Unit 5: Manifest Destiny to Reconstruction - Discussion Questions

U.S. History Skillbook

Discussion Questions

Part A

1. How did the ideas of Manifest Destiny dominate the presidential election of 1844?
2. How did the Texas Revolution lead to the Mexican War?
3. Why did many Americans believe that the United States caused the Mexican War, even though the Mexicans fired the first shots?
4. Was the Wilmot Proviso the first political shot of the Civil War? Explain.
5. Why was the Compromise of 1850 only a short-term solution to the sectional conflicts of the 1850s?
6. How was the land acquired from Mexico “a dose of poison“ to American unity?
7. How did the formation of the Republican Party provide a political home for disgruntled groups and philosophies in the mid-1850s?

Part B

1. Was James Buchanan a failure as president? Defend your answer.
2. Why were the Border States so important to Lincoln in reuniting the nation?
3. What advantages did each side have at the beginning of the war?
4. “If the North and South had exchanged presidents, the South would have achieved its independence.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain.
5. “Abraham Lincoln should have been impeached for his violation of civil liberties during the war.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain.
6. What mistakes did Andrew Johnson make in dealing with the Radical Republicans?
7. How did the Radical Republicans take control of Reconstruction?
8. Did Andrew Johnson deserve to be impeached? Explain why or why not.
9. Was Ulysses Grant a failure as president? Explain.
10. Was Samuel Tilden cheated out of the presidency in 1876? Explain why or why not.