Download Events and Issues Leading up to the Civil War

Events and Issues Leading up
to the Civil War
Calhoun Academy
Fourth Grade
Sectionalism
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Sectionalism is loyalty to one section of a country
rather than to the whole country.
Sectionalism in the U.S. at this time, was
because of the differences between the North
and South on issues over...
 Slavery
 Economical differences
 Cultural differences
 States’ rights
Sectionalism means that the interests of each
section (North or South)was more important to
the people of that region, than what was best for
the United States.
States’ Rights
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The North and South had different
beliefs about the powers of the federal
government.
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Southerners supported states’ rights:
they feared slaves would be emancipated
(freed) by the federal government.
Southern states preferred the Articles of
Confederation.
Northerners supported the federal
government and the emancipation of
slaves
The Election of 1860
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The election of brought the
conflict between the North and
South to the breaking point!
The Republican party opposed
slavery and nominated Abraham
Lincoln as their candidate.
The Democratic party, who
supported slavery, split their
nomination between two
candidates Stephen A. Douglas
and John C. Breckinridge
Southern Fears about The Election of
1860
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If Lincoln was elected they would lose power in
the government.
Any new states would become free states.
The balance of power would shift to the free
states.
The federal government might outlaw slavery in
the United States.
If Lincoln was elected, he may free the slaves.
The Outcome
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Abraham Lincoln won the election
of 1860.
He promised to
respect and keep
slavery in
the
states where
it
existed.
He promised to
protect states’
rights
Secession
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After Abraham Lincoln won,
Secessionists ( a person who
wanted the state to leave the
Union, U.S.) believed that
Lincoln would abolish slavery
everywhere.
South Carolina was the first
to secede from the Union
Eleven Southern states
seceded (separated) from the
Union – South Carolina,
Mississippi, Florida, Alabama,
Georgia, Louisiana, Texas,
Virginia, Arkansas, North
Carolina, Tennessee
The Country Splits in Two
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After the secession, these 11 states
declared that they were a new country,
the Confederate States of America.
Jefferson Davis
was elected president of
the Confederacy.
The Country Splits in Two
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Still, Lincoln promised to try and bring
the Union back together
Causes of the Civil War
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Slavery - Lincoln did not support freeing the
slaves.
Debate of states’ rights
Cultural and Economic differences – north was
focus on industry, the south was focused on
farming and cash crops
The first shots of the Civil War are fired at
Fort Sumter, in Charleston, South
Carolina.
Lincoln vs. Douglas Quotes Analyze
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“If slavery is not wrong, then
nothing is wrong…But I would not
do anything to bring about a war
between the free and slave states”
– Abraham Lincoln
“If each state will only agree to
mind its own business…this republic
can exist forever divided into free
and slave states.” – Stephen
Douglas
Campaign Posters