Mr Davis In 1860 thousands and thousands of

Mr. Davis

§ In 1860 thousands and thousands of people traveled to Chicago to discover who from the Republican party would run president, William Seward or Abraham Lincoln.

§ Lincoln was nominated on the third day of the convention. § It was at this time however that a delegate stated: § “Gentlemen, we are on the brink of a great civil war. ”

§ The Northern and Southern Democrats split during their nominations. § Northerners nominated: Stephen Douglas § Southerners nominated: John Breckinridge

§ Douglas believed that Lincoln would win the election. § He also believed that the Democrats must try and save the Union § Lincoln won the election, carrying many states in the North.

§ Many southerners believed that the South no longer had a voice in the national government. § It was believed that Congress and the President were now set against their interestespecially slavery.

§ South Carolina’s governor wrote that if Lincoln won the election, they would leave the union. This was only the beginning.

§ There was a bill proposed that was the last chance to save the union. § It was an unamendable amendment to the constitution that would allow slavery in the south forever. § This bill received very little support and Republicans were done negotiating.

§ The first state to secede (leave the union) was South Carolina on December 20, 1860. § Later in 1861, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas all left the union.

§ The new seven states that had seceded created a new nation called the Confederate States of America.

§ Southerners believed that they had every right to leave the union based on their rights as citizens § Jefferson Davis was nominated as the first president.

§ Lincoln took office on March 4, 1861 and was faced with a national crisis. § In his Inaugural Address, Lincoln assured Americans of both the North and South that he had two main goals, maintaining the Union and avoid any type of war.

§ Lincoln believed that leaving the Union was unconstitutional and he would not compromise with the South. § He also stated that there would be no war with the South unless the South took action.

§ The South had already started taking over federal forts throughout the South. § This was a major issue because the Confederate states were now a “foreign power”.

§ Lincoln was then forced into making a decision, send troops into the South, or should he let them take over the forts? § Lincoln was very nervous about sending troops because the other eight slave states may leave the Union as well.

§ Confederate guns fired at the Union at Fort Sumter on April 13, when Lincoln tried to send food down to Florida.

§ It has been said that people near Fort Sumter gathered on the roof tops and saw what they described as “fireworks”. § Little did they know that these fireworks were the beginning of the Civil War.