The Antebellum period and causes of the Civil WarGeorgia Studies

• SS8H6: The student will analyze the impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on Georgia.

a. Explain the importance of key events and issues that led to the Civil War including slavery, states rights, nullification, Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and the Georgia Platform, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott case, election of 1860, the debate over secession in Georgia and the role of Alexander Stephens.

SS8E1: The student will give examples of the kinds of goods and services produced in Georgia in different historical periods.

Objectives: SS8H6 & SS8E1

Background• Antebellum: period before the war

1. What was manifest destiny? The belief that it was the will of God that the United States expand its borders to the Pacific Coast

2. Name the three areas of our country acquired during the antebellum period. Texas, Oregon, and California

3. What war resulted in the United States gaining control of Texas? The Mexican-American War

4. What key event led to California’s rapid population increase? Gold Rush of 1849

SlaverySlavery – The North wanted to abolish

(get rid of) slavery, but the South felt their economy needed slavery to exist because they needed to have a source of cheap labor to work the fields and produce crops

North: againstSouth: for

States’ RightsStates’ rights – the belief that the

state’s interests should take importance over the interests of national government

North: against – felt the United States had work together to be united

South: for – felt that the individual states knew what their needs were better than Northern politicians

NullificationNullification – the belief that a state

should have the authority to nullify (void) any federal law they thought was unconstitutional

North: against – wanted to place a tariff on goods the South imported from Europe

South: for – felt they shouldn’t have to follow federal laws they didn’t like

Missouri Compromise: 1820Missouri Compromise – When Missouri

asked to become a state, the balance of slave states to free states was equal (11 & 11). Senate was equal, House was slanted toward free.)

Because Missouri wanted to be slave state, the Missouri Compromise of 1820 allowed Missouri to be admitted as a slave state, but also created the state of Maine (formerly part of MA) as a free state.

The MO compromise also prohibited slavery north of 36◦ 20’ latitude (the southern border of Missouri) for all future states.

Compromise of 1850

Compromise of 1850– After the discovery of gold there, California grew very quickly and was ready to ask for statehood. (A state could ask for statehood after they had 100,000 residents).

In 1850, there were 15 slave states & 15 free states. Because California’s constitution did not allow slavery, its admission would mean the balance in the Senate would change.

After eight months of debate, the Compromise of 1850 was suggested which had benefits for both sides.

Compromise of 1850, cont.For the North it meant:

• California would be admitted as a free state

• Slave trading was ended in the District of Columbia

• Texas gave up its idea of annexing New Mexico, thus taking that territory away from a slave state

For the South it meant:

• The territories of New Mexico and Utah would determine if they wanted to be slave or free

• The residents of the District of Columbia could keep the slaves they already had

• Congress would pass a law (the Fugitive Slave Act) stating that slaves who ran away to free states would be returned to their owners

The Georgia Platform:

• Georgians did not like the Compromise of 1850, but they were urged to accept it by some of their congressmen.

• A “Georgia Platform” supporting the Compromise was adopted at a convention in Milledgeville (the state capital). It was clear that the measure was necessary in order for Georgia to remain in the Union.

• Eventually the disagreement over the Platform lead to new political parties forming which placed Democrats in power in Georgia.

The Georgia Platform (re: Compromise of 1850)

Kansas-Nebraska ActKansas-Nebraska Act – This act called for

people of new territories to vote and decide whether their territory should be free or slave.

Northerners were angry because they felt this contradicted the MO Compromise.

This act caused fighting to break out between proslavery and freesoiler groups.

When Kansas applied for statehood (as a slave state) its bid was rejected which showed southerners that the northern votes alone could keep states from being slave states.

Dred Scott CaseDred Scott case – In 1834, Dred Scott, a slave,

was taken by his owner from Missouri to Illinois (a free state), and later to Wisconsin (also free). When they returned to Missouri later, Dred Scott filed a lawsuit arguing he should be free because he had lived in a free state. Abolitionists in the North raised enough money to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court where it was ruled that Mr. Scott was not able to sue because he was a slave and therefore, not a citizen. The Supreme Court also ruled that Congress had no authority to stop slavery in the territories, further dividing the North & South.

Election of 1860Background:In 1854, a new political party formed.

Known as the Republican party, it existed only in free states, so many who were opposed to slavery joined.

Election of 1860 – Democratic candidatesIn 1860, there was division between the

Northern Democrats & Southern Democrats.

Northern democrats wanted to campaign on popular sovereignty (the ability of a territory to decide whether or not they would have slavery.

Southern Democrats felt slavery should be allowed in all the territories.

Each side nominated its own presidential candidate, Stephen Douglas from the North and John Breckenridge from the South.

Election of 1860 – Republican CandidateThe Republican party nominated

Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln was opposed to allowing slavery to spread, but said he would not try to end it in states where it already existed.

Lincoln also wanted to allow western territory land to be given away to settlers, and to construct a transcontinental railroad (mainly in the North). South states did not like these plans.

Election of 1860 - ResultsLincoln won the election without

receiving the majority of the vote because the Democratic vote was split.

He did not receive a single electoral vote in the slave states.

This was the first time a candidate had won based upon the vote of one section of the country. Talk of secession (the act of pulling out of the Union) and war began immediately.

Debate in Georgia over SecessionAlthough Georgian’s supported the Union, they favored

states’ rights more.

Immediately after the election, Georgia’s governor called a legislative session to determine if a convention should be called to decide the question of secession. After heated debate the governor called for a secession convention.

In December 1860 (just a little over a month after Lincoln’s election), South Carolina seceded from the Union. Most Georgian’s supported South Carolina’s move, and in January of 1861, Georgia seceded.

Order of secession of the states: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, & Texas

Mneumonic Device: Sorry Miss Flora almost got lost today.

Alexander StephensAlexander Stephens was a well-

known legislator for the state of Georgia from Crawfordsville who spoke out against secession after the election of 1860 at the special session called by the governor.

He was later named Vice President of the Confederacy.

Goods and services available in Georgia during the antebellum periodThe backbone of Georgia’s

economy was still agriculture with cotton being the primary crop.

Many cotton mills also existed in the state by this time as well as shoe factories, tanneries, iron factories, grist mills, and brick and pottery factories.