Discuss and Evaluate the Immediate Political and Economic Causes of Southern Secession

I. Background—Territorial acquisition and the spread of slavery a. Northwest Ordinance (1787) 1. Forbade slavery in new Northwest Territory Tallmadge Amendment (1819) 2. Prohibited growth of slavery in Missouri and forced an end to slavery in new territories b. Missouri Compromise (1820) 1. Appeasement policy, allowed slavery in Missouri, for Maine as free states 2. Allowed slavery south of 36 30’/Mason-Dixon Line c. Wilmot Proviso (1846) 1. Attempted to prohibit slavery in Mexican territories 2. Seen as an affront to popular sovereignty and the Missouri Compromise d. Compromise of 1850 (1850) 1. Designated California a “free state”; 2. All other territories/states allowed popular sovereignty; 3. Abolition of slave trade in D.C. e. Gadsden Purchase (1853) 1. Purchased from Mexico 2. Completed modern boundaries of U.S./Mexico 3. Assured southern railroad route 4. Required organization of Kansas-Nebraska territories—for security f. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) 1. Allowed statehood for Kansas and Nebraska 2. Slave status decided by popular sovereignty 3. Started stampede to the territories—slave and free 4. Decided by the Lecompton Constitution—but effectively negated 5. Initiated “Bleeding Kansas” chaos

II. Political Dissension a. Presidential elections 1. Franklin Pierce (1852)—moderate, anti-slavery, and anti-compromise 2. James Buchanan (1856)—ineffective and indecisive, supported Lecompton Constitution, and ignored the social/political discord of his term (chose John C. Fremont as V.P.—Buchanan’s one saving grace) 3. Splintered Democratic party resulted in prestige and popular support (mostly in the North) given to the Republican Party b. Congressional politics 1. Sumner v. Brooks a. Sumner, an anti-slaveryite, caned by pro-South Brooks over Kansas issue b. Praised by the South; Galvanized North 2. Lincoln v. Douglas a. Competition for vacating Illinois Senate seat b. Lincoln (R)-Douglas (D) Debates 1. Famous seven debates, including subjects of slavery, secession, compromise, etc 2. Freeport Doctrine: what was the supreme law of the land? The People (an argument for popular sovereignty), or the Supreme Court (which reflected the liberal/conservative values) 3. Resolution: a. Douglas stated that the issue of slavery rested with the people, not the courts b. Douglas technically won debates c. Lincoln won critical and popular acclaim c. Problems in the Court 1. Dred Scott Decision a. Slave taken to a free territory to live with his master (in continued bondage) b. Slave sued for freedom from bondage after the death of his master. c. Missouri Supreme Court agreed, but appealed new master appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court d. Chief Justice Taney rules 2. Missouri Court ruling=unconstitutional 3. Slaves were property and could not sue (civil right) 4. Slaves could be brought anywhere, and retrieved from anywhere 5. Permitted unchecked, de facto and de jure, extension of slavery

III. The Election of 1860 and Secession! a. Disunity in the Democratic Party 1. Democratic party failed to nominate a candidate who appealed to the South AND the North 2. North nominated Stephen Douglas; South nominated John Breckinridge b. The American/Know Nothing Party 1. New third party created during the election of 1856 2. Appealed to nativists, Protestants, elitists, purists 3. Criticized for secrecy (hence, “Know Nothing”) and conspiracy 4. Nominated Millard Fillmore

1 c. The Republican Party 1. Nominated Abraham Lincoln as candidate 2. Broad appeal for honesty and integrity (never worked on a case which conflicted with values, ethics, and morals=”Honest Abe” a nickname he despised) 3. Platform appealed to a. Free soilers: non extension of slavery b. Northern businessmen: protective tariffs c. Immigrants: full civil rights d. Westerners: internal improvements and infrastructure e. Farmers: free land d. Results 1. Lincoln won election of 1860, largely because of fractured Democratic party (40% of popular vote) 2. Southern states/pro-slaveryites held majority in Congress 3. South Carolina, committed to secession if Lincoln was elected, seceded!

