Respond to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis or claim that establishes a line of reasoning. Describe a broader historical context relevant to the prompt.
Support an argument in response to the prompt using specific and relevant examples of evidence.
Use historical reasoning (e. g., comparison, causation, continuity or change) to frame or structure an argument that addresses the prompt.
Use evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument that addresses the prompt.

Evaluate the extent to which debates over slavery in the period from 1830 to 1860 led the United States into the Civil War.