Georgia Studies

SS8H6 The student will analyze the impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on Georgia.

a. Explain the importance of key issues and events that led to the Civil War; include slavery, states’ rights, nullification, Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850 and the Georgia Platform, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott case, election of 1860, the debate over secession in Georgia, and the role of Alexander Stephens.

Events That Caused the Civil War

Slavery

- See PowerPoint notes

State’s Rights

- belief that a right belonged to the state and not the federal government

o Ex. Southern states that it was their right to abolish or keep slavery, not the federal government.

- Think of it as a power struggle (like tug-o’-war) between the states and the federal government

Nullification

· This was the belief that states could choose not to follow a federal law they did not agree with

o Ex. Southern states did not like the Tariff of Abominations – a tax on European goods that was designed to make southerners buy more northern goods

Compromises

· For the compromises, keep in mind what each side (free state or slave state) wants. Here, the issue is the balance of national power (the senate and house of representatives). Each side wants total control, but that’s not going to happen. So if they can’t get total control, they at least want to keep the other side from getting more powerful.

o The slave states want all new states to be ____________states, and the free states want all new states to be ________________ states.

o What might the free states try to do if they had a majority of power? Slave states?

Missouri Compromise (1820)

· Balance of power: 11 free states and 11 slave states

· The problem? Residents of the Missouri territory asked to join the union (the United States) as a slave state

· The solution: The Missouri Compromise

o Proposed by Henry Clay

o 1) Allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state, Maine to enter as a free state, and 2) prohibited slavery above the 36 30’ line of latitude

§ More territory was available for free states above the line than was available for slave states below the line

Compromise of 1850 and the Georgia Platform

· Balance of power: 15 free states and 15 slave states

· The problem? California quickly met the criteria for statehood (because of the gold rush) and applied to become part of the union as a free state.

· The Solution: The compromise of 1850 – proposed by Henry Clay

o Admitted California as a free state

o Abolished slavery in the District of Columbia

o Created a stronger fugitive slave law

o Let the territories of New Mexico and Utah make their own decisions about slavery

§ What would the free state supporters say about the above? The slave state supporters?

o The Georgia Platform

o A convention of Georgians to discuss the Compromise of 1850

o Decided that secession was not the best way to preserve slavery and protect states’ rights

o Georgians outlined their support of compromise and the Union

Kansas-Nebraska Act (May 30, 1854)

· Balance of Power:

· The problem? – The Kansas-Nebraska act allowed the Kansas and Nebraska territories to vote on whether they wanted to be free or slave

o Popular sovereignty – the people have the power; allowing residents to decide for themselves

o A vote was taken in Kansas – the proslavery forces won

§ Antislavery side said the proslavery side cheated

· Two capitols were established, one free, and one slave

o Violence erupted (a mini civil war), called “Bleeding Kansas”

Dred Scott case (Supreme Court 1857)

· Dred Scott – a slave who sued for freedom in a Missouri court

o Scott felt that since he and his family lived in free territory for a while, that they were now free citizens

o The Supreme Court said Scott was not a citizen and couldn’t sue in U.S. courts

§ Court said slaves were never meant to be included in the word “citizens” in the constitution

§ Southern slaveholders saw this case as a victory. WHY?

Election of 1860

· Four candidates: Lincoln, Douglas, Breckenridge, and Bell

	Electoral Vote	Popular Vote	GA Popular Vote
Lincoln (Republican)	180	1,865,593	0
Douglas (N. Democrat)	12	1,382,713	51,893
Breckenridge (S. Democrat)	72	848,356	42,866
Bell	39	592,906	11,580

· Abraham Lincoln (red)- member of the Republican Party – founded in 1854 on a platform to stop the spread of slavery

· Douglas and Breckenridge (blue) – both were democrats – both of them running for president split the Democrat vote

o What would happen if only one Democrat candidate ran? (hint: add up the blue popular vote and compare it to the popular vote in the red)

Debate Over Secession in Georgia

· The question is whether to stay part of the United States or separate into a new nation?

· Stay with the U.S. = an eventual end to slavery

· Break away (secede) from U.S. = uncharted territory? – providing for your own defense, all alone, many other factors

· After Lincoln’s election, before he actually took office, seven states left the union

· Georgia:

o Most Georgia leaders supported secession, however not all wanted to secede immediately

§ GA leaders met in Milledgeville (the 4^th capital) to discuss secession

§ Alexander H. Stephens, Benjamin H. Hill, and Herschel V. Johnson – wanted the North and South to compromise, but supported Georgia’s right to secede

§ All counties sent delegates (representatives) to the Milledgeville to discuss secession

· Delegates voted 208 to 89 for immediate secession

· “Unionist” counties – opposed secession – these were counties with few slaves

· Many “Unionist” counties came to support secession over time

o Overall, the decision to secede in GA was never unanimous (not all agreed)

Georgia Studies

Friday, February 1, 2013

Test Monday 2/1/13

Monday, January 14, 2013

1/14/13

Friday, January 11, 2013

1/11/13

Thursday, January 10, 2013

1/10/13

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

1/8 -9/13

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

SS8H6a Notes

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

11/13 - 14/12