Lesson Plans -- Student

• Identify the source of conflict.
• Discuss and evaluate each side's arguments.
• Discuss two specific acts of legislation concerning the conflict between the two groups.
• Show how this conflict led to the Civil War.

Sec. 8. And be it further enacted. That in all that territory ceded by France to the United States, under the name of Louisiana, which lies north of thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes north latitude, not included within the limits of the state, contemplated by this act, slavery and in-voluntary servitude is hereby, for-ever prohibited.

Missouri Compromise, 1820

...Except the eighth section of the act preparatory to the admission of Missouri into the Union which, being inconsistent with the principle of non-intervention by Congress with slaves in the States and Territories is hereby declared inoperative and void; it being the true intent and meaning of this act not to legislate slavery into any Territory or State nor to exclude it therefrom, but to leave the people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way.

Kansas Nebraska Act, 1854

Document 3



Buy me! oh! Buy me, Master Leavingston.

This excitement has been occasioned by the rash and reckless measures and proceedings of the abolitionists of the Middle and Northern States. We believe that these proceedings will result in no good, but much evil; that their direct and obvious tendency is to agitate and alarm the people of the slave States; endanger their peace and security, if not expose them to the evils and horrors of insurrection, massacre and servile war

And furthermore, we believe, and declare, that the conduct of the Abolitionists, in distributing their incendiary publications in the slave holding States, in violation of their laws and in contravention of the spirit of the constitution of the United States, which guarantees to each State the exclusive regulation of all local interests, including that of master and slave

The Declaration of the Citizens of Hartford, 1835

Document 5

And concurrent with the establishment of these principles, was the fact that each Colony became and was recognized by the mother Country a FREE, SOVEREIGN AND INDEPENDENT STATE.
Thus was established, by compact between the States, a Government with definite objects and power, limited to the express words of the grant.
We maintain that in every compact between two or more parties, the obligation is mutual;
But an increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery, has led to a disregard of their obligations,
Thus the constituted compact has been deliberately broken and disregarded by the non-slaveholding States, and the consequence follows that South Carolina is released from her obligation.

Declarations of Causes of Seceding States, South Carolina, 1860

• Identify the source of conflict.
• Discuss and evaluate each side's arguments.
• Discuss two specific acts of legislation concerning the conflict between the two groups.
• Show how this conflict led to the Civil War.

• Address all aspects of the Task by accurately analyzing and interpreting at least four documents.
• Incorporate information from the documents in the body of the essay.
• Incorporate relevant outside information.
• Support the theme with relevant facts, examples, and details.
• Use a logical and clear plan of organization.
• Introduce the theme by establishing a framework that is beyond a simple restatement of the Task or Historical Context and conclude with a summation of the theme.
  
  
  
  Grading Rubric
  
  Part A: Documents 1-7
  
  Document 1: Missouri Compromise
  
  Question 1: According to the document, what did the Missouri Compromise do? [1]
  
  1 point: Answer states that it prohibited slavery north of 36o 30 in territories.
  0 points: No answer, blank, incoherent, scribbling.
  
  
  Document 2: Kansas-Nebraska Act
  
  Question 2: According to this passage, what effect did the Kansas-Nebraska have? [2]
  
  2 points: Answer includes both the fact that slavery was now allowed in all territories, and allowed the people to choose if their state was to be free or slave. In the best of answers, a student would be able to answer that it voided the Missouri Compromise (the Missouri compromise being the first document), but since the term Missouri Compromise isnt explicitly mentioned, this is not required.
  1 point: Answer includes either the fact that slavery was now allowed in all territories or it allowed the people to choose if they wanted slavery, but not both.
  0 points: No answer, blank, incoherent, scribbling.
  
  
  Document 3: Buy Me! Oh! Buy Me, Master Leavingston!
  
  Question 3: What does the illustration imply about slavery? [2]
  
  2 points: Answer states that image shows that slaves wanted to be slaves.
  1 point: Answer states that slaves want to be bought, or bought by Mr. Leavingston.
  0 points: No answer, blank, incoherent, scribbling.
  
  
  Document 4: The Declaration of the Citizens of Hartford
  
  Question 4: According to the Declaration of the Citizens of Hartford, what do the abolitionists endanger? [1]
  
  1 point: Answer includes any or all of the following: the people of the slave States; their peace and security; or that abolitionists expose them to the evils and horrors of insurrection, massacre, and servile war. However, answer must include that the their and them refer to the Southern States.
  0 points: No answer, blank, incoherent, no connection to the Southern States.
  
  Question 5: What do the authors of this document believe the abolitionists are in violation of? [1]
  
  1 point: Answer includes either laws or contravention of the spirit of the Constitution.
  0 points: No answer, blank, incoherent, scribbling, that the abolitionists are in violation of distributing their publications, etc.
  
  
  Document 5: OUTRAGE
  
  Question 6: In this public notice, what action are the people called to do? [1]
  
  1 point: Answer must include to put down, stop, or end an abolitionist meeting.
  0 points: No answer, blank, incoherent, scribbling, no connection to stopping the abolitionists, or believing the message is telling the people to become abolitionists.
  
  Question 7: What does the notice want to be protected? [1]
  
  1 point: Answer includes rights of the states, or states rights. Will also accept the Union.
  0 points: No answer, blank, incoherent, scribbling, abolitionists.
  
  
  Document 6: John Brown's Body
  
  Question 8: According to the song, why was John Brown hung? [1]
  
  1 point: Answer includes either his raid on Harpers Ferry or being a traitor.
  0 points: No answer, blank, incoherent, scribbling, for frightening Old Virginny.
  
