1. Compare and contrast the Northern and Southern economies and societies in the antebellum period. How did industrialization develop in the North, and plantation slavery in the South? How did the economic system in each region shape the society and culture? How did the differences between the two lead to the Civil War?
2. Discuss the creation of the second party system. Which groups of people and what policies did each of the two political parties champion? What were the major issues and conflicts between the 1820s and 1850s? What ultimately led to the collapse of the second party system?
3. Did westward expansion make the Civil War inevitable? Discuss the reasons for westward expansion, the Texas Revolution and Mexican War. Explain how these events affected sectional conflict in the 1840s and 1850s.
4. Discuss the Northern and Southern goals, advantages and strategies in the Civil War, and describe the course of the conflict, including the key battles. Why did the North win?