Why Did The South Secede?

Summary

The southern states seceded from the Union in 1860 to protect slavery, as evidenced by their Declarations of Secession. South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, and Texas explicitly stated their reasons, emphasizing slavery as central to their economies and societies. They criticized northern states for not upholding federal laws, especially regarding the Fugitive Slave Clause, and denounced Abraham Lincoln's election, fearing his anti-slavery stance. Despite claims that secession was about states' rights, these documents show that slavery was the primary motivation behind secession.

Takeaways

• 📜 The southern states seceded from the Union after Lincoln's election to protect slavery.
• 📄 Four southern states—South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, and Texas—issued detailed Declarations of Secession explaining their reasons.
• 🔗 South Carolina's Declaration argued that the federal government failed to fulfill constitutional obligations, especially regarding the Fugitive Slave Clause.
• 🚫 South Carolina criticized the northern states for hostility toward slavery and for not respecting the Fugitive Slave Clause.
• 🗳️ South Carolina objected to Lincoln's election, citing his opposition to slavery and his belief that slavery would eventually be abolished.
• 💸 Mississippi’s Declaration identified slavery as central to its economy, calling it 'the greatest material interest of the world.'
• 🌍 Mississippi also espoused a racist ideology, claiming only the black race could endure tropical climates and perform labor there.
• ⚖️ Georgia's Declaration criticized non-slaveholding states for years of grievances related to slavery.
• ⚔️ Texas’s Declaration proclaimed that civil rights were exclusive to white men and defended slavery as beneficial to both races.
• ⚖️ Southern states opposed northern states' rights when it conflicted with their desire to protect slavery, despite later arguments about states’ rights.

Q & A

What was the main reason for southern states seceding from the Union after Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860?

The main reason was to protect the institution of slavery, which the southern states believed was under threat due to the election of Abraham Lincoln and growing opposition to slavery in the northern states.

Which southern states issued Declarations of Secession, explaining their reasons for leaving the Union?

South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, and Texas issued Declarations of Secession that provided detailed explanations for their secession from the Union.

What constitutional obligation did South Carolina claim the federal government failed to uphold?

South Carolina argued that the federal government failed to uphold the Fugitive Slave Clause in Article 4 of the Constitution, which required states to return fugitive slaves to their owners.

What did South Carolina’s Declaration say about northern states’ attitudes toward slavery?

South Carolina’s Declaration claimed that northern states had developed an increasing hostility toward slavery, disregarding their constitutional obligations, and even denouncing slavery as sinful.

Why did Mississippi say it seceded from the Union in its Declaration?

Mississippi’s Declaration stated that its position was closely tied to the institution of slavery, which it described as 'the greatest material interest of the world.'

What justification did Mississippi give for slavery in its Declaration?

Mississippi's Declaration justified slavery by claiming that the products of slavery were vital to global commerce and that only the black race could endure the conditions of labor in tropical climates.

What complaint did Georgia’s Declaration raise about northern states?

Georgia’s Declaration expressed frustration with northern states for numerous and serious grievances over the past ten years, particularly regarding their opposition to African slavery.

How did Texas’s Declaration of Secession justify the continuation of slavery?

Texas’s Declaration claimed that slavery was beneficial to both enslaved Africans and free people, and it argued that slavery was sanctioned by the experience of mankind and the will of God, as understood by Christian nations.

How did southern states view the concept of states' rights in relation to slavery?

The southern states opposed the northern states' assertion of states' rights when it came to resisting federal laws supporting slavery. In their view, the northern states were failing to uphold their constitutional obligations regarding slavery.

What was the southern states’ reaction to the election of Abraham Lincoln?

The southern states objected to Lincoln’s election because they believed he was hostile to slavery and that his administration would promote the eventual extinction of slavery in the United States.

Outlines

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📜 The Southern States Secede to Protect Slavery

The southern states seceded from the Union after Abraham Lincoln's 1860 election to protect slavery. Key evidence includes Ordinances of Secession and detailed Declarations from four states: South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, and Texas. These declarations explicitly defend slavery, with South Carolina arguing that the northern states violated the Fugitive Slave Clause. They also cited increasing hostility towards slavery, denouncing Lincoln's election as a direct threat to the institution.

