Causes of the Civil War

Discussion & Essay Questions

Which effect of the American Revolution most threatened North-South relations?
- Westward migration?
- The ideological example set for slaves and free blacks?
- Slave rebellions?
Do the Constitutional compromises over slavery seem balanced—that is, were the interests of both regions reasonably protected?
Which of these compromises would you expect to be most controversial: the fugitive slave provision, the three-fifths compromise, or the agreement to delay any ban on the slave trade?
Why do you suppose there was no serious attempt to abolish slavery at this founding moment?
Were convention delegates only inhibited by South Carolina’s threat?
- Do you think South Carolina really would have bolted from the new nation if it did not win the concessions it sought?
- Could South Carolina have been bluffing—and if so, why do you suppose no one called South Carolina’s bluff?