Southern States Justify Secession
Analyze the states' rights arguments Southern leaders used to justify secession and why Lincoln rejected them in the months leading to Civil War in Grade 8 history.
Key Concepts
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.
Common Questions
What states' rights argument did Southerners use to justify secession?
Southern leaders argued that since states had voluntarily joined the Union as sovereign entities, they had the constitutional right to leave if they disagreed with federal policies.
Why did Lincoln reject Southern secession arguments?
Lincoln argued the Union was permanent and indivisible, that no state had the right to secede, and that allowing secession would destroy democratic government itself.
What other justifications did Confederates give for secession?
Confederate declarations explicitly cited the preservation of slavery as the primary reason for secession, stating that Abraham Lincoln's election threatened their slave-based society.