History exam questions

You must be as specific as possible…remember the more specifics you have the better the grade you will earn. It is the attention to detail that bumps up an average (or C) answer to an above average (or B) or outstanding (A) answer. Please answer the following question in essay form:

1. Many believe that the Civil War was fought because of slavery: that both sides were so dedicated to the end (North) or continuation (South) of slavery, that each was willing to sacrifice its citizens as well as dissolve the Union for the cause. Given what we have learned via the lecture and documents, is this true? What was/were the cause/s of the Civil War? You must give evidence to support your thesis and connect cause and effect. For example, if rainwater was a cause of the Civil War, why or how did it cause it?

2. The Reconstruction is the capstone of the course and it was supposed to deal with the “fallout” of the Civil War. First, what was/were the goal(s) of the Reconstruction. How did the government plan to “reconstruct” the nation? Second, was the Reconstruction successful? Why or why not? In other words, you must evaluate the effectiveness of the Reconstruction. You must give evidence to support your thesis.