🧑‍⚖️ South Carolina: Defending Slavery Against the Federal Government

South Carolina’s Declaration of Secession highlights states' rights, asserting that the Union failed to fulfill its obligations, particularly regarding the Fugitive Slave Clause in Article 4. It claims northern states disregarded these obligations and condemned slavery as sinful. The declaration also criticizes the election of Abraham Lincoln, arguing his presidency marks a division between the free North and the slaveholding South, and foreseeing the eventual extinction of slavery.

🌍 Mississippi’s Defense of Slavery and Racial Superiority

Mississippi's Declaration emphasizes that slavery is essential to its economic survival, calling it the world’s 'greatest material interest.' It promotes a racist ideology, claiming that only the black race is suited to labor in the southern climate. The document also accuses northern states of promoting equality for black people and inciting rebellion and unrest.

⚖️ Georgia’s Ten-Year Struggle Over Slavery

Georgia’s Declaration of Secession points to a decade of grievances against northern states regarding African slavery. It highlights the ongoing conflict between the slaveholding southern states and the free states in the North, blaming the latter for undermining slavery, a crucial element of southern society.

🛡️ Texas: Slavery as a Divine Right

Texas’s Declaration asserts that civil and political rights belong solely to white men. It defends slavery as beneficial to both enslaved and free individuals, claiming it is justified by human experience and divine will. Texas warns that disrupting the relationship between races would lead to disaster for the slave-holding states.

🤔 Debunking the Myth of 'States' Rights'

Contrary to the belief that the Civil War was fought over 'states' rights,' the southern declarations consistently criticize northern states for asserting their own rights when it threatened slavery. The southern states framed their secession as a defense of slavery, not states' rights, making it clear that their primary concern was preserving the institution of slavery.

Keywords

💡Secession

Secession refers to the act of withdrawing from an organization or union. In the context of the video, southern states seceded from the Union following the election of Abraham Lincoln to protect slavery. This is the central theme of the video, as the script examines the reasons given by these states for their departure.

💡Ordinances of Secession

Ordinances of Secession were legal documents issued by states that formally declared their withdrawal from the Union. The script highlights that while all states issued these ordinances, four states went further by providing detailed explanations of their motivations, especially in relation to protecting slavery.

💡Fugitive Slave Clause

The Fugitive Slave Clause in Article 4 of the U.S. Constitution required states to return escaped slaves to their legal owners. The script mentions that southern states, like South Carolina, argued that northern states violated this constitutional obligation, contributing to the tension leading to secession.

💡Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, is a key figure in the video. The southern states viewed his election as a threat to slavery, as he was seen as hostile to the institution. Lincoln's election is cited in the script as a major catalyst for secession, especially in South Carolina's Declaration.

💡Slavery

Slavery is a central issue in the video. The southern states' economy and social structures were heavily reliant on slavery, and their declarations made it clear that protecting this institution was a primary reason for seceding. For instance, Mississippi explicitly states that its position is 'thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery.'

💡States' Rights

States' rights refer to the political powers that individual states hold versus federal authority. While some argue that southern states seceded primarily over states' rights, the script clarifies that the core issue was the protection of slavery. In fact, the southern states criticized northern states for asserting their own rights in opposition to slavery.

💡Racist Ideology

Racist ideology in the context of this video refers to the belief in the superiority of one race over another, particularly in relation to African slavery. Mississippi’s Declaration, for instance, justifies slavery by claiming that only the 'black race' could handle tropical climates. This demonstrates how racism underpinned the defense of slavery in the South.

💡Northern Free States

Northern free states are mentioned as opponents of slavery, promoting abolition and advocating for 'negro equality.' The southern states viewed these actions as a threat to their way of life and a direct violation of their constitutional rights, thus exacerbating tensions leading to secession.

💡Declaration of Secession

A Declaration of Secession is a formal statement explaining the reasons for a state's departure from the Union. Four southern states—South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, and Texas—issued these documents. The video script delves into the specific reasons provided by these states, all of which center on the protection of slavery.

💡Ultimate Extinction of Slavery

The 'ultimate extinction of slavery' is a phrase used by southern states to describe their fear that the federal government, under Abraham Lincoln, would gradually abolish slavery. The script highlights this fear as a key motivation for secession, particularly in South Carolina's Declaration, which references Lincoln’s belief that slavery could not last in a nation divided between free and slave states.

Highlights

Southern states seceded to protect the institution of slavery after Abraham Lincoln's 1860 election.

