For full instructions, see the Primary Source Assignment page in the Course Orientation module.
Essay Prompt:
The secession crisis and Civil War are often considered to be a “second American Revolution” by historians to
describe the level of internal restructuring of this era. Consider the conditions pre- and post-Civil War and
evaluate their similarities and differences. Then, read the following three documents: “The Lincoln-Douglas
Debates (1858),” “South Carolina Ordinance of Secession (1860),” and Alexander H. Stephens’ “The
Cornerstone of the Confederacy (1861).” Using TWO of the documents that you have read (you may choose
any 2), answer the following questions: What role did slavery play in the Southern states? How did slavery
effect their interpretation of the role of government? How did they justify the necessity of the continuation of
slavery?
