Was Southern secession inevitable

1
Was Southern secession inevitable?
LESSON 21 Girding for War The North and the
South (1861-1865)
2
Who is this guy Lincoln, and why did he emerge?

• LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES (1858)
• Lincoln challenged Stephen Douglas in Senate race
  in Illinois
• Series of seven debates over state of North-South
  relations

Honest Abe
The Little Giant
3
Who is this guy Lincoln, and why did he emerge?

• FREEPORT DOCTRINE Douglas shot down Dred Scott
  decision ? people could vote down slavery in
  territories
• Douglas won election, but Lincoln won national
  spotlight
• Freeport Doctrine highlighted split in Democratic
  party over slavery issue

Honest Abe
The Little Giant
4
John Brown? Again??

• JOHN BROWNS RAID (1859)
• Browns raid at Harpers Ferry arsenal led to his
  martyrdom in North
• Results
• 7 killed 10 others wounded
• Attempted slave rebellion stalled
• Brown and followers hung after capture
• Southern states organized militias to protect
  against future threats

5
Why would the election of 1860 lead to secession?

• ELECTION OF 1860
• Split in Democratic party led to two nominees
  from both sections

NORTH Stephen Douglas
John Bell Constitutional Union Party/Know-Nothing
s
SOUTH Regarded Douglas as a traitor because of
position on slavery
SOUTH John C. Breckinridge
6
Why would the election of 1860 lead to secession?

• Lincoln became Republican nominee as they sensed
  potential victory
• Elements of Republican platform ? something for
  everyone
• Non-extension of slavery
• Maintenance of protective tariff
• Protection of immigrants rights
• Federal funding for railroad to Pacific
• Federal funding for internal improvements in West
• Free homesteads (land grants)

7
Why would the election of 1860 lead to secession?

• Results
• LINCOLN WON, BUT he is a minority President
  (only polled 40)
• Lincoln appealed to every important non-Southern
  group
• Republicans do not take control of Congress
• South still controlled Supreme Court

8
Why would the election of 1860 lead to secession?

• Lincolns election led to Southern exodus
• 12/1860 South Carolina seceded
• Next six weeks Six states followed
• 2/1861 Confederate States of America created
• BUCHANAN Refused to force them back into Union ?
  no Constitutional authority

Jefferson Davis President of the Confederacy
9
Why would the seceding states choose to do so?

• Justification for secession
• Feared their rights as slaveowning minority were
  threatened by Republican presidency
• Believed they would be unopposed
• South hoped to institute banking and shipping
  into economy
• South relied on Revolutionary example (ex 13
  colonies seceded, so)
• Moral high ground ? they voluntarily entered
  Union, so they could leave as easily
• End of long-term dependence on North

10
(No Transcript)