PURPOSE: To explore why so many white Northerners supported a war to contain the Slave Power.

TASKS:

I. Drawing on what you have learned from your reading, post two short paragraphs below that respond to the questions and complete the assigned tasks:

A. Which of the following was the most important reason Americans in the northern and western states opposed the expansion of slavery? Did they think slavery:

1. Was wrong?
2. Threatened their economic interests?
3. Threatened their political interests?
4. Worsened their quality of life?
5. None of the above

Defend your choice. How and in what way òongàWhich interests were threatened? Which freedoms? How was the quality of life worsened?

B. In your opinion, which of the following events was the most decisive cause of the Civil War? (Hint: The prevention or non-occurrence of which of them would have done the most to make the Civil War less likely?)  

1. Mexican War of 1845-1848
2. Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
3. Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
4. Dred Scott Decision of 1858
5. John Brown’s Raid in 1859
6. Election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860

Defend your choice: why did you choose that event? How did it contribute to the coming of the Civil War?

II. Like the post of another member of your group and post a description of what you liked about it.