The Road to Civil War Part 5 The South Breaks Away

John Brown’s Raid and Trial More bloodshed helped push the North and South further apart. In 1859, John Brown and some of his followers raided a federal arsenal (gun warehouse). They were hoping to start a slave revolt. Troops stepped in and captured Brown, and killed some of his followers.

Many people in the North and the South thought Brown was crazy. However, at his trial and when he was sentenced to death, he appeared quite sane and calm. Some northerners thought he was a hero, and on the day he was hanged, church bells rang out throughout the North. Southerners were furious when they found out about this.

The Election of 1860  Thousands of people swarmed into Chicago for the Republican convention.  Would the Republican nomination go to William Seward of New York, or to Abraham Lincoln of Illinois?  Lincoln won the nomination.  Many people are worried this will lead to war.

 The Democratic convention in Charleston, South Carolina was chaotic.  The party couldn’t agree on slavery, and broke into northern and southern branches.  The northerners choose Stephen Douglas, while the southerners chose John Breckinridge of Kentucky.

 A moderate party who was still seeking compromise was formed.  The Constitutional Union Party nominated John Bell of Tennessee.  Lincoln’s name was not even put on the ballot in 10 southern states.  However, he won enough support in the northern states that outvoted the South, and he won the election.

The Union is Broken A South Carolina women described what happened after hearing Lincoln won: “The excitement was very great. Everybody was talking at the same time. One,…more moved than the others, stood up— saying…’The die is cast—No more vain regrets—Sad forebodings are useless. The stake is life or death—’…No doubt of it.

To many Southerners, Lincoln’s election was the last straw. They believed that the President and the Congress would be totally against them. Many leaders had already decided that if Lincoln did win the election it was their duty to leave the Union.

Secession  Some congressional leaders made efforts to keep the country together, but failed.  On December 20, 1860, South Carolina was the first state to secede.  By February 1, 1861, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas had all voted to leave the union.

 The seven states held a meeting in Montgomery, Alabama.  They formed a new nation called the Confederate States of America.  They felt they had a right to leave.  Their constitution was similar to that of the United States.  They didn’t think the North would fight to keep them in the Union.

The War Starts  When Lincoln took the oath of office in March of 1861, he faced a dangerous situation. He said, “no state can lawfully get out of the Union.”  However, he pledged that there would be no war unless the South started it.

Federal Forts in the South The Confederacy started seizing federal buildings like post offices and military forts because they considered the United States to now be a “foreign” power. Lincoln must act very carefully. He doesn’t want to appear weak, but he doesn’t want to start a war. By April, the South has occupied all but 4 forts.

Opening Shots at Fort Sumter Fort Sumter guarded the entrance to Charleston, South Carolina, one of the South’s most important cities. There was no way it could remain under the Union. On April 12, the fort was asked to give up, but its commander refused. The fort was then attacked, and the surrendered on April 13 after running out of ammunition.

Luckily, no one was injured in the attack. No one knew that the “fireworks” marked the beginning of a terrible war that would split the country apart for four years. President Lincoln immediately called for 75,000 volunteers to put down the “southern rebellion”. After Lincoln’s call Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia secede.