15.1 The Origins and Outbreak of the Civil War

The Southern states' decision to secede from the Union was fueled by deep-rooted tensions over slavery, states' rights, and economic differences. Lincoln's election in 1860 sparked fears among Southerners that their way of life was under threat, leading to the formation of the Confederacy.

As compromise attempts failed, the nation inched closer to war. The Battle of Fort Sumter in April 1861 marked the beginning of the Civil War, with both sides now committed to their causes. This conflict would reshape the United States and its fundamental principles.

Key Events and Factors Leading to Southern Secession

Causes of southern secession

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• Election of Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860
  • Lincoln was a Republican who opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories
  • Southern states feared Lincoln's election threatened the institution of slavery, which they viewed as essential to their economy and way of life
• Ideological differences between the North and South
  • Northern states increasingly opposed slavery on moral and economic grounds, viewing it as incompatible with free labor and industrialization
  • Southern states defended slavery as a positive good, arguing it was sanctioned by the Bible and necessary for their agricultural economy (cotton, tobacco)
• Failure of the Crittenden Compromise
  • Senator John J. Crittenden proposed constitutional amendments to protect slavery in the South and extend the Missouri Compromise line to the Pacific Ocean
  • Republicans rejected the compromise, refusing to allow slavery's expansion into new territories, which led to further southern alienation and secession
• Secession of South Carolina in December 1860
  • South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union following Lincoln's election, citing the threat to slavery and states' rights
  • Other southern states followed suit, with Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas seceding by February 1861 to form the Confederate States of America
• Nullification crisis
  • Earlier conflict between South Carolina and the federal government over tariffs, which set a precedent for states challenging federal authority

Formation and Principles of the Confederacy

Confederate States of America formation

• Seven states initially seceded to form the Confederacy
  • South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas left the Union between December 1860 and February 1861
  • Four more states (Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee) joined after the Battle of Fort Sumter in April 1861
• Jefferson Davis elected as President of the Confederacy
  • Davis was a former U.S. Senator from Mississippi and Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce
  • He strongly advocated for states' rights and the preservation of slavery, viewing it as essential to the southern way of life
• Confederate Constitution closely resembled the U.S. Constitution
  • Explicitly protected the institution of slavery, prohibiting any laws that would interfere with or abolish slavery
  • Emphasized the sovereignty of individual states and limited the power of the federal government
• Core principles of the Confederacy
  • Preservation of slavery and the southern way of life, which depended on slave labor for its agricultural economy (cotton, tobacco, rice)
  • Strong belief in states' rights and resistance to federal authority, viewing secession as a legitimate response to perceived northern aggression
  • Agrarian society and economy based on slave labor, in contrast to the industrializing North

Attempts at Compromise and the Outbreak of War

Compromise attempts vs war outbreak

• Peace Conference of 1861
  • Delegates from 21 states met in Washington, D.C. in a last-ditch effort to prevent war and reunite the nation
  • Proposed constitutional amendments to protect slavery and enforce the Fugitive Slave Act, but failed to satisfy either side
  • Republicans refused to compromise on slavery's expansion, while seceded states rejected any plan that didn't recognize their independence
• Fort Sumter crisis
  • Fort Sumter was a federal fort located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, which had seceded in December 1860
  • Confederate forces demanded the surrender of the fort, but Union commander Robert Anderson refused to evacuate
  • Lincoln's decision to resupply the fort in April 1861 led Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard to bombard the fort, marking the beginning of the Civil War
• Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12-13, 1861)
  1. Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina
  2. Union commander Robert Anderson surrendered the fort after 34 hours of bombardment
  3. The battle resulted in no casualties but marked the outbreak of the American Civil War
• Lincoln's response to Fort Sumter
  • Called for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the southern rebellion and restore the Union
  • Declared a naval blockade of southern ports to cut off trade and supplies
  • The blockade and Lincoln's call for troops led four more southern states (Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee) to secede and join the Confederacy

Earlier Attempts at Compromise

• Compromise of 1850: A series of bills that addressed the status of slavery in newly acquired territories
• Popular sovereignty: The idea that settlers in new territories should decide for themselves whether to allow slavery
• These earlier compromises ultimately failed to resolve the growing tensions between the North and South over slavery and states' rights