Events that lead to the Civil War: 1860

1
Events that lead to the Civil War 1860 1861

• The Election of 1860 4 Candidates for Pres.
• The Republicans picked Abe Lincoln as their
  candidate
• Democrats split over the issue of slavery in the
  West Southerners wanted the party to support it
  while Northerners refused.
• Southern Democrats chose John Breckinridge
• Northern Democrats chose Stephen Douglas
• Some Americans tried to heal this split by
  creating a new political party The Constitutional
  Union Party, and they picked John Bell.
• Lincoln won the North and the Election
• Northerners outnumbered outvoted southerners

2

• With Lincolns election many southerners felt
  that they no longer had a voice in the national
  government.
• Believed that the entire govt. was set against
  their interests, and their only choice was to
  secede.
• 1st state to secede was South Carolina Dec. 1860
• 6 more will join them and in Feb. 1861 they form
  the Confederate States of America
• Lincoln opposed secession
• Warns that there will be no war unless the South
  starts it

3

• Confederates began taking over federal property
  forts, post offices, etc.
• Lincolns problem should he let Confederates
  take over federal property?
• If he did he was admitting they had the right
  leave while sending troops might start a war.
• By April the Confederates had control of nearly
  all of the forts in the South.
• The Union held only 3 forts in Florida and Fort
  Sumter in South Carolina, which guarded
  Charleston harbor

4

• On April 12th the Confederates asked for
• Fort Sumters surrender.
• The Union commander refused and the Confederates
  opened fire on the fort
• On April 13th having run out of ammunition the
  Union forces surrender the fort.
• No one was killed, but this event marked the
  beginning of the Civil War