The Secession Crisis The real issue in this controversy-the one pressing upon every mind-is the sentiment on the part of one class that looks upon the institution of slavery as wrong, and of another class that does not look upon it as wrong. -Abraham Lincoln, 1858

Main Ideas The road to secession: violent abolitionists, conspiracy charges, and the election of 1860 South Carolina secedes from the union (1860) The Confederate States of America is formed Last attempts of compromise failed- moving towards a Civil War

The Road to Secession John Brown’s Raid at Harper’s Ferry -John Brown confirmed the South’s worst fears of radical abolitionism when he tried to start a slave revolt in Virginia -October 1859, Brown led a small band of followers to attack a federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry -Federal troops commanded by Robert E. Lee captured Brown and killed his sons -Brown and six followers were tried for treason, convicted, and hanged John Brown in 1859

Reaction to John Brown Moderates in the North, including Republican leaders condemned Brown’s actions Southern whites saw the raid as final proof of the North’s true intentions-to use slave revolts to destroy the South Brown was hailed as a martyr by many antislavery northerners Harper's Weekly illustration of U.S. Marines attacking John Brown's "Fort"

The Election of 1860 The final event that triggered the South’s decision to leave the Union was the election of Abraham Lincoln Breakup of the Democratic party: -after two nominating conventions, angry southerner Democrats broke from the party and nominated John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky -the rest of the Democrats nominated Stephen Douglas -Pro-Douglas Democrats ran on a platform of popular sovereignty and the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law -Pro-Breckinridge Democrats called for the unrestricted extension of slavery in the territories and the annexation of Cuba Stephen Douglas John C. Breckinridge

The Election of 1860 continued… Republican nomination of Lincoln -Republicans met in Chicago enthusiastic about the prospect of an easy win over the divided Democrats -Their platform called for economic measures that appealed to northerners and westerners (1)Protective tariff (2)Free land to homesteaders (3)Internal improvements (4)Railroad to the Pacific -Lincoln was chosen over a better known but more radical Senator William H. Seward Abraham Lincoln

The Election of 1860 continued… A fourth political party: -Fearing the consequences of a Republican victory, a group of former Whigs, Know-Nothings, and moderate Democrats formed a new party: the Constitutional Union party -Southern states warned that if a Republican won the presidency, they would leave the Union -the Union party nominated John Bell of Tennessee and ran on, above all else, preserving the Union Election Results: -Lincoln carried every free state in the North (59 percent of the electoral vote) -Lincoln won with only 39.8 percent of the popular vote John Bell

Red shows states won by Lincoln, green by Breckinridge, orange by Bell, and blue by Douglas Numbers are Electoral College votes in each state by the 1850 Census. Electoral Vote Presidential Election

The Deep South Follows South Carolina -The Republicans controlled neither the Congress nor the Supreme Court. Yet, southern secessionists made good on their threat of disunion December, South Carolina January 9, 1861 – Mississippi January 10, 1861 – Florida January 11, 1861 – Alabama January 19, 1861 – Georgia January 26, 1861 – Louisiana February 1, 1861 – Texas April 17, 1861 – Virginia May 6, 1861 – Arkansas May 20, 1861 – North Carolina June 8, Tennessee SC seceded on December 24, 1860

The Creation of the Confederate States of America In February of 1861, representatives of the seven states of the Deep South met in Montgomery, Alabama They would create the Confederate States of America and a similar constitution to the U.S. Constitution -differences included (1)Limits on the government’s power to impose tariffs and restrict slavery (2)Presidential line-item veto (3)Presidential terms would consist of 6 years Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was elected president (Alexander Stephens vice president) Jefferson Davis Inauguration Montgomery, Alabama

Why did the South secede? Fear that slavery was endangered by the election of a Republican (1860) Fear of the Republican economic program (1)high protective tariff (2)federal subsidies for internal improvements (3)Homestead Act (4)no further expansion of slavery in the territories (5)federal support for a transcontinental railroad "Do not wait to be drafted" (Southern recruiting)

Constitutional and Legal Grounds for Secession States’ rights – secession was a power reserved to the states (Amendment 10) Referenced the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions by Jefferson and Madison (and later Calhoun) which explained the states’ rights concept and validated their belief in the doctrine of nullification

How the South Went About Seceding The procedure would conform to the states’ rights arguments of Jefferson, Madison, and Calhoun South Carolina: * Convention in December 1860 * Adopted an Ordinance of Secession - formally repealed ratification of the U.S. Constitution and amendments - declared its status as a commonwealth - December 24: enacted a Declaration of Causes which declared why they had seceded "The seceding South Carolina delegation" (Harper's Weekly, December 22, 1860)

Attempts at Compromise Attempts: * Crittenden compromise – would extend the Missouri Compromise line to the Pacific and protect slavery in all territories below that line -President Buchanan in his last five months in office did nothing to stop the seven Deep South states seceding (lame duck secession) -Senator John Crittenden of Kentucky proposed a constitutional amendment that would guarantee the right to hold slaves in all territories south of the 36*30’ Matthew Brady's 1855 portrait of Sen. Crittenden

Why Compromise Failed Southern opposition to compromise : * Believed that “cotton was king” and the South could survive without the North (many thought Lincoln would permit secession without a fight) Northern opposition to compromise : * Republican platform opposed any extension of slavery in the territories * Believed the South was bluffing about secession * Feared that compromise would destroy the Republican party * Did not want to admit that the election of a Republican justified secession The following political cartoon illustrates the use of the Crittenden Compromise by Democrats to move their interests through Congress and beyond the Republican reach.

Timeline John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry - First oil well drilled Abraham Lincoln elected sixteenth president - South Carolina secedes Confederacy formed

Key Names, Events, and Terms Harper’s Ferry raid John Brown Election of 1860 Secession Crittenden compromise Constitutional Union Party John Breckenridge John Bell Abraham Lincoln

Question All of the following statements about the election of 1860 are accurate EXCEPT: (a)The Republicans won control of the presidency but not Congress. (b)No candidate received a majority of the popular vote. (c)The popular and electoral votes were divided among four candidates. (d)Lincoln won election because of the split in the Democratic party. (e)A major consequence of the election was that several southern states seceded from the Union.

Answer D: Lincoln won election because of the split in the Democratic party.