The Slave South
Antebellum Life
Election of 1860
The Secession Crisis
100
What product was the primary product of the Southern plantation economy?
Cotton
100
What does the word "antebellum" mean?
Before the War
100
Who was President BEFORE the election of 1860?
James Buchannon
100
Which new state was formed as a result of the Secession Crisis?
West Virginia
200
What is the cotton gin? Who invented it, and how did it impact the economy surrounding slavery?
The cotton gin was a device invented by Eli Whitney to make it easier and faster to process cotton.
Because cotton was so valuable for the Northern textile industry, southern planters wanted to grow as much of it as possible.
The cotton gin made the enslaved labor needed to process cotton profitable, causing the enslaved population to grow.
200
Who is Dred Scot, and what case did he bring before the Supreme Court?
An enslaved man named Dred Scott sued for his freedom. He argued that because his owner had taken him to live in a free territory, he was therefore freed by that action.
The Supreme Court decided, however, that since Scott was a slave - he didn’t have the legal right to sue anyone at all.
As part of the decision, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress didn’t have the constitutional right to ban slavery in any territory, striking down the Missouri Compromise entirely.
This decision was yet another wedge between the North and South, creating more division between slave and free states.
200
What does this map show us?
What can you infer about division in America during the Election of 1860?
This map shows the electoral votes earned by each candidate in the Election of 1860. The stark division between Bell - a pro-slavery candidate - and Lincoln, who was personally anti-slavery but politically neutral - shows how deeply this issue divided America.
200
What name did the seceded states give their new nation? Who did they elect as President?
The southern states formed the Confederate States of America. Jefferson Davis was their first (and only!) president.
300
What is the Fugitive Slave Act? What issues did it cause?
The Fugitive Slave Act was a new law passed that would require federal officials in Northern states to help capture and return runaway or escaped enslaved people to their owners in the South. It faced immediate opposition from abolitionists in Northern states.
300
What is an abolitionist? Describe both one famous abolitionist (and their actions) and one example of a tactic used to further the cause of abolitionism.
An abolitionist was an activist promoting the end of slavery in the United States.
Famous abolitionists:
-Sojourner Truth
-Frederick Douglas
-Gerrit Smith
-William Lloyd Garrison
-Angelina Grimke
-John Brown
300
How can Stephen A. Douglas have won so few electoral votes, yet have come in second place for the popular vote?
Douglas was very popular, however, he was not popular enough to beat Lincoln in most states. Because most states award ALL of their electoral votes to the person with the most popular votes, Douglas was not able to earn electoral votes despite many Northern states being split between Lincoln and Douglas.
300
What reason(s) did the Southern states give for their secessions? Why did they choose to leave the Union?
Fear of "Oppression" of the Northern states
400
What happened at Harper's Ferry?
A man named John Brown - a white abolitionist in Virginia - led a rebellion. He led eighteen other men on an attack at the state arsenal at Harper’s Ferry.
His plan was to steal as many weapons as possible to arm enslaved people for an uprising against their masters.
400
What is the Missouri Compromise?
What problem did it attempt to solve, and what new rules did it create?
Did it work?
The Missouri Compromise was brokered when Missouri applied to become the 23rd state. Missouri was a territory which allowed slavery, and admitting a new slave state would upset the balance of power between free and slave states in the Senate.
It was decided that Missouri could enter as a slave state, but Maine would enter as a free state at the same time, to keep things balanced. It also set a new boundary: any state north of the 36°30' line must be a free state, and any state south of it must permit slavery.
It was an ineffective compromise, lasting only 30 years.
400
Who were the four candidates for election in 1860?What did they each say about slavery and the governement? Who won?
Abraham Lincoln - Republican - personally anti-slavery but committed to preserving the Union as it - He won!
John C. Breckenridge - Southern Republican - pro slavery
Stephen A. Douglas - Democrat - in favor of states' decisions
John Bell - Constitutional Union Party - just keep the country together!
400
What conflict is considered the first battle of the Civil War? What happened there?
The first battle, even though war had not yet been declared, was at Fort Sumter. The newly-formed Confederate government attacked the Union fort in South Carolina, attempting to take control. They won and took over the fort and its military supplies.