Author Description
Embracing an argument-based model for teaching history, the Debating American History series encourages students to participate in a contested, evidence-based discourse about the human past. Each book poses a question that historians debate--How democratic was the U.S. Constitution? or Why did civil war erupt in the United States in 1861?--and provides abundant primary sources so that students can make their own efforts at interpreting the evidence. They can then use that analysis to construct answers to the big question that frames the debate and argue in support of their position.The Causes of the Civil War poses this big question: Why did civil war erupt in the United States in 1861?
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This book investigates the multifaceted historical question of why civil war erupted in the United States in 1861. Authors David J. Voelker and Joel M. Sipress utilize an argument-based pedagogical framework to move beyond rote memorization. By providing a curated selection of primary source documents, the text empowers students to synthesize evidence and construct their own historical interpretations regarding the origins of the conflict.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A collection of primary source documents related to the mid-19th century United States.
- An argument-based pedagogical model for historical analysis.
- Guided inquiry questions designed to facilitate classroom debate.
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide a singular, definitive narrative of the war's causes.
- It does not cover the military tactics or specific battles of the Civil War.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Educators frequently utilize this text as a foundational tool for teaching historical methodology and critical thinking. Experts highlight the book's effectiveness in shifting the student role from passive recipient to active interpreter of historical evidence.
Page Count:
156
Publication Date:
2019-07-15
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190057084
ISBN-13:
9780190057084
History
Civil War
Primary Sources
New Used & Rental Textbooks
Americas
Education
United States