Write an essay explaining how the debates over the future of slavery changed in the generation before the Civil War began in 1861.

Write an essay that explains how Southern political leaders became convinced that the institution of slavery was under attack by the North, and especially by Lincoln and the Republican party. Your essay should explain how the debates over the future of slavery changed in the generation before the Civil War began in 1861. Why was slavery so important to Southern political leaders that they seceded?