AQA A Level History Depth Study: America: A Nation Divided, c1845-1877 June 2023 question paper 7042/2J

With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, assess the value of these three sources to an historian studying the disputes over Kansas in the mid-1850s.

‘In c1845, the issue of States’ Rights was the most important reason why divisions between North and South widened.’

Assess the validity of this view.

‘In the years 1863 to 1865, there was little progress toward national reconciliation because of the indecisive leadership of President Lincoln.’

Assess the validity of this view.

To what extent did violence and the threat of violence enable Southern segregationists to regain their political dominance over the South by 1877?