The Civil War The Secession Crisis

Events leading to Secession Lincoln-Douglas Debates In 1858, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas both campaigned for the Illinois Senator. At the heart of a series of heated debates was the issue of slavery. Douglas took no moral stand on slavery and was for popular sovereignty Lincoln stated that if rights could be taken away from one group of people they could be taken from another. Was not an abolitionist, but wanted to stop slavery from expanding.

Events leading to Secession (continued) Harper’s Ferry Due to growing anti-slavery sentiments, Southerners began to fear that there was a Northern conspiracy t end slavery. At Harper’s Ferry, John Brown led a raid which attempted to arm slaves in a revolt. This revolt was put down by troops led by Robert E. Lee and Brown, along with six of his followers was executed for treason. For many Southerners, this raid confirmed southern fears. The Election of 1860 Democrats nominated 2 candidates northerner Stephen Douglas of Illinois and John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky Whigs nominated John Bell Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln Lincoln won the electoral college while receiving only 40% of the popular vote, almost entirely from the North.

Effect of these events The South had already suspected the North was vying to eliminate the system of slavery. The election of Lincoln, a candidate that took a clear stand against slavery, along with the raid at Harper’s Ferry confirmed these fears. The two party system in America had also been a great source of compromise for American politics. However, with the formation of new parties (Know-Nothing and Free Soil) the two party system in America was failing. This split the Democrats and Republicans against each other, and led to further conflict.

Secession Begins By the time Lincoln had been inaugurated, seven slave states had seceded. Led by South Carolina in 1860. Congress sought compromise to avert crisis. John Crittenden of Kentucky and the Crittenden Compromise proposed Constitutional Amendments that would ensure slavery’s existence and carry on the Missouri Compromise line into the territories. Republicans were not willing to allow slavery to expand. Lincoln’s inaugural address laid out his position. The Constitution did not sanction secession and any state that did so was in open rebellion.

Fort Sumter The seceding states seized federal properties within their boundaries with the exception of offshore forts, like Fort Sumter in South Carolina. As Fort Sumter began to run low on supplies, the Confederacy attacked. After 2 days of bombardment, the Confederacy had taken the fort.