IV.Road to Ft. Sumter part III Secession

A.Election of 1860 Rep- Abraham Lincoln (IL) Platform: Slavery is morally wrong, internal improvements, transcontinental RR Constitutional Union Party- John Bell (TN) Platform: Alcohol/Immigrants So. Dem- John C. Breckinridge (KY) Platform: protection of slavery No. Dem- Stephen Douglas (IL) Platform: Popular sovereignty

Strategies in the election –Democrats spent time attacking each other –This split the democratic vote –Republicans spent time on populous and mid- western states

Results of the Election Electoral Vote –Lincoln 180 (every northern state ex NJ) –Breckinridge 72 (most of the south –Bell 39 (TN, VA, KY) –Douglas 12 (MO, NJ) Popular Vote –Lincoln 39.9% –Douglas 29.5 % –Breckinridge 18.1% –Bell 12.5% Other 3 candidates received 1 million more votes than Lincoln- Lincoln did not appear on 10 southern ballots

Reactions Northern –Pleased with the results & the prospect of ending slavery Southern –Powder keg has been ignited –Lincoln did not need the south to win the election

B.Secession (Separate) History of Secession –1776: US Separates from Great Britain –1803: New England contemplates secession over admission of LA –1814: The Hartford Convention- New England tries to secede from US over War of 1812 –1845: New England wanted to secede over the admission of Texas

Legality of Secession Northern Argument –The South entered to union under a contract (the Constitution –Lincoln’s Inaugural address Secession was not legal States still part of the Union Lincoln would not assail the south Gov’t control federal property Southern Argument –The contract was breeched –Declaration of Independence –10 th Amendment -Declaration of Independence

C.South Secedes December 20, 1860 –129 delegates of S.C. met in Charleston & unanimously voted to secede from the Union Reasons for secession –Each state was sovereign & independent –Entered the union voluntarily –10 th amendment allows them to leave South Carolina held its breath, waiting for the other southern states to secede Absolutely nothing happened

Order of Secession South CarolinaDec 20, 1860 MississippiJan 9, 1861 FloridaJan 10, 1861 AlabamaJan 11, 1861 GeorgiaJan 19, 1861 LouisianaJan 26, 1861 TexasMar 2, 1861

D.Confederate Constitution Est. and ratified Mar 11, 1861 Same as the US Constitution with 4 major differences –The words “promote the general welfare” are taken out of the preamble and “each state acting in its sovereign & independent welfare” is added –Explicitly guarantees slavery in state & territory- outlaws IST –Prohibits protective tariffs for internal improvements –Limits the president to one 6 year term

The Confederate States of America is Born Jefferson Davis is elected President of the CSA Alexander H. Stephens is elected Vice-President

E.Crisis in Charleston Dec. 26, 1860, six days after SC seceded, Maj. Robert Anderson relocated his men from Ft. Moultrie to a more defensible Ft. Sumter –The fort was about 90% complete at the time Anderson only had a garrison of about 85 men The South took this as a hostile move

1 st attempt to re-supply Ft. Sumter –Buchanan sends help –Jan. 9, 1861: The Star of the west was sent from New York to Ft. Sumter to bring necessary supplies –Orders were sent by mail and were never received by the fort WHY? –Cadets from the Citadel were manning guns in the harbor –The Cadets fire on the ship and turn it around

Lincoln attempts to re-supply Ft. Sumter –April 4: Lincoln informs SC governor Francis Perkins of his intension to re-supply the fort –April 10: Perkins notifies Jefferson Davis, who orders PGT Beauregard to demand the evacuation and surrender of the fort. –April 11: Beauregard sends aides under a flag of truce to deliver his ultimatum- Anderson declines –April 12, 1861, 3:20am: Aides revisit the fort and make one more request for surrender- Major Anderson refuses again. He is told the CSA will open fire in 1 hour

F.Fort Sumter April 12, 1861, 4:30am: Cpt. George S. James orders a tracer shot over the fort. This tracer shot signals the firing to begin First shot was fired from Ft. Moultrie Union returned fire at daybreak Bombing from Ft. Moultrie ignited a fire in the officer’s quarters threatening the main powder magazine After 34 hours of bombing, Major Anderson surrenders leaving the fort in CSA control

G.Captains Report Major Robert Anderson 0 casualties Gen PGT Beauregard 1 casualty CSA horse