IV. Secession and Civil War a. South Carolina 1. Former slave trade center and ardent secessionist state 2. Seceded as a result of Lincoln’s election—December 1860 b. Set precedent for other states 1. Followed by Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas 2. Met in Montgomery, Alabama and declared themselves the Confederate States of America 3. Nominated Jefferson Davis as President c. Lame Duck 1. Lame duck, President Buchanan, refused to force Confederacy back to the Union 2. U.S./North lacked resources and troops for enforcement

V. The Civil War as Constitutional Crisis a. Domestic Considerations 1. No geographic separation between the North and the South, only an ideological one. 2. National Debt/Federal Assumption and Funding—Hamilton’s Plan b. Difficult separating national debt c. A joined economy: North needed southern cotton; South needed northern markets 2. Legal adjudication a. Runaway slaves and Underground RR slaves—should they be returned?

b. International Considerations 1. International vulnerability from external imperialism 2. Unenforceable Monroe Doctrine 3. Divided military and more borders to protect

VI. A Divided United States a. The Confederate States of America 1. Included first state S. Carolina, et al. 2. By April 1861, most “border states” joined Confederacy a. Included Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and N. Carolina b. Generally southern states to Texas 3. Capital moved from Montgomery to Richmond 4. Led by Pres. Jefferson Davis 5. Had support of most “Five Civilized Tribes”—hoping to gain civil rights and territory b. The United States of America 1. Included all other states, including California and most western states 2. Capital remained in Washington D.C. (very close to Richmond and the Confederacy=very vulnerable) 3. Led by Pres. Lincoln 4. Had some international support and the support of the Plains Indians 5. Lincoln considered the Border States the most crucial to control and to persuade to remain in the Union. a. Many of these states were ardent supporters of slavery b. Required Lincoln to take a “keep slavery to preserve Union’ stance c. Declared martial law in Maryland d. Suspended writ of habeas corpus, imprisoned suspects without the burden of proof

2 VII. Brother v. Brother NORTH SOUTH

e  The Union  The Confederacy m

a  The United States of America  The Confederate States of America N  The Yanks  The Confeds  The Blue  The Gray  The North  The Rebels (Johnny “Reb”)  Southron

g  Lincoln: Preserve the Union  Preserve states’ rights n i t  Abolitionists: End slavery  Protect way of life h g i Cheap cotton Protect economy and source of income f  

r  Maintain Constitution  To defend against federal tyranny o f Expand federal government Self Determination s   n o s a e R NORTH SOUTH t

n  Abraham Lincoln  Jefferson Davis e d

i  Benefit of established government and  Overworked and overstressed s

e infrastructure r P s l  Invade South  Defensive a

o  Blockade all ports  Not lose g

c  Prevent all smuggling of goods  Outwit, Outplay, Outlast i

g Destroy supply and transport lines e   t

a  Cut off railroad r t

S  Burn farmsteads, towns, and villages  Wage constant offensive s

e  Antietam (9/17/62)—first major victory  Manassas/First Bull Run (7/21/61)—showed i r and turning point for the Union army, prompted both sides that it would be a long, very long, war o t

c Lincoln to issue Emancipation Proclamation i  Second Manassas/Second Bull Run—Lee’s v  Gettysburg (7/1-3/63)—Included attempt to win the border states r o j “Pickett’s charge” and wholesale slaughter of  Shiloh (4/7/62)—Grant’s first large-scale a Confederates M defeat after becoming Union general  Vicksburg (7/4/63)—sealed  Fort Pillow (1864)—brutal suppression and Confederate isolation from foreign support massacre of “buffalo soldiers” black soldiers  Cold Harbor—one of Grant’s last “wilderness encounters” against Lee terribly brutal and gorey NORTH SOUTH s

h  Controlled 75% of industrial manufacturing  Could fight defensively t

g  Controlled 75% of railroad (while continuing  Had taken initiative with attack on Ft. Sumter n

e to build more) Had self-protection, their homes, and convictions to r  t

S  Superior navy—controlled seas support war  Ability to actively trade with Europe (sustain  Best military commanders of the generation (Lee, and build Northern economy) Jackson, etc)  Greater manpower (approx. 22 million,  On average, more (and better) experience with sustained partially through immigration) weaponry   s

e  Forced to invade, supply and equip troops  Quickly ran out of supplies: food, clothing, arms, s

s over great distances ammunition e

n  Long supply chains  Lost usage of railroad quickly k

a  Poor military leadership for the first half-- e McClellan W  Army less prepared to fight  Lacked conviction to fight  Repeated claim jumpers—difficult to sustain draft