Learn on PengiIMPACT California Social Studies, Grade 8Chapter 14: Toward Civil War

Lesson 3: Secession and War

In this Grade 8 lesson from IMPACT California Social Studies, students examine the chain of events leading to Southern secession and the outbreak of the Civil War, focusing on the divisive 1860 presidential election and failed compromise attempts like the Crittenden Compromise. Students analyze how Lincoln's electoral victory, the split of the Democratic Party, and Southern distrust of Republican intentions prompted South Carolina to secede in December 1860. The lesson builds chronological thinking skills as students trace the sequence from Lincoln's election through the early months of 1861.

Section 1

Lincoln's Election Prompts Southern Secession

Key Idea

The presidential election of 1860 revealed a deeply divided nation. The Republican Party nominated Abraham Lincoln, who ran on a platform of preventing the expansion of slavery into western territories. Although he won the presidency, his name did not even appear on the ballot in most Southern states, showing the extreme sectionalism of the time.

For many white Southerners, Lincoln's victory was unacceptable. They feared his government would eventually abolish slavery, which they saw as essential to their economy and society. In response, South Carolina took the drastic step of secession, formally withdrawing from the United States in December 1860. Six other states in the Deep South soon followed, forming a new government called the Confederate States of America.

Section 2

Compromise Fails to Stop Secession

Key Idea

As Southern states began to secede, some leaders made a final attempt to prevent war. They proposed the Crittenden Compromise, a plan to permanently protect slavery where it existed and allow it in new territories south of the old Missouri Compromise line.

The compromise ultimately failed. President-elect Lincoln and the Republicans rejected any plan that allowed slavery's expansion, a core promise of their platform. Meanwhile, leaders of the seceding states were already committed to forming a new nation and showed little interest in returning to the Union.

Section 3

Southern States Secede and Form the Confederacy

Key Idea

Following Abraham Lincoln's election, many Southern leaders feared he would end slavery. In December 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede, or formally leave, the Union. Six other states in the Deep South soon followed, declaring that they were no longer part of the United States.

In February 1861, delegates from these states met to form a new nation. They established the Confederate States of America and wrote a constitution that protected slavery. They elected Jefferson Davis, a former senator from Mississippi, as their president. This new government claimed to be an independent country.

Section 4

Southern States Justify Secession

Key Idea

After seceding, Southern leaders argued they had the right to leave the Union. They used the idea of states' rights, claiming that since states had voluntarily joined the United States, they could also voluntarily leave.

However, the main right these states wanted to protect was the institution of slavery. Primary sources, like Mississippi's "Declaration of the Immediate Causes" for secession, explicitly stated that their way of life depended on slavery and was threatened by the federal government. These states formed the Confederate States of America to protect this system.

Lesson overview

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Section 1

Lincoln's Election Prompts Southern Secession

Key Idea

The presidential election of 1860 revealed a deeply divided nation. The Republican Party nominated Abraham Lincoln, who ran on a platform of preventing the expansion of slavery into western territories. Although he won the presidency, his name did not even appear on the ballot in most Southern states, showing the extreme sectionalism of the time.

For many white Southerners, Lincoln's victory was unacceptable. They feared his government would eventually abolish slavery, which they saw as essential to their economy and society. In response, South Carolina took the drastic step of secession, formally withdrawing from the United States in December 1860. Six other states in the Deep South soon followed, forming a new government called the Confederate States of America.

Section 2

Compromise Fails to Stop Secession

Key Idea

As Southern states began to secede, some leaders made a final attempt to prevent war. They proposed the Crittenden Compromise, a plan to permanently protect slavery where it existed and allow it in new territories south of the old Missouri Compromise line.

The compromise ultimately failed. President-elect Lincoln and the Republicans rejected any plan that allowed slavery's expansion, a core promise of their platform. Meanwhile, leaders of the seceding states were already committed to forming a new nation and showed little interest in returning to the Union.

Section 3

Southern States Secede and Form the Confederacy

Key Idea

Following Abraham Lincoln's election, many Southern leaders feared he would end slavery. In December 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede, or formally leave, the Union. Six other states in the Deep South soon followed, declaring that they were no longer part of the United States.

In February 1861, delegates from these states met to form a new nation. They established the Confederate States of America and wrote a constitution that protected slavery. They elected Jefferson Davis, a former senator from Mississippi, as their president. This new government claimed to be an independent country.

Section 4

Southern States Justify Secession

Key Idea

After seceding, Southern leaders argued they had the right to leave the Union. They used the idea of states' rights, claiming that since states had voluntarily joined the United States, they could also voluntarily leave.

However, the main right these states wanted to protect was the institution of slavery. Primary sources, like Mississippi's "Declaration of the Immediate Causes" for secession, explicitly stated that their way of life depended on slavery and was threatened by the federal government. These states formed the Confederate States of America to protect this system.