The American Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865, killing nearly 700,000 Americans and costing the country untold millions of dollars. The events of this tragic war are so steeped in the collective memory of the United States and so taken for granted that it is sometimes difficult to take a step back and consider why such a tragic war occurred. To consider the series of events that led to this war are difficult and painful for students and teachers in American history classrooms. Classroom teachers must possess the appropriate pedagogical and historical resources to provide their students with an appropriate and meaningful examination of this challenging time period. Teaching the Causes of the American Civil War, 1850-1861 will attempt to provide these resources and teaching strategies to allow for the thoughtful inquiry, evaluation and assessment of this critical, complex and painful time period in American history.

Michael E. Karpyn teaches history, economics and U.S. government at Marple Newtown Senior High School in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. He earned a BA in history from Gettysburg College, an MA in education from The Johns Hopkins University and an EdD in teaching, learning and curriculum from the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. He has served as a summer teacher fellow and sits on the Teacher Advisory Group for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.