  
  Document 7: Declarations of Causes of Seceding States, South Carolina
  
  Question 9: What was the government established by, according to the document? [1]
  
  1 point: Answer includes compact between the States or independent states.
  0 points: No answer, blank, incoherent, scribbling,
  
  Question 10: Why did South Carolina consider itself released from its obligation to the other states? [1]
  
  1 point: Answer includes any of the following: increasing hostility on part of non-slaveholding states; the compact between states had been broken; non-slaving states had disregarded their obligations.
  0 points: No answer, blank, incoherent, scribbling, gives no reason such as, every compact between two or more parties has mutual obligation.
  
  
  Part B: Essay
  
  5: Uses four or more documents as specified, interpreting and applying them correctly. Brings in outside information. Answer has a clear theme that is supported by a well-constructed essay. Contains few or no errors.
  
  4: Uses four or more documents as specified, interpreting and applying them correctly. Brings in outside information. Answer has a discernable theme that is supported in a well-constructed essay. Contains some errors.
  
  3: Uses four documents and little or no outside information. Theme lacks definition, and the essay is somewhat vague, lacking clear construction, and contains errors.
  
  2: Does not use four documents or uses them incorrectly. Contains little to no outside information. Does not contain a theme, but rather presents information without drawing conclusions. Essay is poorly constructed, and contains errors.
  
  1: Does not use four documents, uses them incorrectly, contains no outside information. Essay has no theme and is poorly constructed. Contains many errors.
  
  0: No answer, blank, incoherent, scribbling, pictures, etc.
  
  Reflections on the Documents
  by David Garbowski
  
  Document 1: Missouri Compromise of 1820
  http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=22
  
  A legislative measure taken by the United States Government in 1820 that prohibited the extension of slavery in the Louisiana Purchase, north of the 36o 30' line. The purpose of this document is to get the student thinking about compromise and conflict in antebellum America, as well as to provide a source for one of the tasks in Part B. This document was selected because it is an early indicator of the conflict between the North and the South, and it was one of the compromise measures taken by the Government in order to mediate the debate concerning the expansion of slavery, and can thus be used in the essay in Part B.
  
  Document 2: Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
  http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/kanneb.htm
  
  This was the law authorizing the creation of Kansas and Nebraska, west of the states of Missouri and Iowa, and divided by the 40th parallel. It repealed a provision of the Missouri Compromise (1820) that had prohibited slavery in the territories north of 36o 30', and stipulated that the inhabitants of the territories should decide for themselves the legality of slaveholding. The purpose of this document is to show the deteriorating relationship between the North and South as the Civil War approached. This document was selected because of its relation to the first document (the Missouri Compromise), and with it, a student should be able begin forming ideas and use the document in Part B.
  
  Document 3: Buy Me! Oh! Buy Me, Master Leavingston!
  http://www.iath.virginia.edu/utc/proslav/gallfrnkfrf.html
  
  This image is taken from a white, pro-slavery novel and shows a slave kneeling down before a white man called Mr. Leavingston and begging to be bought. The purpose of this document was to provide a student with an example of how southerners perceived the slave as wanting to be enslaved. This document was chosen because the first two were text documents with questions that tested the students ability for reading comprehension. The image will test the students ability to read other forms of text, and keep the student moving through the documents. Too much reading could be cumbersome and time-consuming. This helps to move the student along.
  
  Document 4: The Declaration of the Citizens of Hartford, 1835
  http://www.osv.org/education/docs/antislavery/hartford.htm
  
  Many Northerners saw abolitionists as dangerous radicals who, by attacking the South, threatened the unity of the nation under the Constitution, challenged the racial superiority of white people, and endangered Americas commercial prosperity based on Northern manufacturing and Southern cotton. The purpose of this document is to provide the student with an example of Northern resistance to abolition. This document can be used by a student to support an essay in Part B that argues the conflict between the North and the South from a pro-South perspective, or discusses factors other than slavery, such as industry or states rights.
  
  Document 5: OUTRAGE
  http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/images/outrage.jpg
  
  This notice again demonstrates that abolition was not a majority movement (though this document does not specify if it refers to a location in the North or the South). The purpose of this document is to get the student thinking about the use of violence in the conflict between North and South: that is, whether violence was necessary. This document was selected because it advocates resolution by peaceful means, and could be used in the essay in Part B.
  
  Document 6: John Brown's Body
  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/brown/sfeature/song.html
  
  This song was originally used to tease a Scotsman in the Union army that shared the name with the famous abolitionist. However, Julia Ward Howe happened to hear soldiers singing it during a trip to Washington in the autumn of 1861 and wrote this version. It was soon after published in the Atlantic Monthly as the Battle Hymn of the Republic. The purpose of this document was again to test the students ability to read other forms of historical documents and interpret their meanings. This document was selected because it raises the issue of John Brown, his raid on Harpers Ferry, and abolition. It could be used with previous documents to support a pro-North or pro-South argument, as well as to demonstrate escalating violence between the two sections leading up to the Civil War.
  
  Document 7: Declarations of the Causes of Seceding States, South Carolina, 1860
  http://sunsite.utk.edu/civil-war/reasons.html
  
  This document is exactly what the title suggests, and that is a declaration by the seceding states, in this case South Carolina, that addresses their reasons for leaving the Union. The purpose of this document is to provide the student with a states rights argument. This document was selected because it is a clear example of the Souths argument of states rights, and the Souths perception of Northern aggression. Furthermore, it is a culmination of the conflict between the North and South before the Civil War. A student should be able to tie this to the other documents, as well as use it to show how conflict led to the Civil War.