other parts of the world by European explorers and colonists starting in the late 15th century.