Problem 1: Discuss how Lincoln handled the question of slavery from the outbreak of the Civil War through the spring of 1862. Why did he proceed so hesitantly against an institution he professed to abhor? What concerns caused him to avoid wholesale emancipation and even to overturn some emancipation decrees? Was he right to act so cautiously? Would he have lost the war if he had acted more vigorously?
Problem 2: Discuss the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation on the Civil War. What factors led to its implementation? How did it change the nature of the war? To what degree did the proclamation instigate emancipation, and to what degree did it affirm a process in which slaves had already begun on their own initiative? Could the Union have won without the Emancipation Proclamation?
Problem 3: Discuss the actions taken by slaves during the Civil War. How did they contribute to and how did they subvert the Confederate war effort? What assistance did they give to Union forces? How responsible was the slave population for bringing Confederate defeat and Union victory?
Problem 4: Lincoln is often remembered as the "Great Emancipator." Assess the validity of this title. How much credit does Lincoln deserve for ending slavery? How much credit lies with Congress, with outspoken northern opponents of slavery, and with the slaves themselves?
Problem 5: Thousands of slaves escaped to Union lines or lived in territory which fell into Union hands during the Civil War. What steps did the Union army and government take to assist such slaves in their transition to freedom? How did private philanthropists complement official efforts? How effective were these policies in aiding "contraband"?
Problem 6: Why did both the Union and the Confederate army prove so resistant to the idea of arming black men? Why did the Confederacy wait until the eve of its destruction to open its army to black recruits? What does this reluctance suggest not only about this era's views of black men but also views of military service and manhood?
Problem 7: Assess the contribution of black soldiers to the Union war effort. How crucial was their battlefield performance to the Union's ultimate victory? Did the Union use them as profitably as it could have, or did racist attitudes prevent black soldiers from making as strong an impact on the war as they might have done?