I don't even know where to start on this DBQ. My teacher gave us a thesis statement that we could use but I lost it :( . If someone could just give me a couple of things to talk about in my essay that would be helpful. No need to be specific, I know a ton about slavery and the civil war but I'm having trouble applying my knowledge. Here's the question:

"Recent groups, for a variety of reasons, have charged that slavery was not an overriding cause in bringing about the Civil War, rather that it was one of many equal issues. Examine this concept in light of the documents presented here and your own knowledge of US History. Would contemporaries advocate that the issue of slavery was a primary cause of the Civil War?"

Thanks everyone.
PS: I'd be glad to help any of you with questions you may have, if I can.