The affix ante- means "before." Based on this knowledge and the meaning of the root belli, when was the Antebellum period in American history?

after the Great Depression
after the Great Depression

before the Liberty Bell
before the Liberty Bell

after World War I
after World War I

before the Civil War

before the Civil War

The affix ante- means "before." The root belli refers to war. Therefore, the Antebellum period in American history refers to the time before the Civil War.

To determine when the Antebellum period in American history was, we need to understand the meaning of the root word "belli" and the affix "ante-."

The root word "belli" refers to war. This can be inferred from the word "Antebellum" itself, which comes from Latin. "Ante-" is a prefix meaning "before" or "prior to."

Given this information, the Antebellum period refers to the time before the Civil War in American history since "belli" refers to war and "ante-" means "before."

Therefore, the correct option is: before the Civil War.