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.
The United States began to dissatisfy some of its citizens and so the concerns of sectionalism, or the split of the country began to arise. There was a continuous riff between the south and the north over a few issues, a major one being slavery. The south argued that the slaves were necessary to support the southern economy. According to document A, the south were angry that the north was creating taxes that hurt the southern economy, thus increasing the need for slavery since they had to make up for the expense of the taxes. The south felt that the north was able...
A controversial issue during 1860 to 1877 was state’s rights and federal power. The North and South were divided over this issue. The North composed of free states and an industrial economy while the South was made up of slave states and an agricultural economy. The South did not like federal authority over the issue of slavery; therefore, they supported the radical state rights’ ideology. South Carolina seceded from the Union because it believed that since states made up the Union, it could leave when it chooses to. The government argued against the South saying that they had no right to leave the Union because the Union was not made up of just states but people. However, the South counteracted this argument with the case that the 10th amendment “declared that the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by its states, were reserved to the states.” (Doc A) However, the government still believed that secession from the Union was unjust and decided that a new change surrounding state’s rights was necessary. As a result, when the Union won in the Civil War, a resolution was made, where the state’s lost their power and the federal government gained power. U...
The seeds of secession had been sown early in American history; quite literally with the fundamental differences in agriculture and resultant adoption of slavery in the South. From early days, the thirteen states had grown up separately, and each had their own culture and beliefs, which were often incompatible with those held in other states. The geographical and cultural differences between north and south would manifest themselves at regular and alarming intervals throughout the hundred years following the drafting of the constitution. Tension reached a peak during the 1850s, over the right to hold slaves in new territories. The Wilmot Proviso of 1846, roused bitter hostilities, and vehement debate turned to physical violence during the period of 'Bleeding Kansas'. The election of Lincoln, who the South perceived to be an abolitionist, in 1860 was the final straw, and the secession of seven Southern states followed soon after.
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.
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,
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.
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...
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.
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.
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
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 ...
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