The Background- As Jefferson Davis left the U.S. Senate on January 21, 1861, he gave a moving farewell speech that included a plea for peace. He headed home to lead the Mississippi armed forces. Before he could take his post, he was chosen as the provisional president of the confederacy. He was inaugurated on February 18, 1861. Northern Republican Abraham Lincoln addressed the seceding states directly on March 4, 1861, in his inaugural speech as President of the United States.
Your Task-
Imagine the year is 1861 and the country is divided over slavery. The Southern states are talking about seceding from the Union. President Abraham Lincoln and Confederate President Jefferson Davis have agreed to debate, but fi rst each will give a presentation outlining his viewpoints. Prepare a presentation that addresses the arguments of either President Lincoln or President Davis over the issues such as slavery that divided the North and the South.
The Steps-
Step 1. Your group will select a name out of a hat and that person will be the focus of your secession presentation. Step 2. Organize your research material into an outline. Study the maps of the North and the South. What states planned to secede? How did the geography influence the South? The North? How did the economy affect the South? The North? Step 3. Prepare a 10–12 slide/frame presentation that explains your findings. Use at least two maps or charts to illustrate your fi ndings. Your presentation should be logically ordered, concise, and well designed. Make sure you use proper grammar and punctuation. Step 4. Make your presentation!