Download and print this free American Civil War word search — 15 hidden words from the SECESSION crisis to the turning point at GETTYSBURG. It’s a free PDF with the answer key included, sized for standard printer paper and ready for unit starters, sub plans, or homework the week you cover LINCOLN and the fight over SLAVERY.
The word list runs easy-to-medium: UNION, GRANT and LEE give younger solvers quick wins, while CONFEDERACY, EMANCIPATION and RECONSTRUCTION stretch vocabulary further. It works from about grade 6 up, and pairs nicely with a timeline activity tracing SECESSION through to RECONSTRUCTION.
The 15 Words in This Puzzle
Every word runs through the war years: the ABOLITION movement pushing to end SLAVERY, the UNION and CONFEDERACY meeting in BATTLES like GETTYSBURG, and INFANTRY regiments led by men like GRANT and LEE. Here’s the full word bank you’ll be hunting for:
- ABOLITION
- BATTLES
- CONFEDERACY
- EMANCIPATION
- GETTYSBURG
- GRANT
- INFANTRY
- LEE
- LINCOLN
- RECONSTRUCTION
- SECESSION
- SLAVERY
- UNION
- YANKEE
- YORKTOWN