In the border slave states of Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri, local Unionism and federal intervention thwarted secession in 1861. Two years later, West Virginia also became a border state after it broke away from Virginia. Its loyalty to the Union was critical both geographically and economically as the Civil War was conducted between 1861 and 1865. Policy-wise, Lincoln had to take a different approach towards these slave-holding states than what he did with the Southern states that had seceded from the Union.
Consider the importance of the border states to Abraham Lincoln in fighting the Civil War. Think about how these states were instrumental in the Union victory at the end of this conflict and how their loyalty to the Union showed that there were alternatives to secession. Think about various geographic factors and the impact of slavery on these states.
Write an essay in which you discuss why the slave-holding border states that remained loyal to the Union were so important to President Lincoln. To what extent was the Union victory in the Civil War a result of these states remaining in the Union? How did their loyalty to the Union demonstrate that slave states had an alternative to secession? Include specific historical references addressing geographic location and attitudes towards slavery in these states as you consider both advantages and challenges related to having these states remain in the Union during the Civil War.
Assignment will require a response of 1000-1250 words. All writings must be original work, providing proper parenthetical citation via APA formatting, including a title and reference page. The paper must be in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced.
Please use format in APA, as well as the proper parenthetical citation on writing assignments. It needs to include a minimum of three primary and five secondary resources where you were able to assist in your historical research.