“A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become lawful in all the States, old as well as new — North as well as South.”
- Who gave this speech?
- What is the main idea?
- How might sectionalism cause this speech to be interpreted?
EXTENDED ANSWER (paragraph in length)
From the list below, select 1 idea and 1 event and explain how these were the biggest factors in causing the outbreak of the Civil War. 5-7 sentences. Include specific thoughts. 3 pts
- States rights
- Slavery
- Sectionalism
- Bleeding Kansas
- The Raid on Harper’s Ferry
- The Lincoln Douglas Debates