Secession Dbq

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Why would seven states of the Union decide to secede within a three-month period of time? The election of Abraham Lincoln in November of 1860 caused Southerners to feel threatened because of his opposition to slavery. Fearing their political independence would diminish and life as they knew it would drastically change, they were willing to take drastic measures. With one third of the population being enslaved, the thought of slavery being outlawed brought up cultural and economic questions for everyone. Seven Southern States seceded from the Union in 1861 because of cultural issues such as slavery, political control issues surrounding States’ rights, and economic repercussions tied to the freeing of slaves.
Many scholars state that the main reason for the Southern States seceding was the issue of slavery. The Southern States were accustomed to having slaves do menial and laborious tasks, so when there was talk about the abolishment of slavery, they were not fond of the idea because their entire culture was centered around it. In response to this, the states that became known as The Confederacy issued an “Article of Secession” saying they were going to break away from the Union. Some of the states went further by making documents often called the “Declarations of Causes” in which they explained reasons for leaving the Union. “Much of the
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The plantation owners had expanded their businesses and grew their wealth based on the cheap workforce, which would no longer be possible. The slavery system was providing for all involved even if it was more advantageous to the plantation owners. Therefore, the political, cultural, and economical realms were at risk of being changed if slavery were to be abolished. Change isn’t something that most people readily accept, especially if they are satisfied with their current