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1850s Road to the Civil War: Create-Your-Own DBQ

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Instead of handing students a document set, this activity has them build one. They choose the three events they think pushed the country closest to civil war, hunt down their own primary sources, and make the case in writing.


What’s inside

  • 8 events to choose from: the Fugitive Slave Act, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the formation of the Republican Party, “Bleeding Kansas,” the assault on Senator Sumner, Dred Scott v. Sandford, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, and the Raid on Harpers Ferry

  • Instructions for finding two primary sources per event using the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and .edu/.gov searches

  • Recording tables for the event, both documents, and a one-paragraph explanation in the student’s own words


Details: 45-60 minutes | Grades 8-12 | PDF, 4 pages (students need internet access to find sources)

Also part of the Unit 5: Civil War & Reconstruction plan.

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