antebellum society and causes of civil war

“BEFORE THE WAR”CAUSES OF THE WARIMPORTANT PEOPLE

Antebellum Yankees Cotton gin Rebels Tariff Sectionalism Abomination Secede States’ rightsNullification Yeoman farmer Emancipate Popular Sovereignty Abolitionist

Agricultural EconomyFIRST TOBACCO THEN COTTONSlavery Changed the EconomyEconomy became dependent on

Slavery

PLANTERS- 100 + acres, 20+ slaves, minority of the population (3000 out of 600,000),plantations

YEOMAN FARMERS- few acres, no slaves, family farms- grew crops for themselves, majority of population

Only ¼ of the population owned slaves 44% POP= SLAVES

Valuable crop: easy to sell and paid high prices

Cotton exports increased as did the South’s dependence on cotton- to BRITAIN

Growing cotton meant the need for a larger slave force

Slave Costs – Between $300 and $1000 Short staple cotton- inland Long staple cotton- islands

Before the cotton gin: slaves could only clean 1 pound of cotton a day

After the cotton gin: slaves could clean 50 pounds of cotton a day

Result: more cotton being grown and more workers needed

COTTON GIN- 1793 SEPARATES SEED FROM THE FIBER-

roller w/teeth 2x AS FAST AS SLAVES COULD DO IT “GIN” = engine ELI WHITNEY

The South's economy was dependent upon slavery. 100 years of living with the institution had made it an integral part of Southern life and culture. The South demanded that the North recognize its right to have slaves as secured in the Constitution.

Georgia Stories

The people in the Missouri territory wanted to join the United States.

The people in this territory wanted slavery to be legal.

Prior to Missouri, the Union had 22 states. 11 favored slavery and 11 opposed it

Abolitionists in the North did not want slavery to expand

Abolitionist- a person opposed to slavery and in favor of ending it.

Missouri joined the union as a slave state and Maine joined as a non slave state

The Missouri Compromise also stated that the area north of the 36 -30 parallel would only be allowed to join the United States as a free state, while the land below the 36-30 parallel would join as slave states

2 PART SOLUTION REGARDING SLAVERY AND NEW STATES

HENRY CLAY CAME UP WITH IDEA MAINE- ADDED AS A FREE STATE,

MISSOURI AS A SLAVE STATE ENSURED EQUAL/FAIRNESS IN TERMS OF

THE CONCEPT OF SLAVERY In Congress, there had been 11 Free

states and 11 Slave states. Now there were 12/12.

NO Slavery N of 36 degrees 30’ line of latitude

(40 degrees N lat is southern PA) (30 degrees N lat is along the FL

panhandle)

Tax on imports Benefits US Makes imported goods cost more- more

is purchased from inside the country

North- high tariffs, help N industries

South- low tariffs, traded a lot w/ Britain sold cotton to/bought goods from Brit

The Tariff of 1828 caused even more division in the country

Tariff- tax on foreign goods The tariff was put in to place to protect

northern factories from foreign competition

The South was buying goods from Britain, which were cheaper than goods from the northern states.

This Tariff would force the South to buy goods from the North

1-Fed Gov’t put tax on British goods (fabrics)

2-They ended up costing more 3-Americans didn’t buy them. 4-British didn’t make as much, didn’t

need as many raw goods (cotton) 5-Southern states- source of cotton 6-Sold less because Britain not buying

as much 7-Hurt southern economy

Tariff of 1828 led the South to discuss nullification

Nullification- argument that a state has a right not to follow a federal law

By 1832 Congress slightly modified the tariff to appease the South

The tariff was lowered to 35% The South was still very unhappy

with the Federal government for taxing their main supply of goods

The people of South Carolina planned to use force to stop federal tax collectors.

President Andrew Jackson said he would use the army in South Carolina in an effort to collect this tariff

This threat forced South Carolina to comply with federal law

Jackson called on Congress to pass a Force Bill, giving him the authority to use force to collect taxes

Congress did pass the Force Bill, but it also passed a bill to reduce tariffs over a ten year period

The compromise bill satisfied South Carolina and post poned the crisis for a little longer

Sectionalism- loyalty to the concerns of your own region rather than to the nation

TariffsStates’ RightsWestern ExpansionSlavery

One of the main issues between the North and the south was slavery

Also, the Southern States wanted to follow their own laws. They did not want federal laws to over rule the laws of the states.

Why would this not work? When in history did we decide that we needed a stronger federal government?

1- STATES’ RIGHTS- PRIVILEGES THAT STATES HAVE TO RUN THEMSELVES WITHOUT FEDERAL INTERFERENCE. HOW MUCH CONTROL SHOULD STATES HAVE IN THEIR OWN RULES AND LAWS?

