United States History Student Edition

C Understanding Chronology

D Building Citizenship

Since colonial times, slavery had divided Americans. Several attempts were made to settle the issue peacefully, but as the debate over whether slavery could be extended into new territories intensified, it became more likely that the question of slavery would be resolved by war. Ultimately, Southerners became convinced that Northerners would end slavery and threaten their way of life. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina voted to leave the Union, and by February, six other states had seceded. ACTIVITY Creating a Time Line of Civil War Events List the events related to slavery that created tensions between the North and the South, along with the attempts at compromise to prevent secession. For example, you might include the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Dred Scott decision, and John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry. Create a time line that shows the events you have chosen in chronological order. Analyze each event, describing the event’s details and how the North and the South reacted to it. If the event was an attempt at compromise, explain why the compromise ultimately failed. After you have examined your time line entries, briefly explain if you think there was a compromise that might have prevented the war or if you think that war was inevitable.

In 1861, divisions among Americans led to four years of bloody war. More than 150 years later, Americans are still divided over a number of issues. In the early 2000s, Americans grew apart on economic and social issues. The two major political compromise. Members of each party blamed the other party for the failure to govern. Political discussions became heated. The governor of Vermont, Phil Scott, commented in 2018: “ Political polarization . . . is one of the greatest threats we face as a country. We are a weaker nation when we stop listening and learning from each other; and when we can't debate the issues and then find common ground. It erodes parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, found it harder to our core values when we refuse to consider another person’s point of view. . . . President Lincoln famously said, ‘a house divided cannot stand.’ And before that, our nation’s founders created the world’s greatest governing document, charging us with the obligation to work toward a more perfect Union— challenging us to work to be a better nation, better citizens and better neighbors. ” ACTIVITY Creating a Public Service Announcement About Civility Without choosing a political position, consider the issues, words, and actions that have led to divisiveness in recent current events. Create a public service announcement encouraging Americans to show respect for the views of their fellow citizens. Your announcement can be in the form of an open letter, a poster, or a broadcast taped for radio, television, or social media. It should address why respect toward one another is important and how it can be encouraged.

Scott, Phil. “It’s Time to Come Together, and Rise Above It,” Governor Scott’s Blog, Sept. 24, 2018. Retrieved from www.governor.vermont.gov 08/12/2020.

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