Download CASE STUDY: RESEARCH ESSAY

CASE STUDY: RESEARCH ESSAY
Noemi Csercsa
STEP 4: ESSAY OUTLINE
TOPIC: Was Abraham Lincoln to blame for the Civil War ?
Paragraph 1 (Introductory Paragraph)
Background Information:
The Civil War was a war between the Union of the United States, and the Confederation
(the
states that seceded from the Union after the 1861 election. The war lasted from 18611865, 3
million American’s fought, and there were about 600,000 deaths throughout the war.
This
essay is about a main cause in the civil war, Abraham Lincoln.
Controversial Question:
Was Abraham Lincoln a main cause of the Civil War?
Thesis Statement (including subtopics):
Abraham Lincoln was a main cause of the Civil War because of his dislike of slavery,
His election win in 1861, and the Emancipation Proclamation.
Paragraph 2 (Sub-Topic 1)
Major Idea: Abraham Lincoln was a main cause of the civil war because of his dislike of
slavery.
Evidence:
1) His position and that of his party had said that the country could not live half slave half
free
2) He wanted to avoid war by telling the southern states that they would not interfere with
slavery in those states that slavery had already existed.
3)
Footnotes (sources):
1) Herman Belz; Abraham Lincoln, Constitutionalism, and Equal Rights in the Civil War
Era 1998
2) James M. McPherson; Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution 1992
3) Hofstadter, Richard. Great Issues in American History: from the Revolution to the
Civil War, 1765- 1865 New York: Vintage Book, 1958
Concluding Sentence:
Lincoln had made some big points in his election campaign as well, that he disapproved
of slavery, and that’s one of the reasons the South seceded from the Union.
Paragraph 3 (Sub-Topic 2)
Major Idea: Because of his election win in 1861
Evidence:
1) The southern states had said that if Lincoln would win the election that they would
secede from the union
2)
3)
Footnotes (sources):
1) Lincoln on Slavery, http://www.nps.gov/archive/liho/slavery/al01.htm(October 14,
2006)
2) Hofstadter, Richard. Great Issues in American History: from the Revolution to the
Civil War, 1765- 1865 New York: Vintage Book, 1958
3) Donovan, Timothy H. The American Civil War Wayne N.J.: Avery Pub. Group, 1987
Concluding Sentence:
Since all of the southern states that seceded from the union were states that used slaves,
those states got angry that Lincoln won, because he wanted to abolish slavery in the
United States.
Paragraph 4 (Sub-Topic 3)
Major Idea: the Emancipation Proclamation was also a main part of the cause of the Civil
War.
Evidence:
1) The Emancipation Proclamation freed all the slaves in the states that rebelled
2) freed most of the nations 4 million slaves
3)
Footnotes (sources):
1) William K. Klingaman. Final Freedom: The Civil War, Abraham Lincoln and the
Road to Emancipation, 1861-1865 (2001)
2) Hofstadter, Richard. Great Issues in American History: from the Revolution to the
Civil War, 1765- 1865 New York:Vintage Book, 1958
3) Donovan, Timothy H. The American Civil War Wayne N.J.:Avery Pub. Group, 1987
Concluding Sentence:
Since the Proclamation freed all the slaves in the rebelling states, the southern states
were not very happy with that tern of events.
Paragraph 5 (Conclusion)
Summary of Sub-Topics:
Abraham Lincoln was a main cause of the civil war because of his dislike of slavery,
Because of his election win in 1861, the Emancipation Proclamation was also a main
part of the cause of the Civil War.
Restate the Thesis:
Abraham Lincoln was a main cause of the Civil War because of his dislike of slavery,
His election win in 1861, and the Emancipation Proclamation.
Positive, moral, lesson learned sentence:
I’ve learned that, even though the cause of the Civil War wasn’t Abraham Lincoln, he
still had a main roll to play in the cause of the War.
***Working Bibliography: (attach a typed Bibliography in correct format)
~Herman Belz; Abraham Lincoln, Constitutionalism, and Equal Rights in the Civil War
Era 1998
~Lincoln on Slavery, http://www.nps.gov/archive/liho/slavery/al01.htm
(October 14, 2006)
~William K. Klingaman. Final Freedom: The Civil War, Abraham Lincoln and the Road
to Emancipation, 1861-1865 (2001)
~James M. McPherson; Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution 1992
~Donovan, Timothy H. The American Civil War Wayne N.J.:Avery Pub. Group, 1987
~Hofstadter, Richard. Great Issues in American History: from the Revolution to the Civil
War, 1765- 1865 New York:Vintage Book, 1958
~Thomas, Benjamin P., and David Herbert Donald. “Lincoln, Abraham.” Encyclopedia
Americana Grolier Online. http://ea.grolier.com/cgi-bin/article?assetid=024740000
(September 19, 2006)
~World Almanac & Book of Facts: Biographies of the Presidents: Abraham Lincoln
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rch&AN=19231536&sit
e=src-live
(September 19, 2006)
~Abraham Lincoln. http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/al16.html
(September 19, 2006)