Assignment
Write three essays from the topics given below. Thoroughly examine each question, and discuss them in detail. Essays should be at least 1-2 pages each and be in APA/MLA format, and must include bibliographies.
1. What mobilization efforts did both sides make? Discuss the draft in the North and the South. How did it differ? What were the criticisms of the draft? Did the draft make a difference for either side in the war? Which side do you think did a more efficient job of mobilization and why?
2. Discuss the diplomatic efforts of both sides during the war. Why would France and Britain be interested in the Civil War, and what could they hope to gain from Confederate independence? Did William H. Seward and his ambassadors make a decisive difference on the diplomatic front, or were their successes derived from northern battlefield victories?
3. What criticisms did Jefferson Davis face in the Confederacy during the war? How did these compare to criticisms faced by Abraham Lincoln? Were these criticisms fair? How did these two respond to their critics?
4. Discuss the role of the Copperheads in the North and the Peace Societies and Unionists in the South. Are their roles similar? Did they cause any significant impediment to the cause of either side? What do these forces represent for the war effort overall?
5. Identify the occasions when critics accused Abraham Lincoln acted outside what would be the bounds of the Constitution during peacetime. Do you think Lincoln acted properly or constitutionally? Why? Are civil liberties limited to peacetime?
6. Discuss the campaigns of Vicksburg and Gettysburg in 1863. Why did Robert E. Lee invade the North in 1863 and what did he hope to accomplish? Do you think his decision to invade the North was a wise strategic decision? Why did these efforts fail for the South? Which was the more devastating defeat for the South?