Four states—South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, and Texas—issued Declarations explaining their reasons for secession in detail.

South Carolina's Declaration argued that states had the right to secede if the federal government failed to meet its constitutional obligations, particularly regarding the Fugitive Slave Clause.

The South Carolina Declaration highlighted increasing hostility in the northern states toward slavery and noted they disregarded their obligations.

The Declaration of South Carolina objected to Lincoln's election, citing his anti-slavery views and predicting the eventual extinction of slavery.

Mississippi's Declaration claimed their position was entirely linked to the institution of slavery, calling it 'the greatest material interest of the world.'

Mississippi's Declaration supported a racist ideology, asserting that only the Black race could endure exposure to tropical climates to produce essential goods for global commerce.

Mississippi's Declaration condemned northern states for promoting 'negro equality' and claimed they incited insurrection in the South.

Georgia's Declaration cited ten years of grievances against non-slaveholding states regarding slavery.

Texas's Declaration stated that civil and political rights were reserved for white men, and justified slavery as beneficial to both enslaved and free people.

Texas argued that altering the relationship between the races would lead to calamities and desolation in the slaveholding states.

Contrary to later claims, the southern states were critical of northern states' rights efforts to diminish slavery, showing they prioritized protecting slavery over states' rights.

The southern states opposed the northern states' use of states' rights to weaken and abolish slavery.

Southern states’ Declarations of Secession repeatedly framed slavery as a vital economic, social, and political institution.

The Declarations also invoked religious justifications for slavery, arguing it was sanctioned by Christian teachings.

Transcripts

The reason why southern states seceded from the Union following the election of Abraham

Lincoln in 1860 was to protect the institution of slavery.

But how do we know?

Well, let’s look at a few key pieces of evidence.

Every state that seceded and joined the Confederacy issued Ordinances of Secession, but four of

them actually went further.

South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, and Texas issued Declarations that explained in

detail their reasons for seceding.

The Declaration of South Carolina, the first state to secede, begins by arguing that each

state in the Union has a right to secede if the federal government doesn’t fulfill its

constitutional obligations.

It then describes which constitutional obligations the government has not met, namely the Fugitive

Slave Clause in Article 4, which required a state to return a fugitive slave who escaped

from another state to his/her legal owner.

It claims that for several years this was respected, but that “an increasing hostility

on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery, has led to

a disregard of their obligations...”

It also says that those northern states “have denounced as sinful the institution of slavery.”

It then objects to the election of Abraham Lincoln, saying that “A geographical line

has been drawn across the Union, and all the States north of that line have united in the

election of a man to the high office of President of the United States, whose opinions and purposes

are hostile to slavery.

He is to be entrusted with the administration of the common Government, because he has declared

that that ‘Government cannot endure permanently half slave, half free,’ and that the public

mind must rest in the belief that slavery is in the course of ultimate extinction.”

The second sentence of Mississippi’s Declaration says that “Our position is thoroughly identified

with the institution of slavery - the greatest material interest of the world.”

This one goes even further and espouses a racist ideology, claiming that slavery “supplies

the product, which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce

of the earth.

These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an

imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun.”

Later, it claims that the northern free states advocate “negro equality, socially and politically,”

and that they promote “insurrection and incendiarism in our midst.”

Georgia’s Declaration of Secession states: “For the last ten years we have had numerous

and serious causes of complaint against our non-slaveholding confederate States with reference

to the subject of African slavery.”

Texas’s Declaration proclaims that civil and political rights only belong to white

men and goes on to say that “the servitude of the African race, as existing in these

States, is mutually beneficial to both bond and free, and is abundantly authorized and

justified by the experience of mankind, and the revealed will of the Almighty Creator,

as recognized by all Christian nations.”

It then argues that if the existing relations between the races are destroyed, they would

“bring inevitable calamities upon both and desolation upon the fifteen slave-holding

states.”

It’s often said, especially by people who would like to absolve the South of its history

of slavery, that the primary reason the southern states seceded is because of states’ rights

and not to protect slavery.

But what’s interesting when looking at these Declarations of Secession is that they repeatedly

criticize the northern free states for not obeying federal laws and federal constitutional

obligations.

In other words, the southern states opposed northern states when they tried to assert

their own states’ rights in a cause they happened not to like, namely the attempt to

diminish and ultimately destroy the institution of slavery.