Download Texas Involvement into The Civil War

Texas ponders which side to enter
the Civil War on.
Federalism/ Popular Sovereignty
 Federalism- a system of government where the power is
shared among the Central Government and the states.
 Texans debated the issues of Sectionalism and State’s Rights
as reasons for either staying with the Union, or leaving with
the other Southern States.
 Popular Sovereignty- Letting the people of a country or a
state vote to decide what’s best.
Sectionalism
 Meeting the needs of one’s own state.
 Consists of agriculture, politics, population, Slavery and
location.
 Texas identified with the South because they were Agrarian,
voted for Democrats, had a small population and supported
Slavery.
 Sectionalism- was a reason for Texas to join the South in the
Civil War.
State’s Rights
 The belief that the federal government should not interfere
with a state’s constitutional powers.
 Texas is affected by the State’s Rights issue concerning
Slavery.
 Texas will be forced to take a stand after the passing of the
Kansas-Nebraska Act.
 State’s Rights became a reason for Texas to join the South in
the Civil War.
Kansas-Nebraska Act
 In 1854 Senator Douglas enters a bill stating that this
territory will use Popular Sovereignty (the people will
decide), whether or not slavery will exist here.
 The problem: Slavery was outlawed in this territory!!
 The people of Kansas vote against slavery;
 Slave owners revolted and 200 people will be killed in what’s
known as, “Bleeding Kansas.”
Should Texas Secede from the Union?
 In 1860 Abraham Lincoln is elected President of the United
States, forcing 12 Southern states to secede from the the
Union.
 Sam Houston was fired as Governor of Texas for refusing to
accept Texas seceding from the Union.
 Texans felt they should secede because they were not
receiving protection from the Union on the western front,
and the Union did not support Slavery.
 A Secession Convention convened and Texans used Popular
Sovereignty (people voted) to leave the Union in 1861.
The States in Black Secede from the Union in
1861.