Issues Leading to the Civil War

Standard SS8H6a

Differences in 1800s Economy

NORTH•Factories

– Produced finished goods

• Paid workers

SOUTH•Agriculture

– Produced mainly cotton• Slaves

States’ Rights• States’ Rights

– STATESSTATES are sovereign (only rules are from Constitution), and have the RIGHTRIGHT to ignore laws they feel are unconstitutional.

• South – favored (supported) states’ rights • North – opposed (against) states’ rights.

• To ignore laws means to nullify them– Nullification is to make void or to deprive of value or

effectiveness.• “If it ain’t in the Constitution, we ain’t gotta do it”

• Georgians were split over the issue.

Nullification

• Southern states had fewer factories and therefore bought many cheaper manufactured goods from foreign countries instead of from the north.

• Congress passed tariffs in 1828 & 1832 to force southern states to trade with them. – Many southern states opposed these tariffs and

threatened to nullify them and secede from the union– Secession is to break apart from a group or a body

The Unoccupied West

• After the LOUISIANA PURCHASELOUISIANA PURCHASE, the North & South argued about how to use unoccupied territory (land that had not become a state yet) in the West.

• The South wanted to distribute western lands as cheaply as possible; more agrarian & rural.

• The North wanted to sell the land at a high price; more industrial & urban.

Slavery Divides The Nation• As more western territories became states, would they

become free states or slave states?

• After Alabama became a state in 1819 (slave state), there were an equal number of slave and free states (11). – The North was upset.

• Missouri Compromise (1820) – Congress stated that Missouri would be admitted as a

“slave” state &Maine would be admitted as a “free”. Also, slavery would be prohibited north of latitude 36 30’.

– Keeps the balance of free & slave states equal

Missouri Compromise

Results of the Mexican-American War • White southerners began moving into

Mexican territory, bringing their slaves.

• Slavery was not allowed in the territory, but the Americans refused to follow this law.

• General Santa Ana and his troops tried to “convince” the settlers to leave and this resulted in a battle at the Alamo.

• President James K. Polk did not appreciate that the Mexican Army had killed Americans so he sent the US Army into Mexico.

• The US Army was able to defeat the Mexican Army, and the result was that all territories north of the Rio Grande River became ‘Merica.

Compromise of 1850

Congress decided:• California would be admitted to the Union as a free state

• The territories of New Mexico & Utah would be allowed to choose whether they wanted to be a slave or free state (STATES RIGHTS)

– Both states voted (POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY) to become slave states

• Congress would pass a law (Fugitive Slave Act) stating that runaway slaves would be returned to their ownerrunaway slaves would be returned to their owner

•

After the US gained the former Mexican territories, Congress had to determine how the land would be distributed.

Georgia Platform• Many Georgian’s were not happy with

Compromise of 1850

• The Georgia Platform was a statement that The Georgia Platform was a statement that urged citizens to accept it to preserve the urged citizens to accept it to preserve the UnionUnion– Howell Cobb, Alexander Stephens & Robert Toombs

• States’ Rights party formed – protest accepting any compromise until Congress

agrees to protect slavery & state’s rights

Kansas-Nebraska Act• 1854, Stephen Douglas

(Illinois) got the Kansas-Nebraska Act passed

• Created territories of Kansas & Nebraska

• Each state could decide to be Free or Slave state

• This changes the Missouri Compromise the North is angered

• Kansas = Slave state• Nebraska = Free state

• Bloody Fighting breaks out between “Free Soilers” & Pro-slavery people– “Bleeding Kansas”

• Congress accepts Nebraska as a (free) state but denies statehood to Kansas (slave state)– Southern states realize

Northern votes can keep slave states from the Union

Dred Scott Case• The case went to the

Supreme Ct.

• The Court said:1. Scott could not sue

b/c he was a slave he was a slave and slaves were not and slaves were not citizenscitizens

2. Congress could not stop slavery in states

• This issue further divides North & South

• Dred Scott was born into slavery in Missouri– He went on a trip with his

owner took him to Illinois (f) then to Wisconsin (f)

• After returning from the trip, his owner died.

• Scott sued his owner’s wife for his freedom

Election of 1860• 4 Candidates emerged

– New Republican Party• Abraham Lincoln

– Democrats• Northern Dems support

Stephen Douglas• Southern Dems support

John Breckenridge– Constitutional Union

Party • John Bell of Kentucky

• Abraham Lincoln– Against slavery, but will not

try to remove it from south– Supports protective tariff– Wants to give free land in

the west to settlers– Supports building the

Transcontinental Railroad with one end in the north and the other out west.

• To the South, the Republicans & Lincoln appear to be against everything the south wants

Election of 1860 – Lincoln, Douglas, Breckenridge & Bell

Election Results 1860• http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.ph

p?year=1860

Debate over GA secession & Alexander Stephens

• Immediately after Lincoln’s election, Georgians began to discuss secession– Most Georgians

support the Union, but more strongly support State’s Rights

• Alexander Stephens argues strongly against secession

• Gov. Joe Brown, Robert Toombs & Thomas Cobb strongly support secession and outweigh Stephens’ pleas

The Union Breaks• South Carolina secedes

in Dec. 1860

• Georgia secedes in Jan. 1861

• Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas all secede by Feb. 1861

• Confederate States of America formed, Feb. 4, 1861– Jefferson Davis

(Mississippi) elected President

– Alexander Stephens elected Vice President

• against secession now VP?!?!

– Robert Toombs named Secretary of State

United States no longer…