Digital Learning Commons: Civil War: Origins

Resources

Causes of the Civil War
Website dedicated to collecting copies of, or links to, as many primary documents from the period of the secession crisis, with the goal of shedding light on the causes of secession, hence of the war.
Five myths about why the South seceded
Over 150 years since the Civil War started, scholars still argue over its history. Here are some of the more prevalent myths about why it all began.
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Loewen, James W. “Five Myths about Why the South Seceded.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 26 Feb. 2011, www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/five-myths-about-why-the-south-seceded/2011/01/03/ABHr6jD_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.aa109b0b8ab7.
The South Only Embraced States' Rights as It Lost Control of the Federal Government
For decades, slaveholders like Robert E. Lee were powerfully committed to the Union. That changed when Washington stopped protecting their interests.
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McDaniel, Caleb. “The South Only Embraced States' Rights as It Lost Control of the Federal Government.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 1 Nov. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/11/states-rights/544541/.
States' Rights
The appeal to states' rights is of the most potent symbols of the American Civil War, but confusion abounds as to the historical and present meaning of this federalist principle.
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“States' Rights.” American Battlefield Trust, 7 July 2017, www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/states-rights.

Primary Sources

Dred Scott v. Sandford
Collection of primary sources/documents pertaining to the Dred Scott case.
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
Full-text of 1850's Fugitive Slave Act.

Dig deeper and search the Digital Maine Library databases for the names and vocabulary below.

Secession	Missouri Compromise	Nat Turner
The Amistad	The Wilmot Proviso	Underground Railroad
Compromise of 1850	Uncle Tom's Cabin	Bleeding Kansas
Dred Scott Case	Harper's Ferry	Star of the West