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
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c.
d.
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
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?
1.
2.
3.
VI.
b. International Considerations
International vulnerability from external imperialism
Unenforceable Monroe Doctrine
Divided military and more borders to protect
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
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VII.
Brother v. Brother
Reasons for
fighting
Name
NORTH
SOUTH
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The Union
The United States of America
The Yanks
The Blue
The North
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The Confederacy
The Confederate States of America
The Confeds
The Gray
The Rebels (Johnny “Reb”)
Southron
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Lincoln: Preserve the Union
Abolitionists: End slavery
Cheap cotton
Maintain Constitution
Expand federal government
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Preserve states’ rights
Protect way of life
Protect economy and source of income
To defend against federal tyranny
Self Determination
Major victories
Strategic goals
President
NORTH
SOUTH
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
Abraham Lincoln
Benefit of established government and
infrastructure
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
Jefferson Davis
Overworked and overstressed
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Invade South
Blockade all ports
Prevent all smuggling of goods
Destroy supply and transport lines
Cut off railroad
Burn farmsteads, towns, and villages
Wage constant offensive

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Defensive
Not lose
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast

Manassas/First Bull Run (7/21/61)—showed both
sides that it would be a long, very long, war
Second Manassas/Second Bull Run—Lee’s attempt to
win the border states
Shiloh (4/7/62)—Grant’s first large-scale defeat after
becoming Union general
Fort Pillow (1864)—brutal suppression and massacre
of “buffalo soldiers” black soldiers
Cold Harbor—one of Grant’s last “wilderness
encounters” against Lee terribly brutal and gorey
 Antietam (9/17/62)—first major victory and turning
point for the Union army, prompted Lincoln to
issue Emancipation Proclamation
 Gettysburg (7/1-3/63)—Included “Pickett’s charge”
and wholesale slaughter of Confederates
 Vicksburg (7/4/63)—sealed Confederate isolation
from foreign support
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
NORTH
Strengths

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Controlled 75% of industrial manufacturing
Controlled 75% of railroad (while continuing to
build more)
Superior navy—controlled seas
Ability to actively trade with Europe (sustain and
build Northern economy)
Greater manpower (approx. 22 million, sustained
partially through immigration)
SOUTH

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Could fight defensively
Had taken initiative with attack on Ft. Sumter
Had self-protection, their homes, and convictions to
support war
Best military commanders of the generation (Lee,
Jackson, etc)
On average, more (and better) experience with
weaponry

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Weaknesses
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Forced to invade, supply and equip troops over
great distances
Long supply chains
Poor military leadership for the first half-McClellan
Army less prepared to fight
Lacked conviction to fight
Repeated claim jumpers—difficult to sustain draft


Quickly ran out of supplies: food, clothing, arms,
ammunition
Lost usage of railroad quickly
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