Instructions: Use the following documents (most) and your knowledge of the period to answer the question.
Question: Evaluate the following statement: "By the time of Abraham Lincoln's election in November of 1860, there was significant support in the North for a compromise that would have averted the secession of the first seven states to leave the union. Unfortunately, by this time, minds in the South were closed to any reasonable efforts from their northern brothers to prevent the Civil War." Be sure to support your opinion on the statement with facts and documents.
Document A: Editorial in the Alabama Citizen, 1856, supporting the attack by Congressmen Preston Brooks of South Carolina on Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts
Document B: The Southern Literary Messenger (a Richmond, Virginia literary journal) criticizes Harriet Beecher Stowe
Document C: Abraham Lincoln, commentary on slavery, pre-election to presidency
Document D:Ralph Waldo Emerson, excerpt from his essay "courage" on John Brown (1859)
Document E: Christian Watchman and Reflector, Boston religious journal, reacts to the Dred Scott decision by the Supreme Court
Document F: Editorial in the Richmond Enquirer, 1859, commenting on John Brown's raid
Document G: Abraham Lincoln criticizes John Brown, 1860
Document h: Charleston Mercury, a South Carolina newspaper, supports secession before Abraham Lincoln's election in November of 1860
Document I: Springfield Republican, an Illinois newspaper criticizes the South's threat to leave the Union if Lincoln is elected in an editorial, August 25, 1860
Document J: Abraham Lincoln, 1861, reaction to the Crittenden Compromise
Document K: Corwin Amendment, propsed amendment to prevent secession of South
Document L:Abraham Lincoln, March, 1861, reaction to the Corwin Amendment
Document M: Congressman Henry Winter Davis, February, 1861, speaking against secession on the floor of Congress
Can someone give me any ideas please?!?
I think the point is that YOU READ these documents and then decide if the statement is true or not.
Then write up why (give reasons) you believe the statement is true or not and use specifics from these documents to prove your position.
To evaluate the statement provided, we can analyze the documents and gather relevant information. Here's an approach to answering the question:
1. Read through each document to understand the perspectives presented and identify any evidence related to the statement.
2. Note any instances of significant support for a compromise in the North that could have averted secession. Look for examples of politicians, newspapers, or public figures advocating for compromise.
3. Assess whether the minds in the South were closed to reasonable efforts from the North to prevent the Civil War. Look for evidence of political positions, public sentiment, or influential voices in the South rejecting compromise proposals or expressing a determination to secede.
4. Consider the timing of events. Were there any signals or actions before Abraham Lincoln's election in November 1860 that indicated a lack of willingness to compromise from either side?
5. Formulate your opinion and supporting arguments based on the gathered evidence. Make sure to reference specific documents as evidence for your evaluation.
By following these steps and analyzing the content of the documents, you should be able to construct an evaluation supported by facts and evidence. Remember to consider the broader historical context of the period and draw connections between the documents to form a comprehensive evaluation.