Tensions between the North and South had grown steadily since the anti slavery movement in 1830. Several compromises between the North and South regarding slavery had been passed such as the Nebraska-Kansas and the Missouri act; but this did little to relieve the strain. The election of President Lincoln in 1861 proved to be the boiling point for the South, and secession followed. This eventually sparked the civil war; which was viewed differently by the North and the South. The Northern goal was to keep the Union intact while the Southern goal was to separate from the Union. Southern leaders gave convincing arguments to justify secession. Exploring documents from South Carolina’s secession ordinance and a speech from the Georgia assembly speech will explain how the Southern leaders justify the secession from the United States. The secession ordinance from South Carolina rationalizes secession based on law of compact. To begin with a compact is defined as “an agreement between two or more individuals or entities” ("compact"), South Carolina reasoned that compact was not upheld by the United States and therefore South Carolina was within its legal right to leave the Union. Breaking this down further S.C. gives a clear understanding of what the law of compact means to them” mutual obligation, failure to perform material part releases obligation, if an arbiter in not provide each party uses judgment to determine fact or failure, with all consequences” (Perman Michael). South Caroline reasoned that the contract in which they entered into was no longer providing justice, domestic Tranquility, promoting general welfare or securing the prosperity of the south as promised in the opening statement of the Constitution. On the ... ... middle of paper ... ...ld not protect the interest of the Southern states. Coupled with the hostilities, lack of votes for Lincoln from the South and disregard for the constitutional protection of slavery is a justifiable reason from the Southern leaders to secede from the Union. In conclusion the Southern leaders were able to use the Constitution and the Declaration as justification for secession from the Union. Southern Leaders claimed the North had broke the law of compact, was hostile to the South, and that southern states lacked of protection and equality that was provided for in the Constitution. Works Cited "compact". Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Ed. Frank C. Mish. Vol. Eleven. Springfield: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2007. Perman Michael, Amy Murrell Taylor. Major Problems in the Civil War and Reconstruction. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011.
McPherson, James M.; The Atlas of the Civil War. Macmillan: 15 Columbus Circle New York, NY. 1994.
America has gone through many hardships and struggles since coming together as a nation involving war and changes in the political system. Many highly regarded leaders in America have come bestowing their own ideas and foundation to provide a better life for “Americans”, but no other war or political change is more infamous than the civil war and reconstruction. Reconstruction started in 1865 and ended in 1877 and still to date one of the most debated issues in American history on whether reconstruction was a failure or success as well as a contest over the memory, meaning, and ending of the war. According to, “Major Problems in American History” David W. Blight of Yale University and Steven Hahn of the University of Pennsylvania take different stances on the meaning of reconstruction, and what caused its demise. David W. Blight argues that reconstruction was a conflict between two solely significant, but incompatible objectives that “vied” for attention both reconciliation and emancipation. On the other hand Steven Hahn argues that former slaves and confederates were willing and prepared to fight for what they believed in “reflecting a long tradition of southern violence that had previously undergirded slavery” Hahn also believes that reconstruction ended when the North grew tired of the 16 year freedom conflict. Although many people are unsure, Hahn’s arguments presents a more favorable appeal from support from his argument oppose to Blight. The inevitable end of reconstruction was the North pulling federal troops from the south allowing white rule to reign again and proving time travel exist as freed Africans in the south again had their civil, political, and economical position oppressed.
Due to the fact that the South only wanted to secede from the Union because they did not want slavery to be prohibited, I feel that Abraham Lincoln was correct about the constitutionality of secession. The most likely reason the South seceded was because of Abraham Lincoln being elected with a Republican majority in 1860. Lincoln's election brought upon the belief that Southern interests were losing control of the federal government. It was also assumed that this government would soon overturn the foundation of slavery or make it illegal altogether.
To understand why the south was justifiable to leave you must look on the framework of The Declaration of Independence. In minute details, it describes the failure of the central government to provide and protect the needs of the colony and it also describes that the government trample on rights of its citizens. The cause for the American Revolution was not about failure of representation, it was about the failure of the government to provide, protect, and promote the general welfare of the colonies. This is a straight quote from the document,” That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is
I think in all fairness the secession was a big mistake for the South. The southern states economy was based on an agricultural system which relied on slave labor. They felt that the election of Lincoln threatened the power structure in the South. In the beginning Lincoln did not believe in abolition, his thought was that the individual states should regulate slavery. In the North industrial progress dominated the region and in time would make its way to the South which would threaten slavery. If the South seceded there would be conflict, where the fugitive slave act can be put to the test. The Kansas-Nebraska Act made the Northern states angry because slavery would migrate to the western territories. The South believed that
Upon the election of Abraham Lincoln, in November of 1860 slave owners felt vulnerable. The Confederate States felt that Lincoln was a threat to slavery and something must be done. Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Texas would all secede from the Union. They were later joined by Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina when the war began. They were determined to protect their way of life.
