The Tipping Point

You have performed a balancing act this week as you looked at events leading up to the Civil War for homework while working on your project during class time. You are multi-tasking!

Was the Civil War inevitable? Was the division so great between the North and the South that war was the only way to resolve the differences? What event tipped the balance in favor of open warfare: bleeding Kansas, the beating of Senator Sumner, John Brown’s Raid, the Dred Scott decision, or was it the election of Lincoln? Historians continue to debate these issues. This week the period 6 class will be acting out these key events as we move towards the first battle of the War, the firing on Fort Sumter.

In today’s New York Times (April 9), columnist William Safire has a column exploring the meaning of the term “civil war.” He focuses on the many terms that politicians are using to describe the violence in Iraq and speculates that a proper name for the conflict will only come after it is over.

Civil War Project:

This past week you selected your topic and partner and have begun thinking and acting like historians. Make sure to use your blue book journals to track your progress and decisions. It is also a good idea to list the resources you are finding helpful as you will need to produce an annotated bibliography as part of your final product. We have one more day in the library this week when Mr. Fontaine will introduce you to ways you can access primary source material and scholarly publications. Finally, make sure you and your partner establish a work plan, that is, who will be responsible for what information and when you will meet to put your board together. The presentations will be due the first week in May.

Ten Days that Shaped America

The History Channel is featuring a series of 10 documentaries on turning points in history. The special series starts tonight and runs through Thursday. Two different events will be featured each evening starting at 9:00 pm. The USA Weekend Magazine, which is part of the Sunday Providence Journal, featured an article on the series. Tonight’s episode starts with The Battle of Antietam.