Border states (American Civil War)

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/border-states-american-civil-war

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the number of border states?Initially four (DE, MD, KY, MO), later five with West Virginia (1863)
2. What is the emancipation proclamation status?Excluded from the 1863 proclamation as they were not in rebellion
3. What were the border states in the Civil War?Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and West Virginia were the border states. They were between the North and South and had slave populations.
4. Why were the border states so important during the war?They were close to the North and South and had many slaves, so controlling them helped the Union keep the war balanced. Their rivers and roads were also key for moving troops and supplies.

Border South: An alternative term for the border states during the American Civil War.
Upper South: The region of slave states north of the Deep South, including the border states.
Secession: The formal withdrawal of states from the Union, leading to the formation of the Confederacy.
Unionist Faction: Groups within border states that supported remaining part of the United States.