To explain the causes of the Civil War by considering broader political, social, and economic developments.
In four to no more than six double-spaced pages, write a carefully written and organized essay that uses the assigned readings, links, handouts ONLY to explain the causes for the Civil War by tracing the reasons for escalating regional tensions over time with attention to chronology. Consider the following concurrent developments in your answer:
Economic: Explain how industrial capitalism was a precondition for regional discord, and trace the broad economic changes that created conditions for rising geographic, ethnic, and racial tensions.
Political: Trace and analyze the conflicting political philosophies of Whigs and Democrats, with attention to how the question of slavery contributed to the end of the Whig Party and set the stage for the emergence of the Republican Party.
Social: Explain the significance of religion and the role of white women and free blacks in the origin and expansion of the abolition movement.
Your essay should be organized chronologically, not thematically, by tracing developments from 1820 to 1864. You should attempt to demonstrate an understanding of the connections between economic, political, and social developments. You should attend to transitions between sentences and paragraphs in order to construct a coherent explanation of the causes of the Civil War.