The Election of Lincoln and the Civil War
TITLE
‘The election of Lincoln was the reason the Civil War began in April 1861.
ESSAY
The view that the election of Abraham Lincoln was the primary reason the Civil War began in April 1861 is a topic of much historical debate. While Lincoln's election did play a significant role in the secession crisis that ultimately led to the outbreak of the Civil War, it is important to consider other factors that also contributed to the escalating tensions between the North and the South.
The election of Lincoln in 1860 served as a catalyst for the secession of several Southern states. The Southern states viewed Lincoln and the Republican Party as a threat to their way of life, particularly regarding the institution of slavery. The fact that Lincoln won the election without carrying a single Southern state exacerbated the fears of the Southern states and reinforced their beliefs that their interests would not be represented in the federal government.
However, it would be reductionist to attribute the start of the Civil War solely to Lincoln's election. Tensions between the North and South had been simmering for decades over issues such as states' rights, the expansion of slavery into new territories, and economic disparities between the regions. The South's perception of being economically exploited by the North and the North's growing dominance in the federal government also contributed to the deep-rooted divisions that led to secession.
Furthermore, the actions of Southern states in the months leading up to the attack on Fort Sumter demonstrate that secession was already well underway before Lincoln took office. The secession of South Carolina in December 1860, followed by several other Southern states, shows that Lincoln's election was not the sole cause but rather a culmination of long-standing tensions.
It is also important to note that declarations of secession cited various grievances beyond the election of Lincoln, such as the perceived failure of the federal government to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act and concerns about states' rights. These grievances highlight the complex web of political, economic, and social factors that contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.
In conclusion, while the election of Abraham Lincoln did contribute to the outbreak of the Civil War by exacerbating existing tensions and triggering the secession of Southern states, it is essential to recognize that there were deeper-rooted issues at play. The Civil War was the result of a complex interplay of factors, with Lincoln's election serving as a significant but not exclusive cause of the conflict.
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"The election of Lincoln was the reason the Civil War began in April 1861."
How far do you agree with this view?
On 12 April 1861 Confederate shore batteries under General P.G.T. Beauregard opened fire on Union-held Fort Sumter in South Carolina’s Charleston Bay. During the next 34 hours, 50 Confederate guns and mortars launched more than 4,000 rounds at the poorly supplied fort. On April 13, U.S. Major Robert Anderson surrendered the fort. Two days later, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for 75,000 volunteer soldiers to quell the Southern “insurrection.”
Possible discussion around the impact of the election:
By 1860, the majority of the slave states were publicly threatening secession if the Republicans, the anti-slavery party, won the presidency. Following Republican Abraham Lincoln’s victory over the divided Democratic Party in November 1860, South Carolina immediately initiated secession proceedings. On December 20, the South Carolina legislature passed the “Ordinance of Secession,” which declared that “the Union now subsisting between South Carolina and other states, under the name of the United States of America, is hereby dissolved.” After the declaration, South Carolina set about seizing forts, arsenals, and other strategic locations within the state. Within six weeks, five more Southern states–Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana–had followed South Carolina’s lead. When Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861, a total of seven states (including now Texas) had seceded from the Union, and federal troops held only Fort Sumter in South Carolina, Fort Pickens off the Florida coast, and a handful of minor outposts in the South. The South saw the election of Lincoln as an attack on the institution of slavery and a break in the compact of the Union. They believed it was their right to secede.
Possible discussion about other factors in the spring of 1861:
Declarations of secession record other reasons for acting than the election of Lincoln and it is clear that it took a few months for the war to come. Economic issues were also clear – Georgia accused the federal government of exploiting the South and the North of dominating the federal government. Similarly, Texas officials expressed dissatisfaction with federal military protection. Many states continued to use the call of States’ Rights to explain their secession even mentioning the lack of implementation of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act as a grievance. Answers which contrast the importance of long term factors like ‘Bloody Kansas’ the Dredd Scott Case etc with the effect of Lincoln’s election and characterise Lincolns elections as simply a short-term or ‘trigger’ factor, are equally acceptable. Accept any other valid responses.