Covers key events preceding the American Civil War, including the formation of the Confederate States of America, the election of Jefferson Davis, Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address, and the Battle of Fort Sumter.

1. A SURVEY OF
AMERICAN HISTORY
Unit 2: Westward Expansion and Civil War
Part 16: The Path to Civil War (III)

2. ABRAHAM LINCOLN
• In 1860, just two years after
winning his election to the
Senate, Abraham Lincoln ran
for election as the Republican
candidate for the Presidency.
• With the Democrats split on the
issue of slavery, split between
the Douglas faction and the
Buchanan faction of the party,
Lincoln won a landslide victory.
• Despite Lincoln’s protests to
the contrary, the southern
states feared that an abolitionist
President would attempt to
abolish slavery nationwide.

3. CIVIL WAR BEGINS
On December 20, 1860, before
Lincoln had even been sworn in,
South Carolina declared that it
would secede (withdraw) from the
Union and no longer be a part of
the United States of America.

4. THE CONFEDERATE
STATES OF AMERICA
Six more states seceded in
January and February 1861, weeks
ahead of Lincoln’s inauguration
ceremony. They included Georgia,
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana, and Texas.

5. THE CONFEDERATE
STATES OF AMERICA
On February 4, these states formed
a new nation with aspirations of
independence: the Confederate
States of America. On February 8,
the CSA adopted a provisional
Constitution modelled on the old
one, and on February 18 the CSA
elected a new President.

6. JEFFERSON DAVIS
• President of the Confederate
States of America until 1865.
• Formerly a distinguished soldier
who fought in the Mexican-
American War and served as
Secretary of War under Franklin
Pierce. Also a slaveowner.
• Argued against secession from
the Union, but agreed that all
states had the right to secede.
• Sworn in as Confederate
President two weeks before
Lincoln was sworn in.

7. LINCOLN’S FIRST
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
• When he was sworn in on
March 4, 1861, Lincoln began
his inaugural address by
quoting from one of his own
earlier speeches: “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, and I have no
inclination to do so.”
• Promised that he would not
interfere with slavery in the
Southern states and argued that
secession was akin to anarchy.

8. LINCOLN’S FIRST
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
• Suggested that secession was
also illegal because it was a
violation of the Constitution:
“I hold that in contemplation
of… the Constitution, the Union
of these States is perpetual. …
[I]n 1787, one of the declared
objects for ordaining and
establishing the Constitution
was ‘to form a more perfect
Union.’ But if destruction of the
Union by one or by a part only
of the States be lawfully
possible, the Union is less
perfect than before the
Constitution, having lost the
vital element of perpetuity.”

9. LINCOLN’S FIRST
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
• Concluded by asking the
Southern states to maintain
peace and tranquility: “We are
not enemies, but friends. We
must not be enemies. Though
passion may have strained, it
must not break our bonds of
affection. The mystic chords of
memory, stretching from every
battlefield and patriot grave to
every living heart and
hearthstone all over this broad
land, will yet swell the chorus of
the Union, when again touched,
as surely they will be, by the
better angels of our nature.”

10. THE CONFEDERATE
STATES OF AMERICA
The objective of the Confederate
States of America was to secure
international recognition of
independence and sovereignty.
The objective of the United States
was to prevent this recognition.

11. THE BATTLE OF
FORT SUMTER
• War began on April 12, 1861,
at Fort Sumter, outside the port
of Charleston, South Carolina.
• Earlier, after South Carolina
seceded from the Union, the
Governor ordered all United
States Army personnel to leave
the state. All federal property,
including forts, was to be taken
over by the state government.
• When some U.S. Army troops
retreated to Fort Sumter, the
state militia of South Carolina
placed the fort under siege.

12. THE BATTLE OF
FORT SUMTER
• The fort’s supplies quickly
began running out. In April
1861, shortly after his
inauguration, Abraham Lincoln
sent a ship to resupply it.
• The Governor of South Carolina
responded by ordering the
removal of all federal forces
from Fort Sumter. The federal
forces remained in place.
• In the early morning of April 12,
the South Carolina forces
began bombarding Fort Sumter.

13. THE BATTLE OF
FORT SUMTER
• The bombardment continued
for almost three full days, until
April 14, 1861.
• The federal forces abandoned
Fort Sumter, and the new
Confederate flag was raised.
• No-one on either side died
during the conflict, although
one Union soldier was injured
and died afterwards.
• Lincoln responded to the loss
by immediately calling for
75,000 volunteers to serve for
three months in a federal militia.

14. A SURVEY OF
AMERICAN HISTORY
Unit 2: Westward Expansion and Civil War
Part 16: The Path to Civil War (III)