Southern Support for States' Rights and Slavery

Southern states championed states' rights to maintain and expand slavery, while also supporting federal interventions that protected slavery

Northern Resistance to Federal Interventions

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

Northern states resisted federal interventions such as the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, leading to accusations of undermining states' rights from the South

The Dred Scott Decision

Northern states also resisted the Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision, further deepening the divide over states' rights and slavery

The Confederate Constitution and the Restriction of States' Rights

The Confederate Constitution paradoxically restricted states' rights by enshrining slavery across Confederate territories, revealing the complex relationship between the two issues

Distinct Regional Economies and Social Structures

Sectionalism, marked by distinct regional economies and social structures, eroded the unity of the United States

Political Differences and Dissatisfaction

The War of 1812 and the Hartford Convention

Events such as the War of 1812 and the Hartford Convention highlighted Northern dissatisfaction with policies perceived as Southern-biased

Religious Divisions over Slavery

The split of major religious denominations over the morality of slavery reflected the profound sectional differences that contributed to the national crisis

The Agrarian South's Advocacy for Low Tariffs

The agrarian South, dependent on the international cotton trade, advocated for low tariffs to facilitate free trade

The Industrializing North's Push for High Tariffs

The industrializing North sought high tariffs to protect domestic manufacturing

The Tariff of 1857 and the Republican Party's Rise to Power

The Tariff of 1857, passed by a Southern-dominated Congress, lowered duties, but the Republican Party's subsequent rise to power led to increased tariffs after Southern secession

Northern Actions Seen as Attacks on Southern Values

Publication of "Uncle Tom's Cabin"

The publication of Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was seen by the South as a direct assault on its values and way of life

John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry

John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was also perceived as an attack on Southern values

Lincoln's Election as an Existential Threat to the South

Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860, with a platform opposing the expansion of slavery, was seen by the South as an existential threat

Shift in National Power Dynamics and the Endangerment of Southern Social and Economic Order

Lincoln's victory represented a shift in national power dynamics that endangered the Southern social and economic order based on slavery

Southern States' Secession and the Defense of States' Rights

After Lincoln's election, Southern states seceded from the Union, citing the defense of states' rights, particularly regarding slavery, as their rationale

Seizure of Federal Properties and the Call for Troops

The Confederacy seized federal properties, and Lincoln's subsequent call for troops to quell the rebellion prompted more Southern states to secede, solidifying the national schism and leading to full-scale conflict

Divided Loyalties and Internal Divisions

The border states, with divided loyalties and internal divisions, were pivotal during the Civil War

West Virginia's Formation and the Alignment of Border States with the Union

The establishment of West Virginia from Virginia's Unionist regions and the eventual alignment of the border states with the Union were strategically significant