Ask what factors contributed to the Civil War. You can focus your paper by choosing a single topic or exploring what-if scenarios. For instance: what if the South did not have slavery, but still wanted state's rights, would the Civil War still have happened? What role did the abolitionist movement have in launching the Civil War? Did the addition of new states contribute to the unrest in the United States before the Civil War?
Examine specific battles or campaigns of the Civil War. For example: which general proved most effective from the Union side and from the Confederacy? Use evidence to discuss what if General Robert E. Lee fought for the Union instead of the Confederacy, or if General Grant joined with the Confederacy. What if Stonewall Jackson had not been killed? Would the South have had a better chance of winning future battles?
Examine the contributions of various groups fighting in the Civil War. Consider the role of African Americans or Native Americans who fought. Discuss the role of new immigrants in the fighting. Which groups contributed more to the fighting? Did any immigrant sector send more people to the front than others? Look at a specific regiment from your area if you attend school in a state which existed during the Civil War.
What was life like for those who stayed home? What did the women, children and older people do? Did men of fighting age feel any special pressures to go to war? How did the Civil War affect the economy on the home front? Did the prices of groceries and sundry items increase? Was inflation a problem in any part of the country? If it did, tell why.
Look at the long-term changes the Civil War wrought in the United States. How did life in the South change after the War? Did national politics change? What would have happened if Lee did not surrender at Appomattox Court House? How long did it take for the South to recover from the Civil War, or is the South still in recovery? Always use evidence to back up your opinions.