Question

Which primary source document could help a historian understand why the Civil War started?



a map of the 1860 presidential election results



a map showing where the first battles started



an editorial from the Charleston Mercury in 1860



an essay that lists several possible causes

Answer 1

Well a primary source first of all is a source written at the time the event occurred

To me I think the two best answers would be

1. a map of the 1860 presidential election results
2. an editorial from the Charleston Mercury in 1860

I guess a map of the 1860 presidential election might help in one's analysis of which states would be likely to secede from the Union.

An editorial from the Charleston South Carolina would be the best because around 1860, the election of president Lincoln, there was a lot of talk of succession from the union in the southern states. South Carolina was the first state to secede if i remember correctly.

an essay that lists several causes is too vague, because when as this essay written? that's the most important thing.

a map showing where the first battles started; if you're looking for the causes that lead up to the war, you wouldn't focus on this as much because this is when the war had already started.