110 likes | 220 Views
Texas Secedes. Chapter 14.1. A Nation Divided. By 1860, the U.S. was clearly divided between Northern & Southern states, with both sides willing to fight for what they believed in. Republican Party.
E N D
Texas Secedes Chapter 14.1
A Nation Divided • By 1860, the U.S. was clearly divided between Northern & Southern states, with both sides willing to fight for what they believed in.
Republican Party • The Republican Party was formed in 1854 with the goal of stopping the western spread of slavery. • Republicans also supported higher tariffs that would benefit American industry. • Tariff: A tax placed on imported or exported goods
Democratic Party • Most Texans were Democrats who feared that Republicans would destroy the Southern economy that depended on slavery & foreign trade.
States’ Rights • Southern Democrats also argued that the U.S. government should not have the power to decide whether to allow slavery in the states. • Northern Republicans argued that U.S. laws, such as those forbidding slavery, applied to all states.
Election of 1860 • Southern states threatened to secede from the U.S. if a Republican became President in the 1860 election.
Abraham Lincoln • In the 1860 election, most Texans voted for Democrat John Breckinridge. Not 1 Texan voted for Republican Abraham Lincoln. • Nevertheless, Abraham Lincoln won the election & became the 16th President of the U.S.
Southern States Secede • Soon after the election, South Carolinabecame the 1st state to secede from the U.S. • Within 6 weeks, 5 more Southern states seceded & united to form the Confederate States of America.
Secession Convention of Texas • On January 28, 1861, Texas delegates voted 166 to 8 for Secession from the U.S. • Very few Texan citizens voted against this move.
New Constitution • Texas changed its Constitution from that of the U.S. to the “Confederate States of America.” • The new Constitution of 1861 defended states’ rights & slavery.
Sam Houston • Sam Houston stepped down as Governor of Texas as a result of Texas’ vote for secession. • He left Austin & settled in his “steamboat house” in Huntsville. He died there on July 26, 1863.