Discuss the arguments for and against slavery in the US.

The question requires that candidates offer a considered review of arguments made for and against slavery in the US during the period. Discussion may predate the timeframe but must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may offer equal coverage of arguments for and arguments against that were made at the time, or they may prioritize their discussion of either. Religious arguments that were made for slavery might include the Biblical failure to condemn slavery and the conversion of slaves to Christianity; legal arguments that were made might emphasize the protection of property rights; economic arguments that were made may assert the alleged economic necessity of slavery to the Southern economy. Arguments against may include Enlightenment ideals embodied in the Declaration of Independence as an ideological element; the many immoralities associated with slavery as a basis for religious opposition; the mistreatment of people held as slaves; the boom–bust nature of the slave labour economy for economic opposition and the inherently unequal chattel slavery laws as a legal argument.

The question required candidates to offer a considered and balanced review of arguments that were made for and against slavery in the US, during the period of the section. The topic was very popular, but responses often demonstrated a lack of focus on the required demand that arguments constitute the focus of the response. Instead, the discussion often dealt with issues such as the origins of slavery, how slavery led to the Civil War or North versus South sectionalism. Still, the range of responses included some with excellent depth of knowledge and analysis.