Objective: To examine the immediate causes of the U.S. Civil War.

• Violent abolitionist

•Involved in the Bleeding Kansas as a northern fighter

•Murdered 5 pro-slavery men in Kansas

• Wanted to lead a slave revolt throughout the South by raising an army of freed slaves and destroying the South.

John Brown’s Raid:

• In 1859, John Brown and his followers seized a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia.

John Brown in August, 1859.

• Attacked a U.S.

Ammunition depot in

Harper’s Ferry, Virginia in Oct.

of 1859 to capture

weapons and begin his slave

revolt.

Picture/J.Brown

Interior view of the engine house at Harpers Ferry during the siege.

View photos of eight members of Brown’s raiding party.

Engine house at Harpers Ferry.

Marines storm the engine house.

•Unsuccessful and captured by USMC under the leadership of Robert E. Lee

•Put on trial for treason. Picture/J.Brown

• Brown was caught and sentenced to death by hanging.

Brown as a wounded prisoner after his capture.

•He was found guilty of treason He was found guilty of treason and sentenced to deathand sentenced to death

•His last words were to this effect:His last words were to this effect: “I believe that the issue of slavery “I believe that the issue of slavery will never be solved unless through will never be solved unless through

the shedding of blood.”the shedding of blood.”

•Northerners thought of John Northerners thought of John Brown as a martyr to the Brown as a martyr to the

abolitionist cause.abolitionist cause.

•Southerners were terrified that if Southerners were terrified that if John Brown almost got away with John Brown almost got away with this, there must be others like him this, there must be others like him in the North who are willing to die in the North who are willing to die

to end slavery.to end slavery.

•South’s outcome: To leave the South’s outcome: To leave the U.S. and start their own country.U.S. and start their own country.

Last Moments of John Brown (Thomas Hovenden)

Brown being carried from court to prison.

The hanging of John Brown.

"Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments, I say, let it be done." --John Brown, statement at his sentencing on Nov. 2, 1859

Brown's grave in North Elba, New York

"[John Brown is] that new saint, than whom none purer or more brave was ever led by love of men into conflict and death,--the new saint awaiting his martyrdom, and who, if he shall suffer, will make the gallows glorious like the cross."--Ralph Waldo Emerson, from his lecture "Courage," delivered in Boston on Nov. 8, 1859

John Brown painting at Harper's Ferry

The Election of 1860The Election of 1860• The Republicans

nominated Abraham Lincoln (IL), who ran on a platform of free-soil (keep slavery out of territories) & protective tariffs

• The divided Democrats nominated 2 candidates: Northern Democrats: Stephen Douglas (IL)

Southern Democrats: John C. Breckinridge (KY)

• The Constitutional Union party nominated John Bell (TN). Their platform was to save the Union.

Lincoln Breckenridge

Douglas Bell

Election of 1860

Country is Country is polarized polarized over the over the issue of issue of slavery.slavery.

Once Lincoln is elected as president,

South Carolina will secede from

the U.S. along with

several other

Southern States to form the

Confederate States of

America---CSA

•303 total electoral votes and

152 to win.

• Southern secessionists threatened to leave the Union if Lincoln won the election.

• Lincoln was not an abolitionist. He wanted to placate the slave owners, but he was afraid to make any statement that would alienate anyone.

• Only 40% voted for Lincoln, but he won due to electoral votes. (He wasn’t even on the ballot in 10 southern states.)

• South Carolinians rejoiced since now they had a reason to secede

SecessionSecession• Four days after the election, South Carolina

voted unanimously to leave the Union• Within weeks, six other states in the lower South

also left (MS, FL, AL, GA, LA, TX).• In 1861, these seven states met in Montgomery,

Alabama to form the Confederate States of America and chose Jefferson Davis as president

• Four more joined later (VA, AR, TN, NC), bringing the total to eleven

• In response to Lincoln’s victory, the southern states seceded from the Union in 1861, forming the Confederate States of America.

Secession:

Original Confederate flag

Eventual Confederate flag

• Jefferson Davis: president of the Confederacy

• Fort Sumter, South Carolina, was important because it guarded Charleston harbor

* The Civil War had now begun!

Fort Sumter

• Therefore, the Confederates attacked, defeating the Union soldiers.

Fort Sumter: April 12, 1861

Fort Sumter: April 12, 1861• Confederate officials Confederate officials

began seizing federal-began seizing federal-mint branches, arsenals, mint branches, arsenals, and military posts. and military posts.

• Fort Fort SumterSumter was a was a Federal outpost in Federal outpost in Charleston, SC. Charleston, SC.

Ruffin, Pvt. Edmund, Confederate soldier who fired the first shot against Fort Sumter

Anderson, Maj. Robert, defender of Fort Sumter

Bombardment of Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor

April 12 and 13, 1861

Fort Sumter, S.C., April 4, 1861, under the Confederate flag.