N- 1- FED LAWS RULE ALL, SUPREME COURT DECIDE ALL ISSUES, SECEDE ILLEGAL, NULLIFICATION NOT ALLOWED

S- Constitution= contract by choice, can secede and nullify laws

N- DISTRIBUTE FAIR PRICES, SELL TO MAKE $ FOR GOV’T, GOV’T HELPS PAY FOR EXPANSION

S- CHEAPLY GIVE OUT LAND, SHOULDN’T TAX TO PAY FOR EXPANSION

N- illegal, keep escaped slaves

S- legal, N send back escaped slaves

Part of States’ rights

California asked to be admitted to the Union as a Free state. This would upsetthe balance in Congress. HENRY CLAY AGAIN CREATED THIS 4 parts: balance 1-CA- ADMITTED AS A FREE STATE 2-DC- ABOLISHED SLAVERY 3-STRONGER FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW 4-NM AND UT- COULD MAKE THEIR OWN

DECISION ABOUT SLAVERY

Part of the Compromise of 1850 Stated that all states must return slaves

that have fled back to their owners Prohibited slave trade in Washington

D.C

John C. Calhoun from S.C. warned that the Union would be no more if a better solution was not found.

He felt the South was being neglected for the Industrialized North.

1850- Georgia held a convention in Milledgeville to debate the Compromise of 1850

SECESSION NOT A SOLUTION TO PROTECT SLAVERY AND STATES’RIGHTS

OUTLINE TO SUPPORT COMPROMISE WANTED TO KEEP THE UNION Georgia Platform- Proclamation by Georgia

wanting the North to support the Fugitive Slave Act, and to stop trying to ban slavery in new states

Howell Cobb, Alexander H. Stephens, and Robert Toombs represented Georgia in Congress and wielded a great deal of political influence within the state

Stephens’ arguments led to the Georgia Platform

Their influence led to the Georgia Platform being accepted as a conditional acceptance of the Compromise of 1850

Georgia was credited with preventing war and secession

Similar to the Missouri Compromise-1854 North and South argued over how slavery

should be handled in the new states Kansas and Nebraska were one large territory,

they only became two states as part of a compromise

States would decide whether to be free or slave based on popular sovereignty.

Stephen Douglas from Illinois wrote the act, favored the concept of popular sovereignty

Election held in Kansas Anti slavery forces moved into Kansas to

sway people to vote against slavery Pro slavery forces also came up from

Missouri 1000’s from both sides tried to influence

the vote

Crisis in the territory, became known as Bleeding Kansas, 200 people killed in the violence.

Kansas voted to be a slave state in 1857, but congress rejected the results and a new election was held.

Abolitionists won second election. Had two legislatures for a time Kansas declared a free state and

allowed to join the union in 1861

Dred Scott v Sandford – Dred Scott filed a case in the Supreme Court trying to get his freedom and for his family as well. Was born a slave in Virginia Traveled with his master and lived in

a free territory for ten years Returned with the master’s widow to

Missouri So… should be a free man 1846-went to court to get his freedom Supreme Court ruled against him

stating that he was not a U.S. citizen and didn’t have the right to sue-1857

Southern slave owners saw this as a major victory

Abolitionists were furious over ruling

ISSUE NORTH SOUTH

TARIFFS

STATES’ RIGHTS

WESTERNEXPANSION

SLAVERY

1854-The Republican Party was started by a group of Northern Democrats that were against slavery

Felt that slavery could no longer exist

Against the extension of slavery in territories

First Republican candidate was

John Fremont from Savannah in 1856

ELECTION of 1860Republican Candidate: Abraham Lincoln

Platform: Prevent slavery expanding in the territories Stated that the US could not remain half free and half slave

Northern Democratic Candidate: Stephen Douglas with Herschel Johnson (GA)as vice-presidential candidate

Platform: Popular sovereignty

Southern Democratic Candidate: John Breckenridge

Platform: Against popular Sovereignty

Constitutional Union Candidate: John Bell Platform: Preserve the Union

Lincoln won the election eventhough his name was noteven on the ballot in the Southern states

• DEBATES- 4 CANDIDATES, • 4 DIFFERENT PLATFORMS AND KEY ISSUES• ELECTION- FALL 1860• INAUGURATION- MARCH 4, 1861• LINCOLN ELECTED- popular vote, but not

electoral vote• RESULTED IN: • SOUTHERNERS THAT THEY SHOULD LEAVE

UNION, • NORTHERNERS- FED GOV’T WILLMOVE TO

ABOLISH SLAVERY

South Carolina’s legislature voted (169 to 0) to secede just days after Lincoln was elected as President (Dec 20, 1860)

Georgia’s General Assembly calls for a state convention

Georgia’s capital at the time was Milledgeville Each county sent delegates to Secession Convention

(Jan) Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida secede Georgia’s legislature voted (208 to 89) to secede

and became the independent “republic of Georgia” Before Mr. Lincoln took his oath of office, Louisiana

and Texas had also seceded from the Union. Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee

soon followed. Total of 11 states.

Representatives from the seceded states met in Montgomery, Alabama to start a new nation

The Confederate Constitution was written and allowed slavery

Jefferson Davis from Mississippi was elected as president

Alexander Stephens from GA was the vice-president (GA Platform- worked previously to stay w/Union- cooperationist)

Robert Toombs from GA was the new secretary of state Georgia’s legislators ratified the Confederate

Constitution and amended the GA constitution to show their allegiance

Ft. Sumter- Charleston, SC, first shots April 12, 1861