Secession Dbq

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The issues that eventually led to the secession of the southern states had been brewing for a considerable amount of time. Most people want to say that the reason for the war was slavery, while yes that was an issue it don’t start the war and wasn’t brought up into a little ways in to the war. One of the biggest issues that truly led to the states seceding was the debate over States’ rights. There had been a debate for years on if the federal government had the right to pass laws reversed laws already in place at state level, going far back as 1798. Although most people claim that the southerners were trying to break up the union, It was more of a case of the south trying to stand up to the federal government and saying that the laws that they pass within the state do matter. In 1828 tariffs were passed by Congress to benefited trade in northern states. Relaying to heavily on the export of agricultural goods, these tariffs started becoming harmful to the Southern states. In 1832, South Carolina passed a state law stating that the tariffs were invalid within the state of South Carolina. President Andrew Jackson responded with a naval flotilla and a threat of federal troops to enforce the tariffs in South Carolina. This was one of the first key phases in violation the …show more content…

In fact, his state in him inaugural address that he had to real interest in abolishing slavery, in an attempt to reassure Southerners. Prior to his election, Lincoln took a very similar position when he ran for the US Senate. In his acceptance speech he stated "I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free." He then went on to say that "slavery in the United States would eventually have to end everywhere or become legal everywhere in order for the nation to survive." Although Lincoln was not the kind of man to condone or approve of slavery, he did not take a stance against

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