History 131 Assignment
The Civil War is arguably the most momentous event in the nineteenth century for America, but it is still debated by historians today as to what caused the Civil War. At a very simple level the war was caused by slavery, and thus the war was fought to end slavery (for the North) or to preserve slavery (for the South). But such an explanation is too simple, for while slavery was part of the reason for the war, there were many other issues between North and South which contributed to the outbreak of war. The debate over slavery was not simply about a concern for the slaves (a moral or humanitarian issue) but was also very much a debate about differing cultures, about politics and power, and about the economy. In fact at times the concern for the slave in the debate is often secondary or even non-existent.
The objective of your essay is to examine contemporary accounts and decide what were the issues and concerns on both sides which contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. For the essay you must use ALL of the following sources in the writing of the paper; that is, each source must have a reference (footnote or endnote) in the essay. The final essay will also require a bibliography of the sources used in the paper. Both the bibliography and the references must use the correct format as outlined in the History Department style guide. No other sources than those linked below are to be used for the essay.
The Albany Evening Journal (October 19, 1859)
The Albany Evening Journal (October 20, 1859)
The Daily Courant (May 24, 1854)
The Daily Picayune (November 4, 1860)
The Mobile Register (December 2, 1859)
The Nashville Union (October 21, 1859)
The New York Tribune (January 6, 1854)
The South Carolina Mercury (January 23, 1854)
The Yorkville Enquirer (October 27, 1859)