1. Recap: What was the main cause of the American Civil War in 1860?
Can you tweet your answer in 140 characters or less?

2. What were the short term causes of the American Civil War?
Learning Objectives:
To identify the short term causes of the American Civil War
To analyse and evaluate the short term causes of the American Civil War

3. START OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
Lincoln’s election as President of the USA, 1860
Jefferson Davis elected as President of the Confederacy, 1861
APRIL 1861
START OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
The secession of South Carolina and formation of the Confederacy, 1860
The attack on Fort Sumter, 1861
The short term causes of the American Civil War

4. The short term causes of the American Civil War 1
The short term causes of the American Civil War 1. Lincoln’s victory in the Presidential election of 1860
Why do many historians consider these results as the immediate push for the outbreak of the Civil War?

5. 1. Lincoln’s victory in the Presidential election of 1860
Lincoln and his party, (The Republicans) were not abolitionists, (wanting to end slavery in the South) and they were not in favour of full equality. They wanted to contain slavery – prevent if from moving into the western territories.
In the Presidential Election of 1860 Abraham Lincoln is elected the next President of the USA without a single southern vote. This is because he won so many votes in the northern states, which had the largest population, and so won the biggest percentage of the votes.
The Sothern states felt that they had no representation or voice in the national government after the election. They feared Lincoln and his party wanted to end slavery everywhere.
The era of compromise was over.
Abraham Lincoln

6. The short term causes of the American Civil War 2
The short term causes of the American Civil War 2. The secession of South Carolina and other states leading to the Confederacy
What does the word secession mean?
Within weeks of the election of Lincoln as President of the United States, South Carolina acted. On 20th December 1860 they seceded (split) from the Union.
South Carolina claimed they had a right under American law to split from the Union if the Federal government failed to uphold its ‘obligations’ to a state. They thought the government was planning to restrict slavery in new territories and then attempt to ban slavery altogether, in all states. They believed their farming economy would collapse without slavery.
10 other states followed within months.
The people of the seceded states elected Jefferson Davis as President of the newly formed Southern Confederacy.
South Carolina splits from the Union
How could Lincoln keep the Union of the United States of America together?

7. 3. Jefferson Davis – President of the Confederacy, 1861
In the late 1850s as a Senator, Davis had tried to prevent southern states seceding, (breaking away from the Union) over slavery.
Whilst he believed states had the right to secede, he did not believe it would be a wise move for the South.
With the election of Lincoln as President, Davis resigned as a Senator and left home for Mississippi.
In February 1861, Davis became President of the Confederate States of America. He faced an almost impossible job. The confederacy was vastly outnumbered with a population of 9 million, (3 m of those were slaves) compared to 22 million in the North.
As tension increased Davis spoke to the North and South, urging peace between both sides.
Jefferson Davis
How likely is Davis to succeed?

8. The short term causes of the American Civil War 3
The short term causes of the American Civil War 3. Jefferson Davis – President of the Confederacy, 1861

9. The spark which ignited the American Civil War 4
The spark which ignited the American Civil War 4. The attack on Fort Sumter, 1861
Jefferson Davis (President of the Southern Confederacy) wanted to control all government forts which were in Confederate territory.
Davis was particularly concerned about Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbour, in South Carolina. President Lincoln had sent ships to re-supply the fort.
Davis was in a difficult position. If he attacked the fort he would be seen as the aggressive side, but he could not allow the fort to be re-supplied.
On the 12th April 1861 Davis ordered the fort to be taken by the South. Confederate forces fired on the fort and the Civil War began.

10. START OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
Lincoln’s election as President of the USA, 1860
Jefferson Davis elected as President of the Confederacy, 1861
APRIL 1861
START OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
The secession of South Carolina and formation of the Confederacy, 1860
The attack on Fort Sumter, 1861
The short term causes of the American Civil War

11. So…. what caused the American Civil War?
Economic, social and cultural differences between the north and South.
The attack on Fort Sumter
The issue of slavery
The Missouri Compromise
John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry
The secession of South Carolina and the formation of the Confederacy
Lincoln’s election victory of 1860
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s;
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Westward Expansion
1.How are any of these events/causes linked?
2.What do they lead back to?
3. What do you think was the main cause of the US Civil War?
Nat Turner’s Rebellion
Jefferson Davis
President of the Confederacy