Explain the origins of the Civil War, beginning with the Missouri Compromise and ending with the opening of hostilities. What were the significant events that led to disunion? What events do you see as decisive? Did secession mean war? Be as specific and detailed as possible.
Discuss what chance the Confederacy had at winning the war. Was it ever actually possible? What were the relative strengths and weaknesses of both the Union and Confederate Armies. What made a Union victory eventually inevitable?
3. Analyze the description of Reconstruction as “the most disgraceful period in American history.” Is this description accurate? Discuss the events of Reconstruction and their impact on American society. How effective was it in reshaping the South or the United States? How and why did it end? Was it truly a “disgraceful” period in American history? Why or why not.
4. Discuss the period known as “The Gilded Age.” Discuss the factors that made it “gilded” instead of truly “golden.” What technological and business innovations drove the period, and what problems manifested themselves because of them? What was the role of the “Robber Barons”? Who were they, and how did they shape the era? How did the need for reform contribute to the later Progressive Era?
