Sectionalism Dbq

In the mid nineteenth century, sectionalism was increasing, drawing further tension between the north and the south. The Civil War was approaching, as disagreement occurred in the newly occupied territories in the west over slavery law. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln won the election and became president. Lincoln campaigned with a stance that would not allow slavery in the west, but would not remove slave state’s pre-existing laws. Many southern slave states believed the government was pro-north and did not consider the interests of the south, leading to their succession into the Confederate States of America. The main objective of the civil war was to reunite the south with the rest of the union North, while the south was fighting for expansion of state’s rights, with a focus on pro-slavery law. In 1865, Lincoln sent ships to towards the south. This action acted as a catalyst, and the confederacy declared war on the union. By 1863, the Confederate had collapsed economically and diplomatically.
During the 1860 election, if Stephen Douglas were to be elected, the country would continue to function with individual state’s deciding the law. This would have delayed the war, but the tension between the north and south was increasing, and a decision would eventually have had to be made. The North and South were unable to compromise; all political parties stood their ground on the issue and rejected proposed plans such as the Crittenden Compromise; which would extend the Missouri Compromise to the pacific (Divine 475). In 1862, Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. This document stated that the abolition of slavery was a goal for the North in the war. As the North won battles, they began to free slaves and ask them to join in battle against the south, increasing the size of their army, a major winning point for the