Critical Thinking Questions
- Why would Americans view the Compromise of 1850 as a final solution to the sectional controversy that began with the Wilmot Proviso in 1846?
- If you were a proslavery advocate, how would you feel about the platform of the newly formed Republican Party?
- Based on the text of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, what was the position of the Republican Party in 1858? Was the Republican Party an abolitionist party? Why or why not?
- John Brown is often described as a terrorist. Do you agree with this description? Why or why not? What attributes might make him fit this profile?
- Was it possible to save American democracy in 1860? What steps might have been taken to maintain unity? Why do you think these steps were not taken?
