Texas Secession

Ch. 15, Section 1

The North(Republicans)

Opposed slavery

The Republican Party favored

• high tariffs (taxes on imports)

• a homestead act (a law that would have given citizens up to 160 acres in the new western territories for little or no money)

Abraham Lincoln was a Republican

Supported slavery

Favored sovereignty – they said sovereignty rested with the states not the federal government

States entered the Union voluntarily and they should be able to leave voluntarily, too

Said if Lincoln gets elected President in 1860 they will secede from the Union

When he got elected, six of the states made good on their promise… now it was time for Texas to decide

The South(Democrats)

Texas has a decision to make: Should they remain with the Union (United States) or secede?

Current Governor of Texas: Sam Houston

His feelings toward secession: We should remain with the United States. It was the only way Texas would survive and prosper.

TX officials feelings toward secession: The United States did not respect the individual states’ rights to govern themselves so we should secede.

TX officials actions:

1. The called a convention without Houston’s approval

Results: The Texas Secession Convention on January 28, 1861

2. Wrote the Texas Ordinance of Secession which was a state law that declared that the United States had abused its power and said that Texas wanted to secede.

Results: Texans voted on it and it passed. We seceded from the Union on February 1, 1861

Confederate Convention in Montgomery, Alabama:• Most important things to come out of the convention in Alabama?

1. They formed a new nation and called it The Confederate States of America (CSA)

2. Wrote a Constitution for the new nation

What did it say?

• The states were given more power than they had when

they were part of the US

• Protected slavery in the Southern States

3. They elected officials: President = Jefferson Davis

What issues divided the North and the South?

Issue Union Confederate

Against For

Wanted more federal control

States should have more power than the federal

government

Favored tariffs

Opposed tariffs

Slavery

States’ Rights

Tariffs

Dec 1860

Apr 1861

May 1861

Feb 1861Jan 1861

Jan 1861 Jan

1861

Jan 1861

May 1861June 1861

Jan 1861

Ft. Sumter Battle Apr 12-14, 1861