In the end, robinson demonstrates, the actions of border south unionists profoundly influenced antebellum politics, secured their states for the. The desire for one group to change and another to maintain its status quo caused two cultures to collide. There were several events that led to the secession of some of the southern states in 1860. Secession and the politics of slavery in the border south. The scholars immediately disagreed over the causes of the war and disagreement persists today. The secessionist states formed the confederate states of america. By contrast, the secession 1971 of bangladesh formerly east pakistan from the state of pakistan was accomplished successfully with the help of india, the baltic states regained independence from the ussr immediately before its dissolution, and eritrea seceded from ethiopia in 1993 after the overthrow of the latter nations government.
Southern states could no longer maintain a defense against the passage of the morrill tariff, so the other gulf states seceded in turnother southern states seceded e. The civil war 186165 was a social and military conflict between the united states of america inthe north and the confederate states of american in the south. Dews analysis of those documents revealed what was said about the reasons for secession by leading figures of the south and the secession commissioners. There is still much debate over the causes of the civil war centuries after some southerners sought secession. It applies to the outbreak of the american civil war when on december 20, 1860, south carolina officially declared their secession from the united states. In 1798 and 1799, as the federalist party aimed the repressive alien and sedition acts at its opponents, jefferson and madison invoked the principle of nullification at the state level to thwart incipient tyranny. The civil war 186165 was a social and military conflict between the united states of america inthe north and the confederate states of american in. Is there an instance on par with the southern secession that im not aware of. Southern secession commissioners and the causes of the.
Others minimize slavery and point to other factors, such. The southern states wanted slavery to continue to exist. Secession in the united states refers mainly to state secession. Secession could have been avoided if sc had waited, continued to aid. The civil war, the war between the states, was fought between the southern slave states and the northern union sates. Robinson persuasively argues that, as war clouds gathered, a significant number of white americans, particularly those living on the tumultuous border between slave states and free states, believed that the u. There is a great deal of theorizing about secession so that it is difficult to identify a consensus regarding its definition. It was followed four months later by the states of georgia, florida, alabama, mississippi, texas and louisiana. Among the 34 states in january 1861, seven southern slave states individually declared their secession from the united states and formed the confederate states of. Printed in the united states ofamerica library ofcongress cataloginginpublicationdata secession state and liberty edited with an introduction by david gordon. This debate raged, and southerners knew that at the very least a large section of the country would not accept secession without contest. The southern states leave the union the civil war peacock, judith on.
Title the secession movement in south carolina, 18471852, contributor names hamer, philip m. Missouri did not secede but a rump group proclaimed secession october 31, 1861. Others minimize slavery and point to other factors, such as taxation or the principle of states rights. Social and economic pressures slowly built until one day the country split, and the south seceded from the union. The southern slave states declared their secession from the united states and formed the confederate states of america. As a southern slaveholding state, virginia held a state convention to deal. The united states constitution, furthermore, contained no prohibition in this respect nor conferred any power on the federal government to compel a state to remain in the union. The secession movement in south carolina, 18471852. The secession movement its causes and progresshow the. The creation of a new independent entity through the separation of part of the territory and population of an existing state raises serious difficulties as to the role of international law. Why was the secession of the southern states so important.
The contradicting provisions of the united nations. Instead it was an insurrection and lincoln wanted to put it down. The doctrine of secession was invoked intermittently before calhoun and his fellow defenders of slavery used it. Secession, the withdrawal of 11 slave states states in which slaveholding was legal from the union during 186061 following the election of abraham lincoln as president of the united states. Southern secession commissioners and the causes of the civil.
Robert toombs of georgia to the united states senate. The push for secession came primarily from the younger. Whenever any form of government is destructive of these ends life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government in such form as to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and happiness. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Secession in the united states simple english wikipedia. Mississippi secession convention convenes in jackson, mississippi. Virginia became a prominent part of the confederacy when it joined during the american civil war.
Southern secession commissioners and the causes of the civil war charles b dew highlights that it was slavery more than states rights that was associated with southern secession. Four states issued a declaration of causes that explained their reasons for secession. The secession of the southern states american civil war. More than 620,000 people died as a result of the conflict, 1.
Secession would therefore be revolu tion without such a ratification first. The union in peril, 18481861 chapter sectionalism propelling the nation into civil war pp 247261 reading assignment. Since secession is the most common way of establishing new states, the expectation is that a sound theory of secession will inform a normativebased international legal practice of state recognition douglas 1994, 2. These initial seven seceding states formed the confederate states. Secession dates of southern states, when south secede union.
