The Secession Crisis

1. The Secession Crisis Project History April 28, 2010

2. Battle Hymn of the RepublicNovember, 1861

3. Clay’s Compromise • Admit California as Free State • Stricter Fugitive Slave Law • Popular Sovereignty Organize New Mexico and Utah Territories • U.S. Assumes Texas Debt for Texas Acquiescence in Border Dispute • Slave Trade Prohibited in D.C.

6. Rio Grande near Creede, Colorado

9. Why did the Civil War Occur? • South Seceded and North Decided to Fight • Why North Decide to Fight • Why Did South Decide to Secede • Main issue: Slavery in the Territories • Immediate cause: Election of Republican President opposed to expansion of slavery • Historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.—”moral log jam”

10. Why North Decide to Fight • Easiest Question to Answer • Political Suicide for Republicans and Lincoln to preside over destruction of Union • Secession Powerful Challenge to Lincoln Administration---had to be met • Strong Sense of Nationalism in North—Public not Tolerate Breakup of Union

11. Slavery in the Territories • After Mexican War--Most Southerners Satisfied with Squatter Sovereignty for Mexican Cession Territory • Compromise of 1850--Utah and New Mexico • 1854 South Demands Squatter Sovereignty in Louisiana Territory as Well • Kansas-Nebraska Bill

14. Slavery in the Territories • 1857--Dred Scott Case • Ruled Missouri Compromise Illegal--Deprived Slaveholder of Property without Due Process (5th Amendment) • Taney: “They had for more than a century before been regarded as beings of an inferior order; and altogether unfit to associate with the white race…; and so far inferior, that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit.”

15. Freeport Doctrine • By Implication--Squatter Sovereignty Unconstitutional • 1858, Stephen Douglas, Freeport Doctrine—slavery can still be restrained “for the reason that slavery cannot exist a day or an hour anywhere, unless it is supported by local police regulations” • 1860, South Demanded Congressional Slave Code

16. Political Power of South • South Political Power at Peak • Controlled Democratic Party--Only Truly National Party • 1850s--South Controlled Sympathetic Northern Presidents “doughfaces”--Pierce and Buchanan, Supreme Court and Senate • 1789-1861--Presidency, 49 years; 23 of 36 Speakers of House; 20 of 35 Supreme Ct. Justices.

18. Why Secede if Politically Powerful and Prosperous • Immediate Cause--Election of Lincoln • Lincoln Minority President---Only Elected Because Democratic Party Split • Democratic Party Split by South Aggressively Demanding Federal Slave Code • Why South Do This--Was Expansion of Slavery in Territory Worth Destroying South’s Political Power

21. Why Secede? • Some evidence that radical southerners wanted to whip up sentiment for secession—not interested in compromise • But why? Little evidence that many southern slave owners planning to take slaves into territories---feared soil not adequate to support plantation economy • South still controlled Supreme Court and Senate • Lincoln and Republicans only against expansion of slavery into territories not states

22. Factors Behind South’s Irrationality • Historical phenomenon can’t be explained by imposing logic or rationality on South’s actions • Three factors that help explain South’s action

23. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin • Portrays Slavery as Horrible Institution • South had same liberal, Christian, democratic values • Shared these values with North—but after 1830 tried to suppress these values—kept slavery for economic and social reasons • Moral tension—more slavery attacked more desperate South became in defending slavery and denying shared values

25. Hinton Helper’s Impending Crisis • Helper from N.C.—hated slavery for evil effects on white non-slave owning yeoman farmer • Attacked plantation system—bring economic ruin to small, white farmer • Book suppressed in South—reaffirmed great fear in South—that Southern whites not reliable on slavery. Before 1850 slavery great unifying institution • Slavery institution to control blacks and one of social mobility

26. Fear of Slaves • Fear of Slave Conspiracies • 1859--John Brown’s Raid • Mississippi—frenzy—100 whites hanged suspected of instigating slave insurrection • During this hysteria election of 1860 took place

28. Factors Creating Social Irrationality in South • Terrible Fear of Slave Insurrections and Ultimate Emancipation--Fear of Chaos and Dislocation, Social and Sexual Equality--Republicans Seen as Agent of Abolitionism • South had terrible feeling of vulnerability and isolation • South Shared with North Christian, Liberal, Democratic Values—Values that told them that slavery wrong and immoral • Guilt Heightens Fear of Slaves---Moral Tension

29. The Union and the Civil War • Lincoln--”Central idea of secession is the essence of anarchy.” Question of Whether “minority have the right to break up the government whenever they choose.” • Union Forces: War About Defending Union, Republicanism and Personal Liberty. • Terrible Losses: 620,000 Dead--360,000 Union Soldiers---260,000 Confederate Soldiers. • 5% Southern Whites Killed--25% White Males of Military Age