CAUSES OF

THE CIVIL WAR

Part 3, 25 April 2017
Objectives: Students
will
investigate how the abolitionist movement
increased sectional tensions.
assess how the election of 1860 led to
secession.

Journal:
How did the election of 1860 lead to
secession?
Politics Divide the Nation
Questions
1. What new political party formed in the
1850s? Why? Who joined the party?
Politics Divide the Nation
Questions
1. What new political party formed in the
1850s? Why? Who joined the party?
Republican Party formed in 1854
Why? Formed to fight against the spread of
slavery in the West
Some Whigs, Democrats, Free-Soilers, and
abolitionists
Questions

2. What warning did Lincoln give about the

"nextDred Scottdecision"? Why did
Northerners fear this?
Questions

2. What warning did Lincoln give about the

"nextDred Scottdecision"? Why did Northerners
fear this?
Lincoln warned that the Supreme Courts next
Dred Scott decision could be to disallow
states from banning slavery [since slaves were
considered property in free states].
Northerners feared that slavery would spread
into free states.
Questions
3. What was debated in the Lincoln-Douglas
debates? What were Lincoln's beliefs? How did
Douglas respond?
Lincoln insisted on debating about the spread of
slavery as the main political issue.
Lincoln believed
Democrats were trying to spread slavery
African Americans were entitled to natural rights
African Americans were not social or political
equal of white people
The nation couldnt maintain the half slave and
half free
Questions
3. What was debated in the Lincoln-Douglas
debates? What were Lincoln's beliefs? How did
Douglas respond?
Douglas responded by
Criticizing Lincolns belief in giving African
Americans natural rights
Criticizing his belief that the nation could not
remain with a divided slavery policy
Predicting that war between North and South
would come if a Republican tried to end
slavery in the US
Questions

4. What was the Freeport Doctrine and who

created it?
Questions

4. What was the Freeport Doctrine and who

created it?
Douglas defended his belief in popular
sovereignty (and its contradiction with the
Dred Scott ruling) by creating the Freeport
Doctrine
Freeport Doctrine the idea that the police
would enforce the voters decision to ban
slavery in their states if it contradicted the
Dred Scott decision
Questions

5. Why did John Brown raid Harper's Ferry?

Was he successful?
Questions

5. Why did John Brown raid Harper's Ferry?

Was he successful?
John Brown wanted to seize weapons in a
Virginia arsenal to arm slaves and start a
slave revolt against slave owners
He was unsuccessful local slaves feared
punishment (think back to Nat Turners
Rebellion) and the members of Browns
raiding party were killed or captured.
John Brown was hanged for treason,
murder, and conspiracy.
Questions

6. What was the platform of the

Constitutional Union Party? What does their
position sound like? (Think about previous
constitutional positions we've discussed.)
Questions

6. What was the platform of the Constitutional

Union Party? What does their position sound
like? (Think about previous constitutional
positions we've discussed.)
The Constitutional Union Party platform only
the principles set down in the Constitution are
valid in governing and enforcing of laws
This is similar to strict interpretations of the
constitution.
Questions

7. Who won the election of 1860? How did

the South respond to the election results?
Questions

7. Who won the election of 1860? How did the

South respond to the election results?
Abraham Lincoln won the election of 1860.
Southerners were angry, because Lincoln
didnt bother to campaign in southern
states, nor did he win any electoral votes
from them (and was not even on the ballot
in 10 of them).
South Carolina decided to secede.
Questions
8. What was Lincoln's response to South
Carolina's movement to secede?
Questions
8. What was Lincoln's response to South
Carolina's movement to secede?
Quick Review: South Carolina claimed that
they could leave the Union, because they
voluntarily joined the Union.
Questions
8. What was Lincoln's response to South
Carolina's movement to secede?
Buchanan said the Union was not a mere
voluntary association of states, to be
dissolved at pleasure by any one of the
contracting parties.
Lincoln said, No State, upon its own mere
motion, can lawfully get out of the Union.
They can only do so against [the] law, and
by revolution.
Questions
8. What was Lincoln's response to South
Carolina's movement to secede?
Buchanan said the Union was not a mere
voluntary association of states, to be
dissolved at pleasure by any one of the
contracting parties.
Lincoln said, No State, upon its own mere
motion, can lawfully get out of the Union.
They can only do so against [the] law, and
by revolution.
In other words: Joining the Union was a
contract and you cant break a contract
because you feel like it.
Questions

9. Describe the Crittenden Plan. Was it

successful?
Questions

9. Describe the Crittenden Plan. Was it successful?

The Crittenden Plan proposed
Reapply and extend the Missouri Compromise
line further west
to allow slavery in all southern territories held
now or acquired hereafter
Make the Missouri Compromise un-repealable
Crittendens plan was rejected by the
Republicans.
Questions

10. What did the states that seceded form?

(Think government.)
The Confederate States of America
Formed in December of 1860 by South
Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama,
Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas
Had their own constitution that guaranteed
the right of citizens to own slaves
Jefferson Davis of Mississippi as president
End of Class

Objectives: Students will:

investigate how the abolitionist movement
increased sectional tensions.
assess how the election of 1860 led to
secession.

Homework: None.