Abraham Lincoln President of the USA Jefferson Davis President of the CSA

John Brown John Brown was a New Englander who moved to Kansas in He was a fierce anti-slavery activist who decided that it was his duty to punish pro-slavery forces in Kansas. In May 1856, he led a small group of men to eastern Kansas where they killed five pro-slavery men. This became known as the Pottawatomie Creek Massacre.

Because of his actions at Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas collapsed into a state of civil war. 200 people were killed in the months that followed and John Brown became a hunted man.

Brown fled to New England where he became frustrated with abolitionists who spoke of ending slavery peacefully. “Talk! Talk! Talk! That will never free the slaves. What is needed is action-action.” In 1858, Brown started to work on a slave uprising. He wanted to attack a federal arsenal (military storehouse) and take the weapons. He planned to arm the slaves in the area.

Brown then urged other abolitionists to donate money so he could recruit and train a small army. After nearly 2 years of preparation, John Brown’s raid began. He and his men entered Harpers Ferry, West VA and took over a federal arsenal. After they had the weapons from the arsenal, Brown sent some of his men into the countryside to get slaves to come and join them.

Brown’s hopes that the slaves would join him to fight failed-none showed up. They probably knew they would be severely punished if they were caught. Instead, a group of white southerners attacked Brown-11 men were killed in this attack-Brown retreated to safety.

Federal troops arrived the next day. Colonel Robert E. Lee ordered the troops to storm the firehouse that Brown was in. In a matter of minutes, the troops had captured Brown. Brown was convicted of murder, treason and conspiracy and sentenced to death. He was hanged in December 1859.

The Drums of War Differences between the North and South ripped apart the Democratic Party. Southern Democrats insisted on protection for slavery in the territories. Stephen Douglas would represent the Northern Democrats while John C. Breckinridge would represent the Southern Democrats. A fourth party, the Constitutional Union Party, chose John Bell. With the Democrats divided, Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party knew they would win. Lincoln won the election of Lincoln carried these states

Southern radicals assumed the new President would free the slaves and saw no choice but to secede from the Union. South Carolina justified its secession on the basis of States’ rights (that the Union was voluntary and therefore when the U.S. government violated the rights of the states, they could withdraw from the Union). Over the next few weeks, more states seceded.

In February 1861, the seceding states formed the Confederate States of America. They elected Jefferson Davis from Mississippi as their President and Alexander H. Stephens from Georgia as their Vice President. Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, served as a colonel in the Mexican War, a congressman, and Secretary of War.

Davis had opposed secession as late as 1860, but felt sates had the right to secede. His loyalty to the South outweighed his hopes for peace. Davis was very intelligent and hardworking, but he was also very detailed. He was not good at delegating to his staff. He was also so loyal to his friends that he often overlooked their faults. These traits will cause him problems as the Civil War continues.