A. 1860: The Election that Led to War For this short answer test, you will consider the candidates and issues of the Election of 1860, and how different Americans at the time might have responded. (The candidate information and roles below have been adapted from materials developed for 8th grade students by the National Park Service.) Information about the Candidates for President in 1860: Political Party Views on Slavery Planned Actions on Slavery if Elected Region(s) of Strongest Support Abraham Lincoln Republican Does not own slaves. "If slavery is not wrong, nothing is." Prohibit slavery in territories; Limit slavery to where it already exists. North (N) Stephen Douglas Democrat Does not own slaves, but his wife does. "It is none of my business which way the slavery clause [in Kansas] is decided.” Oppose federal slave code;* Support popular sovereignty.+ North (N) and Border States (B) John Breckenridge Democrat Owns slaves. Slavery is a “wholly local and domestic” issue that states should decide. Support federal slave code;* Support popular sovereignty.+ South (S) and Border States (B) John Bell Constitutional Union Owns slaves. Slavery is a "blessing morally, socially and politically.” Avoid taking action on the slavery issue and keep the country united. South (S) and Border States (B) *The federal slave code would allow slaveholders to move into any of the western territories. + Popular sovereignty means allowing residents of western states to vote on whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. Choose a Role Choose one of the roles below and think about the election of 1860 from this perspective. Remember that votes at this time are not private, and anyone in the community might find out how another person has voted. Role A: You are a free African-American Farmer in Indiana (N). You can not vote. Some of your relatives are slaves. Your main concern is making a living on your small farm. Who will you encourage your white neighbor to vote for? Role B: You are a white tenant farmer in Kentucky (B). You do not own your own farm. You are not in favor of abolition. You would like to own your own farm and you are considering moving west to find land. You do not want to compete with slave owners in the territories. Who will you vote for? Role C: You are a married woman with young children living in Pennsylvania (N). You can not vote. You are from Massachusetts (N) and were taught that slavery was wrong. You have married the son of a wealthy planter from Louisiana (S) whose father uses slavery for his plantation. Who will you encourage your husband to vote for? Role D: You are a steamboat worker in Memphis, Tennessee (B). You worry that a war could put you out of work and are in favor of preserving the Union. Your boss is a strong supporter of Breckenridge and has encouraged you to vote for him as well. Who will you vote for? Role E: You are an army officer born in Georgia (S) but raised by your relatives in New York (N). You fought in the Mexican War and you are on duty as an officer in Texas (S) with the Army. Who will you vote for? Question 1 What is your chosen role? You must answer this question, but none of the answers will be counted as incorrect. (1 point) I choose Role B . Question 2 Writing from the perspective of the person you chose above, explain which candidate you would support for president in 1860, and why. Remember that votes at this time are not private, and anyone in the community might find out how another person has voted. Include information from your role description and the candidate information table to support your reasoning. (A strong answer will be logical, consistent with both historical facts and the role you have chosen. Please answer in 50 words or less.)

Question

A. 1860: The Election that Led to War For this short answer test, you will consider the candidates and issues of the Election of 1860, and how different Americans at the time might have responded. (The candidate information and roles below have been adapted from materials developed for 8th grade students by the National Park Service.) Information about the Candidates for President in 1860: Political Party Views on Slavery Planned Actions on Slavery if Elected Region(s) of Strongest Support Abraham Lincoln Republican Does not own slaves. "If slavery is not wrong, nothing is." Prohibit slavery in territories; Limit slavery to where it already exists. North (N) Stephen Douglas Democrat Does not own slaves, but his wife does. "It is none of my business which way the slavery clause [in Kansas] is decided.” Oppose federal slave code;* Support popular sovereignty.+ North (N) and Border States (B) John Breckenridge Democrat Owns slaves. Slavery is a “wholly local and domestic” issue that states should decide. Support federal slave code;* Support popular sovereignty.+ South (S) and Border States (B) John Bell Constitutional Union Owns slaves. Slavery is a "blessing morally, socially and politically.” Avoid taking action on the slavery issue and keep the country united. South (S) and Border States (B) *The federal slave code would allow slaveholders to move into any of the western territories. + Popular sovereignty means allowing residents of western states to vote on whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. Choose a Role Choose one of the roles below and think about the election of 1860 from this perspective. Remember that votes at this time are not private, and anyone in the community might find out how another person has voted. Role A: You are a free African-American Farmer in Indiana (N). You can not vote. Some of your relatives are slaves. Your main concern is making a living on your small farm. Who will you encourage your white neighbor to vote for? Role B: You are a white tenant farmer in Kentucky (B). You do not own your own farm. You are not in favor of abolition. You would like to own your own farm and you are considering moving west to find land. You do not want to compete with slave owners in the territories. Who will you vote for? Role C: You are a married woman with young children living in Pennsylvania (N). You can not vote. You are from Massachusetts (N) and were taught that slavery was wrong. You have married the son of a wealthy planter from Louisiana (S) whose father uses slavery for his plantation. Who will you encourage your husband to vote for? Role D: You are a steamboat worker in Memphis, Tennessee (B). You worry that a war could put you out of work and are in favor of preserving the Union. Your boss is a strong supporter of Breckenridge and has encouraged you to vote for him as well. Who will you vote for? Role E: You are an army officer born in Georgia (S) but raised by your relatives in New York (N). You fought in the Mexican War and you are on duty as an officer in Texas (S) with the Army. Who will you vote for? Question 1 What is your chosen role? You must answer this question, but none of the answers will be counted as incorrect. (1 point) I choose Role B . Question 2 Writing from the perspective of the person you chose above, explain which candidate you would support for president in 1860, and why. Remember that votes at this time are not private, and anyone in the community might find out how another person has voted. Include information from your role description and the candidate information table to support your reasoning. (A strong answer will be logical, consistent with both historical facts and the role you have chosen. Please answer in 50 words or less.)

B;Writing again from the perspective of the person you chose above, imagine that you have just learned the results of the election. Abraham Lincoln has won, after getting about 40% of the popular vote. How do you feel about Lincoln's victory? These are your character's private thoughts, and others in their community or family do not have to know. Include information from your role description to support your reasoning. (A strong answer will be logical, consistent with both historical facts and the role you have chosen. Please answer in 50 words or less.)

Answer 1

Question 2:

As a white tenant farmer in Kentucky (B), I would support John Bell for president in 1860. Bell's position of avoiding taking action on the slavery issue and keeping the country united aligns with my personal beliefs. I do not want to compete with slave owners in the territories as I am looking to own my own farm and make a living. Therefore, Bell would be the most favorable candidate for me.

Question 3:

As a white tenant farmer in Kentucky (B), I am disappointed with Abraham Lincoln's victory in the election of 1860. I am concerned that Lincoln's planned actions on slavery, such as prohibiting it in territories and limiting it to where it already exists, may disrupt the balance and potentially increase competition with slave owners in the territories. Additionally, as someone who is looking to make a living and own my own farm, Lincoln's policies may impact my chances of achieving that goal. Overall, I am worried about the potential consequences of Lincoln's presidency on my personal aspirations and livelihood.