1. Write an essay tracing the disintegration of the Union between 1848 and 1860. Discuss the major events that occurred that heightened the sectional tensions that ultimately led to Civil War.
2. Discuss why Reconstruction might be considered an "unfinished revolution." What long-term legacies did Reconstruction hold for the South and for the nation?
3. Write an essay discussing Andrew Jackson's rise as a politician during the 1820s and 1830s. Discuss the issues that dominated his terms in office and how they affected the nation in the decades preceding the Civil War.
4. Write an essay discussing plantation slavery during the antebellum period. What might life have been like for slaves living on these plantations and how did they adapt to this environment? Discuss ways in which slaves, both psychologically and physically resisted the institution.