1. A Nation Divided Against Itself
Ch P

2. Activity – Cornerstone Speech
Alexander Hamilton Stevens was the Vice-President of the Confederate States of America. He gave this speech upon the founding of the Confederacy.
Instructions:
1. Get a partner.
2. One of you (player 1) will read the first paragraph.
The other one (player 2) will summarize it back to player 1.
Then, switch. Player 2 will read it and player 1 will summarize it back.
When you’re done, summarize the whole thing in a paragraph, and list any questions you have.

4. Key Terms Border States Lower South Secessionist
Confederate States of America
Fort Sumter
Upper South

5. Essential Questions
How did the election of 1860 demonstrate the split between the North and the South?
What concerns led the Lower South to secede from the Union?
What event started the Civil War?

6. The Election of 1860
The Democratic Party met in Charlestown, SC to nominate a candidate in April of 1860.
For ten days, delegates from the North and the South debated the issue of slavery.
Southern Democrats wanted the party to protect slavery in the territories.
Northern Democrats insisted on popular sovereignty.

7. The Election of 1860
When it looked like Stephen Douglas would win the nomination, delegates from 8 southern states walked out.
The party met again in Baltimore in June and, again, the southerners walked out.
Exasperated, the northern Democrats nominated Stephen Douglas without them.
The Southern Democrats met by themselves and nominated Kentucky’s John Breckenridge to run against Douglas.

8. The Election of 1860
The remnants of the Whig party, along with the Know- Nothings and southern Democrats who opposed secession, united to create the Constitutional Union Party.
Their nominee, John Bell of Tennessee, promised to do everything to avoid secession if elected.

9. The Election of 1860
When the Republicans met in Chicago, most thought New York’s William Seward would be the candidate.
Seward was seen as too radical by conservatives, who favored Salmon P. Chase of Ohio, but radicals distrusted him because he was a former Democrat.
Abraham Lincoln came to be seen as the best choice – radicals and conservatives both found something to like in Lincoln.

10. The Election of 1860
The election proved the division within the country.
Lincoln ran against Douglas in the north, and Breckenridge ran against Bell in the south.
Lincoln won without getting a single electoral vote in the south.
In ten states, his name wasn’t even on the ballot.
He only won 39 percent of the total popular vote.

11. The Lower South Secedes
Southerners were outraged that a President could be elected without any southern electoral votes.
They felt the north had complete control over them – they had lost the game.
Secessionists argued that, since the states had chosen to join the United States, they could now choose to leave.
South Carolina was the first to leave, in December of Six others would follow within weeks.
In February, they met in Montgomery, Alabama, and established the Confederate States of America.
Jefferson Davis of Mississippi became their president.

12. The War Starts Some politicians proposed compromises with the south.
President Buchanan declared he would not use force to prevent secession.
Meanwhile, southern states seized federal property within their boundaries.
Fort Sumter, a US navy base in Charlestown, SC, became the flash point of the crisis.

13. The War Starts
A Federal ship sent to supply the fort in January was fired on by Confederates and turned back.
In April, Lincoln told the governor that he was sending a ship with food, but no soldiers.
Before the ship could arrive, however, Fort Sumter was ordered to surrender or be fired upon.
When the Federal troops didn’t surrender, the Confederates opened fire, and the fort surrendered 34 hours later.

14. The War Starts
In response Lincoln asked the Union for 75,000 volunteers to put down the rebellion.
Ohio sent 75,000 volunteers by itself; support from the northern states poured in.
In response to Lincoln’s call for volunteers, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia joined the Confederacy.