Reasons to secede Though there could be listed many reasons why the southern states chose to secede. As stated in the introduction of this paper, the primary one that many historians refer to is slavery. This paper will explain why slavery was such a big reason for the secession. In addition to that, it will examine two other reasons, namely, economy and the rights of states. Of course, these are linked to slavery, and all the reasons will be more of a continuation of each other, and are simply different aspects of the same answer. Slavery When explaining the reasons for the secession, slavery must be included as an essentail factor. As described earlier, slavery and the right to slavery was the main thing that fueled tensions between the …show more content…
This debate was all about the rights of the (white) people. A South Carolina politician, John S. Preston, demonstrates this view well when he in 1860 said: “Slavery is our king,…Slavery is our truth, slavery is our divine right”. The right to slavery was something divine, constituted by God and unchangeable by man. Another principle that went along with this, was the long held belief that black slaves were inherently inferior to whites. Slaves had to be dehumanized for the slaveowners to rationalize what they were doing, and therefore, as is commonly known, slave brutality was severe. The thought of emancipation, that slaves would no longer be suppressed in the South lead to fear for uprising, vengeance, etc. on the then former slave owners. These uprisings had happened before and the southern slave owners were terrified of what would happen if they weren't being suppressed. Emancipation would also mean that slaves would become free and citizens on equal standing with the whites. This was also a cause of fear of what southern society would become. South Carolina politician, J. D. Ashmore wrote the day before the election of this …show more content…
There were other factors and incentives that drove the anti-slavery supporters. Larry Gara describes this phenomenon: “While some abolitionists were indignant at the slave system and what it did to black men, many more northerners became anti-southern and antislavery because of what the slave system did or threatened to do to them. A failure to recognize this can easily lead us into a blind alley of oversimplification, and to view the events of a hundred years ago as a morality play with heroes and villains rather than a plausible presentation of a human dilemma.” Gara brings up a good point here. It is important that we don’t view segregation with twentieth century goggles. Racism was with no doubt present on both sides, but neither side would have gone to the extremes that they did over a dispute of how ‘human’ slaves were. Racism prevailed after the Civil War, which was not about racism, but simply slavery. The Civil war was not about fighting for blacks to be viewed as equal to whites in the way of civil rights, but about southern power spreading throughout the American
Secession is the means to withdraw one’s self from a federal union or other affiliated group. The southern secession was the separation of 11 states moving from the Union to the Confederate States Popular sovereignty helped the Union and the Confederates compromise by allowing the right to vote for or against slavery knowing that the popular vote would be to be against slavery, aiding in the final decision. The motive to use the
In the months following the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, seven southern states seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. This was done primarily as a response to Lincoln’s election, as Lincoln did not support the institution of slavery, a crucial aspect of Southern society. Secession from the United States meant that these states would form a separate country from the United States with its own government and military. Some have speculated that secession was failure in democracy, that democracy should have prevented such a large part of the United States to be so unhappy with its government that it would form a new country. However, it was the American system of democracy that laid
The South seceded because of slavery, political power, the differences in their way of life. Slavery was a major issue here in America. The South wanted slavery and the North didn’t. “Government cannot endure half slave, half free” (Doc 5).
American history noted that the secession of the southern states was a reason for the Civil War. The Civil War had many men to die during the cause, less men died in the world war comparing them to the Civil War. Slavery was a cause for the southern states to secede and it could be considered as one of the major factors. Along with state sovereignty, economic, and political difference are amongst the list that caused the south to secede. Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina were the southern states that seceded and form a southern Confederacy.
There is not just one sole reason as to why Americans entered into a civil war. The economic differences between the America’s upper and lower states played a role in the secession of most Southern states. However, the biggest reason why America started a civil war is because of the issue over slavery. While slavery is the most popular and substantial reason the U.S. entered into a civil war, there are other factors that together truly pushed the U.S. towards this grave war. Missouri kept trying to become a slave state started a national civil argument.
As the tensions between the North and the South keep growing, we have to look at the secession of the Southern states and if this act will help or hinder the debate brought about between the two territories. One of the first things we need to inspect is the differences between the two. Then we need to get down to the core and see why there are major issues between the North and the South. Finally, after we go through the facts, I will present my opinion on whether or not secession is necessary and if it is or isn’t the right route to take in order to resolve the conflicts separating the United States.
In spite of this there was an opposing opinion. Around a century later, when the founding fathers were creating the Declaration of Independence and later the Constitution, they knew that the issue of slavery had to be dealt with, but pushed it aside and let it continue as they needed the majority of the thirteen colonies to agree with their writings. This allowed slavery to grow, and with it the bigotry inside the minds of the American
Everyone knows what a slave is, its a person who is being held against their will and forced to do a task without payment or able to exercise their freedom. Back then in a America, before equal rights. Before the civil war, that at least gave the slaves the freedom to do as they please under the law. As we know from American history. Almost everyone, in the south and some supporters in the north believed that slavery was okay.
This essay will explore the reasons as to how and why secession occurred and whether slavery was the main
This one was without a doubt the most important reason. The South had a huge success with selling cotton and people often owned huge plantations. The people who owned the farms hired slaves to farm and collect the cotton, that way they could make their cash. (Document A.)The North however wanted to abolish, or get rid of slavery. Fearful of losing their businesses, Texans decided to fight.
The United States, along with other European countries who still upheld the institution of slavery, feared a good example as they saw an independent country of former slaves as a threat. For this victory for Blacks would influence peril for slave owners, as slaves within these countries would feel even more inspired to rebel themselves as a way of gaining their basic human rights. Especially in the U.S where ninety four percent of its population during that time were slaves. Leading to even more issues with controlling slave labor that was critical for the survival of the south's
There were three main causes of the civil war including slavery, sectionalism and secession. Slavery was a huge part of it and it led to the Missouri Compromise where any states below the border would be slave states and the anything north of that was free states. (Mrs. Wise) "The south feared the declaration of freedom for the slaves by government leaders in the North." Next, sectionalism. Sectionalism-
“...On the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” The bold action of Lincoln lead to other attempts at equalizing black people with white people but one does have to question the motives of many white Anti-slavery advocates. White people had been the majority in American society during this time and never had to worry about discrimination or slavery so why were they fighting so hard for and with slaves? The white people of America never act unless they have something in it for themselves. By abolishing slavery, white anti-slavery movement supporters gained the benefits of not having to deal the major disconnect between the country, ______,
Causes of the Civil War “No, if destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we will live forever or die by suicide,” - Abraham Lincoln. The Civil War is known as one of the greatest tragedies in American history. With over 620,000 deaths, it is by far the most devastating war (“Civil War Facts”). When studying the Civil War, one must question why it even happened in the first place.
These proponents of slavery would also have to contend with the majority of the Southern Whites who did not have a share in the economic benefits of slavery. The only viable strategy was that of racism would align them with the emotions of the time, i.e., equality and liberty but not as human beings but as whites and blacks. They would justify their cause saying though all white are equal and must enjoy the fruits of freedom and liberty they were ushered to them on account of being whites and hence superior to the other race and hence the slaves must not be allowed to live as a equals in a democratic free world. All these justifications had their root in the economic benefits that slavery provided and that it was still one of the most profitable ventures across the