Overview
1. According to Alexander Stephens, a prominent figure in the newly created Confederate States of America, what central idea about race and slavery was the new nation founded upon? How did some African Americans, such as William Henry Singleton, challenge the beliefs espoused by Stephens? How did Abraham Lincoln challenge Stephens’ ideas in his presidential proclamation (i.e. Emancipation Proclamation)? 2. In what ways do the two primary sources above connect to our Backstory podcast concerning the core reasons why ordinary Southern and Northern soldiers fought? To answer this question, you should consider the following: Why did Northern soldiers fight? Why did Southern men fight? Most historians agree that slavery caused the Civil War, but if most Southerners were not slaveholders, and most Northerners weren’t abolitionists, then why were so many ordinary Americans willing to put their lives on the line? What does the podcast have to offer in terms of explaining this paradox?