South Carolina Attitudes of Secession

1. South CarolinaAttitudes of Secession

2. Verb Forms • UNIONIST • UNITE • COOPERATIONIST • COOPERATE • SECESSIONIST • SECEDE (break away)

3. In the years right before the Civil War, many South Carolinians considered themselves to be Unionists, Cooperationists, or Secessionists. • How do you think these groups will react to the Election of Abraham Lincoln? • Unionists? • Cooperationists? • Secessionists?

4. UNIONIST • Favored the idea of remaining apart of the Union. • Did not agree with the Northern states or Federal government, but felt it was the US Constitution was well-equipped to protect SC way of life.

5. COOPERATIONIST • Favored seceding from the Union, only if it was done with the support of all southern states. • Did not want to secede alone.

6. SECESSIONIST • AKA: FIRE-EATERS • Believed that breaking away from the Union was South Carolina’s only answer. • Was ready to break away since the early 1850s • It was the election of 1860 (Abraham Lincoln becomes President) that convinced most South Carolinians to become fire-eaters.

7. Election of 1860 • Abraham Lincoln runs on a platform of free-soil • He does not want slavery to expand into the territories • NOT an abolitionist • Lincoln wins the election. • SC wants to secede from the Union.

8. After Lincoln’s election South Carolina called a special convention • Met in Charleston, where support for secession was strongest • Adopted an Ordinance of Secession • Stated that the federal government should not interfere with the decision making and freedoms of the individual states (states’ rights). • claiming that the rights of South Carolinians were not protected by the federal government • Felt that Lincoln would soon make slavery illegal • ending Southern wealth, political influence and way of life

9. South Carolina secedes from the union to protect the institution of slavery and their way of life • Six other southern states seceded soon after.

10. Non-Fiction Writing Prompt • Compare and contrast the views of the South Carolinians who considered themselves as Unionists, Cooperationists, and Secessionists. What event led to their final decision?

11. Homework • Chap. 18 Section Questions • Sect. IX (pgs. 214-215) • Sect. XI (pgs. 215-216) • Questions on page. 222

12. A State DividedSouth Carolinians debate secessionpgs. 128-129 • What was one of the most important decisions South Carolina had to make in its’ history? • What were the three different view points of SC on the issue of secession? • What were the views of the Unionists? Cooperationists? Secessionists? • What other names were given to Secessionists? How was this group different from the Cooperationists? • What event was a response to SC holding a Secession Convention? When did SC officially secede ?

13. One of the most important decisions South Carolina had to make in its history was whether or not to secede from the Union. • The three different view points on the issue of secession in SC were the Unionists, Cooperationists, and Secessionists. • The Unionists believed that South Carolina should remain apart of the Union and that the Constitution was well equipped to protect them. The Cooperationists believed that South Carolina should secede from the Union, but only with the support of other Southern states. The Secessionists believed that secession was the only answer for South Carolina.

14. Secessionists were also nicknamed the Radicals and the fire-eaters. They were different from the Cooperationists because they were not concerned about the decisions of other states and felt it was important to concentrate on what was best for South Carolina. • The Secession Convention was held in response to Abraham Lincoln’s victory in the presidential election. South Carolina officially seceded on December 20, 1860.