Argument for the Secession of the South
Civil War Beginnings DBQ Essay
From December 1860 until March 1861 seven Deep South states, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, all seceded. Another four states seceded after the attack on Fort Sumter. These included Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas. These states left the Union rightly as they were deprived of the freedoms mentioned in the Constitution of the United States of America, and treated wrongfully by the people of the Union. The South’s main reason for seceding was to escape the chance of the abolition of slavery because the North was trying to stop the spread of slavery.
Lincoln was making attempts to mend the Union without war and the South knew that this was impossible. “All admit that an ultimate dissolution of the Union is inevitable, and we believe the crisis is not far off.” (Doc. 1). The South could see war coming and they were ready for it. Although war is an extreme measure to take when trying to solve disagreements, it is perfectly feasible when you are being deprived of rights and under the control of a region who is attempting to take away your property simply because they believe against it. So while slavery may have been viewed as an evil thing, it was still property of the South and if the North wanted to take it away, they would have to go about it in a very cautious way.
In all their haste to abolish slavery, the North forgot about what they were doing to the South and seemed to have forgotten about the Constitution and the rights that every citizen of the United States of America had. “If for any cause the Government should become inimical to the rights and interests of the people, instead of affording protection to their persons and property, and securing happiness and prosperity, to attain which it was established, it is the natural right of the people to change Government regardless of Constitutions.” (Doc. 3) This was exactly what the South was doing, their property, was
From December 1860 until March 1861 seven Deep South states, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, all seceded. Another four states seceded after the attack on Fort Sumter. These included Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas. These states left the Union rightly as they were deprived of the freedoms mentioned in the Constitution of the United States of America, and treated wrongfully by the people of the Union. The South’s main reason for seceding was to escape the chance of the abolition of slavery because the North was trying to stop the spread of slavery.
Lincoln was making attempts to mend the Union without war and the South knew that this was impossible. “All admit that an ultimate dissolution of the Union is inevitable, and we believe the crisis is not far off.” (Doc. 1). The South could see war coming and they were ready for it. Although war is an extreme measure to take when trying to solve disagreements, it is perfectly feasible when you are being deprived of rights and under the control of a region who is attempting to take away your property simply because they believe against it. So while slavery may have been viewed as an evil thing, it was still property of the South and if the North wanted to take it away, they would have to go about it in a very cautious way.
In all their haste to abolish slavery, the North forgot about what they were doing to the South and seemed to have forgotten about the Constitution and the rights that every citizen of the United States of America had. “If for any cause the Government should become inimical to the rights and interests of the people, instead of affording protection to their persons and property, and securing happiness and prosperity, to attain which it was established, it is the natural right of the people to change Government regardless of Constitutions.” (Doc. 3) This was exactly what the South was doing, their property, was