Unit 1 Essay: The Politics of Slavery

In order to complete this project you must write an essay on the following topic:

 The Politics of Slavery

The historian Shelby Foote once commented that the primary cause of the Civil War was that Americans lost their ability to compromise in the three decades preceding the war. Open the attached document, The Politics of Slavery Timeline, which identifies 8 events beginning in the 1830's that center around the politics of slavery. After looking at these events, pick three events from the list and using these events write a 5 paragraph essay of 600 words or more that explains how the lack of compromise between pro and anti-slavery forces in the years between 1830-1860 led to the Civil War.

 Attachments:  Politics of Slavery Timeline.doc

The Last Moments of John Brown, oil on canvas by Thomas Hovenden, 1882-1884