Impending crisis of the south comparing the free and slave states in the 1850s chart southern reaction effect of law and literature explain how abolitionists impacted state institutions and american culture. The right of secession was also regarded by the seceding states as one of their sovereign powers as bequeathed in the bill of rights to the united states constitution. Book printed material the secession movement in south carolina, 18471852, about this item. Supporters of secession based their arguments on the idea of states rights. Southern secession and the causes for the civil war bartleby. Constitution, furthermore, contained no prohibition in this respect nor conferred any power on the federal government to compel a state to remain in the union against. Allowing one or more state to seceed would have meant the end of the united states, as any other state could then decide to do the same thing whenever the wind blew the wrong way. Prosecessionists found philosophical justification for altering or abolishing a government and instituting a new one in the declaration of independence. The lower south states refused to acquiesce to the results of a presidential election in order to protect slavery, and the upper south states that seceded in the second wave of secession chose slavery over union. They argued that the states had voluntarily joined the union. Secession looms young, slaveholding lawyers and planters spearheaded secession. Despite common southern efforts to rewrite history, it wasnt a war of northern aggression. These are the dead who were counted, but it is known that the lists, especially on the confederate side, are not complete. The southern states secede during lincolns campaign, southern states, due to their fear of a ban on slavery, warned they would secede if lincoln won.
In this thesis, i develop a limited, normative theory of secession. On july, 4, 1776, it stated in the declaration of independence by the thirteen colonies. This debate raged, and southern ers knew that at the very least a large section of the country would not accept secession without contest. The confederacy was originally formed by seven secessionist slaveholding statessouth carolina, mississippi, florida, alabama, georgia, louisiana, and texasin the lower south region of the united states, whose economy was. Abraham lincoln elected president of the united states. A caucus of southern senators from florida, arkansas, texas, louisiana, mississippi, alabama and georgia advise secession and a southern confederacy for their states. The confederacy admitted them but they never controlled these states, and the proconfederate state governments were soon in exile. Alarmed by the mounting extremism of both antislavery northerners and southern secessionists, border south unionists built a moderate political movement and worked toward a compromise that would preserve the union and slavery.
The american civil war, was a civil war fought from 1861 to 1865 to determine the survival of the union or independence for the confederacy. That these united colonies are, and of right ought to be. The secession of the southern states great occasions halftitle. Election results secession of the deep south the rationales of secession following the election of. Sectionalism, unionism, and secessionism in maryland and. Kentucky did not secede but a rump, unelected group proclaimed secession november 20, 1861. It was the most serious secession movement in the united states and was defeated when the union armies defeated the confederate armies in the civil war, 186165. Recovering the legal history of the confederacy washington and. Secession was a profoundly antidemocratic and proslavery movement. The lower south states refused to acquiesce to the results of a presidential election in order to protect slavery, and the upper south states that seceded in the second wave of secession chose. Perhaps the bestknown example of a secession taking place within the borders of a formerly unified nation was the withdrawal 186061 of the 11 southern. Secession and the politics of slavery in the border. This book offers a comprehensive study of secession from an international law perspective, focusing on practice and applicable rules of international law. The most serious attempt at secession was advanced in the years 1860 and 1861 as eleven southern states each declared secession from the united states, and joined together to form the confederate states of america.
The secession of the southern states gerald white johnson. List of books and articles about secession movement u. Secession had a long history in the united statesbut as a threat rather than as an actual dissolution of the union. To this end, i outline three mainstream theories of secession and then endorse the alan patten. Discusses the series of events that lead to the secession of the southern states from the union and to the start of the civil war in 1861.
Speech of horace mann, of massachusetts on the subject of slavery in the territories, and the consequences of a dissolution of the union, by horace mann page images at moa items below if any are from related and broader terms. Throughout the state there was evidence that support for secession was growing. The reasons for secession american battlefield trust. Apush secession and civil war 18501865 flashcards quizlet. Southern states secede before the 1860 presidential election, many southerners had warned that if lincoln won, the southern states would secede, or withdraw from the union. Secession, as it applies to the outbreak of the american civil war, comprises the series of events that began on december 20, 1860, and extended through june 8 of the next year when eleven states. This movement collapsed in 1865 with the defeat of confederate forces by union armies in the american civil war. Best article ever on the declaration of causes for secession. Tomorrow is the 150th anniversary of south carolinas secession from the. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means. Combat began on 12 april 1861 at fort sumter in charleston, 5. In late 1860 and early 1861, stateappointed commissioners traveled the. Just as the original thirteen colonies fought for their independence almost 100 years earlier, the southern states felt a growing need for absolute freedom from the central federal authority in washington.
The result was a study into the letters and speeches of the secession commissioners from the first states that seceded to the remaining slave owning states in the attempt to form a new nation. Choose your answers to the questions and click next to see the next set of questions. More specifically, those who held that the union was simply a compact among the states argued that states could secede from. Perhaps the bestknown example of a secession taking place within the borders of a formerly unified nation was the withdrawal 186061 of the 11 southern states from the united states to form the confederacy. Southern secession from the union chapter exam instructions. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Shortly after, the other southern states followed to join the. Among the 34 states in january 1861, seven southern slave states individually declared their secession from the united states and formed the confederate states of america. The principal source on which the book is built certainly appears neglected to. The following describes what was happening in the south during this most critical time leading up to the civil war. To judge the international proliferation of separatist movements, liberal philosophers need a new theory.