1. The Civil War and the crisis of the federal institutions

• End of James Bachanan's first presidential term. Issue of slavery more and more sensitive over the years


  1860
• Aim of the 1850 Compromise

  find a balance in the Senate between the free states and the slave states
• An act within the 1850 Compromise that obliged the northern states to cooperate with the southern states in returning the run-away slaves


  The 1850 Fugitive slave act
• In the 1850's : Fierce about an uprising (rebellion) of slaves. The climax was over the "peculiar institution" (euphemistic way to talk about slavery)
• How many candidates in the 1860 presidential election ?

  4
• Political parties of the candidates over the 1860 presidential election ?

  • 2 from the Democratic party (split between the northern democrats and the Southern democrats)
  • 1 from the Republican Party : Abraham Lincoln
  • 1 from the Constitutional Union Party
• Position of nothern democrats concerning slavery

  against
• Position of southern democrats concerning slavery

  in favor
• Position of The Republicans concerning slavery

  They oppose slavery. That's the reason why the party was formed
• Position of the Constitutional Union party concerning slavery

  bypass (avoid) the question of slavery
• Who was elected during the 1860 presidential election ?

  Abraham Lincoln
• After his election, Lincoln’s repeated promises regarding slavery : but he promised that he would not ABOLISH slavery if he were elected president.
•  December 24, 1860 : South Carolina’s declaration of secession. (no longer being part of the US)
• December 24, 1860


  South Carolina's declaration of secession
• Why South Carolina decided to leave the US ?

  Because they feared for their right to have slave as Abraham Lincoln was from the republican party
• Justification of South Carolina's secession based on...

  • 1776 Declaration of Independence
  • 1778 Articles of Confederation
  • 1787 Constitution
• South Carolina said that the government was “a compact”. and explained that the north did not complied with that contract because the north refused to enforce / comply with the Fugitive Slave Act
• What happened after South Carolina's secession ?

  Several southern states followed
• South Carolina's secession led to a Constitutional crisis, the federal union did not recognised the right of the southern states to secede.
• Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation after southern states secession : he claimed exceptional powers because of that "rebellion" against the United States
• State of emergency with the suspension of the Habeas Corpus
• The Civil War turned unto a moral crusade : some necessary measures were taken against the Southern States