Four Events Leading Up to the Conflict On The Edge of Civil War Four Events Leading Up to the Conflict

The Lincoln Douglas Debates

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates During the controversy of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, a new political party emerged. The Republicans’ main goal was to keep slavery out of the west. In 1858, Republicans in Illinois nominated Abraham Lincoln to run for the Senate. In his acceptance speech, he said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates His opponent, Stephen Douglas, believed strongly in popular sovereignty, and saw no reason that the nation could not go on indefinitely half slave and half free. Lincoln lost the election to Douglas, but emerged as a leader.

John Brown

John Brown John Brown led raids against pro-slavery forces in Kansas. In 1859, Brown had a plan to end slavery forever. His plan was to seize the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, VA, and arm the slaves of Maryland and Virginia. He would then lead the slaves in a glorious rebellion that would destroy slavery all across the South.

John Brown Brown and his men did capture the arsenal, but troops led by Robert E. Lee killed 10 of his raiders and captured Brown. Brown was tried, convicted of treason, and hanged. Many Northerners saw him as a hero. Southerners were even more convinced the North wanted to destroy slavery and their way of life.

The Election of 1860 Republican candidate: Lincoln Democratic candidate: Douglas When Stephen Douglas refused to come out in favor of slavery, the Democratic party split.

The Election of 1860 There were soon FOUR candidates: Republican: Abraham Lincoln Northern Democrats: Stephen Douglas Southern Democrats: John Breckinridge Constitutional Union: John Bell With Democrats split, Lincoln sailed to victory. The election brought a strong reaction from the South and talk of secession filled the air.

The Election of 1860

Fort Sumter On December 20, 1860, South Carolina voted to secede from the Union. Six other states quickly followed. On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as President of the United States. His first duty was to defend the Constitution by keeping the nation together.

Fort Sumter A month later, firebrands in South Carolina took matters into their own hands. On April 12, they fired on a federal fort in Charleston harbor. The news that the rebels had fired on the flag unleashed a wave of patriotic fury in the North.

Fort Sumter A New York paper wrote: There is no more thought of bribing or coaxing the traitors… Fort Sumter is temporarily lost, but the Union is saved.

Fort Sumter The Civil War began.