Secession+Webquest (1)
Secession+Webquest (1)
Directions: Complete the following questions using resources from the link listed below
http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/secession
Be sure to watch the video: America Divided and read the entire article on Secession
before beginning this assignment.
1. How many states seceded from the United States of America at the outbreak of the Civil
War? What new name did they adopt as a nation?
2. Which slave states did not join the Confederacy? Was everyone living in these states still
loyal to the United States?
3. Which state was divided over secession and eventually split in two? What side did each
half fight for?
4. As the United States modernized, what two distinct economies began to emerge in the
north and south?
5. What does abolition mean in terms of the Civil War? Why would the southern states
fear it?
6. Why did Kansas’ entry into the United States cause protests and violence between the
northern and southern states? Why were southern leaders afraid of the resistance from
the north?
7. a. What political party emerged from the Kansas conflict?
c. What did the southern states vow to do if this new party won a presidential election?
8. Describe the leadership, educational, and economic positions of the northern and
southern states in the 1850’s.
North South
Leadership:
Education:
Economic:
9. When looking at the above chart, why might education stand out as a big difference
between the way people in each part of the country thought about slavery?
10. The election of 1860 had southern states vowing to secede if which person was elected
president? Why?
11. How did the southern states justify their secession from the Union? What comparison to
the American Revolution did they make? Why?
12. Lincoln won the presidential election of 1860. What immediate actions did the southern
states take following his victory?
13. What last ditch promise did Lincoln make to try and avoid secession of the southern
states and the eventual civil war which followed? Was it successful?
14. a. Once the War Between the States began, why did both sides get caught up in
patriotism?