For three decades, the abolitionists—a minority even within the antislavery movement—had had a significant effect on American society by bringing the evils of slavery into the public consciousness. By the s, some of the most radical abolitionists, such as John Brown, had resorted to violence in their efforts to destroy the institution of slavery.
The formation of the Liberty Party , the Free-Soil Party , and the Republican Party , all of which strongly opposed the spread of slavery to the West, brought the question solidly into the political arena. Despite the ruptures and tensions, by the s, some hope of healing the nation still existed. Before Lincoln took office, John Crittenden, a senator from Kentucky who had helped form the Constitutional Union Party during the presidential election, attempted to diffuse the explosive situation by offering six constitutional amendments and a series of resolutions, known as the Crittenden Compromise.
He further proposed an amendment that would prohibit Congress from abolishing slavery anywhere it already existed or from interfering with the interstate slave trade. More importantly, however, it proposed to allow the western expansion of slavery into states below the Missouri Compromise line. Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas joined them in rapid succession on January 19, January 26, and February 1, respectively. In many cases, these secessions occurred after extremely divided conventions and popular votes.
A lack of unanimity prevailed in much of the South. The seven Deep South states that seceded quickly formed a new government. In the opinion of many Southern politicians, the federal Constitution that united the states as one nation was a contract by which individual states had agreed to be bound. However, they maintained, the states had not sacrificed their autonomy and could withdraw their consent to be controlled by the federal government.
In their eyes, their actions were in keeping with the nature of the Constitution and the social contract theory of government that had influenced the founders of the American Republic. The new nation formed by these men would not be a federal union, but a confederation. In a confederation, individual member states agree to unite under a central government for some purposes, such as defense, but to retain autonomy in other areas of government.
In this way, states could protect themselves, and slavery, from interference by what they perceived to be an overbearing central government. The only real difference between the two documents centered on slavery. The Confederate Constitution declared that the new nation existed to defend and perpetuate racial slavery, and the leadership of the slaveholding class.
It allowed for a Congress composed of two chambers, a judicial branch, and an executive branch with a president to serve for six years. The convention delegates chose Jefferson Davis of Mississippi to lead the new provisional government as president and Alexander Stephens of Georgia to serve as vice president until elections could be held in the spring and fall of As progressed, the Confederacy claimed Missouri and Kentucky, even though no ordinance of secession had been approved in those states.
Southern nationalism ran high, and the Confederacy, buoyed by its sense of purpose, hoped that their new nation would achieve eminence in the world. The new president confronted an unprecedented crisis. A conference held that month with delegates from the Southern states failed to secure a promise of peace or to restore the Union.
I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so. The formation of the Liberty Party , the Free-Soil Party , and the Republican Party , all of which strongly opposed the spread of slavery to the West, brought the question solidly into the political arena.
Despite the ruptures and tensions, by the s, some hope of healing the nation still existed. Before Lincoln took office, John Crittenden, a senator from Kentucky who had helped form the Constitutional Union Party during the presidential election, attempted to diffuse the explosive situation by offering six constitutional amendments and a series of resolutions, known as the Crittenden Compromise.
He further proposed an amendment that would prohibit Congress from abolishing slavery anywhere it already existed or from interfering with the interstate slave trade. Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas joined them in rapid succession on January 19, January 26, and February 1, respectively [link]. In many cases, these secessions occurred after extremely divided conventions and popular votes. A lack of unanimity prevailed in much of the South.
Explore the causes, battles, and aftermath of the Civil War at the interactive website offered by the National Parks Service. The seven Deep South states that seceded quickly formed a new government. In the opinion of many Southern politicians, the federal Constitution that united the states as one nation was a contract by which individual states had agreed to be bound. However, they maintained, the states had not sacrificed their autonomy and could withdraw their consent to be controlled by the federal government.
In their eyes, their actions were in keeping with the nature of the Constitution and the social contract theory of government that had influenced the founders of the American Republic. The new nation formed by these men would not be a federal union, but a confederation.
In a confederation, individual member states agree to unite under a central government for some purposes, such as defense, but to retain autonomy in other areas of government. In this way, states could protect themselves, and slavery, from interference by what they perceived to be an overbearing central government. The only real difference between the two documents centered on slavery. The Confederate Constitution declared that the new nation existed to defend and perpetuate racial slavery, and the leadership of the slaveholding class.
It allowed for a Congress composed of two chambers, a judicial branch, and an executive branch with a president to serve for six years. The convention delegates chose Jefferson Davis of Mississippi to lead the new provisional government as president and Alexander Stephens of Georgia to serve as vice president until elections could be held in the spring and fall of As progressed, the Confederacy claimed Missouri and Kentucky, even though no ordinance of secession had been approved in those states.
Southern nationalism ran high, and the Confederacy, buoyed by its sense of purpose, hoped that their new nation would achieve eminence in the world. The new president confronted an unprecedented crisis. A conference held that month with delegates from the Southern states failed to secure a promise of peace or to restore the Union. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.
Furthermore, in his inaugural address, Lincoln made clear his commitment to maintaining federal power against the secessionists working to destroy it. Lincoln declared that the Union could not be dissolved by individual state actions, and, therefore, secession was unconstitutional.
The Southern states wanted to assert their authority over the federal government so they could abolish federal laws they didn't support, especially laws interfering with the South's right to keep slaves and take them wherever they wished. The South wished to take slavery into the western territories, while the North was committed to keeping them open to white labor alone. According to statistics compiled by One-third of the soldiers who fought for the Union Army were immigrants, and nearly one in 10 was African American.
The Union Army was a multicultural force—even a multinational one. We often hear about Irish soldiers 7. Live TV. This Day In History. History Vault. Recommended for you.
Union Military Leaders. Fort Sumter. Confederate Leaders. Battles of Bull Run. Battle of Antietam. Civil War Artifacts. Civil War Sketchbook.
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