Sectionalism the missouri compromise states' rights the kansas-nebraska act the election of 1860 these topics would be most useful to a student who is writing a research report titled a) "the causes of the civil war." b) "the effects of the civil war." c) "milestones of reconstruction." d) "why the north won the civil war."

 A) "The Causes of the Civil War"

Explanation:

Missouri was a part of what was acquired in the Louisiana Purchase.  In 1820, when Missouri was ready to apply for statehood, a compromise was reached in Congress that established a plan for slave vs. free regions within the overall Louisiana Purchase regions.  The Missouri Compromise admitted Missouri into the Union as a slave state with Maine being added as a free state at the same time, to keep the balance of slave and free states equal.  It also prohibited any future slave states north of the latitude line 36/30' north of the equator in territories of the Louisiana Purchase, with the exception of Missouri (north of that line) being admitted as a slave state.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act enacted by Congress in 1854. It granted popular sovereignty to the people in the Kansas and Nebraska territories, letting them decide whether they'd allow slavery.  In essence, this made the Kansas-Nebraska act a repeal of the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which had said there would be no slavery north of latitude 36°30´ except for Missouri.  After the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers rushed into Kansas to try to sway the outcome of the issue, and violence between the two sides occurred.  The term "bleeding Kansas" was used because of the bloodshed.  

The Election of 1860 was focused on issues of slavery and states rights.  As reported by the West Virginia Dept. of Arts, Culture, and History, "Abraham Lincoln, the Republican Party's nominee in 1860, was seen as a moderate on slavery, but Southerners feared that his election would lead to its demise, and vowed to leave the Union if he was elected."

the answer is ''A''