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The First Inaugural Address

The First Inaugural Address. By: Samira, Katerina, Rachel, and Ryan . Election of 1860. Initially 3 parties running for office, National Democratic Party, Constitutional Union Party, and Republican party The national Democratic party was considered the strongest

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The First Inaugural Address

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  1. The First Inaugural Address By: Samira, Katerina, Rachel, and Ryan

  2. Election of 1860 • Initially 3 parties running for office, National Democratic Party, Constitutional Union Party, and Republican party • The national Democratic party was considered the strongest • They could not decide on a candidate, so split • 4 parties for which you can cast a vote, Northern Democratic Party, Southern Democratic Party, Republican Party, and Constitutional Union Party • Each had a different view on the issue of slavery

  3. The Republican Party • Abraham Lincoln was the candidate The Republican Party supported • free soil principles (free soil for free men, opposition of slavery) • They didn’t want slavery because it undermined the ability of poor whites to gain wealth. • They supported Fugitive Slave Act • They wanted to preserve the Union

  4. Constitutional Union Party • Candidate was John Bell Platform which was what they believed in: • preservation of the Union • enforcement of Laws • believed good politicians only enforced laws and preserved the Union • believed the best way to deal with issues was not to talk about them • had no view on more complicated matters such as slavery

  5. The Northern Democratic Party • Stephan Douglas was the Candidate for this party Platform: • Did not oppose slavery • believed in popular sovereignty • Warned North that if they continued to have the North be a place for freedom for slaves, there would be many negative consequences for white labor

  6. Southern Democratic Party • John Breckinridge was candidate platform: • did not believe in popular sovereignty • felt as if all people had the right to settle in new territories with their property • wanted to make a federal making slavery legal everywhere

  7. Election Results • Popular vote: Lincoln 40%, [Douglas 29%, Breckinridge 18%] Bell 13% • Electoral Vote: Lincoln 180 Breckinridge & Douglas 84 Lincoln did not appear on the ballot in most Southern States. Even though the Democratic Party (North & South) received 47% of popular votes, they would not have won the elections even if they had not split. Together they had only 84 electoral votes The fact that Lincoln could win the election without winning a single Southern state again shows the political power of the North coming from increasing population.

  8. Map Of Parties:

  9. Time between election and Inauguration • Lincoln’s victory caused the South to panic • Southern states began to secede • Feared that their way of life would be threatened through the rise of a Republican president • South was losing congressional power • Afraid North would overpower them in Congress and abolish slavery • 1860 Census: North 47% increase, South 27% increase • South carolina seceded six weeks after the election followed by six other states

  10. Secession Map:

  11. Goals of the Inaugural Address • Let people know what his role is as president • Make a legal case against secession so that secession is illegal • Promise to follow Constitution • Address each group: Southern states, Border states, Abolitionists and Free Soilers

  12. Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address

  13. Role of President according to Lincoln • Union is central. • feels it is his duty to follow the constitution on all matter concerning the country He says: “I SHALL TAKE CARE, AS THE CONSTITUTION ITSELF EXPRESSLY ENJOINS UPON ME, THAT THE LAWS OF THE UNION BE FAITHFULLY EXECUTED IN ALL THE STATES. DOING THIS I DEEM TO BE ONLY A SIMPLE DUTY ON MY PART; AND I SHALL PERFORM IT”

  14. A photo of President Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the U.S.

  15. Secession is Illegal Lincoln says “the Union of States is perpetual” Perpetual means something that goes on and on This means Union cannot be terminated Perpetuity is “fundamental law of all national governments” No government ever had a law in its Constitution that would make it legal to end the government. This means that secession is ILLEGAL. South cannot secede.

  16. Lincoln and the Southern States • tells Southern states that they do not need to have “apprehension” that he will abolish slavery, because he doesn’t have the “lawful right” nor the “inclination” to do so • promises not to interfere with slavery in the states where it already exists • Lincoln wants to allow all states to control their “own domestic institutions”(slavery) • promises to uphold the Constitution and thereby promises to uphold the Fugitive Slave Act and the Three Fifths Compromise.

  17. The Constitution:

  18. Lincoln and the Border States • Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri. • important because of geographical position; between free states and slave states • had an economy that depended on both the North and the South • had “divided sympathies” • promises to follow the constitution and reminds them that they should not fear him as a Republican president.

  19. Lincoln and the Abolitionists • Lincoln talks about rights of free African-Americans in all states • Right after saying that he will enforce the Fugitive Slave Act, he says it is equally important that free African- Americans are not treated like slaves and accidentally captured and taken to the South. • He says he will maintain the rights of free African-Americans because it is in the Constitution

  20. Lincoln and the Free Soilers Lincoln strongly opposed the spread of slavery in the Western territories. Slogan “Free Speech, Free Homes, Free Territory” In his speech, Lincoln addresses the concerns of the Free Soilers when he focuses on issues for which the Constitution has no clear answer.He says that he understands no document can ever answer all the questions that arise in a country. He says “may Congress prohibit slavery in the territories? The Constitution does not expressly say. Must Congress protect slavery in the territories? The constitution does not expressly say” He is reassuring the Free Soilers that he will oppose the expansion of slavery in the Western Territories and that he will not allow each state (popular sovereignity) to decide if they want to be free or slave state.

  21. Lincoln’s Hope For Unity • Lincoln hoped that there would not be any war between the North and the South. • The speech tried to assure all the groups in America that he will follow Constitution

  22. Did the First Inaugural Speech hold the Union together Lincoln woke up the next morning and was told of problem of Fort Sumner This was a fort which was being occupied by the North. It was on an island near South Carolina. South Carolina had seceded before the Inaugural Speech and the speech did not convince them to come back to the Union. Confederates wanted the fort. Fort Sumner was the start of the Civil War.

  23. Credits to: Ted Wilmer, et al: “Lincoln Addresses the Nation” Harold Holzer: “America’s Oddest Election” Albert Marin: Commander in Chief Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War Oscar and Lilian Handlin: Abraham Lincoln and the Union and Benjamin B. Thomas, Abraham Lincoln a Biography

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