A house divided against itself cannot stand. The United States could no longer remain half-slave and half-free, and the ensuing war over the fate of slavery ripped apart the nation.
US History Fellow Kim Kutz explains how slavery was an issue at the birth of the United States and how the issue became more and more central as the country expanded.
Kim and Sal talk about increased tensions between slave and free states as new territory is added after Mexican-American War and from Compromise of 1850 (especially the Fugitive Slave Act).
Given the relatively quick pace of the narration, this video would probably be best used to introduce the featured concepts in preparation for an in-depth lecture, or for review of the material once it has been explored in class.
Given the current cupcake craze, it could be fun to use this video as a starting point from which students could examine the economics of an actual cupcake busines.
The background of the author of this site is in math, computer science and investment management. Thus, videos on the site addressing other topics should be carefully screened for accuracy.
This short (11 minutes) video uses the example of a cupcake factory to explain basic concepts reflected on an income statement, such as revenue, operating cost and profit.