Rank the following antebellum developments in order of most important (1) to least important (6) in precipitating the sectional crisis of the 1850s.
Religions and moral reform movements
Industrialization and technological innovation
Expansion of voting rights
Intensification of slavery in the South
Increased political polarization
Territorial expansion
Now explain your decision-making process in a short essay (approx. 600 words). For each of the 6 “developments,” shares at least 2 specific events with a definition (who, what, when, where) and statement of significance as supporting evidence for your ranking choices and why you thought that development was more or less important.