It is sometimes suggested that from the colonial period onward American history was on a course that had to lead to a civil war.

It is sometimes suggested that from the colonial period onward American history was on a course that had to lead to a civil war. Trace some of the following issues from the colonial period forward and discuss how they contributed to the events of 1861: economic development, social differences, sectionalism, slavery and racial issues, ways of thinking and ways of viewing the world.