Many people debate over if the south really seceded from the United States strictly because they want to keep slavery. Many people claim that the issues that caused the confederacy to leave were things like States rights, sectionalism, and Lincoln being elected. These things are what people claim to be the source of the south succeeding the union.
There were some people who were for secession and they were mainly the slave owners. There were also people that were against secession and that was a large number of people in the south.The South was an agricultural state and they did want to secede and the North didn’t want to secede because they was and industrial state and they were not slave state. Not every state was apart of slavery.There were certain groups that opposed to the decision to secede.
The Southern and Northern states varied on many issues, which eventually led them to the Civil War. There were deep economic, social, and political differences between the North and the South. These differences stemmed from the interpretation of the United States Constitution on both sides. In the end, all of these disagreements about the rights of states led to the Civil War. There were reasons other than slavery for the South?s secession. The manifestations of division in America were many: utopian communities, conflicts over public space, backlash against immigrants, urban riots, black protest, and Indian resistance (Norton 234). America was a divided land in need reform with the South in the most need. The South relied heavily on agriculture, as opposed to the North, which was highly populated and an industrialized society. The South grew cotton, which was its main cash crop and many Southerners knew that heavy reliance on slave labor would hurt the South eventually, but their warnings were not heeded. The South was based on a totalitarian system.
The South had significant reasons for dissolving their connection with the Northern states. One of the most prominent instances was that every Northern state breached the fugitive slave clause of the Constitution. This clause,
Although Abraham Lincoln served the nation over a century and a half ago, his adamant belief in the preservation of the Union strongly influenced the development of the United States of America. In 1860, when Lincoln was inaugurated as president, the South had already claimed secession from the Union. Citing irreconcilable differences between the two regions, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and other states felt the need to leave the Union and form their own Confederacy between 1861 and 1864. In his inaugural speech, President Lincoln announced his supreme goal of maintaining and perfecting a perpetual Union. His agreement to allow slavery where it already existed and to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act demonstrated his ability, as a leader, to make compromises for the benefit of the nation. Seeking to avoid war, Lincoln invited the Southern states to rethink their decisions and stay in the Union. He never acknowledged their existence as a separ...
Of all the factors that played a role in leading to Southern secession and eventually causing the Civil War, I think the most significant was the Compromise of 1850; even though this Comprise actually worked to stall physical conflict for an additional 10 years. The Compromise of 1850 came as a response to California seeking admission into the union, however, there was great division (between Northern and Southern states) over whether the newly acquired region (from the Mexican-American War) should be let in as a slave or free state. This issue regarding the status of new states seeking admission was supposed to be dealt with by the Missouri Comprise of 1820, but because the 36°30’ line
Many States in the United States were trying to secede because of their slavery way of life. Abraham Lincoln was not pro slavery which is why states in the union would want to secede. They believed it threatened their lifestyle when he was elected president. Abraham Lincoln did not want states to secede; he wanted to preserve the union the entire time. Preserving the union was said to be the ultimate reason why the civil war was even going to take place. In truth it was slavery that brought up the problem in the first place.
Furthermore, they reacted in a way that our forefathers would have responded to such injustices. Ultimately, the Civil War sprouted from one indignation against another, being slavery and abolition, and the secession of South Carolina simply amounts to
The South seceded for two main reasons; the first being states rights to become slave states. Long before the Civil War began, states argued about the power of, State and Federal Government. The original Constitution prohibited slavery but slave states practiced their right to declare laws "Null and Void". States had the power to decide which laws they followed, without this rule and State power over Federal the slave states would be forced to follow and release their slaves. Even the Founding Fathers did not follow the no slave law in Constitution.Washington was the only Founding Father to free his slaves on his death bed. When the North leaning toward the abolishment slavery, the South became nervous. The Southerns were worried about their everyday lives being altered by the abolishing of slavery. The Missouri Comprise made all the new territories free states, meaning the Southern slave states would soon be outnumbered in congress. Another of the South's reason for succession was their fear of an economic collapse due to the abolishment ...