State Historical Society of Iowa

Alexander Hamilton Stephens' Papers, January 10 to February 14, 1861

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Courtesy of Library of Congress, Stephens, Alexander Hamilton, "Alexander Hamilton Stephens Papers: General Correspondence," pp. 183-184, 10 January to 14 February 1861

Description 

This letter was written by Alexander Hamilton Stephens, who was the vice president of the Confederate States of America. Stephens wrote the letter to Samuel R. Glenn on leaving it to the historians to explain the causes of the war. He wrote the letter on February 8, 1861.

Transcript of Alexander Hamilton Stephens' Papers

Source-Dependent Questions

  • Alexander Stephens was the vice president of the Confederacy. In this letter, what does he say about the cause of the war?
  • Why does Stephens leave the decision about the war’s cause to historians? What evidence from the text supports your answer?

Citation Information 

Stephens, Alexander Hamilton, "Alexander Hamilton Stephens Papers: General Correspondence," pp. 183-184, 10 January to 14 February 1861. Courtesy of Library of Congress