The Civil War

Introduction

Historical Background: The American Civil War (1861 to 1865) sent our country into a national crisis that would devastate the Nation. The Civil War would threaten to break up the United States of America, would lead to over 500,000 American deaths, and destroy through total war the economy of the South. This War was caused by many underlying social, economic, and political factors that would in the end lead to the attack on Fort Sumter in 1861 and the start of the Civil War. The issue of slavery, rise of cotton production in the South, growth of the abolition movement, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, expansion of slavery into the territories, election of President Lincoln in 1860, and the secession of southern states were some of the major issues that would lead to the outbreak of Civil War at Fort Sumter on April 12th, 1861.

Task

Students will:

Accurately research and answer questions about the Causes of the Civil War using an Internet

webquest,
Identify underlying and immediate causes of the American Civil War, and
Use research methods to locate and collect reliable information from print and nonprint sources.
ACT Course Standards - English 11 C.a.
CCRS Writing Standard - Research 7 & 8

Process

Read the questions and go to the website to find the correct answer. Write the answer in the blank provided.

1. Define the following terms:

http://www.yourdictionary.com/underlying

Underlying cause-

http://www.answers.com/topic/immediate-cause

Immediate cause-

2. Why was slavery used in the United States?

http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/history/hs_es_overview.html

3. What was a Cotton Gin, and what effect did it have on slavery in the South?

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/cotton-gin-patent/

4. As our nation expanded during the 1800s, the issue of expanding or limiting slavery in the United States was a key issue. Explain how each of the Compromises listed dealt with the issue of slavery.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/lincolns/politics/es_shift.html

o Missouri Compromise 1820-

o Compromise of 1850-

o The Kansas-Nebraska Act, 1854-

5. What effect did the Dred Scott Supreme Court case have on Dred Scott’s freedom and on the Missouri Compromise?
http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/E/dred_scott/scott03.html

6. What is an Abolitionist?

http://history1800s.about.com/od/1800sglossary/g/abolitdef.htm

7. What was the purpose of the Underground Railroad?

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2944.html

8. Presidential elections can have a great effect on our nation.

http://www.eagleton.rutgers.edu/e-gov/e-politicalarchiveCivilWar1.htm

What party and person won the election of 1860?-

What was the South’s response to the election?-

9. What was the immediate cause of the Civil War?

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm117.html

10. Define the following terms:

http://www.birdseyeviews.org/tr-middle-03.php