Issues Leading to the Civil War

Texas History Civil War and Reconstruction Issues Leading to the Civil War
Students learn about three issues leading up to the Civil War—slavery, states' rights, and sectionalism. They read about slavery and how slaves were treated in Texas, they watch a video about the time period prior to the Civil War, and they draw a cartoon illustrating sectionalism.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

1:1 Devices
Teacher Pack

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Here are the teacher pack items for Issues Leading to the Civil War:

Preview - Scene 1
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Overview

In this experience, students learn about three issues leading up to the Civil War—slavery, states’ rights, and sectionalism. They read about slavery and how slaves were treated in Texas, they watch a video about the time period prior to the Civil War, and they draw a cartoon illustrating sectionalism.

Students will collaborate in small groups for scene 2 through scene 4.

Objectives:
  • Identify three issues leading up to the Civil War as slavery, state’s rights, and sectionalism.
  • Define states’ rights and sectionalism and provide examples.


The Civil War was between the North, or the Union, and the South, or the Confederacy. The war lasted from 1861 to 1865. More than 600,000 lives were lost. There were many issues that led up to the Civil War. In this experience you will learn about some of these issues.

Objectives:

  • Identify three issues leading up to the Civil War as slavery, state’s rights, and sectionalism.
  • Define states’ rights and sectionalism and provide examples.


color-coded map of the US

Map of United States, 1861: Slave and Free States


Think about what you already know about the Civil War. List one issue that caused the war. If someone has already listed that cause, try to think of a different one.


Discuss with students the answers they provided.

Possible answers:

  • Southern states wanted to continue to be able to own slaves
  • Abraham Lincoln’s election
  • States wanted rights
  • Northern states wanted slavery to be abolished


Divide students into their small groups for the next three scenes. When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.

End of Preview
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