Abraham Lincoln’s Election & Fort Sumter

Chapter 5, Lesson 4

The Election of 1860

• Democratic Party candidate: Douglas

• Democratic Party south: Breckinridge

• Republican Party: LINCOLN

Stephen A. Douglas

• West should decide for themselves about slavery.

John Breckinridge

• Democratic candidate popular with southerners

• Government should allow slavery everywhere in the West.

Abraham Lincoln

• Republican candidate

• Against the SPREAD of slavery

• Promised not to stop slavery in the South where it was already practiced.

• Said he hoped it would one day END there, too.

Worried White Southerners

• Many in the South were afraid if Lincoln were elected, slavery would be outlawed.

• Some even said they would LEAVE the Union if Lincoln was elected.

Lincoln Elected President

• November 6, 1860• December 20, 1860 South Carolina’s leaders

seceded from the Union.• Later SIX other southern states seceded:

– Mississippi– Florida– Alabama– Georgia– Louisiana– Texas

The Confederate States of America

• South Carolina

• Mississippi

• Florida

• Louisiana

• Alabama

• Georgia

• Texas

Fort Sumter

• Some advised Lincoln to “Let the states go”

• Others said, “Give in on the slavery question.”

• Still others said, “Use the ARMY to end their revolt!”

Lincoln’s Choices

• He wanted to prevent war.

• “We are not enemies, but friends.”

THE VERY NEXT DAY

An important message came from Major Robert Anderson commander at Fort Sumter:

Urgent!

• Message from Commander Anderson

Supplies at the Fort are almost gone. If new supplies are not sent soon, we will be forced to surrender the fort to the Confederacy.

What to Do???

• If I send supplies…Southerners might attack.

• If I send troops….Southerners WILL attack.

• If I do nothing…the commander will have to surrender.

Decision

• Lincoln decided to send supply ships

• And see what the Southerners would do

Confederate President Davis

• Davis decided to take over the fort BEFORE the supply ships arrived.

• Demanded them to surrender.

• NEVER!

• The Confederate troops FIRED on the fort, Major Anderson and his men ran out of ammunition and had to give up.

The Civil War has Begun!

• Lincoln called for Americans to join the army to stop the rebellion.

• Frightened southern states not in the Confederacy now joined with the other 7 states.

• Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina

• 11 States Strong