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Civil War Essay

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Northstar's picture
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Civil War Essay

The assignment is due Monday, handwritten, in only five paragraphs - with a thesis statement and all - so I'm really going to need help with this essay - and quick.

Here is the question:

Quote:Which event, election, congressional act, or occurrence could be considered the breaking point between North and South as our nation headed toward Civil War? In other words, which was most influential in the splitting of our nation?

The thing is that my teacher is very meticulous and because this essay is considered part of our Final Exam (250 points), I think I will need some very good help from other AP scholars. So, what are you going to input?

Discuss.

pianogirl2422's picture
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Alright, before I answer I have to ask, what do you think it was?

We can't just tell you the answer- especially on this. You have to do work.

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"I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing."
"But," say Man, "the Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It

Northstar's picture
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Okay; the election of Lincoln is one of the crucial parts to the Civil War. Because of that election, which most of the southerners did not want, seven states seceded from the nation - illegally, as Lincoln and Congress declared eventually.

Event: Slavery. At first, the entire issue regarding slavery was not a critical factor in the war. Eventually, it became interwoven into the issues debated during the Civil War era.

Congressional Act: I have no idea. I have a lack of knowledge on congressional discussions, so this element will be difficult. I believe occurrence is an event (I have no idea what my teacher is talking about), so I can't write about that. So, my contentions/supporting details/evidence/whatever will be: congressional act, event, and Lincoln's election.

Hm. All I need to do is expand on those, but they need to be logical enough so I can get an A+, a 97. >>

Der Läufer's picture
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You have some great stuff so far. I would definitely start with the election of 1860, in which Lincoln won. I would also talk about the Missouri Compromise and the spread of slavery, as the south wanted it to expand. You might even be able to talk about the failed compromise by Senator John J. Crittenden which was to try to help with the whole Slavery in the Territories thing. I hope this helps.

LUC:D

Der Läufer's picture
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One more thing that I just remembered was John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry. The attempted raid made the South believe that all northerns were crazy, obsessive abolitionists, which was another reason to not like Lincoln.

LUC:D

Northstar's picture
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Now how would I put this into a proper thesis? Throughout the year, I've had much trouble writing them, but have done so well with body paragraphs. Conclusions are sub-par, as well, being that they are a reiteration of the thesis. Any tips? I've used the "Guide to Writing an Effective Essay," but there wasn't much on there as to writing a good thesis (at least, not what I've heard before by my teachers).

pianogirl2422's picture
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Well, your thesis is basically a statement of your arguement. So it could be something like:

Quote:The trigger for the civil war can be simplified to one main event in history, the election of Abraham Lincoln for president

Or however many you're outlining in your essay. And make sure the rest of your introduction leads to your arguement so it's not like "okay, here's the intro stuff, I'll just stick this last sentence on here".

And btw, if you want, I'm happy to take a look at your essay when you're done. My e-mail is [email protected]" class="bb-email">[email protected].

[=RoyalBlue][=Comic Sans MS]
"I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing."
"But," say Man, "the Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It

Northstar's picture
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I know what a thesis statement is; writing it is my major fault. It's hard for me to write a fluent, cohesive essay. It's hard for me to explain, so let me write my essay, send the e-mail, and you'll see what I'm talking about.

pianogirl2422's picture
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Sounds like a good idea. I'm here all weekend.

[=RoyalBlue][=Comic Sans MS]
"I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing."
"But," say Man, "the Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It

Northstar's picture
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Joined: Jun 2007

Thank you very much. I deeply appreciate your help.

pianogirl2422's picture
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No problem, it's what I'm here for :o

[=RoyalBlue][=Comic Sans MS]
"I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing."
"But," say Man, "the Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It

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