The Civil War was one of the darkest times in the history of the United States. From the new nation's very beginning, slavery was a battle between the country's economy and its morality. The "slavery question" was argued in courts, in Congress, in homes, in newspapers, and eventually on the battlefield. Through this striking volume, readers will come to understand the powerful statements that drove a country into war. Through simple, accessible text and photographs, young historians will feel themselves moved by those same words that nearly tore apart the United States.