THE UNION DISSOLVES – THE ONSET OF CIVIL WAR

When John Brown and his abolitionist followers took over the arsenal at Harper’s Ferry using violent, terrorist methods, Southerners blamed the Republican Party, which wanted to stop the spread of slavery in the West. Although the Republicans did not support abolitionism, most abolitionists were Republicans. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

The Democratic Party generally supported popular sovereignty as a way of solving the dispute over the slavery issue. Essentially, they argued that the people who lived in the territories should vote on whether or not slavery would be allowed in the regions. Republicans argued that voting to enslave people was completely anti-democratic! POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY

The Supreme Court made a clear ruling regarding the issue of slavery in the West. In the Dred Scott decision, the SCOTUS ruled that the property rights of slave holders were inviolable. Therefore, slaves could be brought into the West, and slavery was legal not only in the South and the West, but also in the North! THE DRED SCOTT CASE (1857)

Stephen Douglas, known as “The Little Giant,” was a long time rival of Abraham Lincoln’s. The two had run against one another for the Illinois Senate seat in 1858 – and Douglas had won. In 1860, he won the Democratic Party’s nomination for the Presidency; however, the Southerners in the Party did not approve, and walked out to nominate their own candidate for office. STEPHEN F. DOUGLAS

The Southern Democrats nominated John C. Breckinridge for the Presidency in Realizing that the Supreme Court’s decisions had generally favored Southerners and the rights of slaveholders, Breckinridge supported the property rights of Southern people and railed against both abolitionism and “popular sovereignty.” THE SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS

By 1860, there were plenty of Southerners who wanted to provoke a break from the Union. They realized the if the nation were to elect a Republican president – like Abraham Lincoln – there would probably be a strong feeling for disunion. As it turned out, those people were correct! SOUTHERN “FIRE- EATERS!”

The Constitutional Union Party was established on two basic principles:  Secession was illegal and wrong.  The Constitution should be upheld at all costs – including its pronouncemen ts on slavery JOHN BELL

 Abraham Lincoln was the winner of the Election of 1860, with 180 Electoral College votes and just over 40% of the popular votes.  Stephen F. Douglas was the second place winner in terms of the popular vote with just under 30% of the votes cast; however, he won only 12 Electoral College votes!  The Southern Democrat, who won only 18% of the vote, nevertheless won 72 Electoral College votes.  John Bell and the Constitutional Union Party won 13% of the vote and 39 Electoral College votes – including Virginia’s. THE ELECTION OF 1860

 The Republicans denounced the actions of John Brown and reaffirmed the rights of Southern people to own slaves.  They supported higher tariffs, to protect American industries.  They supported the Homestead Act to provide cheap land to Western settlers and a transcontinental railroad to bring them West. THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM

South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union. One famous South Carolina politician objected, stating, “South Carolina is too small to be a republic – and too large to be an insane asylum…” Most South Carolinians saw themselves as modern day Patriots, though, like the Sons of Liberty had been. SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina Georgia Florida Mississippi Alabama Louisiana Texas THE CSA IS FORMED, 1861

Virginia attempted to put together a peace conference in the moments leading up to the war. Unfortunately no states in the Confederacy opted to join in. In fact, many Virginians were considering secession as well. By the end of the summer in 1861, Virginia would have left, and the war was on. VIRGINIA’S PEACE ASSEMBLY

The Confederacy is Formed CSA President Jefferson Davis MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

“ In 'your' hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not in 'mine', is the momentous issue of civil war. The Government will not assail 'you'. You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors. 'You' have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the Government, while I shall have the most solemn one to "preserve, protect, and defend it." Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address “I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” – Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address Lincoln claimed that the Confederates would have to fire the first shot – for he would not. However, he would defend all federal property, including bases like Fort Sumter in South Carolina. ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S INAUGURAL ADDRESS, 1861

The first shots of the Civil War took place in 1861 at Charleston, SC – when Fort Sumter was bombarded by the Confederate Army. General P.G.T. Beauregard gave the order to fire the first shots. He fired upon his former teacher, the Union Commander Robert Anderson. While no one died during the battle, one Confederate horse and one soldier would perish during a ceremonial firing of guns after the Fort was surrendered. And the war began. FORT SUMTER

After Fort Sumter was surrendered, Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to help put down the revolt in South Carolina. More than that number volunteered immediately, and the process of organizing an army began in earnest. Unfortunately for Lincoln, four states in the Upper South responded to his action by seceding themselves. LINCOLN CALLS FOR 75,000 SOLDIERS

The Upper South held conventions and seceded from the Union after Lincoln called for soldiers to put down the rebellion. Four more states seceded: Virginia North Carolina Tennessee Arkansas THE UPPER SOUTH SECEDES, SPRING OF 1861

The Borders States were four states which remained loyal to the United States, but still allowed slavery. Abraham Lincoln arrested supporters of the Confederacy in many of these states, and he vowed not to ban slavery without the support of the citizens here.  Delaware  Maryland  Kentucky  Missouri THE BORDER STATES