During the American Civil War, the Confederate and state governments faced shortages of critical building materials, ammunition and other supplies. Railroad iron was particularly scarce. David Yulee's Florida Railroad was one of Florida's few tracks in place when the war began. Governor John Milton and Yulee bitterly disagreed over the necessity of removing tracks from the Florida Railroad.

In this activity, students carry out a structured academic controversy. Structured academic controversies are designed to explore uncertainty in history - the same uncertainty faced by historical actors as they approached difficult choices in their own time. Students will focus on understanding the arguments of both sides.