HIST 2003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: John C. Breckinridge, Stephen Douglass, Free Soil Party
16 Dec 2017
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The Decision for War — Lesson 14A !
-Already talked about the issue in 1850 of war coming to the U.S !
-Election of 1860!
•Now have 2 distinct political parties !
•4 candidates running for office !
•Abraham Lincoln (republican) !
-Northern party who joined together of free soil, abolitionists, and a whole group
of other Northerners who have been pushed out of the Democratic Party in the
past !
-Republican party is not a abolitionist party, it is a free soil party !
-They believe that abolition is not a part of their party’s ideas !
-They are not wanting to end slavery !
-Lincoln believes in stopping expansion of slavery in the west but does not
believe that slavery should end !
-Lincoln wins !
-Interesting because Lincoln doesn’t even appear on most southern ballots !
•Stephen Douglass (N. Democrat) !
•John Breckenridge (S. Democrat)!
•John Bell (Constitutional Union) !
-Popular in upper north!
-People start to understand that this election is where all the anxiety over slavery
and expansion in the west will play out !
-They believe in a “middle ground” — moderation that will preserve the integrity
of the U.S and the union to keep people together !
-People are scared that people leaving the union might actually happen !
•After the election and the results are displayed so everyone can see who the next
president is, people start to get concerned !
•They think Lincoln’s election is going to be dangerous to the institution of slavery !
•Southeners think that he will eventually abolish slavery !
-South Carolina Secession !
•Southeners think that Lincoln is a threat to their institution of slavery and their
definition of American Freedom because slavery becomes part of that definition $
They think the North is an attack against their holding of slaves !
•Declaration of Immediate causes of secession !
-Link on blackboard to read document !
-Talks about the reasons why South Carolina goes to war !
-Make a direct point on slavery !
•Leaves union in December 1860 !
-Leave to protect slavery !
-Important !
-Georgia starts to think the same thing!
-Georgia thinks that they need to defend racial boundaries and defend the
institution os slavery !
-Slavery is the key cause for the American Revolution !
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Document Summary
Already talked about the issue in 1850 of war coming to the u. s. Election of 1860: now have 2 distinct political parties, 4 candidates running for o ce, abraham lincoln (republican) Northern party who joined together of free soil, abolitionists, and a whole group of other northerners who have been pushed out of the democratic party in the past. Republican party is not a abolitionist party, it is a free soil party. They believe that abolition is not a part of their party"s ideas. They are not wanting to end slavery. Lincoln believes in stopping expansion of slavery in the west but does not believe that slavery should end. Interesting because lincoln doesn"t even appear on most southern ballots: stephen douglass (n. democrat, john breckenridge (s. democrat, john bell (constitutional union) People start to understand that this election is where all the anxiety over slavery and expansion in the west will play out.
