What Caused Secession?

Angelica Esposito

There were many things that lead up to the Southern states to secede from the Union in 1860 and 1861.

Firstly, there was controversy between the Republican Party platform and the (southern) Democratic Party platform, as to whether or not slavery should be allowed in the Western Territories. The Republican Party platform “denies the authority of Congress, of a territorial legislature, or of any individuals, to give legal existence to slavery in any territory of the United States”. The (southern) Democratic Party platform states that “all citizens of the United States have an equal right to settle with their property in the territory, without their rights, either of person or property”. As seen from document 1, both sides did not seem willing to compromise. The republicans refused to allow slavery in the territories while the southern democrats demanded that slavery be protected wherever it existed. This later caused controversy, causing the Southern states to secede from the Union.

The North hated the South and the North was determined to use their power to dominate the South and free the slaves. The South seceded from the union because they weren’t getting what they wanted. According to document 2, The North believed that slavery was morally wrong and cruel. Also, with the South pushing the expansion of slavery, the North felt as if it was taking more jobs away from the whites. This caused non-slaveholding Southerners to fear that slaves would want to take revenge once they were free. They feared that the North would destroyed the South and their economy.

Lincoln’s election caused the South to secede because the South could not accept Lincoln’s refusal to allow slavery in the Western Territories. According to document 3, “If Lincoln were president, the Union would be endangered from that hour”. Lincoln did not believe in popular sovereignty, meaning that he wanted everyone to have slaves. According to the Pittsburg Press dated October 10th, 1860, this newspaper endorsed Senator Stephen Douglas for president because he believed in popular sovereignty (allowing the people of the territories themselves decide whether slavery would be permitted). Douglas would benefit the country better than Lincoln because his beliefs were more beneficial to the country as opposed to Lincoln’s which would later cause the South