1. Section 4 – pg 373 The Coming of the Civil War
Chapter 10
Section 4 – pg 373
The Coming of the Civil War

2. Pg 373
The Nation Divides
As the election of 1860 drew near, Americans felt a sense of crisis
The long bitter debate over slavery left the nation divided

3. Election of 1860
Pg 373
Republicans chose Abraham Lincoln as Presidential candidate
His debates with Douglas had made him popular in the north
Slavery in the new territories split the Democrat party
Northern Democrats chose Stephen Douglas
Southern Democrats chose the current Vice President, John Breckinridge of Kentucky

4. Some Southerners still wanted the North and South to become
Pg 373
Some Southerners still wanted the
North and South to become
unified again
Formed the Constitutional Union Party
Nominated John Bell of Tennessee who promised to protect slavery and keep the nation together
Stephen Douglas was sure that Lincoln would win the election
Believed that Democrats must try to save the Union
Pleaded with southern voters to stay with the Union no matter who was elected
However, when he campaigned in the South he was pelted with eggs and rotten fruit

5. Pg 374 The election showed how fractured the Union was
Lincoln won every free state
Breckinridge won all slave states except 4
Bell won Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia
Douglas won Missouri
Although Lincoln got only 40% of the popular votes, he received enough electoral votes to win the election
Pg 374

6. Southern States Secede
Pg 374
Southern States Secede
When Lincoln was elected many southerners felt like they no longer had a voice in the national gov’t
Believed that the President and Congress were set against their ways of life – especially slavery
One southern paper wrote, “a party founded on the single sentiment….of hatred of slavery, is now controlling power”

7. South Carolina was the first southern state to secede from the Union
Pg 375
South Carolina was the first southern state to secede from the Union
When news of Lincoln’s election reached the state, legislature called for a special convention
December 20, 1860 passed a declaration that “the union now subsiding between South Carolina and the other states, under the name of the ‘United States of America’ is hereby dissolved”

8. The Confederate States of America
6 more states followed South Carolina out of the Union
Not all southerners favored succession but their opponents were hard to control
In February, leaders from the 7 seceding states met in Montgomery, Alabama, to form a new nation called the Confederate States of America
By the time Lincoln took
office in March, they had
already written a constitution
and named former Senator
Jefferson Davis as their
president
Pg 375

9. The Civil War Begins Pg 375 March 4, 1861, Lincoln takes office
In inauguration speech assured
seceded states that he meant them
no harm
“I have no intentions…to interfere with the institution of slavery where it exists”
Also warned them that their actions may provoke a war
The seceded states responded by taking over post offices, forts, and other federal property within their borders

10. Pg 375
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter: located on an island in the harbor of Charleston, South Carloina
The fort’s commander would not surrender to the Confederates
South Carolina authorities decided to starve the fort’s 100 soldiers into surrender
Cut off supplies in December and the soldiers could not last much longer

11. Lincoln did not want to give up the fort, but feared sending troops would cause more states to secede
Announced he was sending food to the supply ships would carry no troops or guns
Confederate leaders decided to capture the fort before the supply ships arrived
April 12, Confederate artillery opened fire on the fort
After 34 hours, with the fort on fire, the US troops surrendered
Pg 377

12. Pg 377
Why War Came
Fort Sumter was the beginning of a long civil war (a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country)
“Both parties condemned war, but one of them would make war rather than let the union survive, and the other would accept war rather then let it perish, and the war came” – Abraham Lincoln