Bell RingerCome up with a list of 7 details/events you would use to define and support the idea

of Sectionalism!

Objectives“Prelude to War”

1)Outline the events that lead to southern

secession.

2)Detail the election of 1860.

Background…Slavery dominated politics. Lincoln was running for Senate in 1858. In his campaign, he

made a prediction/statement… “A house divided against itself cannot stand” and “I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free”.

Events leading up to the Civil War

1856Dred Scott Case

1857Lecompton Constitution

(Kansas)

1858Lincoln-Douglas

Debates

October 1859Raid on

Harpers Ferry

1860Presidential

Election

December 1859John Brown

Hanged

The Dred Scott Case (1856)

Refer to your GOLD

PACKET!!

It looks like

this…

Lecompton Constitution (Kansas)

This is the constitution put together by the state of Kansas.

It was VERY pro-slavery!It was voted down by the Free-Soil Party members in Kansas

overwhelmingly.

President Buchanan endorsed the constitution anyways, and

sent it to Congress for final approval. Douglas opposed it

strongly and swayed opinions in Congress enough to get it

rejected.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858)Lincoln runs for Senate in Illinois. He is not well-known, so he challenges Douglas to a

series of debates in front of the public.

Lincoln believes slavery is immoral.

Douglas believes in

popular sovereignty

to decide the issue.

Steven Douglas Abraham Lincoln

Harpers Ferry (October 1859)John Brown was a radical abolitionist. He concocted a plan to raid the US Federal Arsenal

at Harper’s Ferry, take the weapons, and arm the slaves in an uprising… it didn’t work!

John Brown’s Hanging (December 1859)After Harper’s Ferry, Brown is arrested and tried for high treason. He was hanged on

December 2nd.

Response to John Brown

- Northerners admired him and his cause

- Southerners accused northerners of plotting slave uprisings and called for secession!!

Election of 1860Background

At the Republican Convention, the delegates were trying to decide between William Stewart and

Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was not well known but Stewart had offended some of the delegated in

the past. The delegates picked Lincoln!

Steven Douglas

- Senator from Illinois- Backed by northern

Democrats- Wanted popular

sovereignty to decide the issue of slavery

John Breckinridge

- Current Vice-President- Backed by southern

Democrats- Wanted slavery in

territories & rights of slave holders respected

John Bell

- From Tennessee- Represented the

Constitutional Union Party

- Did not take a stance on slavery

Abraham Lincoln

- Nominated by Republican Party

- Believed slavery was immoral

- Promised not to interfere directly or indirectly with slave holders

Election of 1860Results

Lincoln did not even appear on the ballot in many southern states. Despite this, he won the election by taking 180 electoral votes. He actually took less than half of the popular vote. With the election of

Lincoln, the south decided to act…

ImpactSouth Carolina was first to secede in December 1860. The southern states met in February of 1861 and formed a confederacy. They elected

Jefferson Davis as their President!

The Main CONSTITUTIONAL Principle behind the North vs South Conflict

leading to the Civil War

STATES RIGHTS!!!!

American Map 1861