"And the War Came"  The Election of 1860 and  The Sumter Crisis

 Ken Burns - The Cause  (read about  the Ashokan Farewell )

A month after taking office, Lincoln is confronted with a serious question: whether to supply Fort Sumter, a major US military installation in South Carolina

The mood had changed in the United States in the 1850’s and it was clearly defined by the Lincoln-Douglass debates in 1858 – “the writing was on the wall.” The South became concerned that their rights as a minority will no longer be protected. The North was no longer like the south.  

It becomes US vs. THEM. We no longer shared the same values and beliefs.  EXAMPLE – Codified prohibition off slavery in the territories is an insult South is governed by FEAR of what might happen as a result of the election of 1860.

Q? How do the clips from Gangs of NY and Gone With the Wind capture the political, social, or economic differences between the north and south on the eve of war?

THE ELECTION of 1860

Inertia– the newly formed Republican Party is the union of… 
Centripetal force – the democratic party is split over slavery

The South viewed Lincoln as a “savior to the slaves” and this represented a threat to the survival of slavery – REALITY?  Loss of political power? Eliminate leads to elimination….

Lincoln's First Inauguration (March 4, 1861)

KEY IDEAS and THEMES

BACKGROUND: In March of 1861, the eyes of the nation were focused on Fort Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. It was under threat from the new Confederacy, which claimed it. While still in Springfield, Lincoln had secretly asked the chief of the United States army "to eitherhold, or retake, the forts, as the case may require, at, and after the inauguration.)

Property - Without mentioning Sumter directly, Lincoln reiterated in his inaugural address that: "The power confided to me will be used to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the Government."

Slavery - To avoid further alienating the South, Lincoln declared: "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so...."

Union Lincoln declared the North would take no action against the South except in the case of aggression; however, he swore to preserve the Union should such aggression occur Lincoln directly addresses dissident Southerners:   "In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war.... You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors. You have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the Government, while I shall have the most solemn one to 'preserve, protect, and defend it.' "I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies..." Students may want to see if they can find the third excerpt in the document. (It's in the typed portion.) They should also notice the handwritten insertions and the typing. Why both? Because Lincoln revised his speech on the advice of William Seward, the future Secretary of State.