Abraham Lincoln, the Road to the Confederacy, and the Civil War
In Abraham Lincoln, the Road to the Confederacy, and the Civil War , learn how growing sectional divisions over slavery and politics led southern states to secede from the Union. After Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860, seven states left the Union before he even took office, forming the Confederate States of America with Jefferson Davis as their president. Tensions erupted on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter, officially beginning the Civil War.
Lesson Express
Q: What events heightened sectional tensions in the United States leading up to 1860?
A: John Brown’s raid in 1859 and the increasing divide over slavery and state rights intensified sectional conflicts between the North and South.
Q: Why did Southern states secede after Lincoln’s election?
A: They feared his presidency would threaten slavery and states’ rights, and he was not on the ballot in many Southern states.
Q: Who led the Confederate States of America and what principles did he support?
A: Jefferson Davis led the Confederate States of America and supported the principles of states’ rights, including the preservation and expansion of slavery, and resistance to federal authority.