Issues Leading to the Civil War Standard SS8H6a. States’ Rights –States are sovereign – subject to no higher power except for those specifically granted.

Issues Leading to the Civil War

Standard SS8H6a

States’ Rights• States’ Rights

– States are sovereign – subject to no higher power except for those specifically granted by the U.S. Constitution (South – favored states’ rights / North – opposed states’ rights).

• The South nullified (declared unconstitutional) the tariffs of 1828 & 1832. South Carolina discussed succession – breaking away from the U.S.

• Georgians were split over the issue.

Nullification

• Southern states had fewer factories and therefore bought many manufactured goods from foreign countries.

• Congress passed a tariff in 1828 that many southern states opposed and threatened to nullify

• To nullify means to make void or to deprive of value or effectiveness.

• South Carolina threatened to secede from the Union in 1832 due to high tariffs– Vice President John C.

Calhoun of SC believed in states’ rights and that states had a right to nullify any federal law that they thought was unconstitutional

The Unoccupied West

• 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 represent slavery or freedom?

• 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 Maine would be admitted as a “free”

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

Missouri Compromise

Compromise of 1850

Benefits for the North

• California admitted to the Union as a free state

• Slave trading ended in Washington, D.C.

• Texas gives up idea of annexing New Mexico takes that territory away from a slave state

Benefits for the South

• The territories of New Mexico & Utah would determine whether they wanted to be slave or free

• Residents of D.C. could keep the slaves they had

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

Georgia Platform• Many Georgian’s were not happy with

Compromise of 1850– Howell Cobb, Alexander Stephens & Robert Toombs

urged citizens to accept it to preserve the Union

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

agrees to protect slavery & state’s rights

• “Know Nothing Party” – Did not want immigrants to become citizens or hold

political office

Kansas-Nebraska Act• 1854, Stephen Douglas

(Illinois) got the Kansas-Nebraska Act passed

– Created territories of Kansas & Nebraska and contained a clause on POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY

• When applying for statehood, each state could determine if it wants to be Free or Slave changes the Missouri Compromise North is angered

• Free soilers & Pro-slavery people

• Bloody Fighting– Abolitionists promise to send

anti-slavery people w/guns into Kansas

– Missouri promises to send slavery supporters into Kansas to fight

• Congress votes and Northern votes deny statehood to Kansas as a slave state– Southern states realize

Northern votes can keep slave states from the Union

Dred Scott Case• Northern abolitionists

raised money to take case to Supreme Ct.

• Justices said Scott could not sue b/c he was a slave and slaves were not citizens– Also said that Congress

had no right to stop slavery in territories

– Further divides North & South

• Dred Scott was a slave– His owner took him from

Missouri (s) to Illinois (f) then to Wisconsin (f)

• Scott claimed he should be free

Election of 1860• Republican Party forms

– Opposes slavery

• Democrats are split over candidate– Northern Dems support

Stephen Douglas– Southern Dems support

John Breckenridge

• Whigs form Constitutional Union Party – Support John Bell of

Kentucky

• Republicans support Abraham Lincoln– Against slavery, but will not

try to remove it from south– Protective tariff– Free lands in the west for

settlers– Transcontinental railroad

with one end in the north

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

Election of 1860 – Lincoln, Douglas, Breckenridge & Bell

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 (Miss)

elected President– Alexander Stephens

(against secession??) elected Vice President

– Robert Toombs named Secretary of State