TIMELINE

Nov. 1860 Dec 1860-Feb 1861 Feb 18, 1861 Mar 4, 1861 Apr 12, 1861 Lincoln elected Lower South seceded Davis’s Inaugural Lincoln’s Inaugural Fort Sumter Address Address

Inaugural address – the speech where a newly elected president announces his goals as a leader.

Abraham Lincoln Jefferson Davis

•1809-1865 •1808-1889 •Born in Kentucky •Born in Mississippi •Member of Republican •Owned 74 slaves Party •Fought in Mexican War •Served one term in •Served in both houses of House of Representatives Congress •Elected President of the •Secretary of War (1853- United States in 1860 1857) •Assassinated in 1865 •First and only president of the Confederate States of America Lincoln’s Inaugural Address Davis’ Inaugural Address March 4, 1861 February 18, 1861

"I therefore consider that in view of the Constitution and the laws, “Our present position has been achieved in a manner the Union is unbroken; and to the extent of my ability I shall take unprecedented in the history of nations. It illustrates the care, as the Constitution itself expressly enjoins upon me, that the American idea that government rests upon the consent of the laws of the Union be faithfully executed in all the States.“ governed, and that it is the right of the people to alter or abolish a government whenever it becomes destructive of the ends for Secession is unconstitutional. As president, which it was established.” Lincoln will enforce the law in all the states. The Confederacy was established on the same principles Thomas Jefferson described in the Declaration of Independence. “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have “By virtue of this authority…the sovereign States here no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.” represented have seceded from that Union…They have formed a new alliance, but in each State its government has remained as Lincoln promises not to interfere with slavery before. The rights of person and property have not been in the southern states. disturbed.” The southern states have formed a new nation. Their sovereignty and their slaves are "In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The Government will not assail protected. you. You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors. You have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the “If we may not hope to avoid war, we may at least expect that Government, while I shall have the most solemn one to 'preserve, posterity will acquit us of having needlessly engaged in it. We protect, and defend it'.“ are doubly justified by the absence of wrong on our part, and by wanton aggression on the part of others.” If there is to be war, it will be the South’s If the South goes to war, it will be to defend fault. Lincoln’s main goal is to defend the Union. itself against the North.