Approaching Civil War

1. Approaching Civil War SSUSH9 The student will identify key events, issues, and individuals relating to the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War.

2. Dred Scott Decision • Dred Scott, an enslaved man living in Missouri, filed suit against his owner, arguing that because he and his wife had once lived in states and territories where slavery was illegal, they were free • In a 7 to 2 decision, the Supreme Court ruled against Scott in Dred Scott v. Sandford • The court ruled slaves were not citizens and had no right to sue in court and could not win freedom simply because they were once in a free territory or state • The Missouri Compromise was ruled unconstitutional – all territories were open to slavery

3. Lincoln-Douglas Debate • Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas faced reelection in 1858 – his opponent was Abraham Lincoln • The two men were radically different • Douglas was short and stout and essentially a professional politician – he appeared regal • Lincoln came from humble roots, was tall, skinny, and awkward – he appeared more common • The 2 met in a series of debates known as a Lincoln-Douglas debates – they highlighted 2 important principles, majority rules and minority rights • Douglas believed that state members had the right to rule as they wished, including on the issue of slavery • Lincoln did not believe that a majority should have the right to rule over a minority’s basic rights • Douglas won the election

4. Lincoln’s Election • Before the election of 1860, it was clear that Northerners would not accept a Southern president and vice versa • At the Democratic Party convention in Charleston, the Northern and Southern delegates were unable to agree on a Presidential candidate – the divisive issue was slavery

5. Lincoln’s election Continued • Southern delegates met separately & nominated John C. Breckinridge • Northern delegates nominated Stephen Douglas • Moderate southerners from border states (DE, MD, KY, MO) met to form their own party, the Constitutional Union Party, and nominated John Bell of TN • The Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln after rejecting their original candidate, William Seward, because they feared he was too extreme on his views on slavery. • The election proved that North and South were completely divided – there were no national parties • In the North, voters chose between Lincoln and Douglas • In the South, voters chose between Breckinridge & Bell (Lincoln’s name didn’t even appear on many southern ballots

6. Election of 1860 results •Lincoln won the election without winning a single electoral vote in the South

7. South Carolina secedes • Southerners were outraged that Lincoln was elected without any southern electoral votes – the national government it seemed had passed out of their hands • Secessionists, or those who wanted the south to secede, argued that since the states voluntarily joined the U.S., they could also leave when they wanted • South Carolina officially left the union on December 20, 1860 • Six other Lower South states followed over the next few weeks • They created a new nation; the Confederate States of America • They elected Jefferson Davis, a former Senator from Mississippi, President