Unit 5 Debate Topics

Ch. 13

1. Political compromise about the issue of slavery in the territories was dead by 1850. How did the Compromise of 1850 help or hinder sectionalism? What other events were never addressed with this solution? Was this a compromise? 2. The War with Mexico was the major cause of the Civil War. How was the Civil War a fight over expansion? How did the War with Mexico lead to issues of new territories? How did the fight over new territories lead to the Civil War? 3. If Lincoln had not won the election of 1860, there would have been no civil war. How did the South feel cheated in the election? How is the South to blame for losing the election? Would the South have still seceded, even if another leader from the North was selected? 4. The entire political system was rigged against the South. How did Lincoln’s election show that the South could not win? How did the admission of California throw the political power to the North? How could the South have reached out to the West for more support? 5. John Brown was a religious zealot who epitomized the extremes of abolitionists. Why would Brown be considered a martyr, and how would that scare southerners? How did Abolitionists need a martyr? How should the South react to white’s leading slave rebellions?

Ch. 14 6. Slavery was the primary cause of the Civil War. How was expansion about slavery? How was this CW about States’ Rights’ and/or the Constitution? How was the nation “really” divided? 7. The Civil War was inevitable. Could another compromise have stopped this? At what point was it inevitable? Why was it inevitable? 8. Lincoln’s reputation as the Great Emancipator is exaggerated. How was the Emancipation Proclamation not really about freeing slaves? Why does Lincoln deserve credit for freeing the slaves, and ending slavery? What did Lincoln do that showed that he wanted to preserve the union, more? 9. The primary reason that the South fought for so long was due to the North’s inept military leadership. How was McCllelan to blame for many of the Union losses? Why should Lee be given more credit for the Confederate victories in the “Virginia Theater? Why should the South have lost earlier? 10. The South’s centralized government was an inherent contradiction to its own principles. How did the South support States Rights and a strong central government? Why did the South need a strong centralized govt? Why didn’t the South realize the Articles of Confederation were doomed for failure? Ch. 15 11. Reconstruction was a failure. How did the South react to the Rec. Amendments? Why was Reconstruction necessary to the “Union”? How did the “freedmen” feel when Rec. was over? 12. Jim Crow Laws were the logical response to the North’s Reconstruction plans. Since the North imposed its own laws on the South, how else could the South respond? How were Jim Crow laws defeating the North’s Reconstruction plans? Why didn’t the North do more to stop these laws? 13. The “Lost Cause” is more myth than reality. The “Lost Cause” was just that, a good cause, but it happened to lose. True or False and Why? How could the Lost Cause be a Reality? Why did Southerners want to believe in the Lost Cause? 14. The Compromise of 1877 was a positive way to end Reconstruction. How did the North and the South benefit from the end of Rec.? Why did freedmen feel like they got left out of this “compromise”? Who benefitted more from the compromise and how? 15. The Reconstruction Amendments were a success. How are amendments a powerful force for change? How did the South find loopholes around these laws? How do you measure success?