Immediate Causes of the Civil War

Do Now: The Path to War Civil War . Use the visual summary on pg. 372 to create a flow chart in your notes identifying the 3 immediate causes of the American Civil War.

The Election of 1860: Lincoln wins the presidency. Secession: South Carolina is the first to secede; 6 more states follow. The Confederate States of America is established (Feb. 1861) South Carolinians launch an attack on Fort Sumter; Lincoln calls for volunteers to fight the rebels. The Path to War

The Election of 1860 (pg. 329 – 330) Who were the candidates? What was each party’s position on slavery? Southern Democrat – Northern Democrat – Republican – Constitutional Union – Republicans – wanted to ban slavery in the territories but promised not interfere with slavery in the states where it already existed. Northern Democrats – wanted slavery in the territories to be decided by popular sovereignty (residents vote) Southern Democrats – wanted to expand slavery into the territories Constitutional Union – had no position on slavery.

The Election of 1860 (pg. 329 – 330) Southern Democrat PARTY CANDIDATE POSITION ON SLAVERY Southern Democrat John C. Breckenridge Slavery allowed in the territories. Northern Democrat Stephen Douglas (popular sovereignty) Residents of the territories vote for or against slavery. Republican Abraham Lincoln No slavery in the territories; but will not interfere with slavery in the states where it already exists. Constitutional Union John Bell Took no position on the issue. Republicans – wanted to ban slavery in the territories but promised not interfere with slavery in the states where it already existed. Northern Democrats – wanted slavery in the territories to be decided by popular sovereignty (residents vote) Southern Democrats – wanted to expand slavery into the territories Constitutional Union – had no position on slavery.

The Election of 1860 (pg. 329 – 330) What issue split the Democrats? How were they split? How many popular votes did the 2 Democrats receive? Electoral votes? The party was split over the issue of slavery in the territories. Northern Democrats wanted slavery in the territories to be decided by popular sovereignty (residents vote) Southern Democrats wanted to expand slavery into the territories, whether residents wanted it or not. Combined, the two Democrats received 2,231,069 popular votes, but only 84 electoral votes. 2,231,069 84

The Economics of Slavery Why was it so important to slave owners that slavery expand into the territories? Growing cotton brought huge profits, but it also caused problems. Cotton used up the nutrients in the soil. When the soil was no longer productive, cotton growers abandoned their plantations and moved westward. In the 1810s through the 1830s, they moved away from the coastal states and built plantations in Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. By the 1840s and 1850s, these lands, too, were becoming unproductive. Cotton growers then moved to Arkansas and Texas. For this reason, some critics argued that slavery would die out on its own. They said that—along with being unjust—the plantation system didn’t make economic sense.

Missouri & part of New Jersey The Election of 1860 (pg. 329 – 330) Which candidate received the 2nd highest number of popular votes? How many popular votes? How many electoral votes? How many states? Which ones? Who won the election? With how many popular votes? Electoral votes? Stephen Douglas 1,382,713 12 Missouri & part of New Jersey 2 Lincoln; 1,865,693; 180 Combined, the two Democrats received 2,231,069 popular votes, but only 84 electoral votes. Douglas; 1,382,713; 12 Abraham Lincoln 1,865,593 180

The Election of 1860 (pg. 330) How is it possible that Lincoln could win the election when he “did not even appear on the ballot in most of the slave states?” Would Lincoln still have won if the Democratic Party was not split in two? Why or why not?

Analyzing Political Cartoons

The Election of 1860: Lincoln wins the presidency. Secession: South Carolina is the first to secede; 6 more states follow. The Confederate States of America is established (Feb. 1861) South Carolinians launch an attack Fort on Sumter; Lincoln calls for volunteers to fight the rebels. The Path to War

Also see Southern Secession, pages 330 - 331 What is the relationship between the percentage of enslaved people and secession? Slavery and Secession Interactive Map Also see Southern Secession, pages 330 - 331

The Confederate States of America Formed February 4, 1861

The Election of 1860: Lincoln wins the presidency. Secession: South Carolina is the first to secede; 6 more states follow. The Confederate States of America is established (Feb. 1861) South Carolinians launch an attack on Fort Sumter; Lincoln calls for volunteers to fight the rebels. The Path to War

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter was a US fort located in South Carolina. Confederate soldiers demanded the Union surrender the fort or face attack. In response, Lincoln sent supplies to the Fort knowing that it would force South Carolina to fire the first shots. Fort Sumter

Do Now, 3/26 Think about all of the compromises and events you summarized or discussed over the last few blocks (i.e. the Missouri Compromise, Fugitive Slave Act, Kansas-Nebraska Act, John Brown’s Raid, Secession, Attack on Fort Sumter, etc.). Do you think the Civil War could have been avoided? If so, how? If not, why not?